PROJECT BRAVEHEARTS Separating men from the boys
Malky lays groundwork for kids’ pathway to top
Malky Mackay believes Scotland have produced good players over the last 10 years – but the SFA’s Performance Director wants us to yield GREAT ones.
The 45- year- old is overseeing his f irst international week since taking on the job back in December.
As well as the full squad’s World Cup qualifier against Slovenia at Hampden today, he has watched Scotland’s Under-17 side qualify for the Euro Finals – and our Under-19s toil in their Elite Round in the Czech Republic.
Mackay is convinced 15 and 16-year-old boys in the Scotland set-up have the ability – and attitude – to make the grade.
But he knows the older generation might have missed the boat.
It’s now 11 years since our U-19s qualfiied for the European Championships.
Back in 2006, a team which included current Scotland players Robert Snodgrass, Graham Dorrans and Steven Fletcher made it all the way to final where they lost to Spain.
Mackay believes that’s a decent success rate. And he’s convinced their exposure to men’s football at a young age was the key.
But when he looks at the Spain side who lifted the trophy in Poland and sees names such as Gerard Pique, Juan Mata and Javi Garcia in it, he says that’s what we must now strive for.
Mackay said: “At Oriam a few weeks ago, our U-16s had a tournament against Croatia, Austria and Iceland, with Rangers’ Billy Gilmour and Celtic’s Karamoko Dembele in the squad.
“Against Croatia, we were technically better. I’ve never been able to say that at that age level but our teams in that age bracket are qualifying regularly for Euro Elite Rounds.
“The U19 and U21 sides have been highlighted as the problem area. For our elite boys at that age, it’s about breaking into first teams.
“Our top players don’t get the chance to kick on at their clubs. So we end up creating good players – but not great players.
“That’s the problem but also a challenge for us. It’s tough for U-19s now as they’ve found in Czech Republic this week. Our job is to bring more strength and depth from the U-15s, U-16s and U-17s. If we do that, in the future, the U-19s will become a much stronger group.
“We have to be realistic. The Scotland U-19 side which reached the Euros final in 2006 had Snodgrass, Dorrans and Fletcher. The Spain team who beat them had Pique, Mata and Garcia. Their top players will always become the cream of Europe but our boys should still be trying to attain that level.
“Look at the pathway Snodgrass, Dorrans and Fletcher took. Livingston and Hibs – in their first team at a really young age.
“They played a lot of games and this is what I’m banging on about. It’s all about pathway. How do they become men?
“We think they have talent but playing U20s football isn’t going to help them the first time they get thrown in against men.
“Going in against people physically different will be a culture shock. The earlier they get that exposure the better. That’s what I’m telling the clubs. I’ll give you the money but you have to show me a pathway to first team football.”
Mackay wants our best kids fast-tracked if they’re good enough and says it’s up to clubs to devise the right career plan.
He said: “We want loans to be more flexible to allow clubs to devise a plan for youngsters. We want reserve football again, so they’re playing with or against a more experienced player. Anything to fast-track young players.
“Youth teams also need to have weeks where they go abroad and play Ajax or a team like that. Even a tournament against South American opposition, a totally different way of playing. At 16 and 17, we’re there, we can compete.
“Speaking to Craig Mulholland at Rangers, he told me they took a team to Southampton last year and battered them. But the next week, Southampton’s young boys played Anderlecht and Feyenoord.
“The Rangers boys played a few games against lesser Scottish sides. That’s wrong.”