READ KRIS COMMONS
SFA must excite the fans with Strachan’s successor
WHEN the SFA appointed Gordon Strachan, he was definitely the right man at the right time. The search for his successor won’t be so simple. Or at least it shouldn’t be if Scotland is going to find a manager with the presence and pedigree to really lift the nation.
Something had to change. Now that Gordon has left his post as national boss, there is an opportunity for someone else to come in and do things differently.
The problem for me comes when you look at the obvious candidates who have already been mentioned. I said that would be an issue in my Sportsmail column on Monday. And it is.
What the SFA must now do is focus all their attention on coming up with a shortlist that will actually whet the appetite of the Scottish people. Candidates who will show that they really mean business. It can’t just be about picking an easy appointment and crossing their fingers.
They need to broaden their search as much as possible. In the past, the country has had its best results under Scottish managers. But there is a lot of potential out there, a lot of footballing knowledge among people who will be interested in what Scotland has to offer.
For all the disappointments of recent years, this is still a job that carries appeal. I’m not saying it has to be a foreigner, but the SFA must make sure they take every option on board.
Closer to home, you have someone like Paul Lambert. He is a very experienced club manager but it might not be right for him.
David Moyes has had a couple of dreadful spells recently and is that going to give you confidence for the next campaign? I’m not sure.
Malky Mackay is in at the SFA and doing a lot of work. But with everything that happened years ago, does that still leave a cloud over him if results go wrong?
The names out there just now are not immediately grabbing me. From the SFA’s point of view, they might work up a shortlist from them — and find that Strachan (right) would still be the best candidate if they added his name to it.
There is also an argument that you get what you pay for. Offering a good salary obviously helps, but money doesn’t guarantee anything.
Look at someone like Fabio Capello when he was in charge of England on an absolute fortune. Did he really do any better than some of the other candidates might have done? And that was someone with a sensational track record in the club game. Maybe, though, the SFA will feel they can get a guy who can really transform things — the way Brendan Rodgers has done at Celtic, for example. Some people are worth the risk of putting so many eggs in one basket. There are other factors beyond finance. Timing is one of them. While there is no great rush, I would still like to think that the appointment of the next national boss would be made sooner rather than later.
You want the new man to have a real opportunity to assess his players, as well as touching base with all the relevant club managers in Scotland and England. He needs to have a proper head-start before the competitive games begin again.
It is stating the obvious to say the SFA has a big job on its hands. For me, though, it all comes back to the same thing.
You want someone who can walk into a dressing room and get an instant reaction from the squad. If the players feel that way, the public will, too.
Like every football fan in the country, I want to look at the back page of the paper, see the name and think: ‘Yes, we have got a right chance now.’