THE GAMES George Burley must win as Scotland manager do not start with next month's opening World Cup qualifiers. The results business begins on Wednesday. Berti Vogts' credibility and the national side's self esteem were wrecked by friendly farragoes. And anything short of a victory against lower-ranked Northern Ireland at Hampden on Wednesday will see the area between Burley's shoulder blades sized up and knives sharpened… a full three weeks before he has to negotiate the tr
Burley's six-month reign has so far proved a struggle for media folk. He has made little favourable impression because he paints on a smile and pours out the platitudes in front of cameras and Dictaphones. It hasn't helped that this has run hand-
in-hand with assessment of his coaching prowess requiring to be reserved for an infuriatingly-long period of time. The Hampden draw against Croatia in March and the June defeat in the Czech Republic were the result of okay performances by patchwork teams. In four days' time, it will be different.
Burley will pick a side "only a couple short" of the starting 11 he will hope to select in Macedonia, and set them to work on opposition of the calibre to which Scotland must prove themselves superior if they are to harbour genuine ambitions of reaching the South Africa finals in 2010. The midweek meeting with Northern Ireland is a dummy run for the World Cup that dare not leave the Scots looking silly. As Burley doesn't need told.
"You are always looking to win games and we've had two games against top sides in Europe that were great experiences and great preparation. Especially playing in the Czech Republic. For the Macedonia game, the temperatures could be similar (to what we encountered in June]," he said.
"But the Northern Ireland game is one where we're looking for a good performance, but for a good win as well. It is our last game before the serious stuff and the result really counts. Expectations are there and we've got to try and live up to them. If we perform as we can then we can get a good win but that's always the challenge in football; giving people the things they expect."
Burley has quietly confounded expectations in the squads he has assembled. It is bold of him to return Callum Davidson to the international set-up after six years' absence; to overlook the claims of the Rangers' trio of David Weir, Lee McCulloch and Christian Dailly and award Derby County's Kris Commons his first call-up.
Burley doesn't make earth-shattering claims about the progress he will seek for the national team under his charge. But a willingness to play to Scotland's attacking strength, James McFadden, should be welcomed as positive thinking. The Birmingham City forward may be constantly championed as the national side's talisman, but as recently as this time last year he was starting games on the bench for the national side. Injury has so far prevented the former Everton striker playing under Burley.
"I've spoken to (Everton coach] Davie Moyes and (Birmingham and ex-Scotland manager] Alex McLeish about him and he is the kind of player who can unlock defences with his abundance of talent," Burley says. "He does the unusual; is capable of scoring goals. It's just about getting him to work in a system that suits the team. Touch wood, we'll get him in the squad this time.
"You can adjust systems; they are never black and white. We've midfielders who can play different roles but I want him high up the pitch creating stuff. I don't want him back in our own penalty box so you have to have a system where he has a role, an attacking role, that will fit with how we are going to play."
Burley insists his team must be prepared to go on the offensive in places such as Macedonia on September 6 and claims a Hampden date against Northern Ireland can be a dress rehearsal.
"The way we'll play on Wednesday won't be a million miles from what we will do in Macedonia," he said. "You are at home, at Hampden, where you want to be attacking but I just felt, after two games, we need to be more positive in possession. I want us to have that belief when we have the ball and want us to be more positive going forward from there. International football is tough, but you must have that belief."
Burley will only build belief in his abilities by guiding Scotland to three straight wins in the next 24 days. Rarely does life for the national team run so smoothly.
The full article contains 787 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
