Where Do Scotland Go From Here After Michael O'Neill's Snub?

Where Do Scotland Go From Here After Michael O'Neill's Snub?
15:39, 22 Jan 2018

The problem with putting all your eggs in one basket is that they can end up scrambled. Scottish FA chief Stewart Regan discovered this for himself early on Monday afternoon. He had only one candidate in the search for the next Scotland manager, and yet that candidate publicly refused the Scottish FA’s job offer, putting out a statement to clarify how he didn’t think the job was “the right opportunity for me at this moment in my career.”

Michael O’Neill had been linked with the Scotland for over a year. Various reports claim the Scottish FA approached the Northern Ireland boss at the end of 2016, at a time when Gordon Strachan was close to resigning as national team manager. Strachan stayed for another year, but the interest in O’Neill had been marked.

At that point, the Scottish FA surely gauged O’Neill’s desire for one day taking over from Strachan. They wouldn’t have returned for 48-year-old when the post finally became vacant in October. O’Neill wouldn’t have been open to negotiations had he not held some interest in the position. This suggest that he could have been lured. 

But the Scottish FA sabotaged their own chances of landing the Northern Ireland boss. They waited so long to actually open discussions that by the time they sat down, O’Neill had voiced his disgruntlement at being left hanging for so long. That didn’t exactly leave Regan and his board in a good position to convince their one and only candidate.

This is an almighty embarrassment for Scotland and the Scottish FA. It could come to be the defining mark of Regan’s time in charge of the governing body, a spell that has already been tainted by farce. Trust in the Scottish FA from fans is at an all time low and this won’t help matters. 

Keep in mind that this is an organisation that hired Malky Mackay despite overwhelming public protests. They kept Strachan for too long, handing him another contract when it was abundantly clear a change was required. Now that they finally have the opportunity for change, there is no clear vision on how to achieve it.

Now, the Scottish FA find themselves back where they started. One by one, their options have diminished over the past few weeks and months - Paul Lambert has been appointed at Stoke City, West Ham have hired David Moyes. Whoever gets the job now will have been well down the list that was pondered back when Strachan left months ago.

Of course, the Scottish FA still have nine months, before their next competitive fixture in the UEFA Nations League, to make an appointment. There is no immediate rush, but the longer they wait the more it comes across that there is no coherent plan of action. This isn’t exactly the mark of an organisation with clear leadership.

A distinction should be made that O’Neill was never the perfect fit for the role. One of the most common complaints made during Strachan’s tenure was over the turgid nature of the football played. Fans complained that Strachan overlooked diminutive, skilful types in favour of more physical players. That’s precisely what O’Neill has done as Northern Ireland manager, imposing a direct style of play.

But at least the quick identification of O’Neill as the leading candidate gave an indication that the Scottish FA knew what they were looking for. The process of following through on that identification is where they faltered so badly. If they can’t lure a man who was reportedly interested in the job, is within their pay bracket and who already lives in Scotland, who can they lure?

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