No talks over Strachan

Scotland: SFA chief insists manager can get World Cup bid back on track

Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan insists Hampden officials did not discuss sacking Gordon Strachan in the wake of this month’s defeat by Slovakia.

Scotland’s hopes of reaching the next World Cup are hanging by a thread after taking just four points from their first three qualifiers.

Strachan must now hope his team can somehow claim a victory at Wembley next month when it faces England or the Scots can all but wave goodbye to a place at Russia 2018.

That remains a tall order but SFA chief Regan says dismissing the former Celtic manager is not an option the governing body has looked at yet.

When asked if there had been board-level discussion on whether Strachan should be allowed to continue as Scotland manager, Regan said: “Not at all. Gordon’s under contract. It’s all about the next game.

“There are still 21 points to play for. We’re only three games in to the campaign. If we win at Wembley, we’re right back in the mix and I think it’s a little bit disrespectful to be talking about a manager’s contract so early in a campaign.”

Strachan found himself under pressure to walk away after that damaging 3-0 defeat by Slovakia in Trnava. But after talks with Regan Strachan decided to stay on for the trip to London on November 11. The Tartan Army remains to be convinced that Strachan can end the country’s long wait to reach a major finals but Regan says the supporters can still be won over.

“Football is that kind of game – it’s all about performances,” he said. “If teams perform, they have support. If they don’t, they have criticism.

“Scotland and Gordon are no different. He knows the supporters crave success. We need to get a result against England and get our campaign back on track. We’re only one point off the play-off place, we’re three points off the top and, if Gordon goes to Wembley and gets a result, the supporters will be 100% behind him.

“No manager is going to go into a game believing he’s going to lose. No team wants to prepare for one of the biggest games in the campaign with a negative mindset. Gordon and the squad will be going into that game believing we can get a result. It happened in 1999. There’s no reason why it can’t happen again.”

Ally MacLeod will be inducted to the Aberdeen FC hall of fame next month. MacLeod, who died in 2004, was Dons manager from 1975 to 1977 and made his mark on the club during his relatively short spell at the Pittodrie helm by guiding the Reds to a 1976...

Gordon Strachan: Pressure