Big-name inTeRVieW Old Firm pair can lead way ahead on development
MALKY MACKAY believes Scotland have their dream Old Firm bosses in place from the perspective of player development.
With the dust just about settled on his controversial appointment as the SFA’s performance director, the 44-year-old is readying himself for the real business of his new job.
Namely, the hardy perennial of trying to persuade clubs to act in the best interests of the country.
None are bigger or more influential than the Old Firm who, between them, have historically produced the majority of Scotland internationalists.
“I don’t think Celtic and Rangers could be in better hands for us, in terms of development,” said Mackay.
“You have seen the young players Mark Warburton and Brendan Rodgers are bleeding into their sides.” Indeed. The marked progress made by Stuart Armstrong, Craig Gordon, James Forrest and, recently, Gary Mackay-Steven has been one of the stories of Celtic’s success this season.
And while across the city at Ibrox, Rangers boss Warburton has taken Barrie McKay out of the team at times, the winger has already been capped by Scotland and looks a potential regular for the future.
“Mark and Brendan are able to do that because they are confident in their ability to put young guys in, but they are also coaches as well,” said Mackay.
“They are both single-minded individuals, but they will happily put youngsters in.
“But it has to be guys who are willing to learn, who are putting the work in.
“That’s the basics. Work ethic. Put the time and the effort in, whether you are a coach or a player. Put the work in.”
The value of hard graft is central to the former Cardiff City manager’s vision for the future of the Scottish game.
“People ask me: ‘Has Scottish football lost its identity?’ Well, that is the exact kind of conversation I want to be sitting down and having with coaches and managers across the country,” said Mackay.
“What IS the Scottish style of play? Not what system we play – 4-3-3, 4-4-2, whatever. That’s different. I’m talking about a style that you can bleed into any system.
“What do our players in different areas invariably look like, and how are we going to be as a nation?
“We’ve got to change what we do just now for that to start. I don’t think there’s anyone disagreeing with that. Kids playing against kids all the way right up stops the flow of an 18, 19-year-old ending up in a first team and playing 200 games before he’s 21.
“We’ve got to give our players the best chance. It goes back to the schools. We’ve got to give our kids at 11, 12, the best chance.
“If we talk about strength and the power of boys, some of our guys at 25 or 26 take their tops off at the end of the game and they look 12 years old.
“We’ve got to be stronger-looking, we’ve got to look like athletes, we’ve got to run like athletes. In general, we’re tripping over each other about the boy Oliver Burke at the moment because he’s 6ft 2in and can run like the wind.
“He’s obviously getting there as a good footballer. But can we make more of our 13-year-olds athletic?
“Can we get the diet and nutrition right with them? It’s not their fault, it’s ours that they are not under 10% body fat by the time they are 24, which is what they should be as professional athletes.”
But what will Mackay’s own future hold?
Having worked hard on his rehabilitation from the text scandal in 2013, is he now viewing the performance director job as a stepping stone to the Scotland manager’s job itself?
After all, previously Andy Roxburgh and Craig Brown both made the step up from within.
“Is it a pathway? Who knows?” he said.
“I managed to pull on the Scotland jersey at 32. I was the oldest player to earn his first cap in 40 years, and it was the best day of my life in terms of my job.
“My role is categorically different here. I’m proud to have Gordon Strachan as our national manager, but this is a longterm role, a huge task in itself.
“I’m proud to be working for the country in the guise I am.
“If I’m involved to a point where we managed to get teams to Euros and World Cups, that’ll work well for me.”