National Manager Backs National Shake Up

Craig Levein has read the second part of Henry McLeish's review of Scottish football and welcomes the recommendations for large-scale changes to its structure and claims they were long overdue. The McLeish Review of Scottish Football, Part II has called for radical changes to the game, including a two-tier SPL with 10 teams in each division, an early start to the season, a winter break and the regionalisation of lower leagues. This is very much like the proposals outlined by the SPL the other day which will be put to the 12 clubs next Monday. However, McLeish's report goes much further and the former East Fife player was scathing in his assessment of the set-up within the SFA, claiming it suffers from, among other things, a lack of "consistency, logic and at times discipline".

The Scotland manager said: "I feel a lot of things have needed to change for a long, long time. Over the years I've had my disagreements with the SFA and the way it has been set up and I took the job as the national team manager partly to try to affect some change. So I am really pleased that there is going to be a real shake-up in Scottish football. It's a number of things that need to change, not just one thing that will make a difference. I don't think I can influence Henry but I certainly had a number of chats with him as did a number of people at the SFA. I think the important thing is that the SFA actually follow some of these things through. It is an exciting time for Scottish football. There are so many things happening and so many changes about to happen with the SPL looking at the structure of the leagues as well. I feel that this could be a really significant time for Scottish football." 

Levein knows full well that the recommendations will not be universally accepted and there will be a lot of wringing of hand and anguish before anything changes. He went on: "We will all have different opinions. There are points in there that might not be picked up on but I think it is the catalyst for change and that is the important thing. Ultimately what I am looking for is to improve the quality of player available to the national team manager and I think it is important that everyone recognised that we can do better. We have to improve the standard of the leagues and to do that, we have to make some changes. There will be people who don't like things changing, that's always the case but if we are serious about improving the game in Scotland then things have to change. I think you also have to appreciate that the clubs and the SPL have looked very seriously at what they need to do, so they won't be doing anything lightly, they will be doing what they think is right for Scottish football. A lot of people said in the past that the SPL, the SFL and the SFA couldn't work together but in my opinion there are a lot of people willing to work together to improve Scottish football and that can only be good."

Levein, however, insists it will take a change in mindset of club managers if more young players are to be groomed to make the grade at international level. He said: "It is important that managers are keen to give players a chance. You can make it a 20-team league but if the manager doesn't give young players a chance, it doesn't matter how many teams are in the league. If we are going to concentrate on bringing young players through then we have to give them opportunities. That doesn't just mean the SPL teams, going back 20-25 years a lot of good very, very good international players came through the lower leagues."

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