Frank Grimes Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 It’s not an exciting or imaginative appointment but I wish Eck all the best Care so little for the National team these days anyway I can barely muster up further opinion or feelings on the matter Will watch the games from my armchair with interest as the SFA can stick their membership up their arse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunning1874 Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I'm firmly in the camp of being annoyed at the appointment of McLeish - on account of being a disastrous failure in every job he's had for the last seven years - but I do think we're being a bit unfair about his previous spell. Georgia away was absolutely shocking and a disgrace of a result, but even at that he was comfortably a better Scotland manager than Vogts. I respect that McLeish was only in charge for six competitive games so it's a much smaller sample than Vogts, but still, McLeish ultimately had one really unacceptable result in his six games while Vogts had four in thirteen. I think there's some understating of how good the good results under McLeish were too. The Ukraine win was absolutely excellent and while France was obviously smash and grab, he did that with Stephen McManus and Stephen Pearson on the pitch. People love to call our present pool of players at the time the discussion is being held the worst we've ever had, but even for having Weir at centre back and pre-injury Gordon and Fletcher, our current squad shits all over that one in strength in depth. The likes of Jay McEveley, Steven Pressley and Gary Teale were playing in that campaign. Garry O'Connor came off the bench in Paris. Like I said I think McLeish is a terrible appointment now, the last seven years suggest he's absolutely finished as a manager, but I don't see the need to say he was worse than he really was in his first spell. Even considering the Georgia disaster, he was a considerably better Scotland manager than Berti Vogts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Henry Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Steve Clarke in this morning presser before the Motherwell game, confirms no approach had been made by the SFA, adding "they would not have been encouraged from my side of the table"....... Uh huh. Which is a non denial denial. Lennon and Clarke would have jumped at the chance.McLeish is taking pellets because of what he represents, not who he is. What happened was that the SFA missed out on their first choice (for good or for ill) and then, instead of changing things up like their own former CEO said was required, former Ross County defender and Civil Engineering graduate Ian Maxwell, some bloke with a moustache and some other person took the most conservative, cautious, risk free choice they could have made. McLeish represents the old guard and a fear of change. As I said before, the SFA and the sycophants in the stands get the team they deserve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shandon Par Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 3 minutes ago, Savage Henry said: Uh huh. Which is a non denial denial. Lennon and Clarke would have jumped at the chance. McLeish is taking pellets because of what he represents, not who he is. What happened was that the SFA missed out on their first choice (for good or for ill) and then, instead of changing things up like their own former CEO said was required, former Ross County defender and Civil Engineering graduate Ian Maxwell, some bloke with a moustache and some other person took the most conservative, cautious, risk free choice they could have made.McLeish represents the old guard and a fear of change. As I said before, the SFA and the sycophants in the stands get the team they deserve. We've given managers long contracts, wide-ranging remits (ie Strachan, Levein, Burley, Vogts...) and it has been 100% utter shite. The only thing that should matter is appointing someone to get the best from the available pool of players and stop making the job look harder than it is and opponents look better than they are. McLeish got us so close to qualifying not behind Slovenia but behind the World and European champions of the era. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Tbh McLeish just screams interim appointment in all but name to me. Someone who was relatively cheap, available, knows the job and isn't Malky Mackay. I was firmly in the camp of "Strachan's time had come" so regardless of how this has played out I'm still of the opinion that they made the right decision getting shot of WGS. It's clear the SFA fucked it with O'Neil, patching Regan is something that should have happened years ago but the fact they were now left with no CEO and no national team manager meant something needed done not least with friendlies taking place next month. If nothing else the crumb of comfort about this appointment is that it'd appear that they at least realise how toxic Mackay taking the national team would have been. I'm no great fan of McLeish but given the current circumstances and the fact that as an institution the SFA is entirely rudderless it seems improbable that we'd be getting any forward thinking appointment and even if there were any candidates who fit the bill (and I'm sure there are) it's unlikely that anyone would be willing to get on board at the moment. They've missed out on their obvious first choice and sacked their CEO, it really doesn't strike me as the time to be making grand plans. As it is they've got McLeish in now the only real hope is that the SFA can now start to get their house in order in terms of structure (I'm not holding my breath). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cerberus Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 On the bright side at least Yogi Hughes didn’t get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wastecoatwilly Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 1 hour ago, JTS98 said: I'm pretty sure the countries I've mentioned above have other players playing in good leagues too. The point is that they can select players regularly playing to a good level and we cannot. People get very precious about it, but winning every week in Scotland doesn't prepare Celtic players to play against good international sides. Neither does playing for Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen etc. We're turning up with these guys in our team to play against players who routinely play in and against better sides. That's why we never qualify. Change the manager all you want (and we have, many times) and you'll see no difference (and we haven't). You don't think european level is a good level? You don't think the EPL is a high level? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dullard Bluteau Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I find myself in a rather detached position as I don't go to Scotland games or watch on tv as I don't subscribe to Sky. My other reason is well documented - if strongly opposed by all others on this forum - but one thing puzzles me about the Scotland job. It cannot be described as anything other than a part-time position, as games come around only once in a while. The salary mentioned, however, is fantastic and particularly given that the type of person likely to get the job would in ordinary circumstances be likely to earn a fraction of that. It is therefore strange that it has gone to a chap pretty much at the fag end of his career and seemingly unemployable elsewhere. Personally its the kind of appointment I have been expecting from the people who run football in this country, such is my disdain for them. The reaction on here pretty much seems to concur with my feelings, one of fatalism and inevitability. Not content with overpricing games and making them all-ticket to the fans inconvenience, then scheduling them on school nights, those officials - "blazers" I think they are referred to - are able to continue with impunity despite 20 years of international failure. (Ok maybe they are told when to play games, its still rubbish though) Thankfully for once, club football is able to sustain