‘Wrong time to talk about my job’
Strachan refuses to be drawn on his future He insists players’ welfare is most important Inferior genetics to blame for World Cup woe
Gordon Strachan has stressed he isn’t even thinking about his future as he takes time to assess Scotland’s latest qualifying failure.
This experience stings more than many of the others. One more goal was all Scotland needed to reach a play-off place. Last night’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia, combined with Slovakia’s 3-0 win over Malta, means Scotland dropped to third place in Group F on goal difference at the end of another qualifying campaign.
Scotland scored the opening goal through Leigh Griffiths, but the game turned on its head after Roman Bezjak’s introduction at half time. He scored twice before Robert Snodgrass gave Scotland some hope with a late equaliser.
Scotland’s recent improvement is undeniable. However, despite taking 14 points from 18, and going seven matches unbeaten for the first time since 1997, Scotland will again sit out a major finals next summer when the World Cup is staged in Russia.
Strachan, pictured, isn’t looking any further ahead than making sure the players are aware their efforts have been appreciated by him. The manager was asked about his own future, which is again uncertain.
His contract has effectively expired since the new one he signed two years ago, after missing out in Euro 2016 qualifying, was due to expire at the end of this current campaign. He wouldn’t be drawn on the subject last night.
“I just get on the plane, have a cup of tea, get home and see how it goes after that,” said Strachan. “But I can go away knowing that group of lads and the group that has worked over the last year, I couldn’t have asked for any more.
“You have to ask that question, but you know fine well that I’m going to say I’m the last person I’m thinking about now. Players, staff and family – I want to make sure they’re all right.
“The players’ families have backed them up and everything else. So we are looking after them at the moment. Me? It’s not a problem. I am proud, really proud, to be their manager. It’s an honour to work with these guys.
“I’ve been fortunate to have been successful in my own career and get to places,” he added. “But with all due respect to the lads I played with – some who are my mates now – this group are as good as anything I’ve worked with.
“Over the last two games especially they gave it everything they had. We’ve just been beaten in the end on goal difference to Slovakia, who are an excellent side.” Asked what went wrong for Scotland – both last night and across the campaign – Strachan bemoaned his team’s lack of physical stature and admitted it was a problem that couldn’t be easily solved. “Genetically, we are behind,” explained the manager. “The last campaign we were the second smallest, apart from Spain, so that means we had to pick a team tonight to try and combat the height and strength. Even at that we couldn’t combat their height and strength at set plays.
“Genetically, we have to work at things. Don’t know if we can get big women and men together, and see what we can do.
“It is a problem for us because we have to fight harder for every ball and jump higher. Nobody tell me their technique apart from one player is better than any of ours, but physically we have a problem.”
Slovenia manager Srecko Katanec was blunt when assessing his own last match in charge. “Scotland scored twice but they didn’t have many chances,” he insisted. “We were clearly the better team.”