Walter Smith last night insisted he stands by his comments of last month, when the Rangers manager said he had no interest in swapping Ibrox for the same role with Scotland.
George Burley’s sacking led to Smith and Craig Levein being installed as the front-runners for the national post. Smith, who managed the Scotland side between 2004 and 2007, almost instantly doused that speculation by making it plain he did not wish to return to the international scene.
It has since emerged, though, that the SFA board is still likely to at least pursue a meeting with the 61-year-old to hear his thoughts for itself. Smith’s Rangers contract may expire next month, but the message towards the Hampden Park powerbrokers seems destined to be “Thanks, but no thanks” — if and when he is approached.
“I have got nothing further to say about it,” the Rangers manager said. “That’s it finished with as far as I am concerned. I was genuine with what I said the last time, I don’t see myself going back there. If that’s not going to stop them, they can ask me, but I can’t see myself going back.”
According to the Rangers striker, Kris Boyd, that stance is one that will please everyone at Ibrox. “As a player at Rangers, I don’t want him to leave and I’m sure the majority of people here, from the top down to the fans, don’t want him to leave either,” Boyd said. “There are not many better managers kicking around just now than Walter Smith, if we were to lose him it would be a big blow.”
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Smith himself was considerably more talkative on the subject of his former captain, Richard Gough, who was heavily critical of the Rangers team in midweek. Smith’s current squad, Gough believes, lack physical bite and creativity; sentiments the manager believes his former centre-half should keep to himself.
Another key member of Rangers’ record-equalling nine-in-a-row team, Mark Hateley, has been similarly vociferous regarding what he perceives as shortcomings at Ibrox.
“Richard Gough and Mark Hateley have made comments in newspapers, you get a bit disappointed with that because it is more difficult for them [the players] now than at the time those two played,” Smith said.
“I don’t like to see people who played for Rangers criticising Rangers teams and making out as if they were the perfect answer. They weren’t. Neither are the boys here at the moment but they have had to work extremely hard to get where they are. I get a wee bit fed up with them coming out with these comments.”
Smith added that there is no ongoing problem between Kenny Miller and Madjid Bougherra, the Rangers team-mates who had a training ground fracas eight days ago.
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“These things have always happened,” he said. “I don’t see it as meaning anything to the detriment of what we are doing. If we didn’t have it, it would show that there wasn’t much desire or intent around the place. The two of them have sat down and said what they have to say, and that’s it finished with. It won’t carry on.”
David Weir and Kyle Lafferty, similarly, exchanged words at half-time during last Saturday’s 1-0 defeat away to Aberdeen. “I would have hoped that David and Kyle’s situation was fairly normal given we were 1-0 down to a team we were hoping to beat,” Smith said. “David is the captain of the team and if we aren’t doing well, as was the case in the first half at Aberdeen, he has every right to have his say.”