me this season but I feel for the "tartan army" fans who spend lots of money and time following the national side, only to be treated to miserly rations by those on and off the pitch. I get the feeling that Hampden crowds are going to further reduce following the decision to re-instate McLeish after his previous abandonment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forameus Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 12 minutes ago, Dullard Bluteau said: I find myself in a rather detached position as I don't go to Scotland games or watch on tv as I don't subscribe to Sky. My other reason is well documented - if strongly opposed by all others on this forum - but one thing puzzles me about the Scotland job. It cannot be described as anything other than a part-time position, as games come around only once in a while. The salary mentioned, however, is fantastic and particularly given that the type of person likely to get the job would in ordinary circumstances be likely to earn a fraction of that. It is therefore strange that it has gone to a chap pretty much at the fag end of his career and seemingly unemployable elsewhere. Personally its the kind of appointment I have been expecting from the people who run football in this country, such is my disdain for them. The reaction on here pretty much seems to concur with my feelings, one of fatalism and inevitability. Not content with overpricing games and making them all-ticket to the fans inconvenience, then scheduling them on school nights, those officials - "blazers" I think they are referred to - are able to continue with impunity despite 20 years of international failure. (Ok maybe they are told when to play games, its still rubbish though) Thankfully for once, club football is able to sustain me this season but I feel for the "tartan army" fans who spend lots of money and time following the national side, only to be treated to miserly rations by those on and off the pitch. I get the feeling that Hampden crowds are going to further reduce following the decision to re-instate McLeish after his previous abandonment. While a lot of what you say is right (apart from the bit...well, you know which), the bolded part can't be levelled at the SFA. I'd imagine they'd far rather have games at times they'd get the best attendance, but UEFA/FIFA dictate when you're playing, and that's that. They do overprice games, usually by backing themselves into a season-ticket shaped corner, but they can't be blamed for kick-off times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
placidcasual Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Yet, ironically, he will have the best chance of any manager in the last 3 decades to qualify. I dislike the choice as much as many others do, but I'm not about to wish failure on a team because their manager is a fanny. Maybe I'd be better wishing him every success. That way he can piss off to Charlton Athletic or whoever when he's won a couple of games on the spin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitburn Vale Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Yeah no doubt attendances are gonna go down,speaking to people who i know are regulars and a lot you guys on here,feels a lot of people are just gonna give the games a wide berth. They certainly will if results start to dip from the off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monkey Tennis Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 We've appointed someone not remotely sought after by anybody. If he hadn't been offered this, it's very likely that he wouldn't have worked in football management again. It's so lazy, so lacking in imagination, or even thought. It's as if there's been a collective shrugging and giving up. I almost feel sorry for McLeish himself because he's an unpopular appointment and is on a hiding to nothing. I don't though - I feel more sorry for the rest of us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurkst Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 6 minutes ago, Whitburn Vale said: Yeah no doubt attendances are gonna go down,speaking to people who i know are regulars and a lot you guys on here,feels a lot of people are just gonna give the games a wide berth. They certainly will if results start to dip from the off Well I for one am still gonna go. And if we do make it to Euro2020 with games being played at Hampden demand will be through the cantilever roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppino Impastato Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 4 hours ago, JTS98 said: It's not pish. McLeish went into the last five minutes of a campaign needing one goal to qualify. Berti got us to a play-off where we got hounded 6-1 and the tie was over before half time in the second leg. McLeish was a much closer run thing. We've been one game from qualifying several times. It's pish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crilly Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 9 hours ago, Shaggy Jenkins said: Just shows the spineless, sniveling, cretins, living in their wee west coast bubble that run our game Allegedly the SFA Board member who was most supportive of McLeish was Rod Petrie. The last time I checked, Leith was in the east of Scotland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamonds are Forever Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I don't agree with the appointment, but I can see an argument for it. There is no outstanding candidate, we have games coming up and need someone in charge so appoint what they think is a 'safe pair of hands' for a couple of years, in the meantime start working on a succession plan for the World Cup campaign. The problem is that I'm not sure McLeish is as safe a pair of hands as they think, I genuinely think he's not at 'full capacity' mentally anymore. And there is no chance of them working on a succession plan over the next 2 years, this is the SFA we are talking about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glens lad Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Can’t believe that clown is back. Enjoy the circus [emoji853] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Tunbridge Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I’m about 90% sure in his interview on the hourly radio news he said one of his goals is “to win the nations league ‘hing” Eta he sounded like a broken old alky as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppino Impastato Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 3 hours ago, JTS98 said: I'm pretty sure the countries I've mentioned above have other players playing in good leagues too. The point is that they can select players regularly playing to a good level and we cannot. People get very precious about it, but winning every week in Scotland doesn't prepare Celtic players to play against good international sides. Neither does playing for Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen etc. We're turning up with these guys in our team to play against players who routinely play in and against better sides. That's why we never qualify. Change the manager all you want (and we have, many times) and you'll see no difference (and we haven't). Sorry but you're talking absolute complete and utter shite. If you want to gauge how good our squad is compared to others look at what the players earn not who they play for. That's a much better measure, as judging clubs is entirely subjective and players are professionals who follow the money as everybody does If you do that, you'll find, for example, players at decent championship clubs (as a lot of our players are and you just dismissed as shite) earn more than players at udinese etc. Ergo they are better players. Scotland are not nearly as bad as you make out. The problem has always been the manager, we've always had players good enough to qualify. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Im_Rodger Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Not the worst or best appointment. Wish him all the best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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