Scotland manager George Burley has been getting a fair amount of stick (or ‘criricism’ as Ewan Cameron might say!) from this morning’s press after yesterday’s 1-0 reverse in Macedonia, but although the result and performance from the team was disappointing, is it perhaps a bit too early to be giving the manager this sort of treatment?
Remember, although Burley has been in charge of the Scotland team for quite a few months now, this was his first competitive match, and although this has ended in disappointment, like all managers he needs to be given a sensible number of proper matches in charge before people start judging him.
It was always going to be a difficult time for a new manager to come in and take the job when Burley did. The national team has enjoyed a fine resurgence over the past few years, with Alex McLeish admirably continuing the great work initially done by Walter Smith, Ally McCoist and the late Tommy Burns. Whoever was to be the next in line for the job was going to be the first Scotland manager in quite a few years to have the weight of genuine expectation upon his shoulders, and rightly or wrongly, Burley is now expected by many to help Scotland to qualify for the World Cup. Making a heroic challenge and ultimately falling at the final hurdle is not likely to be considered as progress this time.
Yesterday’s match against Macedonia was always going to be difficult for Scotland. Aside from the fact that the temperatures over there were not the greatest for your average fair-skinned Scot to compete in international sporting competition (which still cannot be used as an excuse though, as some have been attempting to do), our opposition were definitely one of those sides that fall into the ‘no mugs’ category. They’re perhaps not a major power in world football and not a side you’d expect to qualify for the World Cup, but if we’re honest, are we? We certainly do have more of a chance of challenging than we have for quite a few years, but Scotland are still far from being a side that have the necessary quality in attacking areas to guarantee goals when they’re really needed, and that’s even when everyone is fit and available for selection. Those expecting us to turn up and stuff Macedonia simply because their players aren’t household names are adopting the sort of arrogance that our friends down south are notorious for, and aren’t really being realistic. Macedonia is a difficult place to go and win, and Scotland won’t be the last team to go there and struggle in this qualifying campaign.
But if Burley perhaps doesn’t merit dog’s abuse right now, he does need to start delivering results soon. There is no question that the jury is well and truly out on him, and every move he makes from now on is going to be heavily scrutinised. Many more decisions like the one to bring Kirk Broadfoot into the Scotland squad are not going to do George many favours either, although we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this occasion and assume that he’d been smoking some of Amsterdam’s finest when he made that particular decision!
Let’s hope that things improve for Scotland and the manager on Wednesday night, as another defeat really would make it the proverbial ‘uphill struggle’ to even get near qualification for the next World Cup…
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I haven’t seen the criticism (though I can imagine), but I suspect it has something to do with the fact that the tactics were all wrong in the first half? Macedonia came flying out at us, and we didn’t have the tactical nous to counter it until a brief spell at the start of the 2nd half when we started to play a bit. I agree though, far too early to judge.
Maybe being a Jambo has made me paranoid, but I detect a readiness by some of the media to have a go at Burley as soon as he loses 2 or 3 matches – and I suspect the reason is because in their eyes, his 10 games at Hearts is not an adequate qualification to become the national manager. Oh… and he hasn’t played for or managed an OF team, either – so he clearly has no right to be in charge of the national team..
Possibly, but I think the Scots media try their best to be like the English at times in their attempts to generate hysteria for no reason. Could be linked to the fact that Burley’s not one of ‘them’ though, just like when Vogts was in charge.
To be fair though, Vogts only really got dogs abuse from day one from Charlie Knickerless, which barely counts. It was only after the fifteenth defeat in a row that he actually got criticised from all sides. Burley needs to start building for the future and bring youngsters into the side. Get rid of players like Weir, Alexander, Caldwell, Ferguson, Miller etc… in other words, players who are not going to be up to the task of playing in the World Cup finals in two years time. Scotland hampers itself by assuming that you can’t be a regular full international until you’re older than 26 & have “experience” (really, it’s just to give players time to sign for one or the other of ‘them’). Other nations don’t do this; if you’re good enough, you’re old enough. And you don’t get “experienced” sitting on the bench.
I’ve got no problem at all in criticising Burley or indeed most of the team for that quite incredibly woefull 1st half performance. Anyone calling for his head is seriously jumping the gun though. The trouble now though is that Wednesday’s game is the proverbial must win. With only 5 teams in the groups it’s that much more difficult to claw our way back. Realistically we were probably always going for 2nd in the group and I would suggest that less than 3 points against Iceland makes this nigh on impossible.
Totally agree with that – I hate this sort of mentality, but it’s perhaps to do with the fact that most players don’t sign for one of the Old Firm or an English club until they’re that age. Guys who are already there (Maloney, Hutton, etc) mysteriously ARE ready at a young age when others allegedly aren’t….I hope Burley’s not heading down that well-worn path again….
It looks to me like he is… which is sad. Whether he’s doing it to appease the blazers who appointed him, or whether he is simply trying to play it safe because he knows that this is how it has always been done (so therefore must always be done), I don’t know. Disappointing anyway. I just look at teams like the Dutch, and every few years they simply wipe their team clean and start again with youngsters. They might be no better than average for a year or two, but once all the players have been playing together for a while they start to come good. Perhaps over simplistic though…
You might be right, what with guys like Broadfoot being picked, along with Maloney who’s hardly kicked a ball for months. Pity….kinda hoped all that had ended with Craig Brown….
It’s still pretty early in his career for Scotland, but he badly needs a win on Wednesday or he is in deep *****!
Can’t argue with that….
I think if we don’t win on Wednesday we’re all in deep ***** – very little way back for Scotland in this group.
…in that case, I’d say that’s what we’re in gents!
According to some, the end of the road for us could indeed be on Wednesday …. but in Switzerland, actually… when some mad scientists flick the switch on their latest toy, where sub-atomic particles attempt to bombard the defences of other sub-atomic particles. No news yet on whether they’ll go 4-2-4 or a more defensive 4-5-1, but the outcome could hinge on the decisions of the neutron referee. (sorry …. couldn’t resist that one – I’ll get my coat)
We’re doomed captain! We’re doomed!