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SFA POISED TO MAKE THEIR DECISION
21st January 2008
A couple of weeks ago we seemed to have a plethora of fine managers lining up to steer our national team to glory. Now all of sudden the main candidates seem to be distancing themselves from the position. Does no one fancy the challenge or is this all just a bit of bluffing as the SFA get ready to announce their choice?
Mark McGhee still seems to be the favourite but he has now said that he wouldn?t take the job until he has finished the season with Motherwell. Admittedly the Fir Park boss is hardly holding the SFA to ransom. Scotland do not have a meaningful match until the Autumn so perhaps it would be fair to let him finish what he has started at Motherwell, especially after the special set of circumstances the club is in after the tragic loss of Phil O?Donnell. Whether the SFA can wait until the end of the season for McGhee is another matter entirely.
Depending on which paper you read Tommy Burns may have refused to be interviewed or he may already have been interviewed. Whatever is going on, the Celtic youth coach has certainly kept his cards close to his chest. The SFA should know Burns better than any of the other candidates given his history of working with the national team. Burns has already been overlooked for the top job in the past so he may just be trying to play down his chances in case he is again not the favoured candidate.
Graeme Souness is seemingly having second thoughts as he can make more money as a Sky pundit than as the manager of his country. George Burley would also have to accept a drop in wages if he left St Mary?s, whilst Billy Davies withdrew from the race early on.
The SFA are apparently working towards a January 31 deadline but there have been rumours that a decision may be reached this week. Hopefully we will get someone in sooner rather than later. There may not be a Scotland match for a while and the SFA should not rush their decision but this appointment is beginning to become a long and drawn-out affair.
WHAT A START FOR NEALE COOPER
New Peterhead boss, Gothenburg Great, Neale Cooper couldn?t have hoped for a better start after Peterhead thrashed Berwick 9-2 in his first match in charge. The Blue Toon are currently fifth in the Second Division but have a good enough squad to win promotion. Cooper will have done himself no harm in making his caretaker position into something more permanent after this superb victory but he has certainly set himself high standards to live up to.
BACK THE HOSTS IN AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS
Ghana opened their African Cup of Nations campaign with a far from convincing victory against Guinea but you wouldn?t bet against them being in the final in Accra on February 10. It took a last-minute wonder strike from Sulley Muntari for Ghana to start their campaign with a win but the hosts tend to do well in this tournament. Eleven of the twenty-five competitions have been won by the host nation. Ghana will be without their captain Stephen Appiah who has a blood-clot on his knee which will place extra pressure on Chelsea?s Michael Essien to deliver the hopes of a nation.
If Ghana are to lift the trophy in three weeks time then they will have to overcome the likes of Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and Mali. Nigeria are number one in the African rankings and in Yakubu they have a goalscorer in terrific form. But surely a side with Berti Vogts as manager couldn?t do well?
TALKING A GOOD GAME
To honour his return to St James? Park here are some of Kevin Keegan?s most memorable quotes:
?Goalkeepers aren?t born today until they?re in their late twenties or thirties.?
?I don?t think there is anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona.?
?In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg.?
?The 33 and 34-year-olds will be 36 or 37 by the time the next World Cup comes around, if they?re not careful.?
?You can?t do better than go away from home and get a draw.?
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