I personally think he’s done okay so far. You’re right though, in the friendlies they show no passion at all. But I think he knows what he’s doing, and I personally am glad he’s standing up to the Old Firm. I also think that some of his ideas are going to improve things in the long term. For instance the Scotland Future team, I think is definitely a good thing. Fair enough its not the same as a full international, but the problem under Craig Brown was that there was always far too long a gap between the under 21s and the full cap, and by the time it came along, often the players lacked any confidence.

He does need to put moire fire into them though. I don’t think this would be as much of an issue if hje had a firey right hand man, then they could do the good cop bad cop thing. Somebody could rip it out of them in the dressing room then he could calm things down and make tactical decisions.

I think its too early for him to go. Whether he’s a good football manager or not, he’s certainly, I think, a better technical director, as he is changing the way the international scene works in Scotland, changes that are overdue. We’re not going to qualify for Euro 2004, I don’t htink, but at leats by the 2006 qualifiers we’ll be able to draw on a more experienced crop of players. And that is down to Berti Vogts.

Who do you suggest as the “fiery right hand man” then, how about Alan Hanson?

Fiery right hand man - well that’s currently TB. And without being anti-Celtic, I have my doubts. His record as a manager since he left Killie in Division One (well done, getting a Premier club promotion from Div 2) basically stinks. Ask a Reading fan, and remember that only John Barnes was a less successful sellic manager. Vogts has several times (particularly in the early days) blamed lack of local knowledge on mistakes. ‘Dougie Freedman told me he could play right midfield’ came after France, for example, and local knowledge was what got TB his job.

Positive things about Vogts
1. His name isn’t Craig Brown, but that’s my personal feeling.
2. Not just the Scotland Futures, but reminding us that the whole thing needs integrated. Christian Dailly has a world record for U-21 caps, and got his full debut at 27. That stinks, and it hampered dailly as a player. How many others? Kevin Harper is another I keep thinking we missed out on. How good could he have been?
3. Ranier Bonhof. An unqualiied success in my eyes, and one we’d lose if Vogts went.

Sorry wee bro, for me it’s too early to judge. Lets give him more than two competitive matches before we build the scaffold. (But TB can go now)

And finally - Reid? A long ball merchant who kept his job at Sunderland primarily because of Philips and Quinn? Frightening.

A long ball merchant who kept his job at Sunderland primarily because of Philips and Quinn?

That seems a little harsh. He did pretty well for 5 years, and that can’t only be because of Quinn and Phillips.

As for Tommy Burns, I think we’d all be in agreement that he’s not very good. Nice man maybe, but thats what kept Craigie Broon in his job.

I also agree about Rainer Bonhof. The under-21’s are going great guns.

I see both Steven Caldwell and Brian Kerr were playing for Newcastle last night. Caldwell looked pretty shaky, and Kerr started poorly but settled. It must have been a while since a Scot was in the second round of the Champions League.

I don’t know if you saw the under-21’s against Ireland, but Kerr was a standout, I thought.

However, Michael Stewart at Man U???

Good to see Scots breaking thru, but both Caldwells and Kerr face pretty tough jobs at Newcastle. Steven Caldwell doesn’t even have a contract for next season yet.

As for Reid, I was really referring to the last couple of seasons. Tho they did play long ball religously. And Reid got sacked shortly after Quinn’s back gave out, and so the flick-on’s to Philips dried up. Coincidence?