English Soccer News

Scottish FA board to draw up manager shortlist at meeting

The Scottish Football Association board – including (left to right) chief executive Ian Maxwell, vice president Rod Petrie, and president Alan McRae – will meet on Tuesday

A shortlist of candidates to be the next Scotland manager is expected to be drawn up during a Scottish Football Association board meeting on Tuesday.

Chief executive Ian Maxwell will then attempt to speak to the candidates identified to succeed Alex McLeish.

A short-term appointment could be made before the Euro 2020 qualifiers against Cyprus and Belgium in June.

Performance director Malky Mackay and under-21 coach Scot Gemmill have been suggested as interim candidates.

And Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke is also among the favourites to replace McLeish, whose second spell as national team coach ended on Thursday after 14 months in charge.

Clarke said on Friday he would be interested in international management “at some stage”, but could be facing a Scottish FA charge after castigating referee Steven McLean the following day.

McLeish, 60, took charge for a second time in February 2018 but came under increasing pressure after a poor start to the Euro 2020 qualifiers.

His departure came a month after Scotland were humiliated 3-0 by world ranked 117 nation Kazakhstan, then recorded an unconvincing 2-0 win over San Marino, the world’s lowest-ranked side.

The squad for the games with Cyprus and Belgium is due to be announced in the week of 27 May.

Key questions for Scottish FA board – analysis

The eight-strong Scottish FA board must identify someone who will take on a job that pays less than the equivalent at many English Championship clubs and deal with clubs reluctant to release players.

They will consider the following questions:

  • Is the candidate looking at this as a stepping stone to a club job?
  • Can he persuade clubs to allow their players to join up and play on artificial pitches?
  • Can he persuade players that qualifying for a major finals can have a positive impact on their careers?
  • Can he unite and galvanise the Tartan Army?

Serious contenders are thin in the ground. Clarke is the standout candidate, but can he be lured with suitors in England watching his stock rise? Mackay and Gemmill could offer a joint solution in the short term, and the likes of David Moyes and Slaven Bilic are also likely to be considered..

Neil Lennon would have been another to seriously consider, but he has other things on his mind as he tries to earn the Celtic job on a permanent basis.

Others will undoubtedly be discussed, but the heat is on the board to ensure there are no mistakes this time around.

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