For Burley and Butcher See Laurel and Hardy

George Burley and Terry Butcher don’t really look anything like Laurel and Hardy but believe me when these two get together to manage an international football team, it’s comedy gaffs all the way. Scotland face their next 2 matches at home against Macedonia on Saturday the 12th and then the following Wednesday against Holland needing to win both matches to have any glimmer of hope of qualifying for the World Cup 2010. Any football betting punter will tell you that the Macedonia game might, just be achievable for Scotland but an assured victory against a classy Dutch side brimming with confidence – don’t make me laugh.

So, where did it all go wrong for the deadly duo of Burley & Butcher. Well from the start, to be brutally honest. Burley said as soon as he was given the role, “The dream is to qualify for the World Cup in 2010. The country has belief, I’m certainly up for the challenge and we’ll go for it.” You can’t fault Burley’s confidence there, Scotland were given an easy group thanks mainly by their progression up the Fifa rankings after two hard-fought yet unlucky qualification campaigns.

Fast forward 18 months later and the confidence is gone, Scotland’s rankings have began sliding down the way, negativity in the press, players not wanting to play for their country while Burley is in charge and players banned from playing for Scotland for life. This is custard pie management at its very best, Ally Mcleod has nothing on Burley & Butcher.

Here are the explosive moments that have turned Scotland’s World Cup campaign into a mockery.

Lee McCulloch quits Scotland
The official line was that McCulloch wanted to focus on his club football and was ready to retire from international football at only 30 years old. However, the truth will always out and it is now being said that McCulloch saw through Burley after only 4 games in charge and decided he no longer wanted to play while he was in charge.

Kris Boyd quits Scotland
Kris Boyd is a goal scoring machine, he may not be the best team player there has ever been but he score goals. What does Burley do in the home match against Norway – puts Boyd on the subs bench. Then deep into the second-half when Norway are showing all signs they are about to leak a goal what does Burley do – he leaves Kris Boyd sitting on the subs bench and instead opts for Chris Iwelumo – who has NEVER played international football before – and he misses an open goal from 2 yards out — next week Boyd quits Scotland and says he’ll never play football for his country again while Burley is in charge!

BevvyGate Scandal
After flying back home from an away match against Holland (which Scotland lost 3-0) the players arrive back at their hotel in the very early hours of the morning. Instead of sending them to their rooms in preperation for another important game in 4 days time they are allowed to instead have a beer at 6 in the morning. What follows is something that will forever blot the annals of Scottish football history.

The players carried on drinking till around midday. When Burley found out he immediatley dropped Scotland skipper Barry Ferguson and goalkeeper Alan McGregor from the up-coming game with Iceland. Now, instead of sending them home and punishing them later, Burley named the pair on the Scotland team and made them sit in the stands where they flicked v-signs liked a couple of unruly schoolkids to the national press.

After that incident both Ferguson and McGregor were banned for life for ever playing for their country again.

David Weir is too old, err but after that last defeat we are now selecting him
Burley and Weir have an understanding, or so it is reported. It has been agreed, Weir (39) will only be selected if he is guaranteed to play. So, when the squad was announced for the away match to Norway, Weir’s name was clearly missing. Instead Burley opted for the Caldwell brothers.

Now, Gary Caldwell is suspended and Steven Caldwell looks doubtful, David Weir is suddenly young enough to play for Scotland again. Even though weir was ever-present throughout Rangers campaign and is good enough to play in the Champions League, has massive experience he still gets dropped for a Championship player who hasn’t featured at international level for over three years. Burley can be thankful that Weir hasn’t told him where to shove his latest cap.

I’ll be backing Scotland come this Saturday and next Wednesday, I always do. But I won’t be backing Burley or Butcher. If Scotland do qualify then they’ll have done it despite Burley’s blunders.