Banished Strachan is still touchy over rules

GORDON STRACHAN says Scottish football should follow the example set by their English counterparts this week to dilute the chance of more and more managers having to coach from the stand.

The Celtic manager has been banished from the dugout for this afternoon's match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle after he allowed his frustration to get the better of him at the recent league clash with Hearts at Tynecastle, resulting in a two-match dug-out ban. The cause was the growing dubiety over the unwritten agreement which places the onus on teams to put the ball into touch whenever an opposition player goes down injured.
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However, increased instances of players feigning injuries have led to inconsistencies, with some adhering to the policy at all times and others picking and choosing their moments, and now Strachan wants clubs and the football authorities to work together to address the situation.

On the eve of the English Premiership kicking off, the clubs and officials have agreed to leave the decision with the referees, opting to play on unless officially halted. Strachan would welcome a similar pow-wow north of the Border. "It is becoming a big thing," he said of the increased tensions caused by the 'rule'. "I think it happened again last week when someone went down and then at Dunfermline as well, so although it was a rule that we all used to play by, I've only been in hot water twice with fourth officials and both times it has been because of this rule, or non-rule, whatever rule you want to say. It's confusing for everybody, especially a coach.

"Common sense prevails in England again but we still don't know what the rule is up here. I'm sure somebody will tell me some day."

Saying he would prefer it if a formal decision was made to apportion full responsibility to the referees, if that doesn't happen he would be equally content if the clubs themselves firmed up on the gentlemen's agreement so everyone knew exactly where they stood.

"One way or the other, it would prevent the unsavoury incidents of a couple of weeks ago which were brought on because of the confusion, nothing else. It should be a rule because at the moment it's not an agreement. No manager has ever come up to me and agreed what we will be doing during a match. It all depends how desperate you are to win a game of football and if you've got the ball or not.

"I know people will say I should keep myself calm but when there is confusion, people tend to get irate. And I'm not the only one in the stand this weekend!"

Taken from the Scotsman