Studious Vogts can get Scots right on song

BERTI VOGTS might well be 100 per cent committed to the Scottish cause - but just don’t expect him to belt out the words to Flower of Scotland.

The SFA has confirmed that the German will soon be unveiled as our first foreign manager, mirroring the English FA’s ground-breaking decision to appoint Swede Sven Goran Eriksson last season.

Eriksson was the subject of much media scrutiny when he clearly struggled with the words to ‘God save the Queen’ before his first match in charge against Spain at Villa Park nearly a year ago.

The Scandinavian admitted he hadn’t had time to learn all the lyrics, but a lack of research won’t be the studious Vogts’ reason for not hollering our national anthem before his first match in charge against France in March.

Rather the former World Cup winner will be so focused in his preparations for the game that he will barely register the song being belted out in front of him.

In his eight years in charge of Germany he regularly sparked a flood of fans’ letters to his country’s FA on the subject, but they weren’t complaining when he led them to glory at Euro 96 in England.

SFA chief executive David Taylor believes that while Vogts may have a reputation for being dour, he will soon have the Tartan Army smiling again after failure to qualify for successive major championships.

Taylor said: "We were not looking for a comedian, we were looking for a football manager.

"It’s important to get our priorities right. Just putting a winning team on the park will soon bring supporters back.

"We are all a bit down and we recognise the need to build for the future.

"It’s a time for new ideas and a new direction. Berti is certainly aware that Scotland is a passionate football nation and that there is disappointment we have not qualified for the World Cup.

"I have spoken to supporters and, yes, I was slightly worried about the reaction. I started in the pro-Scottish camp and have moved my own position.

"And, although there was always going to be an element wanting pure Scottish and nothing else, The members of the Tartan Army I spoke to said ‘Go for it, aim for the best’.

"I am sure that his expertise, experience and ideas will bring a new dimension to the development of the Scottish game. His reputation is second to none.

"Berti is a world-class coach with an impressive track record. The fact that he is a big name in football must excite people."

Vogts’ passion for the game as a player certainly marked him out from his peers, the defender earning the nickname ‘Der Terrier’.

He signed for Borussia Monchen-gladbach aged 18 and won the West German championship five times, lifted the UEFA Cup twice and was named his country’s footballer of the year in 1971 and 1979.

He won 96 caps for West Germany, 20 of them as captain, and was part of the World Cup-winning side of 1974.

He took up coaching after retiring as a player in 1979 and worked his way through the country’s youth ranks, before being appointed assistant to German boss Franz Beckenbauer in 1986.

Vogts took the reins himself after the World Cup win of 1990 and led the side to success in the European Championships in England in 1996, defeating the Czech Republic in the final.

Latterly he has coached Bayer Leverkusen and is coming to the end of his tenure as boss of Kuwait.

Already there is speculation over just who will be appointed as his assistant, with Celtic youth chief Tommy Burns the main name in the frame.

Taylor admits Vogts’ knowledge of Scottish football will initially be limited and he believes a Scottish assistant will help him adjust to his new role quicker.

However, Taylor insists the SFA would not impose a ban on Vogts bringing in a fellow German.

"One of the things that would be important is a Scottish assistant in some shape or form," said Taylor.

"I think he recognises that because, while Berti speaks good English, there is a Scottish football English to be learned as well in terms of Scottish culture and I think that’s important - particularly as for the first time we have a foreign coach.

"It’s important we balance that properly with someone who knows the Scottish game to help him as quickly as possible to adjust to the Scottish game.

"His knowledge of Scottish football will be relatively limited at this moment in time I would have thought.

"I would imagine in terms of an assistant he would have his own ideas as to what sort of person he is looking for. We have not said that he cannot bring in a German to the role and it is still possible he would do that."

Taylor insisted no approach has been made to Burns and that no-one will be contacted until Vogts is officially confirmed as manager.

He added: "There have been no approaches. Remember we are not confirming the appointment of Berti Vogts - there are still matters to be finalised in terms of details of the agreement.

"There have been a number of names mentioned in private and I certainly don’t want to comment at this moment."

Taylor revealed the short-list for the position also included Nevio Scala, Philippe Troussier and Bruce Rioch. But he insists Vogts’ vast experience of managing a national side meant he was the unanimous choice of the SFA’s executive committee.

He said: "Our view at the time was that all these people would bring strengths to the position.

"But the fact this man was the manager of the German national team for eight years and has been steeped in the work of a national federation - he’s basically a national manager."

Taken from the Scotsman