ARROGANT IGNORANT STUBBORN
BOSS MADE MISTAKES AND HAD TO GO Gordon thinks he knows better than everyone else He dismissed top flight by hardly going to games He ignored top scorer Griffiths until it was too late Chris Sutton
IT takes a big man to admit when he gets things wrong.
Gordon Strachan’s arrogance and stubbornness to admit his mistakes are the main reason his position as Scotland had become untenable.
For Gordon to say he had no regrets after blowing a golden chance to qualify for a World Cup in a group with a boring, lifeless, England team and Slovakia and Slovenia – hardly nations to fear – was arrogance personified. He had to go.
No regrets with the teams he put out against Lithuania and Slovakia? No regrets being too stubborn to play Leigh Griffiths, the most threatening, prolific striker in Scottish football?
Every person in the nation knew Griffiths was the one, bar Gordon. And after the stable door slammed shut guess what? Gordon eventually found a place for Griffiths. Too little, too late, too stubborn.
Then we had the genetic madness. Strachan will be remembered more for this mad outburst than any Scotland team performance.
If Gordon truly believes the reason Scotland didn’t qualify was genetics he has lost the plot. When it comes to height, Dutch men tower over everyone else but they didn’t qualify.
It was the sign of a desperate man. Think of the greatest Scottish players of all time – Jimmy Johnstone, Kenny Dalglish and Gordon’s not the biggest himself so it was a ridiculous thing to say – and let’s not forget his insistence on playing Barry Bannan.
Gordon also said the players were hurting more than the fans which was deeply insulting to the Tartan Army who spent thousands of pounds following Scotland around Europe. How would he know? How do you come to that conclusion?
He has been a good manager over the years but got his selection wrong on too many occasions. And his refusal to play Scottish-based players early on in the campaign was a mistake.
He was rarely at a Scottish ground – and that tells you everything about what he thought of the Scottish Premiership.
That was his Achilles heel. He had a big thing for English-based players and that was one of the major reasons he didn’t succeed.
Scotland missed out extremely narrowly and the 1-1 draw at home to Lithuania in the second qualifier proved costly. There wasn’t one Celtic player in the team that night.
Griffiths was in form and there were other players in that Celtic team high in confidence, trusting each other in the way they played and on the verge of the Treble.
No Celtic players featured against Lithuania and just one in the following game – Kieran Tierney – away to Slovakia when they lost 3-0.
Things changed for the better when he started to get those players in the team but it was too late.
Even at the death in the campaign in Slovenia why did he put on Ikechi Anya – who has started one game for Derby this season – instead of Callum McGregor or James Forrest? Scotland will never get a better chance to qualify. They won’t get an easier group. It was a real opportunity and Strachan’s stubbornness cost them.
This isn’t a personal thing. I’ve worked with him now and again and I get on fine with him. I’ve never said he wasn’t a good manager at Celtic.
It was a time when things were changing at Parkhead. He had his choice on the way he wanted to go about things.
There was a contractual situation. I didn’t want to leave and I had an agreement in place with Martin O’Neill but the terms changed under Strachan.
These things happen, I’m a big boy but it still doesn’t take away the fact Gordon did exceptionally well and has been a good manager over the years.
But he failed as Scotland manager. Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland both made the play-offs and Iceland qualified automatically – and you wouldn’t put that many players from any of their squads into the Scotland squad.
The SFA are often criticised for not being decisive enough but they certainly can’t be accused of that on this occasion.
So what now for Scotland? David Moyes is the favourite but the SFA shouldn’t just go for someone simply because they are available and won’t cost any compensation. Me? I would like to see Sam Allardyce given the opportunity.
I’m aware he’s not Scottish but he’s got a point to prove and would love nothing more than to get Scotland to the Euros and stick two fingers up to the FA.
He is an organiser and has been a success virtually everywhere he’s been. He’s been firefighting for most of his career and doing it superbly.
Would the Tartan Army take to him? Would that be important? He’s a charismatic bloke. Scotland just need the best man for the job regardless of where they’re from.
Michael O’Neill’s name will be chucked in as he’s based in Scotland and doing a great job but it depends what happens with Northern Ireland in the play-offs.
There’s an argument they should go for someone who knows the domestic league in Scotland and it’s not unreasonable to think Derek McInnes could step into the fold.
He’ll eventually have to leave Aberdeen and knows domestic football supremely well so you couldn’t rule him out.
But if you’re a betting man you stick your cash on Malky Mackay getting the job based on the fact he’s employed by the SFA in his performance director role.
