Guest Bilo Posted 24 December 2009 Posted 24 December 2009 To be fair that's not true. We know our standing within the game and it's nowhere near England. We expect to challenge for second place in qualifying groups which is not an unrealistic expectation. I also expect to have a competent, likeable and respectable manager in charge of the team which we didn't have under Burley. Among sensible Scotland fans you're right; but just as we have the Ingerlund fans who expect us to win every tournament we enter, Scotland have an element of fans with equally unrealistic expectations of their team. Unfortunately for all, just like the Ingerlund mob, they have a big say and impact on the team. Second place in qualifying groups is indeed realistic, but don't expect it to happen overnight. You may not achieve it in qualifying for Euro 2012 if you get a tough group, but hope that some of the more 'ambitious' members of the Tartan Army don't start the managerial merry-go-round again if that does occur. I'd like to see all British teams doing well myself, a group at a major tournament with any other Home Nation would have so much more bite than one with Slovenia, Trinidad or Paraguay and the Tartan Army do offer decent vocal support. It's been a while since any other Home Nation made it to the finals and that's a real shame. Hope Levein can change that for you.
MPH Posted 25 December 2009 Posted 25 December 2009 what is it with ex leicester managers being involved with national teams? we have had Peter Taylor & Of course Pearson being involved with the England side.. Doesnt Pearce want to get Pearson involved a bit more in the future too? Levein with the scottish side Nigel Worthington and also Bryan Hamilton with the Northern Irish side... im probably missing out one or two others...
Guest Posted 26 December 2009 Posted 26 December 2009 He knows the Scottish game inside out and has a vast knowledge of a lot of Scottish players through this experience. Only time will tell whether it's a good appointment or not. Like Levein said, it's a dream come true for him, and that's what Scottish fans want, a manager who thinks that he's got the best job in the world, because they know he'll be putting everything he's got into it. Fair enough he didn't do a great job here, but he's done a good job at Hearts and Dundee. If you never give anyone a chance, how are they going to prove themselves? This post sums up my feelings on the matter.
Finnegan Posted 26 December 2009 Posted 26 December 2009 Agree with Bert, plus he's still even now a fairly young manager and it's been years since he left here. People are forced to learn very quickly in management, to be fair - judging Levein on his short time here is a bit like judging Diego Forlan by his spell at Yanited alone. We know our standing within the game and it's nowhere near England. We expect to challenge for second place in qualifying groups which is not an unrealistic expectation. But it is, really, isn't it? You might have had players missing for your trip to Cardiff but a scan of the team sheet spoke volumes. Your best eleven's probably a little better than ours at the moment I'd imagine but we've rapidly, rapidly caught you up in the last six to nine months and a fair bit of that has been your decline. Scotland's problem is that they may be capable of being inspired to heroic performances by the Hampden Roar and the motivational prowess of the likes of McLeish but you're not exactly rocking an abundance of world class stars. Or any at all. I'm not suggesting you're in the same place Wales were when Toshack took over, but Levein needs time to rebuild and time to replan for Scotland. Even expecting second places is a little much; look at our group in the last qualifiers - Germany and Russia? Group one had Denmark, Portugual and Sweden all of whom would expect to beat Scotland in a group; as no doubt would the Ukraine and Croatia. You may well have had one of the easiest groups to be a runner up in for 2010 and blaming Burnley alone for your failure to do so is the sort of scapegoatism that'll see undue pressure stacked on Levein. You're a bit part, an after thought, you're scrapping it out with the Slavic states and the former Soviet countries nobody can quite find on the map. In other words, welcome to our world.
