THIS COULD BE GORDON’S 4-6-0 MOMENT:
BLAMING genetics for Scotland’s latest qualification failure had an unintended consequence for Gordon Strachan. Granting his critics another stick to wield, by last night it had become his Craig Levein 4-6-0 moment.
That Scotland have no Paul Pogbas to call upon is no secret. But Lionel Messi is hardly Hot Shot Hamish. Andres Iniesta is 5ft 6ins in his stocking soles. Scotland’s greatest players — Dalglish, Johnstone, Henderson, Hughie Gallacher — were all 5ft 7ins or under.
Modern football places more em p h a s i s o n ph y s i c a l i t y, bu t genetics wouldn’t have rated a mention had the Scots beaten Slovenia and reached a World Cup play-off.
‘I go back to it again,’ said Strachan after the 2-2 draw in Slovenia. ‘Physically, in the last campaign, we were the second smallest squad after Spain. So we have to put more into any other game physically than others.’
Most Scotland managers are lucky to survive one failed campaign. The current manager has now overseen two — and the clamour for his removal is becoming ferocious.
From team selections to substitutions, public patience is draining. Genetics and small players might well be an issue. But it’s far from the biggest.
Post-Slovenia subscriptions to the ‘anyone but Strachan’ lobby went through the roof.
The SFA will reach a decision on the manager’s future next week. Senior figures have a high regard for Strachan and, based on recent results, there is a case to be made for the devil they know. Not least when the possible alternatives are frankly uninspiring.
No one would question the gene pool of David Moyes. A rugged defender, the Glaswegian became a big, strapping figure in British management. Everton was a success, Manchester United less so. When Celtic came calling he didn’t fancy a return to Scotland. Following a disastrous spell in charge of Sunderland, the feeling is now mutual.
Alex McLeish? A Treble-winning manager with Rangers, Big Eck was the last man to take Scotland to the brink of a major finals. But that was ten years ago.
Paul Lambert might want it now. Like Moyes, however, his recent managerial record in England is patchy.
Malky Mackay, the current SFA performance director, would merit a mention.
on any bookmaker’s shortlist to replace Strachan, however, Michael o’Neill is the most intriguing name. He pays his council tax in Edinburgh and has a solid background in Scottish football. Northern Ireland have consistently punched above their weight during his reign, reaching Euro 2016 and now the World Cup play-offs.
But o’Neill signed a new four-year contract with the Irish FA last March and, after a tenth straight failure to reach a major international finals, the SFA coffers are hardly swelling with cash at the moment.
The governing body, then, have a decision to take and the mist will begin to clear by next week. Should the lack of a ready-made replacement save Strachan’s job as manager of Scotland? And, if not, who could do it better?
‘I think you guys know me and, at this moment, I’m way down the list when it comes to thinking about people,’ said Strachan after a bitterly disappointing night in the Slovenian capital.
‘There are lots of people I’ve to think about — players, staff, fans. I need to speak to them and make sure they are all right. I’m right down the list.’
After an awful start the campaign to reach Russia ended in four wins and two draws. In any other circumstance, a 2-2 draw in Slovenia and 14 points from 18 would mark a promising trend. Evidence of a team taking shape. Start the next campaign as this one ended and, even for Scotland, a place at Euro 2020 would be a tricky thing to mess up.
France ’98 is the last time the national team reached a major tournament and the blame for that can’t be pinned on the man in charge. Sacking managers hasn’t changed anything.
THE bigger picture is the problem. In a poor second half in Ljubljana, Strachan reverted to old habits.
The loss of Scott Brown and Stuart Armstrong to injury was awful timing. Ditto a pre-match injury to James Morrison.
Leading 1-0 at half-time on Sunday, however, qualification was firmly within Scotland’s grasp. The gameplan was to allow the Slovenians plenty of the ball in their own half and restrict chances. The plan couldn’t legislate for a poor free-kick award from a Swedish referee and a corner-kick a defence failed to deal with.
But the second-half display raised questions of the manager’s reluctance to change things. And, when he finally did, reverted to old favourites Robert Snodgrass, Ikechi Anya and Steven Fletcher.
The benching of James Forrest was an odd business. When Strachan brought in a job lot of Celtic players, comfortable playing together, results improved markedly. Leaving out Forrest and Callum McGregor in the absence of Brown and Armstrong, then, made little sense.
At 2-1 down Scotland were out of the World Cup. Reverting to the players who created that situation in the first place only added to the feeling that Strachan and the Scottish public are heading for the divorce courts, irretrievable differences to the fore.
Denying that the result in Slovenia marked a low watermark in his career, Strachan offered a shake of the head.
‘No,’ he insisted. ‘Sometimes you come away from games and think: “What do I do?” You can’t see anything, there is nothing in the game.
‘We all know it isn’t rock bottom. I remember playing against Uruguay (in 1986). It was 0-0 and I’m not saying we didn’t try, but there wasn’t that kind of effort to it.
‘We went home saying: “That’s it, we’re out”. I think this is a lot different.
‘We have finished the campaign losing out on goal difference to a very good side, scoring two goals here against a team nobody had scored against (at home). We could have scored more. So it isn’t that blank moment that I’ve had a few times in my career.’
If Slovenia wasn’t quite rock bottom, it was certainly a watershed. The Scotland job suits Strachan. He sees his grandkids, spends time at home, plays some golf and enjoys an excellent relationship with his players.
‘I’m 60 now,’ he added. ‘I’ve been to places that are a lot lower than this. Pride in the lads is numbing any real disappointment.
‘Compared to some, I’m young. I speak to Alex Smith a lot. I feel fine, I feel fit. He’s 77, do you think I’m going to do this for another 17 years?’
The morning after another savage kick in the teeth for Scottish football, a suspicion was quick to form. The way people feel now, he’ll do well to last two.