Gordon Strachan not surprised by Scotland’s reversal of World Cup fortune

Gordon Strachan’s beleaguered complexion seems as distant as the results which triggered it. A disconsolate Strachan addressed the media late last year after back-to-back, heavy defeats in Trnava and London while clearly grasping for incentive to remain as Scotland’s manager.
Ten months on, after a run which Strachan himself probably did not see coming, Scotland will not care about having the hard part to come. The fact there is a part at all – the Scots will almost certainly earn a World Cup play-off spot with victories over Slovakia and Slovenia – is testimony to stark improvement. Just do not ask Strachan about his level of personal satisfaction.
“You have to remember the worst thing in football is talking about yourself,” he insisted. “I can spend all night here talking about anyone else but not me. I find it difficult and I don’t want to go into what my thoughts are, my thought process.”
Strachan’s men have returned 10 points from a possible 12, a scenario that would have been better but for Harry Kane’s late, late intervention in the 2-2 draw at Hampden in June. “I would never have said this was impossible, but it was going to be hard,” the manager said. “But they have shown they can deal with hard. That they can deal with pressure. It’s not anything you do differently. You walk in there and you make sure you are the leader with your coaching staff. You make them feel comfortable about themselves.
“It’s not one talk – it’s the whole thing. It’s hard when you are losing games, trust me, it’s hard. That’s the time you are tested as a football player and as a manager and coach. I didn’t call for a sports psychologist. We didn’t start drinking more water. We were all right, we did the same things. Believe me.
“It’s pleasing now when you are looking at guys in the dressing room after and everyone is clapping and looking forward to the next game with each other. They are talking and giving each other a round of applause, so that’s good. I’m pleased watching them and the staff enjoying themselves.”
Strachan refused to discuss how close he came to resignation, particularly after the 3-0 defeat at Wembley last November. He held talks with the Scottish FA’s board after that one. There were widespread calls for Strachan to be removed, which to his credit he didn’t and doesn’t object to.
“I can understand that, I don’t have a problem with that,” Strachan added. “A lot of it I don’t take any offence, as long as it’s done in the right manner. I’ve no problem with people questioning things – as long as it’s in the right manner and not personal, that’s fine.
“I like working with the players and I like my job. I also think: ‘Right, where do we go? What’s coming up? Who is progressing?’ The young players give us real hope.
“I still count the England game as a good performance. I just think it was with a freak three headers that they won. I’ve not seen England doing that ever since. Three free headers and them going in. If you take the game as a whole, you analyse it and think: ‘That’s what we wanted to do.’ But we couldn’t help these headers looping at the back post.
“Slovakia away was a strange game. We got to positions where we wanted to get and the final pass wasn’t good enough. Nobody else will understand that. We get there, that’s the plan, can we deliver it? No. The first hit at goal actually goes in the back of the net for them.
“I have to step back from that. Once you walk away from games, if there is nothing there, if there is no hope that’s the time you go: ‘Wow, that’s it.’”

SOURCE : GUARDIAN SPORTS
posted by CAMPUS94