I’m sure he would take it if offered. But I’m not so sure it’s the right thing.
Whoever gets the job what we do know is Scotland will never get a better opportunity to qualify for a major tournament, Scotland will never get an easier group and the failure lies with one man and his stubbornness to do the right thing. He had to go. (3.0 kick-off unless stated) ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Brighton v Everton ........................... P Burnley v West Ham ........................... Crystal Palace v Chelsea .................... Leicester v West Brom ..................... P Liverpool v Man Utd .................. 12.30 Man City v Stoke ................................ Southampton v Newcastle ............... P Swansea v Huddersfield ..................... Spurs v Bournemouth ........................ WatfordvArsenal ...................... 5.30 SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP Barnsley v Middlesbrough ................. Birmingham v Cardiff ....................... P Bolton v Sheff Wed ............................. Brentford v Millwall ............................ Bristol City v Burton Alb .................. P Derby v Nottm Forest ...................... P Fulham v Preston ............................... Leeds v Reading ................................. Norwich v Hull .................................... Sheff Utd v Ipswich ............................ Sunderland v QPR .............................. Wolves v Aston Villa ................... 5.30
SKY BET LEAGUE ONE (19) Bristol Rovers v Oxford Utd ............... (20) Bury v Bradford .................................. (21) Charlton v Doncaster ......................... (22) Fleetwood v Rochdale ........................ (23) Northampton v AFC Wimbledon ........ (24) Oldham v Blackburn ........................... (25) Peterborough v Gillingham ................ (26) Plymouth v Shrewsbury ..................... (27) Portsmouth v MK Dons ...................... (28) Rotherham v Scunthorpe ................... (29) Walsall v Blackpool ............................ (30) Wigan v Southend ..............................
SKY BET LEAGUE TWO (31) Accrington v Coventry ....................... (32) Chesterfield v Morecambe ................ (33) Colchester v Carlisle .......................... (34) Forest Green v Newport ..................... (35) Grimsby v Crawley ............................. (36) Lincoln v Cambridge Utd .................... (37) Luton v Stevenage ............................. (38) Mansfield v Swindon .......................... (39) Notts County v Barnet ....................... (40) Port Vale v Cheltenham ..................... (41) Wycombe v Exeter ............................. (42) Yeovil v Crewe .................................... WILLIAM HILL SCOTTISH CUP
2ND RD (-) Banks O’Dee v Selkirk ........................ (-) Berwick v Annan ................................ (-) Buckie Thistle v BSC Glasgow ............ (-) Civil Service Strollers v Brora ........... (-) Cowdenbeath v East Kilbride ............. (-) Deveronvale v Glenafton ................... (-) Edinburgh Uni v Fraserburgh ............. (-) Elgin v Edusport Academy ................. (-) Formartine v East Stirling ................. (-) Keith v Clyde ...................................... (-) Montrose v Stirling Uni ...................... (-) Nairn County v Cove Rangers ............ (-) Peterhead v Colville Park ................... (-) Spartans v Clach ................................ (-) Stirling v Lothian Th ..........................
LADBROKES PREMIERSHIP (43) Celtic v Dundee .................................. (44) Hamilton v Motherwell ....................... (45) Hibs v Aberdeen ................................. (46) Partick v Kilmarnock ......................... (47) Ross County v Hearts ........................ (-) St Johnstone v Rangers .................. P
LADBROKES CHAMPIONSHIP (48) Brechin v Morton ............................... (49) Dumbarton v St Mirren ...................... (-) Falkirk v Inverness ............................. (-) Livingston v Dundee Utd .................... (-) Queen of South v Dunfermline ...........
LADBROKES LEAGUE 1 Ayr v Airdrie ....................................... East Fife v Albion ............................... Queen’s Park v Forfar ........................ Raith v Arbroath ................................ Stranraer v Alloa ................................ (-) (2) (3) (-) (-) (4) (-) (6) (7) (8) (9) (-) (11) (12) (-) (-) (13 (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) (-) (-) (-) (-) (-) (1) (5) (-) ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Brighton v Everton ...................... 1.30 Southampton v Newcastle ........... 4.0 SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP Derby v Nottm Forest .................. 1.15 LAST NIGHT St Johnstone 0, Rangers 3. Edinburgh City 0, Stenhousemuir 1. Birmingham 1, Cardiff 0; Bristol City 0, Burton Albion 0.
Espanyol 0, Levante 0. Cologne 1. Monaco 2. Anderlecht 4. Stuttgart 2,
get an easier group. The manager’s stubbornness cost them
Lyon 2, Mechelen 3,