Former Scotland striker Craig Burley said some of the country’s players were “too thick” to understand George Burley’s methods after his uncle was sacked as manager of the national team.
But Craig said he was not surprised George had been sacked on Monday after a 3-0 loss to Wales on Saturday left the former Hearts boss with a record of just three wins in 14 matches in charge of Scotland, a sequence that included a failure to reach the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
“I’m not shocked at all. Wales was a disastrous result,” Craig Burley, capped 46 times by Scotland from 1995-2003, told Talksport Radio.
UNACCEPTABLE
“It’s not as if we were playing England or Brazil or France, it was Wales and it was unacceptable from the manager’s and players’ point of view,” the former Chelsea and Celtic player said.
“I don’t think what he wanted to do got across to some players and also I think some of them are too thick to take it on board and not good enough to take it on board anyway to be perfectly honest with you,” Craig Burley said.
His comments came as the Scottish Football Association (SFA) began its search for a new manager. Former Hibernian boss John Collins, who played for Scotland at the 1998 World Cup finals and had a spell in charge of Belgian side Charleroi until earlier this year, said he was keen on the job.
VERY TOUGH JOB
“I’d be interested in managing the national team,” he told the BBC. “But it’s not for me to put my name forward, it’s for the SFA to draw up their list. But let’s make no mistake about it, it’s a very tough job.”
Dundee United manager Craig Levein has also been touted as a replacement for Burley although his club want to keep him. Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies could also be on the SFA’s list.
And with Rangers manager Walter Smith’s contract at Ibrox expiring in January, the veteran boss could return to the Scotland hotseat he vacated back in 2007.
Someone who definitely is not interested is Owen Coyle, the manager of English Premier League side Burnley.
‘I LOVE IT AT BURNLEY’
“There’s nothing to be said about Scotland, I’m the Burnley manager and that’s it,” Scottish-born former Ireland international Coyle said. “I love it at Burnley Football Club, my job is here and that is what I will look to continue to do.”
Former Scotland internationals Mark McGhee, now in charge at Aberdeen and Graeme Souness have both ruled themselves out of the running.
Scotland’s next match is against the Czech Republic at Hampden on March 3 and the SFA would like to have a new manager in post by then, well ahead of qualifying for the European Championship.
RSS