tartanowl Posted 27 December 2009 Posted 27 December 2009 Among sensible Scotland fans you're right; but just as we have the Ingerlund fans who expect us to win every tournament we enter, Scotland have an element of fans with equally unrealistic expectations of their team. Unfortunately for all, just like the Ingerlund mob, they have a big say and impact on the team. Second place in qualifying groups is indeed realistic, but don't expect it to happen overnight. You may not achieve it in qualifying for Euro 2012 if you get a tough group, but hope that some of the more 'ambitious' members of the Tartan Army don't start the managerial merry-go-round again if that does occur. I'd like to see all British teams doing well myself, a group at a major tournament with any other Home Nation would have so much more bite than one with Slovenia, Trinidad or Paraguay and the Tartan Army do offer decent vocal support. It's been a while since any other Home Nation made it to the finals and that's a real shame. Hope Levein can change that for you. I hope he can too. I would love to see a tournament with more than one home nation country in it. But it is, really, isn't it?You might have had players missing for your trip to Cardiff but a scan of the team sheet spoke volumes. Your best eleven's probably a little better than ours at the moment I'd imagine but we've rapidly, rapidly caught you up in the last six to nine months and a fair bit of that has been your decline. Scotland's problem is that they may be capable of being inspired to heroic performances by the Hampden Roar and the motivational prowess of the likes of McLeish but you're not exactly rocking an abundance of world class stars. Or any at all. I'm not suggesting you're in the same place Wales were when Toshack took over, but Levein needs time to rebuild and time to replan for Scotland. Even expecting second places is a little much; look at our group in the last qualifiers - Germany and Russia? Group one had Denmark, Portugual and Sweden all of whom would expect to beat Scotland in a group; as no doubt would the Ukraine and Croatia. You may well have had one of the easiest groups to be a runner up in for 2010 and blaming Burnley alone for your failure to do so is the sort of scapegoatism that'll see undue pressure stacked on Levein. You're a bit part, an after thought, you're scrapping it out with the Slavic states and the former Soviet countries nobody can quite find on the map. In other words, welcome to our world. It's not unrealistic in the slightest. The key word in my above post was "challenge". George Burley failed and is a failure. That on top of all of the other issues that he has/has had. He can't be respected because of his past, and in the end his decisions and lack of respectability and credibility cost us. Numerous players didn't want to play for him and left the squad. He lost several players within the dressing room. If we were to get a tougher group next time, and if we are not among the second seeds, then finishing second may be beyond us, but it still doesn't mean that we shouldn't challenge for second place. We should be looking to finish and aim as high as we realistically can. If we were to get a group such as we did last time, and not finish second, then that again would be another abject failure. I blame Burley entirely for our failure last time and that is not scapegoating. Burley could not have hand picked an easier group. We should have finished second. The atmosphere in the dressing room made sure that we didn't. On top of that he is statistically the worst football manager ever in Scotland's history. Worse than Berti. That is a fact and official. He had to go and the embarrassment of getting smacked by you again was the final straw. We may not be a top side, we never were, but we are not a poor side either. We also very nearly qualified for a tournament recently with a group containing France, Italy and the Ukraine. Beating France home and away along the way. I am under no illusions that Levein needs time and has a difficult job on his hands, but I don't believe that we are at the level that you place us at. In the last 5 years we have got results against France, Italy and Spain in matches. Arguably the best 3 teams in Europe. If you go back another year you can add a victory against the Netherlands to that list. Only the friendly draw in Valencia was not a competitive match. How many of your Slavic states and former Soviet colonies can say that? With a competent manager in charge we should be challenging the playoff places in a qualifying group. Levein is a capable, knowledgeable and most of all intelligent young manager. I think and hope that he can get us back to that level. Scotland deserved better than Burley and I'm sure Craig will provide us with that.
nuneatonfox Posted 31 December 2009 Posted 31 December 2009 When Scotland play I'm always on the oppisite side , like when Andy Murray does it to us
tartanowl Posted 5 January 2010 Posted 5 January 2010 When Scotland play I'm always on the oppisite side , like when Andy Murray does it to us Myth
Corky Posted 5 November 2012 Posted 5 November 2012 This is a great appointment because: A: He's not George Burley and B: He seems to know scottish talent but mostly A. Still believe this?
Jon the Hat Posted 5 November 2012 Posted 5 November 2012 He's just parted company ... Must be that big queue of excellent Scottish managers just lining up to take over.
The Doctor Posted 5 November 2012 Posted 5 November 2012 Still believe this? Nope. As it turns out, not being Craig Burley doesn't make you an acceptable manager. Still, thank fuck he's gone - he was worse than bloody Berti Vogts (I never thought I could say that of anyone).
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