Greer is hoping Hyypia goes with the flow
BRIGHTON’S poker-playing chairman Tony Bloom has dealt Gordon Greer a favourable deck with his managerial appointments on the south coast.
The Scotland defender credits the style of play deployed by Gus Poyet, then Oscar Garcia, for the delayed launch of his international career at the age of 32 last year.
Bloom has shown his hand again this summer by plucking former Liverpool centre-half and Bayer Leverkusen coach Sami Hyypia from the managerial market — and now Greer will hope the new arrival will fit the mould of his former bosses and help to advance his international ambitions well into next season’s Euro 2016 qualifying bid.
Greer’s career-defining moment came when Poyet signed him from Swindon Town in the summer of 2010 and installed him as club captain.
The former Kilmarnock man led Brighton to the League One title and his performances while flirting with promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in the last two seasons persuaded Gordon Strachan to reward him with a senior Scotland debut last November.
Four appearances later, including last month’s 2-2 draw against Nigeria, and Greer has cemented his place in Strachan’s thoughts. His chances of staying there for the push towards the Euros in France will be enhanced if there is minimum disruption at club level this close season.
Greer, whose holiday season started with a place on the SFA’s B Licence Introduction course at Largs, explained: ‘One of the most important things — and we have touched on it on this course — is that if you are a manager, you sign players for how you want to play. Don’t get me wrong, most of my managers want to play football.
‘But when I went to Brighton under Poyet it was different. We basically controlled the game from the back and I was on the ball a lot.
‘And I enjoy that side of it, getting the ball and trying to pass it out.
‘So people started to realise I could pass the ball. Gus, every day, put on loads of good sessions. Oscar did, too. He had the same sort of beliefs as Gus.
‘Gordon Strachan wants the defenders to get on the ball, as well, which is great for me. As a defender, it’s fantastic if you have guys in front of you who are going in the same direction as you — we all have to defend together.
‘The club seems to like that style of play. The chairman wants to see that every week and wants the fans to go away happy.’
Scotland’s upward curve has continued in a noncompetitive environment since Greer became a senior cap in November.
Friendlies without conceding a goal against USA, Norway and Poland followed by the draw against Nigeria makes it four without defeat for Greer at international level.
The next target is a place in the squad for the Euro 2016 qualifying opener against Germany on September 7. Greer said: ‘It’s up to each individual to do the right thing week in, week out. I just want to start the season in good form for Brighton.
‘If that gets me playing in front of 70,000 in Dortmund then great.’