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View Full Version : Walter Smith for Scotland?



GlesgaeHibby
12-10-2011, 07:03 AM
Levein has had his chance and made an absolute mess of the qualifying campaign. Surely now is the time to get Walter Smith back as manager. Some exciting young players coming through, the makings of a half decent midfield with Bannan, Adam, Fletcher and with a new manager in charge we might see Fletcher and O'Connor involved again. Now that Smith is semi retired it would be the perfect job for him IMO and he would get more out of the players and have us better organised than Levein.

Thoughts?

PeeKay
12-10-2011, 07:19 AM
Why not? The SFA have welcomed back everyone else who has turned their back on Scotland so long as they had an RFC connection.

bighairyfaeleith
12-10-2011, 07:23 AM
I'd like to see us show some ambition and try to get someone like David Moyes, a good manager with a great pedigree and a bit unsettled at the moment due to a lack of cash to spend so might just fancy a change, probably wouldn't take the job but we should be pushing for the best we can.

Jack
12-10-2011, 07:30 AM
They might as well try him again. Potter isn't up to it and there aren't many others I suspect will be banging down the door for the job. John Collins as assistant? Being groomed for the top job possibly??

Jim44
12-10-2011, 07:33 AM
'BBC Scotland has learned that Craig Levein will continue as the Scotland manager.', surprise, surprise. And while we're on about it can anybody enlighten me about this oft repeated nonsense that 'Scotland under Levein has developed a club mentality'. What a load of tosh. :rolleyes:

bighairyfaeleith
12-10-2011, 07:50 AM
'BBC Scotland has learned that Craig Levein will continue as the Scotland manager.', surprise, surprise. And while we're on about it can anybody enlighten me about this oft repeated nonsense that 'Scotland under Levein has developed a club mentality'. What a load of tosh. :rolleyes:

It has, unfortunately it's a hearts mentality:devil:

blackpoolhibs
12-10-2011, 12:29 PM
Where is this progress i'm hearing? We still dont take full points from the minnows, and cant beat the teams that are around us chasing that 2nd spot?:confused:

patlowe
12-10-2011, 12:30 PM
The problem is, every manager since Brown has failed to get us to a major tournament, and that includes the hallowed Smith/McLeish period. We almost always finish 3rd. In fact, Berti Vogts got us closest to qualifying with a playoff place! Levein made some bad decisions during the campaign but I don't see the point in changing manager now. We've improved (a bit) in the past year or so, so let's see if we can keep that going and get to 2014.

aberhibsfc
12-10-2011, 12:54 PM
If Levein fails in the next qualifiers then by all means I'd welcome Walter back.

Whilst Levein followed the Scotland Mantra of defend, defend, defend and if that's not working defend.

He has not accepted he got it wrong with the 4-6-0 formation but by his own admission it took the Hampden Spain game for him to realise that there is something about this pool of players and they have been held back a bit. Unfortunately Spain in Spain is not the place to open up, but we did go out more determined against the Czech's at Hampden, if only we had had that attitude in the return game.

The OP mentioned that we have some good players now for Walt to play with, but it was Levein who sourced and blooded these new admissions. I don't think Walt would have been as eager to throw some of them in.

We'll see what happens, I have a lot of time for Walt, but he left the job and Levein wanted it so we have to hope that this qualifier has opened both his and players eyes and given some confidence that we can rise above this experience. If not call in Smith.

sesoim
12-10-2011, 03:07 PM
I'd like to see us show some ambition and try to get someone like David Moyes, a good manager with a great pedigree and a bit unsettled at the moment due to a lack of cash to spend so might just fancy a change, probably wouldn't take the job but we should be pushing for the best we can.


Although most people would shout you down for suggesting Moyes, I agree that he could have been worth having a punt at. Moyes must be getting bored with Everton - he can't do anything more because of their financial situation, and he probably wont get a better job because the bigger teams would rather employ guys with Italian or Iberian names. If Moyes took Scotland to the World Cup though, bigger teams might sit up and take notice. Maybe the challenge would suit Moyes now?

JimBHibees
12-10-2011, 03:14 PM
Bit ironic that Walter is seen as an attacking manager by some as he was/is as negative a Potter is. Very similar in terms of putting teams out defensively.

sesoim
12-10-2011, 03:18 PM
The problem is, every manager since Brown has failed to get us to a major tournament, and that includes the hallowed Smith/McLeish period. We almost always finish 3rd. In fact, Berti Vogts got us closest to qualifying with a playoff place! Levein made some bad decisions during the campaign but I don't see the point in changing manager now. We've improved (a bit) in the past year or so, so let's see if we can keep that going and get to 2014.



Yeah, but Smith took over three games into a campaign in which we have only manged 2 out of 9 points under Vogts. Had he been in charge that whole campaign we would definitely have finished 2nd. And then, in the next campaign, we got the two WC Finalists and the Ukraine. Burley and Levein have had a full campaign each, and both have had relatively easy groups to finish 2nd in. And they have both failed.

Do scraped wins against Liech and Lith equate to ANY kind of progress? And anyone can bring through youngsters, it doesn't take a talent to do that. And the only reason Levein is picking some youngsters is because of his pathetic refusal to pick folk like Fletcher, O'Connor, McCormack or even Kris Boyd, who could all have scored goals for us unlike the headless chickens that he'd rather pick to play upfront on their own.

blackpoolhibs
12-10-2011, 03:19 PM
Bit ironic that Walter is seen as an attacking manager by some as he was/is as negative a Potter is. Very similar in terms of putting teams out defensively.

Smith was defensive, although when you have the likes of France Italy and the Ukraine, you do have to think that way a little. One up front against Lichestenstein, none against the Czech's is ultra defensive dont you think?

