It has been just over three weeks since the Scottish Football Association decided to dispense with the services of Craig Levein.
Just two points from four games in a difficult start to World Cup qualification sealed Levein’s fate earlier in November.
The SFA have insisted that they are in no hurry to appoint a successor. Everton boss David Moyes and Motherwell manager Stuart McCall have already ruled themselves out of the running.
Total Football’s Simon Wright picks four of the frontrunners for the national job challenge.
Lothar Matthaus
The former great German international Lothar Matthaus has emerged as a surprise contender to take over as Scotland boss.
Matthaus had tremendous success as a player, winning the World Cup in 1990 for West Germany.
He also won silverware in a decorated club career with Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
After retiring from playing at Euro 2000, Matthaus started out in management and was linked to the Hearts job six years ago, although ultimately he wasn’t considered.
The 51-year-old has not had the greatest of track records in management, with his greatest honour being the coach of Partizan Belgrade when they won the Serbian league championship in 2003.
Out of work since leaving the Bulgaria post after failing to get them to Euro 2012, Matthaus would offer a new alternative to the SFA.
However the Berti Vogts nightmare should remind them that going foreign might not be the wisest decision once again. Just ask England.
Owen Coyle
Sacked by Bolton Wanderers in October, Owen Coyle might have struggled with results in the last six months of his reign at the Reebok Stadium but he has an exciting attacking way he approaches the game and is respected by many.
Coyle (pictured) started out in Scotland with St Johnstone and got Burnley into the Premier League in his first job in England.
He left the Clarets in slightly acrimonious fashion but steered Bolton to an FA Cup semi-final in 2011 and a comfortable mid-table finish in his first full season at the Reebok.
Relegation did follow in 2011-12 but that was down to some dreadful home form and plenty of bad luck.
In March, the game was brought together by Fabrice Muamba’s shock collapse in an FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.
Coyle handled this with dignity and courage and came out of it with a load of credit.
The SFA would be mad to not consider him as a serious contender. He is definitely a logical option.
Billy Stark
Billy Stark took charge recently of the Scottish team for the friendly victory in Luxembourg.
He might have been caretaker but if the SFA are looking for continuity, he could be the surprise choice.
Stark has also indicated that he is interested in applying for the vacancy.
Not many people will know of his name in the game but Stark has done some good things with the Under-21 side.
The chances are he will know a lot of the players and he does deserve a shot at the big time.
However this position might just be a little bit too soon for him.
Joe Jordan
Another Scot who is out of work but has to be seen as a logical choice should the SFA decides to go down this route.
Joe Jordan has been doing plenty of charity work since he left Tottenham as first-team coach in June after Harry Redknapp’s departure.
He knows how to manage a team in a crisis, having had a couple of spells as caretaker boss of Portsmouth in the last decade.
Saying that, his time at Celtic as assistant manager in 1994 ended as a disaster, lasting just four months.
He only achieved modest results too with Bristol City and Hearts. Since 1997, he has operated more in a coaching role.
Jordan is a suitable candidate but probably lacks the man-management skills required for the national job.
Whoever the SFA go through, this is a big appointment. They took too long in deciding to wield the axe on Levein and they have to make the right choice, not just in the short-term but in the long-term too.
By Simon Wright - Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88
Comments
Post a Comment