Way for Scots
Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness. Twenty years is a long time to miss out, so something needs to be thought about or redone by Scotland. You could have a vision, for example, to say we need to be in Qatar in 2022. So what we do in this four-year cycle is to start preparing from now.
“It is not up to me to do it. But if they called the coaches involved in local football to get an opinion, I have no problem with that. I respect the opinion [of Strachan] about the genetics but I cannot agree. Even more so if you compare it with the Spaniards, because the players are the same height.
“In handball, the players are higher. The same in volleyball and definitely in basketball. But not football. Ronaldo is a tall player but Lionel Messi is not. Both of them are the best players in the world and you have two different types.
“Of course, physicality is important but it is not the most important point. Is it about football intelligence? 0 Celebration time as Valente Silva scores Portugal’s second in their 2-0 victory over Switzerland last night that booked their place in the World Cup finals. Left, Carlos Queiroz, whom Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha, inset left, credits with transforming Portuguese football. Totally. I don’t think Scottish players are technically behind. We have some good technical players here, one of the best at our club is Graham Dorrans.”
Caixinha also believes that the environment in Scotland is an issue, while greater dedication to repetition of skills is also required.
“The weather here may have something to do with it,” he added. “In Portugal, we can play on the street even in winter. So the ball is with us for more time to develop that skill. We can get on the beach and do it without shoes. If you don’t get it on the streets, where can you get it? You need somewhere to do it.
“Jose Mourinho also said something interesting when he tried to explain tactical periodization. Did you ever see a pianist getting skill from running around a piano? He needs 10,000 hours on the keys to become an expert. But not from running around it, from touching the keys. Again and again. That is the reality.”