Gordon Strachan’s future should be determined before the end of next week, with the Scottish Football Association’s board to hold a debrief into a second failed qualification campaign under the guidance of the former midfielder. David Moyes, Michael O’Neill, Paul Lambert and Alex McLeish will inevitably form part of the discussion if Scotland are to start a search for Strachan’s replacement. He is sure to be a key topic for debate when the Scottish FA’s board holds a scheduled meeting on Thursday.
Strachan’s contract formally expires at the end of next month. There has been much speculation as to whether he may be of a mind to call time on his tenure but sources at Scottish football’s governing body have insisted they will have their own thoughts on whether he should be allowed to preside over the campaign to reach Euro 2020. That tournament carries extra weight for the Scots – who have not featured in a finals since the 1998 World Cup– with some fixtures to be played at Hampden Park.
The SFA is of a mind to settle the position of the managermatter quickly. Scotland may play a friendly match next month. To the governing body’s credit, its backing of Strachan after a disastrous start to the World Cup campaign was vindicated by improved results over the past 12 months.
It now remains to be seen where the balance of opinion on that currently eight-person SFA board falls. There are already thought to be contrasting views. Alan McRae, the president, is a staunch supporter of Strachan and insisted in June: “I’d like to think this won’t be Gordon’s last campaign. We want him to be successful in the World Cup campaign but we also have Euro 2020 in Glasgow. That would be just perfect for him. Gordon is still a good age and if he’s still hungry and still wants to do it, we have a great opportunity to build on the last campaign and this one coming.”
Nonetheless, Scotland’s supporters were stung by the collapse from the position of 1-0 ahead in Slovenia on Sunday. The 2-2 draw in Ljubljana that cost the country a World Cup play-off spot.
