The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
SFA want Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill for Scotland job.
Former Blue Brazil chairman is not surprised SFA want NI boss to replace Gordon Strachan
Gordon McDougall gave Michael O’Neill his first-ever coaching job in Scotland’s fourth tier – and he’s not surprised that the SFA want him to replace Gordon Strachan as the national team manager.
As chairman of Cowdenbeath, McDougall appointed him as No 2 to boss Mixu Paatelainen in 2005 and reaped the rewards when the Blue Brazil won the Third Division title that season.
O’Neill had left just before the end of that campaign to take over at Brechin City but he made a lasting impression on McDougall.
“Michael was – and is – an intelligent and affable individual and, above all, a real football man,” he claimed.
“He had been a team-mate of Mixu’s at Dundee United and Hibs and he was a pleasure to work with. What he has gone on to do with a very ordinary group of Irish players is nothing short of remarkable.
“You will struggle to find anyone who has ever worked with Michael who has a bad word to say about him.”
Stephen Robinson meanwhile insists it is no surprise that the SFA identified O’Neill as their top target – after insisting his achievement in taking Northern Ireland to Euro 2016 was as big as Leicester winning the Premier League.
Robinson was assistant to O’Neill as the tiny nation upset the odds by reaching the showpiece in France, ending an exile from major tournaments stretching back to 1986.
The adventure did not end there, with Northern Ireland qualifying from their group following a memorable 2-0 triumph against Ukraine before narrowly losing out to Wales in the last 16.
While a 1-0 World Cup play-off defeat against Switzerland ended their hopes of reaching a second successive finals, Robinson believes O’Neill can reflect on an astonishing body of work during his six years in charge.
“We have a pool of 35 or 36 players to choose from and only a handful of those in the (English) Premier League,” said the Motherwell manager.
“The rest are in League One and in Scotland – some not playing regularly.
“So that achievement of going to the Euros was massive. It was as big as Leicester winning the Premier League and I was proud to play a small part in that. Obviously Michael was the figurehead of it.
“Anything is possible in football if you really believe and have a camaraderie and spirit.
“Michael’s man management is special, he manages people very well. We have a mixture of people, from Premier League to League Two. But everyone is treated the same and his professionalism has seen Northern Ireland on a par with some Premier League teams in terms of how we prepare and travel.
“He is meticulous and that success is well deserved.
“If I was appointing a manager at international level, he would be the very first name on my list due to what he has done with our group of players.”
Reports have suggested that the USA are interested in recruiting O’Neill following the departure of Bruce Arena, while he could be tempted by vacancies at club level.
Northern Ireland are also pulling out all of the stops to keep him.
Having worked on the international stage and in club football, with the Steelmen and Oldham, Robinson knows his compatriot has a big decision to make regarding the nature of his next position.
“They are very different jobs,” Robinson told BBC Scotland.
“With the international set-up, you have six or seven games a year and do a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t see. But you can have time to yourself and a life; down time and family time.
“A club job takes over your life. It is 24 hours-a-day and puts a tremendous strain on your family life. It is difficult to have any interests outside of it.
“The choice is: does Michael stay in that lifestyle that he has built and earned the right to, or does he take a full throttle club job? That is a choice for him to make and I can’t answer for him.”
Robinson added: “But I’m a Northern Ireland fan, so I hope he stays.”