Mackay keeps eyes on the job

MALKY MACKAY does not expect to stay on as Scotland manager, and will return to his role as SFA performance director after Thursday night’s match against The Netherlands.

Mackay has taken the reins for the match at Pittodrie after the exit of former head coach Gordon Strachan, and he insists he is honoured to have done so.

But he doesn’t expect to be appointed on a permanent basis, and says he has unfinished business as performance director.

“There’s been a lot written about this in the last week, and it’s been quite funny in a sense,” he said.

“I’ve got a job, I’m the performance director of Scotland. I’m very proud and immensely humbled to be asked to come in here and do this.

“The importance of what I’ve been asked to do is to carry us forward on towards a campaign to get us ready for Euro 2020.

“I didn’t want to give out any messages that I was just in here to open the doors and look after the team for the week, because that spills over into the players.

“They need to see that there’s a professionalism, that they are coming here and it’s all running well, and there’s someone in charge who knows what they are doing.

“I’m going to make sure that I create that for them, but anyone else who wants to take any other aspect from that then that’s up to them.

“I’ve got my job as performance director and that’s what I’m going back to once this finishes.

“It’s one that I know well, although not at international level, but I’ve managed against international players and managers in the Premier League in England, so it’s one I’m comfortable in.

“This is the job I’m doing for the association at the moment, and that’s why they asked me to do it.”