Scottish Football / Ralph Ellis / 19 March 2009 / Leave a comment

On a sunny day in Scotland we found England legend Terry Butcher coming back into the clubhouse after the Inverness Caledonian Thistle golf day - and wondered how he's juggling his new club commitments with his work as Scotland's coach - and how all that ties up with his reputation as a proud Englishman.

So Hi Terry, how was your golf?

Not bad, it was the first time I've played since I had a knee replacement operation last year. I finished third and I'm quite happy with that

So what do you play off?

Wooden tees!

Ok, we asked for that. How is Inverness and what tempted you back into management in the SPL?

It was just the opportunity of getting back into football full time. I had a very comfortable and good life as a TV pundit for Setanta combined with my Scotland job. I was getting up here at weekends to see games and then getting round the Championship clubs down south watching some of the players at clubs like Cardiff, Wolves and Birmingham. I dould have sat back and carried on talking rubbish for Britain, but I just felt I would rather get back into something that was more my line.

Inverness were in trouble though, weren't they?

Yes, and that made it a tough call because at the time we were a good number of points behind the nearest club so we were starting from a long way back, but since then things have gone really well, I've had a fantastic response from the players and feel we've started something. We still are in trouble but we play at Falkirk on Saturday with a chance to open a gap away from the bottom of the table

Is it fair that your best spell as a manager was in the SPL when you worked at Motherwell with next to no money?

I don't know about that, but I suppose this is similar. There's not much of a budget here, but what they have got is big hearts, a lot of players that want to do the job with pride, good professionals who are whole hearted and honest and genuinely want to do well. They just needed a bit of belief and a bit of organisation. They certainly weren't the worst team in the league but were playing like it, and we needed everybody to hook into a positive mindset. Once we did that we got things going.

So how does the new job mesh with working as George Burley's assistant with Scotland?

It probably makes it easier. I see a lot of players first hand in Scotland now. I was watching them anyway, coming up every weekend with Setanta, but now I can see them and speak with them too. The majority of the squad are based in Scotland, and I'm just seeing them at SPL level close hand rather than through the windows of a pundits box.

So with 77 England caps, all those images of you playing in the World Cup with blood pouring from a bandage, how have you turned into an honorary Scot?

I haven't! People keep on about that but I'm still as fiercely English as ever, but I'm also fiercely professional. When George asked me to work at international level it was a fantastic honour. I've lived up here a lot of years and I do love Scotland, love the country, and love the people - except when they talk about England! - but more than that I'm enjoying working with the elite, with the best players. It's working even better now because I'm seeing the players close hand.

Is there a spin-off learning about international football for your own long term ambitions?

You'd hope so but that's not really what it's about. Not many people get the chance to be involved as an international coach, and while it looks great on your CV you have to enjoy it when you get that chance, and I do. George is great to work with, as are the people at the SFA. Everybody is really desperate that Scotland can show the critics what they are made of, and there are some good players here.

Away to Holland in your next World Cup qualifier is as tough as it gets though

Yes, and people are telling us we need to get points from the game! It's the hardest fixture on paper on the group but if we can get a good shape and unity to the team, and everybody focused on their job, then we could get something - and then we should be looking more towards the Iceland game to get a win under our belts.

What have you found is the biggest difference working between club and international football?

Because you have more time it is much more about tactics, preparation and organisation. At international level you have more options, more people that can play in different positions, a bigger squad, a better squad, and more choices about people to do different roles. You can look at your own players and the opposition, say if you play this way can have an impact, and you have the resources to try it. Tactically you are better able to switch from one system to another

You did fairly well in last month's friendly with Argentina. Will you take anything from that?

Very much so. I think a big lesson there was that in the first ten minutes we stepped back and went: "Wow look at these players, they can play". Just by looking at the Dutch squad and the people selected now it's like a who's who of fantastic European players. If we stand back in the first ten minutes in the Amsterdam Arena we are going to get absolutely smashed. We can't let them play. Holland have a real dilemma in players they can leave out, let alone put in. We don't have that, but we do have unity and strength and a history of doing well against top sides, particularly away form home - look at France where McFadden scored and we beat them in Paris. We can do it. It's been proved that when they put minds to it Scotland can get results.

Can't let you go without talking about England too. You've been a fierce critic of David Beckham so what do you make of his Milan move?

People think I have a vendetta against Beckham I haven't. At the end of the day I've just wanted what was best at any given time for England and still do. He's done well for Milan and proved his fitness, doesn't look out of place, and if that's the case he must be a genuine contender for the England squad. Fair play to him - but I still look at other players in the Premier League like Aaron Lennon and Shaun Wright-Phillips and they have got pace. That's an option international sides must have, in fact pace is paramount for me so I still think Fabio Capello has to be aware of those options.

Thanks for your time, Terry, and we've a free £50 bet for your favourite charity.

The choice of charity is easy - Help for Heroes. My son's in the forces and went out to start a tour in Afghanistan on Sunday. As for the bet I fancy that Tottenham are getting their game together and after beating Aston Villa last week I'm going to back them at [4.8] to beat Chelsea on Saturday.