A Scotsmans opinion

**Noelys Guitar** · 15/02/2007, 10:37 PM

Taken from the Guardian
allysarmy
February 15, 2007 08:14 AM
Tianjin/chn As a Scot, I'd advise the Irish FA to sort this out asap; the longer it lingers, a la Bertie Vogts, the worse it will get. Ireland are nowhere near 88th in the rankings yet (the nadir of the Scottish fall) but they look to be heading that way if they dont do something.

After the 2-2 draw with the Faroes (surely a worse result than Ireland's v. San Marino) Bertie should have gotten the chop quick smart; he didnt and the mess multiplied. Procrastination, and the stubborness of blinkered officials to admit their fundamental errors almost killed our national team.

**The Legend** · 15/02/2007, 11:08 PM

At least Bertie actually had some coaching experience!

**citizenerased** · 15/02/2007, 11:21 PM

If im not mistaken, vogts at least got scotland to the playoffs during that campaign...and beat holland 1-0 in first leg(lost 6-0 in second leg)

**macdermesser** · 16/02/2007, 7:32 AM

Originally Posted by The Legend

At least Bertie actually had some coaching experience!

I'd take Bertie at this stage .. probably Barry Ferguson got the foreigner the boot too.

Actually the more I think about it .. Bertie for ireland, with Aldo as his assistant. Brian Kerr to take Delaneys job.

**Jerry The Saint** · 16/02/2007, 7:42 AM

Faroe Islands are considerably better than San Marino. At least we did get the 3 points in that game but I would say that 2-5 in Cyprus is worse than any result Scotland got under Berti "Manager of team that won Euro 96" Vogts.

**as_i_say** · 16/02/2007, 8:56 AM

yeah the faroes would probably be the best bottom seeded side in europe. big strong lads and well organised as i recall

**youngirish** · 16/02/2007, 9:39 AM

Agree. The Faroes would hammer San Marino. They've pulled off a number of decent results in their time (for minnows) and would have beaten Ireland based on last week's performance.

**lopez** · 16/02/2007, 9:56 AM

Wasn't Bertie Vogts a good manager with a team unable to play his style of football? The likes of Troussier or Blazevic would be wasted with Ireland, IMO. Even Wenger or Benitez would be pointless.

**Dodge** · 16/02/2007, 10:18 AM

Agreed lopez.

**BohsPartisan** · 16/02/2007, 10:27 AM

Originally Posted by lopez

The likes of Troussier

I think a dream team of Phillipe Troussier and Aim� Jacquet would suit us down to the ground!

**NeilMcD** · 16/02/2007, 10:41 AM

Lads Bertie Vogts problem was the same as Le Guen in that he could not get across his view of the game to the players. There were numerous times when the Scottish players were shouting at the sideline asking for instructions because things were not clear to them. Football is a universal game but certain cultures to exist within the game and some times it is hard to reconcile 2 different footballing cultures. What Walter Smith did well was get back to basics and play with 3 centre backs and 2 full backs even at home against France. Also he then gave the forward players encouragement to express themselves from a platform of stability at the back. Added to this a good team spirit helped by Mc Coist and Burns and you suddenly had a united team with a simple game plan. To be honest that is the most an manager can do with a Scotland or Ireland in my view. If you get a united team with good spirit playing to a simple game plan, your flair players are then likely to grab you a goal etc. However if you are disjointed and a shamble tactically and in your team spirit your flair players will look dis-interested or clueless a la Duff Keane etc.

Any Scottish guys who I have talked to and I know a good few have said that they see the parallels with the Vogts era and they should have got rid of him quicker and the recommend dont repeat the same mistake with Staunton.

**geysir** · 16/02/2007, 11:47 AM

I don't know if Vogts was a good manager but he was experienced with club and country prior to Scotland.
IMO, a good manager has adaptability, horses for courses.
It's with long distance hindsight that Berti should have got the chop after the draw in the Faroes. Scotland did okay in that qual. campaign. It's what happened after that.
It doesn't mean that that vindicates the knee jerkers who called for Berti's head early on or that they were blessed with great football vision.
Consider the possibility that Smith came in at the right time for himself and Scotland.
We are not going to change managers now. It's going to take another bad result or performance at home for real pressure to be heaped.