SFA Deny Smith Request

[Gavmundo]

The Scottish Football Association have refused Walter Smith permission to talk to Rangers

Smith held talks with The SFA on Monday to discuss his future after Rangers made an approach for their former boss over the weekend.

Rangers are keen to name Smith as Paul Le Guen's successor following his decision to quit Ibrox last week.

Smith and former Rangers hero Ally McCoist are the club's top targets to form a new management team.

Former Everton boss Smith intimated to The SFA on Monday that he wanted to leave his job to take up the role at Rangers.

However, The SFA have rejected Smith's request as they look to prevent him from returning to Rangers for a second time.

SFA chief executive David Taylor confirmed they had rejected Smith's request to leave.

"Following contact from Rangers Football Club, we held a meeting this morning with Walter Smith.

"At this meeting Walter Smith asked to be relieved of his contract as national team manager for Scotland.

"This request has been refused and Rangers Football Club have been advised accordingly."

Talks between The SFA and Rangers are set to continue as they look to thrash out a deal to resolve Smith's future.

And who can blame them. Shows the power of club football over international football though. Scotland are doing very well for once and the SFA will be mad to let them go but you can't blame smith for wanting to go back to the club that gave him so much success.

[Gavmundo]

Looks like Smith and McCoist are going to quit Scotland to land the Rangers Job. Interesting how Scotland would react to this with them under contract for Scotland. Also with their position in the qualifiers it would be interesting to see what the Scottish fans think about this. I'm sure Rangers fans will be quite happy of course...

[Gavmundo]

The SFA now to take legal action against both Smith and Rangers for breach of contract.

[normthebarman]

Bloody hell!! I take one small holiday away to Germany for a week, and all bloody hell breaks loose! I couldn't even update my own bloody section for what is probably the biggest bit of news in Scottish "fitba" for donkeys.

I think, Gavmundo, is that you'll find with the Scottish fans is that they're pretty much pissed off with both Smith and the SFA.

Smith for his Judas-like betrayal of the national team when we've looked our brightest in a while (mind you, it's still not all that bright, to be honest...)

And the SFA for not tying him down to a longer deal. (although, there is nothing to say that he wouldn't have broken that contract as well..)

What I'm cacking myself about is the fact that some of the names to replace "The Great Waldo" are McAllister (just what has he done in management?), Big Eck (a man who just clawed Rangers into 3rd in the SPL) and Tommy Burns (again, a man who's managerial career isn't exactly screaming "winner" at you...).

Bad times ahead for Scotland.

I'm pretty sure Dupont is trying hard to keep the grin off his face though.....:D :D

[Gavmundo]

I just came back to check this as when no one replied I didn't think anyone liked Scottish Football :lol: Le Guen had quite a good rep before coming to Scotland and I see he's been put in charge of PSG already so don't think it was a lack of ability maybe he just didn't understand the Scottish style of football.

When Smith was made Scotland Manager I thought they've done well there and you have to admit that Scotland have been getting the results they needed however well or badly they were playing but you're right... where to now? I think they definately need to stick to someone who knows the Scottish game ... I mean look what happened when Berti took over! And before you ask NO you can't have Fergie!!

[normthebarman]

Even when we had Fergie in '86, when Scotland actually had good players, he did hee-haw...

[Gavmundo]

He did "hee-haw" with Utd back then :lol: Well after that when he took over but he was Utd manager isn 86 too.

[Gavmundo]

Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish is likely to be confirmed as the new Scotland manager within the next 48 hours, BBC Sport understands.
McLeish, who turned 48 on Sunday, is now the only name in the frame and - barring unforeseen difficulties - will be in place before the end of the week.

It is thought that Andy Watson, his assistant at Motherwell, Hibernian and Rangers, will join him with Scotland.

And Gary McAllister or Roy Aitken could also be part of the set-up.

Aitken, the former Aston Villa assistant, has been out of football since David O'Leary was axed by the Premiership club.

Former Coventry manager McAllister has voiced his desire to return to football after time out the game following the death of his wife.

He was on the Scottish Football Association's shortlist to succeed Walter Smith as Scotland manager along with Smith's assistant, Tommy Burns.

But McLeish was an early favourite for the job and appears likely to end an eight-month spell out of football management.

BBC Sport understands that he would like McAllister or Aitken to join his management team.

McLeish admitted to BBC Sport that he has already had talks with the SFA.

"I've thrown my hat in the ring and I am sure we will hear soon one way or another," he said.

"I have spoken to the SFA and I'm sure they will be speaking to other candidates.

"Of course it would be fantastic, just the same as it would be for anyone managing their country of origin."

McLeish believes that, if he takes over, he will be inheriting a side in good shape in the European Championship qualification campaign.

"Walter Smith did a fantastic job," he said. "He has moved on and we should applaud what he has done.

"If he was sought after, it's because the international team were doing well.

"We should not be paranoid about losing our manager.

"There are many good coaches around and, if it's not Walter, and I don't get the job, I'm sure whoever gets it will do well.

"But it's still a very difficult task as we should not underestimate the fact that we have both Italy and France away and also Italy at home.

"I'm sure people will still expect France and Italy to top our group, but Walter has laid a good foundation there."

There were a number of other candidates, but the SFA appeared to prefer to avoid paying compensation for a manager presently in a job.

[normthebarman]

Great. I truly believe Big Eck will do Sweet Fanny Adams with the national team. The only time he won the leagues with Rangers was when Celtic gift wrapped the title and handed it them on a big silver plate.

I mean, he finished 3rd last year and that's a terrible finish if you're one half of the F.O.D (Forces Of Darkness). And McAllister as well? I truly despair, I really do.

We might as well just withdraw from the tournament now, because we're going to do sod all with Eck in charge.