By : Evan Yore
The Scottish FA have been busy trying to find a replacement for George Burley in recent weeks. It is reported that Dundee United manager Craig Levein has been in to the Scottish FA headquarters for talks after his club allowed the manager to speak with the FA regarding the post. It seems now that all the Scottish FA need to do is dot the i's and cross the t's on his contract and the post will be his.
Which is a ridiculous move, because the best man for the job is Everton boss David Moyes.
What? Not Sir Alex Ferguson? No. Firstly Sir Alex has repeatedly said that he isn't interested in the post, secondly he has already had a stint as Scottish manager in the 1986 World Cup finals and lastly he is at Manchester United, a job so important that a move to the Scottish national team is about as appealing to Fergie as upping sticks and becoming Rafa Benitez tea-lady at Anfield.
No, the man the Scottish FA should have done their utmost to get, was Moyes.
Everton fans won't thank me for saying this of course, why would they? Moyes has been a revelation since coming to Goodison Park from Preston North End. Time and time again, with a fraction of the money available of the big teams, Moyes has guided his Everton side into a top six finishing position in the league. He has done this by moulding a team in his own image, tough, strong, tactically superb and built on a strong backline. Furthermore, he has done this, by and large, with players whom other top flight clubs have deemed at times, too risky to take a chance on, such as Tim Cahill and Phil Jagielka, or others such as Tim Howard and Louis Saha, who have been at a top side and not really shown their top form. In addition to this Moyes has brought through some fantastic young talent, such as Wayne Rooney, who left for Manchester United, and more recently the likes of James Vaughan, Victor Anichebe, Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell.
It is this that is Moyes selling point for me. Scotland do not have the luxury of being able to go out and buy top quality players. They have a small selection of players and they have to make the best of what they have. This is precisely the situation Everton are in and have been in since Moyes took over. Admittedly the blues have the added ability of being able to buy players from abroad, something Moyes would not have in Scotland, but there is no doubt in my mind that Moyes could, even in a part-time role so he would not have to give up his Everton post, perform miracles for a Scotland side that is, let us face the truth, shambolic at the moment.
What Moyes has achieved at Everton beggars belief and to be honest, without significant investment in the clubs infrastructure at the highest level, it is going to be hard for Moyes to take the club any further, especially with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City and Aston Villa all making progress both on and off the field. Now may have been the perfect time for the Scottish FA to make a brave decision and at least contact Everton to enquire if Moyes would be interested.
And therein lies the problem for Scotland. As despite the situation at Everton, Moyes I have no doubts, would remain steadfastly loyal to the club he has been with since March 2002. He signed a five year deal in 2008 and no doubt, Everton chairman Bill Kenwright would have slammed the door in the face of the Scottish FA for making the approach. Maybe the thought of another top manager turning down their countries top job was perhaps an embarrassment too far for the Scottish FA, who instead took the safer, easier option, rather than attempting to bring in the best man for the job.
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