JimBHibees
12-10-2011, 03:23 PM
Smith was defensive, although when you have the likes of France Italy and the Ukraine, you do have to think that way a little. One up front against Lichestenstein, none against the Czech's is ultra defensive dont you think?

The Czeck game with no forwards was a disastrous move augmented by the fact he was so stubborn he refused to change it until they had scored. I think most teams play with 1 up nowadays as it is seen as an in vogue formation however I dont think Scotland played defensively last night with a midfield full of players trying to get forward. Personally thought he should have been more defensive last night with such as Robson for Bannan to protect the defence a bit more early doors..

sesoim
12-10-2011, 03:24 PM
If Levein fails in the next qualifiers then by all means I'd welcome Walter back.

Whilst Levein followed the Scotland Mantra of defend, defend, defend and if that's not working defend.

He has not accepted he got it wrong with the 4-6-0 formation but by his own admission it took the Hampden Spain game for him to realise that there is something about this pool of players and they have been held back a bit. Unfortunately Spain in Spain is not the place to open up, but we did go out more determined against the Czech's at Hampden, if only we had had that attitude in the return game.

The OP mentioned that we have some good players now for Walt to play with, but it was Levein who sourced and blooded these new admissions. I don't think Walt would have been as eager to throw some of them in.

We'll see what happens, I have a lot of time for Walt, but he left the job and Levein wanted it so we have to hope that this qualifier has opened both his and players eyes and given some confidence that we can rise above this experience. If not call in Smith.


It doesn't take any great talent to pick players (especially ones who can barely struggle to beat Liechtenstein and Lithuania). And he wouldn't have even needed to do that if he hadn't fallen out with Fletch or deliberately ignored other good players.

blackpoolhibs
12-10-2011, 03:29 PM
The Czeck game with no forwards was a disastrous move augmented by the fact he was so stubborn he refused to change it until they had scored. I think most teams play with 1 up nowadays as it is seen as an in vogue formation however I dont think Scotland played defensively last night with a midfield full of players trying to get forward. Personally thought he should have been more defensive last night with such as Robson for Bannan to protect the defence a bit more early doors..

I think this campaign was a disaster, helped along by his stubbornness and incompetence. He failed against the Czechs, he failed against Lithuania away, and got through by a 97th minute winner against one of the worst teams in the world. Where is this progress i keep hearing about? Where is this tactical genius winning us games we have no right winning?

sesoim
12-10-2011, 03:36 PM
The Czeck game with no forwards was a disastrous move augmented by the fact he was so stubborn he refused to change it until they had scored. I think most teams play with 1 up nowadays as it is seen as an in vogue formation however I dont think Scotland played defensively last night with a midfield full of players trying to get forward. Personally thought he should have been more defensive last night with such as Robson for Bannan to protect the defence a bit more early doors..


If we had attacked a bit more against Lithuania and the Czech away from home, we wouldn't have need anything last night anyway. Levein's negativity in those games also put extra pressure on us for the home Czech game. Had we won in Lithuania or drwan against the Czech's away, all the pressure would have been on the Czech's at Hampden, which would have suited us more.

JimBHibees
12-10-2011, 03:38 PM
If we had attacked a bit more against Lithuania and the Czech away from home, we wouldn't have need anything last night anyway. Levein's negativity in those games also put extra pressure on us for the home Czech game. Had we won in Lithuania or drwan against the Czech's away, all the pressure would have been on the Czech's at Hampden, which would have suited us more.

We dont really know that we might have lost both games if we attacked more.

JimBHibees
12-10-2011, 03:40 PM
I think this campaign was a disaster, helped along by his stubbornness and incompetence. He failed against the Czechs, he failed against Lithuania away, and got through by a 97th minute winner against one of the worst teams in the world. Where is this progress i keep hearing about? Where is this tactical genius winning us games we have no right winning?

I think disaster is overstated. We were robbed v Czechs which would have seen us through. He isnt a genuis however I think he has done ok and that there is a decent young core of players who should get better in next 2 or 3 years.

blackpoolhibs
12-10-2011, 03:45 PM
We dont really know that we might have lost both games if we attacked more.

Thats right we dont, but we can see whats happened by being ultra cautious against them has done. And especially against Lithuania, a game we really need to be winning, it was 2 points lost that would have made the game against the Czechs more important for them, and maybe just maybe have made them a little more nervous.

No we dont know what would have happened had potters tactics have been different, but they have since been proved wrong, and the main reasons we did not make the play offs. We are far too cautious under him, and really cant be dropping points to the minnows, and if we do, we then need to be beating those who will be our main challengers. Failure on both counts.

Hibrandenburg
12-10-2011, 03:51 PM
Smith can GTF.

HibeeMG
12-10-2011, 04:02 PM
I think disaster is overstated. We were robbed v Czechs which would have seen us through. He isnt a genuis however I think he has done ok and that there is a decent young core of players who should get better in next 2 or 3 years.

I keep hearing people say that. As far as I'm concerned, the most we deserved out of that game was a draw. They had more of the play and much, much better chances. We took the only two we created.

Although I agree their penalty was a dive and even although Berra dived a bit, we should have had one at the other end, to say we were robbed is too much.

woody47
12-10-2011, 04:11 PM
The problem is, every manager since Brown has failed to get us to a major tournament, and that includes the hallowed Smith/McLeish period. We almost always finish 3rd. In fact, Berti Vogts got us closest to qualifying with a playoff place! Levein made some bad decisions during the campaign but I don't see the point in changing manager now. We've improved (a bit) in the past year or so, so let's see if we can keep that going and get to 2014.

We've only improved, slightly, because potter has better players now. However, with a decent manager they would be playing even better and the dummy wouldn't be spat out all the time.
As for smith - no thanks.