Will we top the group?

[TurbineTon]

Just now, The Moonster said:

Who are the several ITK folk?

There was an excellent discussion on BBC Sportsound. Sure the St.Mirren CEO was on suggesting that this is what he had been told. 

It coincides with the awful levels of self-interest which exist.

[The Moonster]

13 minutes ago, TurbineTon said:

There was an excellent discussion on BBC Sportsound. Sure the St.Mirren CEO was on suggesting that this is what he had been told. 

It coincides with the awful levels of self-interest which exist.

So one person suggested he had been told something. Not several ITK people confirming that's exactly what happened.

[TurbineTon]

There was a number of members of the media who also outlined the same story as the person on Sportsound. That, together with my opinion of the SFA, suggests to me that it could be true.  The secrecy of it all will probably mean that we'll never know that, but that won't stop me suggesting that it did. 

 

I fail to see what's wrong with that. I'm sure others on here will feel the same. 

[Savage Henry]

12 minutes ago, The Moonster said:

So one person suggested he had been told something. Not several ITK people confirming that's exactly what happened.

To be fair, there was quite a wide whisper, if such a thing exists, along those lines at the time.  Mainly to do with Ian Maxwell being placated after wanting somebody other than McLeish as manager.  I never bought it, as I think Maxwell is a decent chap, but I do recall it being discussed.

And, also to be fair, McLeish wasn't the first choice.  The first choice was Walter Smith.  Which rather reinforces the point that the SFA is myopic rather than corrupt.

[SpoonTon]

Strachan was sacked because there was a feeling among some members that O'Neill would take the job. When it turned out they were wrong, others went through their phone list of contacts and got to McLeish. Undoubtedly it was an uncomfortable time and the outcome of that was Maxwell getting the job. 

There's no big conspiracy, just incompetency. 

[TurbineTon]

7 minutes ago, Savage Henry said:

To be fair, there was quite a wide whisper, if such a thing exists, along those lines at the time.  Mainly to do with Ian Maxwell being placated after wanting somebody other than McLeish as manager.  I never bought it, as I think Maxwell is a decent chap, but I do recall it being discussed.

And, also to be fair, McLeish wasn't the first choice.  The first choice was Walter Smith.  Which rather reinforces the point that the SFA is myopic rather than corrupt.

1

Which reinforces the point of jobs for pals. 

[SpoonTon]

13 minutes ago, TurbineTon said:

Which reinforces the point of jobs for pals. 

Not because they're conspiring to get them jobs for the sake of it, but because they actually think they are the best for the jobs. 

It's like listening to the usual suspects on sportsound taking about Jim Duffy.

[TurbineTon]

Just now, SpoonTon said:

Not cause their conspiring to get them jobs for the sake of it, but because they actually think they are the best for the jobs. 

It's like listening to the usual suspects on sportsound taking about Jim Duffy.

I just don't buy it i'm afraid.  My opinion - that's all. 

 

 

[Estragon]

22 minutes ago, TurbineTon said:

I take exception to the point that it's not a simple case of shutting folk up because we may top the group. There's a wider picture in that the SFA are a complete and utter joke organisation that needs to have a serious look at itself.

I'm sorry if you take that personally for whatever reason, but it's an absolute fact. 

You're right here tbf, I started out by expressing myself too flippantly. It's not just about shutting folk up.

I definitely don't take it personally that views like yours are widely held - but I definitely think that SFA-bashing has become a national pastime, and I don't think it does anyone any favours. 

[TurbineTon]

6 minutes ago, Estragon said:

You're right here tbf, I started out by expressing myself too flippantly. It's not just about shutting folk up.

I definitely don't take it personally that views like yours are widely held - but I definitely think that SFA-bashing has become a national pastime, and I don't think it does anyone any favours. 

Fair enough. I concede that you're probably right in that it has become an easy thing for folk to do. I myself have held this viewpoint for a long time. 

I suspect you must work for them or something and respect your views on the matter nonetheless. 

It's all about opinions. 

[Monkey Tennis]

I suspect it all has more to do with wild incompetence than anything more nefarious too.

That scarcely makes it better though.

 

I'm not convinced that the SFA has pandered to "post-Vogts xenophobia".  I think they harbour such sentiment more than they reflect it.  Such an outlook does not strike me as widely held, but it does seem to have a foothold where it matters.

[HibeeJibee]

6 hours ago, The Moonster said:

So one person suggested he had been told something. Not several ITK people confirming that's exactly what happened.

Tbf, various media outlets alleged such in the spring.

It certainly appeared in my paper. Michael Stewart claimed it on radio (quoted online):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/43098581

Let's be honest, we all hear the chat, we're all in the industry. And the talk is that we know there's a split board at the SFA. The chat is that Rod Petrie and Alan McRae have got their man, and in return the other faction are going to be allowed to get the chief executive. That's not for the betterment of Scottish football. That is politicking. And it is unacceptable as far as I'm concerned."

[BFTD]

I wonder if Eck's shameless begging had any effect on his job application.

Also curious who the next choice would've been, had Eck got his own name wrong and shit himself at the interview. Again.

[Tulloch Gorum]

41 minutes ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I wonder if Eck's shameless begging had any effect on his job application.

Also curious who the next choice would've been, had Eck got his own name wrong and shit himself at the interview. Again.

[charger29]

Finland's loss tonight drops them back into the pack with the other teams looking to be a #1 or #2 seed.

9 points isnt guaranteed to be enough for a home game yet as Finland and the group 3 winner can still get there. 7 points would mean relying on two of the three group winners to drop points in their relevant game for it to go to GD. 6 points would probably mean relying on two of the other three group leaders to lose their relevant game for it to go to GD.

[Poet of the Macabre]

Surely the first choice was Michael O'Neill?

[The_Judge]

Still amazed he didn't take it with the wide array of talent we have at our disposal?  Maybe heard from PITK that many of our players are injury-prone?

[BFTD]

7 hours ago, Poet of the Macabre said:

Surely the first choice was Michael O'Neill?

I didn't get the impression they had a huge amount of enthusiasm for any of the candidates. Possibly because they couldn't appoint the candidate they really wanted without the risk of an actual proper backlash.

[craigkillie]

34 minutes ago, BigFatTabbyDave said:

I didn't get the impression they had a huge amount of enthusiasm for any of the candidates. Possibly because they couldn't appoint the candidate they really wanted without the risk of an actual proper backlash.

They were desperate to get O'Neill in and put all their eggs in his basket. He had originally told everyone who would listen that he wanted it, but he had a change of heart after Northern Ireland made him a bumper offer.

[BFTD]

1 minute ago, craigkillie said:

They were desperate to get O'Neill in and put all their eggs in his basket. He had originally told everyone who would listen that he wanted it, but he had a change of heart after Northern Ireland made him a bumper offer.

I remember it more that they made a half-arsed approach and he wasn't terribly impressed, so he used it to get his big payday from his existing employers instead. There was plenty of talk that the SFA were shocked that he wouldn't want to take the 'step up' to join them, which is fucking hilarious, if true.

I agree with the eggs/basket part, but that was some lethargic desperation, if so. And that's taking into account the break due to his mother's death.