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Thursday November 19, 2009

Craig blames players for uncle’s sacking

GLASGOW: Former Scotland striker Craig Burley said some of the country’s players were “too thick” to understand George Burley’s (pic) methods after his uncle was sacked as manager of the national team.

But Craig said he was not surprised George had been dismissed on Monday after last week’s 3-0 friendly loss to Wales left the former Hearts boss with a record of just three wins in 14 matches in charge of Scotland, a sequence that included a failure to reach the World Cup qualifying playoffs.

“I’m not shocked at all. Wales was a disastrous result,” Craig Burley, capped 46 times by Scotland from 1995-2003, told Talksport Radio.

“It’s not as if we were playing England or Brazil or France, it was Wales and it was unacceptable from the manager’s and players’ point of view.

“I don’t think what he wanted to do got across to some players and also I think some of them are too thick to take it on board and not good enough to take it on board anyway to be perfectly honest with you.”

Craig Burley’s comments came as the Scottish FA (SFA) began their search for a new manager.

Former Hibernian boss John Collins, who played for Scotland at the 1998 World Cup Finals and had a spell in charge of Belgian side Charleroi until earlier this year, said he was keen on the job.

Dundee United manager Craig Levein has also been touted as a replacement for Burley although his club want to keep him and Kilmarnock manager Jim Jefferies could also be on the SFA’s list.

And with Rangers manager Walter Smith’s contract at Ibrox expiring in Janaury, the veteran boss could return to the Scotland hotseat he vacated back in 2007. — AFP

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