Scotland and Rangers striker Kenny Miller has launched an attack on the Scottish Football Association over the nation’s failed bid to qualify for World Cup 2010. The Scotland international claimed the scheduling of fixtures played a part in Scotland’s failure and that the disciplinary action against Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor was badly handled.
Miller told the Sunday Herald that poor performance could not be excused but that the SFA had played a part in the team’s failure.
“I think a lot of it comes down to the organisation of the fixtures,” he said.
“I don’t know if the manager has a say in the fixtures, or if the SFA go and do it, but our campaign this time was, I felt, a shambles from day one.”
Scotland’s qualification schedule was agreed before George Burley took over as manager but were agreed by SFA president George Peat and chief executive Gordon Smith. The scheduling was criticised at the time, with Scotland being forced to play in Macedonia in September in sweltering heat. The low point of the campaign, a 4-0 defeat in Norway, took place before the British season had started.
Miller also felt that the timing of home games was poorly judged and did not give the team the opportunity of the best backing from the tartan Army.
“All the big results we’ve had against big teams at Hampden have been on a Saturday,” he said.
“The fans are blazing in the crowd, loving it, creating an incredible atmosphere, getting right behind the team. That wasn’t there in this campaign.
“On a Wednesday night it wasn’t even full. You’re sitting there thinking ‘this is no’ right’.”
The Rangers striker also felt his then team-mates Ferguson and McGregor had been harshly treated over the “Boozegate” incident. Both players were disciplined for drinking in the squad’s hotel and then making gestures to photographers during Scotland’s next match.
“It was a silly, schoolboy thing that got blown out of all proportion,” said Miller.
“Then the manager or the SFA had their hands forced to act on it. As a nation we can’t afford to lose players like that.”
SFA chief executive Gordon Smith responded to Miller’s comments by claiming he had consulted former Scotland managers before agreeing the fixtures and joked that he had only let the country down by failing to secure eight home ties.
“I don’t think the fixture schedule was anything to do with us failing to qualify,” he told the newspaper.
“People who criticise the fixture have no idea of the difficulties and the problems there are in agreeing the schedule.”
