My Championship Manager 99/00 series with the Scotland national team is nearing its conclusion. We’ve just played through the 2006 World Cup in England, which you can revisit right here.
Our focus now switches to Euro 2008, where we’ll be attempting to make history on home soil and end my tenure in style. Today’s chapter will cover the first season of our preparations for the European Championship.
SEPTEMBER 2006
I’ve now been in charge of Scotland for seven years, and I will soon displace Andy Roxburgh as the Tartan Army’s longest-serving manager. I’ve taken this proud nation to two World Cup Quarter Finals… and a European Championship Group Stage, which we won’t talk about.
Now, though, I’m on the final lap. Euro 2008 – which Scotland are co-hosting with Wales – will be my final tournament in charge. I have less than two years in which to take arguably the greatest ever generation of Scottish footballers to the next level, so we can launch a serious challenge for the Henri Delaunay Trophy.
Ahead of that tournament, we would have several friendly matches in which to fine-tune our tactics and test ourselves against a variety of opponents. Hopefully, that would not mean facing Turkey and Austria three times apiece.
Our first match was against none other than recently-deposed former world champions Sweden. Sadly, we would travel to Stockholm without two injured squad regulars – Aberdeen goalkeeper Andy McPherson and Inter left-back Steven Hammell. But these were the players who did complete that journey:
GOALKEEPERS: Kenny Arthur, Alan Combe, Robert Douglas
DEFENDERS: Russell Anderson, Alan Archibald, Brian Donaldson, Graeme Hendry, Kevin James, Kevin McCann, Craig McCulloch, Gary Naysmith, Paul Ritchie
MIDFIELDERS: Michael Balfour, Craig Callaghan, Barry Ferguson, Willie Howie, Allan Johnston, Gary Mason, Neil McCann, Ian McKinlay, Ken Rafferty, Robert Wilson
FORWARDS: Marc Anthony, Mark Burchill, Paul Dalglish, Jermaine McSporran
There were three uncapped players in my first squad of this new tournament cycle. Hearts goalie Arthur and Portsmouth left-winger McKinlay had appeared in previous squads without playing, but there was one young lad who was completely new to the senior set-up.
This is Graeme Hendry – a fearless 22-year-old who had a brilliant debut Premiership season with Watford in 2005/2006, even being nominated for PFA Player of the Year. He largely played at left-back for our Under-21s, but his excellent man-marking skills (and, in truth, his lack of pace) probably make him more suitable for a centre-half role.
SWEDEN 2-0 SCOTLAND (Friendly)
Our Under-21s might have beaten their Swedish counterparts 2-1, but at senior level, the Blågult were a cut above. Tommy Söderberg’s side toyed with us in the first half, even bringing on Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 19th minute and then taking him off in the 41st!
Shortly after Zlatan’s cameo ended, Sweden broke the deadlock through a stunning drive from Leeds forward Patric Antonen. Though we did attack a bit more after the break, another Premiership star – Arsenal midfielder Pär Karlsson – consigned us to defeat five minutes from the end.
Still a lot of work to do, lads…
OCTOBER 2006
Another away match awaited us in October, and this time, we would be travelling further than Scandinavia. A little bit further than Scandinavia.
Australia, in fact. Because who doesn’t want to spend 24 hours flying from Glasgow to Sydney, and then another 24 hours flying back, just to play a friendly against the second-best team in Oceania?
Aberdeen anchor Marvyn Wilson and Coventry’s new £5.75million signing Baldur Bett came back in for injured midfield duo Mason and Rafferty. Meanwhile, Donaldson’s dodgy groin gave an opportunity to 31-year-old Arsenal right-back Duncan Jupp, and Kevin McCann made way for the fit-again Hammell…
I swear Stevie’s knees are made of glass! Anyway, Dominic Matteo was back in, with the Tottenham left-back being recalled to Scotland duty for what must be the 27th time by now. Don’t ask me how Dom’s ended up with 21 caps.
AUSTRALIA 0-3 SCOTLAND (Friendly)
In recent years, Mark Bosnich had been relegated to Manchester United’s second-choice keeper behind England number 1 Paul Robinson. And let me tell you… Bosnich was so rusty in the first eight minutes (conceding goals to Howie and McSporran) that Australia might as well have put Stefan Dennis in goal!
Of course, for the next 82 minutes, he was almost unbeatable. We’d had 14 shots on target by full-time, but the only other strike to beat the Aussie custodian was a 72nd-minute deflected effort from first-time Scotland scorer Marvyn Wilson. At the other end, the Socceroos were about as threatening as Charlene Mitchell.
But hey… a 3-0 win is a 3-0 win. And don’t it make you feel good?
NOVEMBER 2006
After nearly eight months away from Hampden Park, we finished 2006 as we started it – with a home friendly. The opposition this time around were Ukraine, whom we last played in 2001. Johnston scored the only goal and was also sent off that day… but he wouldn’t be involved in this time around.
Johnston had been very mediocre for a struggling Chelsea side this season. He was dropped in favour of 25-year-old midfielder Steve McKenzie, whom Aston Villa had just bought for £5.75million from high-flying Southampton. Johnston’s club-mate Dalglish was ruled out through injury and replaced with ex-Rangers striker Michael Craig – now born again at Dundee United.
Robert Wilson’s similarly rotten form at Everton saw him pushed aside for Mason. Hammell ousted Kevin McCann from the side, but only once we’d made sure that Stevie wasn’t nursing any papercuts or verucas.
This match was a special occasion for Burchill, who earned his 50th cap… even though he and his Celtic side were in the doldrums. After 13 matches, Celtic were 9th in the Scottish Premier League – 18 points behind Rangers, and only three clear of relegation.
