In case you weren’t aware of it already, Scotland will not be heading to the World Cup next summer.
It only took one match for the Scots to qualify for the playoffs, however. A win against Slovenia was all that was needed to increase the chances of going to Russia next year.
The game didn’t go in Scotland’s favor though. The Scots led 1-0 at halftime before conceding two goals in the next frame. Gordon Strachan‘s men equalized, but the goal didn’t matter. Dreams were shattered as Scotland failed to beat Slovenia which meant there would be no World Cup action.
After the loss, Strachan’s future as manager was in trouble. His expiring contract with the Scottish FA only meant the time was ticking. The contract didn’t need to expire before Strachan was let go, leaving a vacancy at Scotland’s managerial position.
That hole is now rumored to have gathered some interest. The Daily Record has reported that one of the lead candidates for the job is former Rangers manager Alex McLeish. McLeish is rumored to be ready for the job, but one stipulation must fall through in order for him to accept the job. The publication goes onto note this when McLeish said:
"“I’ve put the feelers out, but I’ll just wait and see. They’ve got plenty of time to think it over, but I guess when the friendlies start coming again, they’ll need to get on their bike.”More from The Celtic BhoysCeltic handed fresh injury doubt before Feyenoord gameCeltic’s £40.7 million announcement should scare RangersBrendan Rodgers makes superb claim about returning Celtic playerBBC pundit makes sensational claim about Celtic hero KyogoKyogo Furuhashi sends clear message to Celtic doubters"
McLeish is now retired, so him stepping in would be a bit of a surprise.
The 58-year-old had several stints with clubs including the Scotland National Team for a breif period of time. McLeish’s most notable stint was with English side Birmingham where he posted a 63-50-55 record.
As mentioned before, McLeish managed Rangers from 2001 until 2006. He had a good record with the Ibrox side, but went 1-1-2 against the Bhoys.
McLeish prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation which needs a top striker up top, especially for a national team. It should be noted that the Barrhead native hasn’t been the boss of a club since May of 2016.
His reign as Scotland’s boss in 2007 was successful for the portion of time that it lasted. Scotland lost to Italy in McLeish’s in a European Cup match.
Other candidates have emerged for the job including current Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, but no other potential employee has seemed to emerge aside from McLeish.
It should be interesting to see how the national team approaches the scenario. Scotland sadly have some time to figure it out before qualifying starts for Qatar 2022.
Next: Should Celtic loan out Kundai Benyu?
Is McLeish somebody to consider hiring for Scotland? Any other candidates that stand out to you? Let us know in the comments section.