A new Scotland manager, the rise of Dundee United, Dundee’s wage bill and St Johnstone’s record against the lesser lights of the Premiership all come under the microscope in the latest Talking Football with Courier sports writers Ian Roache and Eric Nicolson.
After another bleak night for the national team, is it a case of when rather than if Gordon Strachan goes?
Ian Roache: Let’s be honest, every man and his dog knows he should have quit by now. If he clings on it will be an act of sheer desperation. Those who are suggesting we can still qualify are blethering and Scotland has to stop accepting failure.
Eric Nicolson: He’ll go, of course. But I don’t buy the off the record messages being sent out of Hampden that his SFA bosses may take the decision out of Strachan’s hands. The time for a proper examination of his work and future plan for improvement was after the Euro 2016 qualifying campaign failed. There wasn’t one and he was as good as told the job was his as long as he wanted it.
Has he been the author of his own downfall?
IR: Football managers from the boss of the world champions to coaches in the amateur leagues are judged by results. Strachan’s haven’t been good enough to get us to a major finals. So unless as a footballing nation we are accepting that we won’t qualify ever again we should give someone else a go. Oh, and suggesting that nobody can do any better is just showing a lack of imagination and ambition.
EN: The Strachan failure is more painful than any of the other ones post-Craig Brown. And that’s because he had it in him to be a success. He was doing a great job, got too clever and it started to unravel. Ironically, I think he was back on form for the England match and got most of the big decisions right, which just adds to the frustration at what happened in the 18 months before.
Names are starting to get thrown about as far as his successor is concerned. Michael O’Neill’s is coming up a lot. Any chance?
IR: I would love it if this talented former Brechin City boss got the gig at Hampden. However, if he has any sense – and he does – then he will stick with Northern Ireland at least until the end of the World Cup qualifying campaign. Then he will surely get a chance at a decent-sized club in England.
EN: I can’t see it. It would be a sideways move at best for O’Neill. Unless the SFA was able to throw money at him, which they won’t be able to, he’s out of our league.
If not O’Neill then who?
IR: Here’s a novel suggestion: why don’t the SFA actually do a proper recruitment search? They should welcome applications and interview coaches from abroad as well as the usual suspects. It is a well-paid, high-profile job in a futba-daft country so it should be an attractive enough post. Also, there’s not much of an act to follow. If pushed, I would head-hunt someone like Lars Lagerback just for this quote alone: “I have played England six times – and I have never lost against them.”
EN: Yeah, I’d be happy with going foreign again. And I’d be happy with Lagerback. Guus Hiddink is another one I’d sound out. If it is to be a Scot, I’d hang on a while for the possibility that Davie Moyes is sacked by Sunderland. He should never have taken that job but (even though I think he’s an excellent manager) his stock may have fallen sufficiently far for Scotland to have a chance.
Gareth Southgate looks nailed on for the England job. How will that pan out long term?
IR: He looks like a safe bet but also the safe choice. I think he will get them to the World Cup but there were some dodgy displays in that English team on Friday as well as a lot of good ones. For example, if John Stones is worth nearly £50 million then Dave Narey in his prime would be priced at double that. In fact, even at the grand old age of 60 big Davie could give Stones a run for his considerable money.
EN: I don’t think he’ll be a long term success. The FA didn’t have the stomach for another recruitment process and Southgate has got the job by default. He comes across a thoroughly nice man but a top manager? Not for me.
There’s been no international break for Dundee United. A decent start to the season is now looking like a very good one, isn’t it?
IR: It has been a terrific transformation. If they can beat Morton away on Saturday – and that won’t be easy – then I would have them as favourites to defeat Hibs at Tannadice in the big one on December 2.
EN: It’s been a gradual thing, really. They’re closer to Hibs than I thought they would be at this stage of the season, that’s for sure. To look like a play-off certainty at the very worst is as much as any Arab could have asked for before a ball was kicked.
What, in particular, has Ray McKinnon got right?
IR: He has made the team physically stronger, more confident and considerably better at the back. The players are also clearly enjoying being at their work, which is such a contrast to last season. Some of the wins have been near-things and hard-earned but all the more enjoyable as a result.
EN: Getting the team used to its surroundings. I thought United might struggle with the ‘bigger club in a smaller league’ mentality but McKinnon has made sure that hasn’t been an issue. There has been no football snobbery about him or his team.
United have just beaten Dunfermline twice. You wouldn’t call their start a decent one, would you?
IR: The Pars are a bit of a puzzle because they have quality players in key positions. I think it will come good for them eventually but only if they keep 11 men on the park!
EN: I had Dunfermline down for a play-off place but it will take some run of form to make good that prediction. It’s time for players of real pedigree to dig their manager out of a hole.
There was a survey published earlier this week that showed Dundee are the fifth highest payers in the Premiership. Is that what you would have expected?
IR: Yes, absolutely. It’s no secret that Dundee have been able to offer bigger salaries than some of the teams you would consider to be their rivals, such as St Johnstone, Motherwell and Inverness Caley Thistle.
EN: Ian’s right. Dundee have been able to outbid several of their Premiership rivals for players over the last couple of years. I’m not sure I’d put them fifth when it comes to value for money, though.
I don’t suppose Paul Hartley would have wanted a break. Can they regain their momentum with a result at Ibrox?
IR: To beat Rangers on their own park is a big ask regardless of what form the Light Blues are in but if the Dark Blues can even get a draw then that will tell me that they have turned the corner.
EN: Rangers away isn’t a fixture that needs to be written off like it used to. Play the team and not the badge and Dundee have a real chance. Craig Wighton could have a field day up against Mark Warburton’s centre-halves. Play as they did at Hamilton and I can see Dundee getting a point, absolutely.
St Johnstone have got another of those home games that they seem to have a problem with (Ross County). How do they crack the issue of performing as well against the teams near the bottom of the league as they do against the ones at the top?
IR: This match should be a home banker for my coupon having watched Saints almost beat Hearts at Tynecastle the other weekend. However, they do get bogged down at times in these fixtures. There is no rocket science involved here – they just need to dig out a victory.
EN: Get off to a fast start and score the first goal (and get the ball to Danny Swanson and Steven MacLean as often as possible). I think this big team/wee team discrepancy for Saints’ results will soon even itself out.