Well, if ever there was a time to return to form, it was here…
SCOTLAND 2-0 UKRAINE (Friendly)
…or maybe not. Burchill’s finishing deserted him on his big day, while Anthony couldn’t add to his 28 Scotland goals on his 40th cap either. Instead, it was left to a couple of less illustrious names to break through a stubborn Ukrainian backline.
After 65 minutes, Ferguson’s through-ball was finished by Michael Craig, who netted his first international goal in nearly four years. Burchill then found the net a minute later, only for it to be chalked off because McKenzie – who’d just come on – was flagged offside. McKenzie would make amends by scoring a vicious debut goal on 77 minutes.
MARCH 2007
The 2007 FIFA Club World Championship saw Barcelona lose their fourth Final in six years. They were beaten in Rome by Serie A holders Napoli, who had Taribo West sent off after six minutes but still prevailed 2-1 thanks to a brace from striker Gianluca Pittaluga.
Two months later, it was time for me to announce my squad for Scotland’s first match of the year – at home to Bulgaria. Burchill’s form had picked up over the winter as Celtic climbed back up to 3rd, so he kept his place… but others weren’t so lucky.
An injured McKenzie was replaced with Celtic’s new 22-year-old speed demon Paul Watson – recently signed for £8.25million from that other Glasgow club. The latest player to cross the Old Firm divide had been a key member of Scotland’s Under-21s side until last year
Arthur had been displaced as Hearts’ first-choice keeper by 27-year-old James Langfield, who also ousted him from the Scotland set-up. Chelsea boys Johnston and Dalglish came back in for McKinlay and Michael Craig respectively. Meanwhile, an injured Bett gave way to Rafferty, and Kevin McCann (now at West Brom) replaced Ritchie.
SCOTLAND 1-1 BULGARIA (Friendly)
You know what I’m going to say, right? It was one of those games.
We had 21 shots on goal, and 12 on target, but Bulgarian goalkeeper Ivaylo Ivanov had one of the games of his life to keep us largely at bay. The only Scottish shot to get past him was a 40th-minute penalty from McCulloch, after McSporran had been brought down by defender Vladimir Yonkov.
Bulgaria got back level two minutes into the second half, with Svetoslav Todorov heading in a Martin Petrov corner. After that, our Eastern European opponents dug their heels in and defended brilliantly to get our year off to an awkward start. Urgh.
APRIL 2007
A month later, it was Hungary’s turn to pay a visit to Hampden Park. The Magyars were far from their magnificent 1950s heyday, having lost their first three Euro 2008 qualifiers before needing a 90th-minute penalty just to beat Luxembourg.
As Mason had torn his groin muscle and Rafferty had twisted his ankle, Bett and McKenzie both came back into our midfield. Johnston’s return was cut short as I brought back adopted Frenchman Iain Anderson, who’d made 13 league assists from right wing for new club Caen this season.
SCOTLAND 1-1 HUNGARY (Friendly)
[Groan] It’s happened again.
Dalglish got us off to a flyer in the 11th minute, with Prince Paul’s latest international goal taking him into double figures (and a third of the way towards matching his old man). After that, though, our finishing woes returned as Gabor Kiràly’s magic jogging bottoms kept Hungary in the contest.
Worse was to come just before half-time. After Hammell clumsily fouled Miklos Feher, the Portugal-based striker converted the penalty that ultimately earned his team a draw. (As some of you may know, in real life, Feher tragically passed away in 2004 while playing for Benfica.)
It probably goes without saying, but we need to become more clinical in front of goal if we’re to be even slightly competitive at Euro 2008. We probably also need to stop opposition goalkeepers from turning into Supermen.
JUNE 2007
It was a dream season for Manchester United, who won their fourth Premiership title in a row (their eighth in nine seasons) and became English champions for a record 19th time. They also won their first Champions League since 1999, with captain Craig McCulloch lifting Ol’ Big Ears after the Red Devils beat Stevie Hammell’s Inter 1-0 in the Final.
Oh yes, and Manchester City were soundly beaten 3-0 by Feyenoord in the UEFA Cup Final, collapsing in the second half after midfielder Lee Hendrie was sent off. So yeah, it was a pretty good year to be a United fan.
It was a good year to be supporting Rangers as well, as John Deehan’s side won the Scottish Premier League by 23 points from runners-up Hearts. Celtic recovered from a shaky start and climbed up to 3rd, while also lifting both domestic cups. They actually beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup Final with an extra-time goal from Paul Watson!
Before Scotland’s players could go on their summer holidays, they had one more friendly to play through – against the Republic of Ireland. That meant my first (and possibly last) showdown with the man, the myth, the legend (in his own lunchtime)…
…Joe F***ing Kinnear.
McKenzie wouldn’t get to meet JFK, having been dropped in favour of Rafferty. An injured James was replaced with Port Vale defender Paul Rudden, who was in contention to win his third cap – his first since 2003.
With James out, I handed the captaincy to Howie, who won his 50th cap just over a month before his 25th birthday. The skilful midfield workhorse hadn’t enjoyed the best season with Sunderland, but I was confident Willie would weave his magic to celebrate his half-century.
SCOTLAND 0-0 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND (Friendly)
Okay, maybe not in the second half either. Seriously, what a f***ing dreadful game this was. Both teams managed three shots on target between them.
So, that’s three home games in a row without a win, and both Anthony and Burchill have forgotten where they should be putting the ball. It all bodes incredibly well for the big tournament in 12 months’ time, doesn’t it?
Results have been mixed, to say the least. Can we pick things up in 2007/2008 and head into the Euros in good form? You can find out when Part 2 comes out on Friday!
Until next time, thanks for reading.
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