Scottish Football / Nik Wardle / 09 December 2007 /

Nik Wardle looks through the odds on the leading runners for Scotland's top job...

Following Scotland's glorious failure to qualify for Euro 2008, and the subsequent resignation of Alex McLeish, the Tartan Army are looking for a new coach. Throughout the qualifying campaign the sum on the pitch was very much greater than the parts. This makes it a difficult job to take on as it takes a certain kind of coach who can make moderate players continually raise their game to become good international performers. Unlike the England job, there's been a handful of managers who have come forward to say they want the job - the trouble is, there isn't an outstanding candidate.

Before I look at the candidates to take over from McLeish, I must say that I disagree with the sympathetic approach much of the media have had towards McLeish's reasons for resigning. He said that the Scotland job, "...rekindled my passion of being able to work with players every day". Therefore he must have viewed the job as a mere stepping stone - hardly befitting the dedication and passion of the thousands of Scotland fans who follow their team all over the world. It's true that Scotland won't have a competitive international until the autumn of 2008 but McLeish would've known there was a chance of this happening when he took over. He did continue the good work of Walter Smith (who himself ditched the job for Glasgow Rangers) but if the lure of relegation-threatened Birmingham was too good to turn down, than the Premier League really must be all-powerful.

Billy Davies has played on the resignations of Smith and McLeish and offered to coach Scotland for at least five years. He's at [5.2]. You have to have a little sympathy for his plight at Derby. If they'd lost in the play-off final last year and were chasing promotion from the Championship this season, he'd be viewed as a success. However, Derby chairman Adam Pearson obviously thinks a miracle worker (in this case Paul Jewell) may be able to keep them up.

Graeme Souness is the current favourite at [3.95]. He enjoyed huge success at Rangers but that's getting on for twenty years ago now and he hasn't hit those heights since. He did win a cup at both Liverpool and Blackburn but I doubt fans of either of those clubs would swap their current coach for him. Souness had a glittering playing career, has experience of managing in Europe and certainly has the force of personality. He's declared his interest but it remains to be seen if the SFA will be won over enough to offer him another crack at a high-profile job.

Mark McGhee and Craig Levein are two Scottish managers who are exceeding expectations with their clubs so far this season. McGhee ([5.7]) has just won the manager of the month at Motherwell and they currently sit third, three points ahead of Levein's ([8.8]) Dundee United. Of the two, McGhee has the more experience, having managed in England at Reading, Leicester, Wolves, Millwall and Brighton and has a few promotions on his CV. The SFA may view Levein's unsuccessful spell at Leicester with concern.

One man who has crept into the running is the relatively unknown Stuart Baxter. His short odds of [7.4] maybe due to the fact he's just quit as coach of Helsingborg in Sweden, despite guiding them to the last 32 of the UEFA Cup. He's had international management experience with South Africa but his lack of status may count against him. Oh, and he's also English.

Others who appear interested include George Burley ([14.0]) but his lack of progress at Southampton may hinder him and Joe Jordan ([18.0]) may be seen more as a number two than a figurehead.

Two former giants of English football management, Kenny Dalglish ([15.0]) and George Graham ([46.0]) are worth pondering. Graham, in particular, tasted European success with Arsenal and domestic cup success with both the Gunners and Spurs. He was adept at grinding out a result - something any Scotland team would need to do given their lack of real quality - but both he and Dalglish have been out of the game for some time and you wonder if either would consider the hassle worthwhile.

I think it's a shame that none of the top Scottish coaches appear interested in the role. You couldn't imagine David Moyes or Gordon Strachan leaving their current posts for the job, let alone Sir Alex Ferguson. This is a sign that club football in Britain has become more important to coaches (and players) than the international game. Of those who have declared some interest in the role, I think McGhee and Souness are worthy of an interview - from there though, it's anyone's guess.

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