McLeish feels for Vogts

Scotland Hall of Fame member Alex McLeish has told beleaguered national team boss Berti Vogts he knows exactly how he feels – but warned the German that his job will be on the line if results do not pick up.

Wednesday’s 4-0 thrashing by Wales was the final straw for many Tartan Army members and former internationals, who called on the German to step down.

Goalkeeper Robert Douglas had picked the ball out of the net 10 times in the last two games following November’s 6-0 mauling in Holland and the nation’s most vociferous tabloids were today urging Vogts to pack his bags.

As his nation’s third most-capped player with 77 appearances to his name McLeish might have been expected to have agreed with them, especially as the defending in the Millennium Stadium had been so woeful.

But instead the ex-centre back offered only words of sympathy to the German, insisting he knew from his current position as Rangers manager how a run of poor results can trigger an avalanche of criticism.

He said: “It’s a tough job and I can sympathise with the criticism he is getting right now.

“You have got to be strong and move on – and keep looking forward. You have to stick to your own beliefs. That’s important.

“I know the rigours and traumas of being a manager when things are not going well and you need the support of people closest to you.

“But it is all about results. I have not been getting the results that Rangers expect and I have taken criticism.

“That is the one thing you can be sure of – and you have to expect it.”

The four-goal thrashing by a side ranked below Scotland in the official FIFA listings was a disaster from the very first minute when Robert Earnshaw netted the first of his three goals.

Vogts had opted to throw together a central defensive partnership of Steven Caldwell, who had only played twice before, and Paul Ritchie, who had been out of the international picture for four years and currently plays for Walsall.

And the warning signs had been there on the team-sheet, McLeish argued.

He said: “I could see there was a lot of different personnel in the team and for them to click instantly was asking a lot.

“I was a little bit worried about the game being in Wales. I knew it would be a tough game because although they had players missing as well they have had, by and large, the same squad for a while now and had been so close to qualifying for the Euro 2004 championship.”

Vogts vowed after the Cardiff debacle that he had no intentions of resigning and the Scottish Football Association are unlikely to sack him either, not least because he is only halfway through a contract that would require a £1million pay-off should it be terminated now.

But McLeish is hopeful the German gets things right in time for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers.

He said: “Only time will tell. Everybody does things their own way and Berti has to be allowed to do it his way.

“He will be the one who lives or dies by his decisions.”

Vogts has also made it clear he will not change the team’s formation to try to stop the tide of goals.

McLeish said: “It’s about personnel. If you go with a system then you have to have the right personnel for it.

“We have been tinkering the whole season because of injury problems and certain players’ loss of form and that has not been ideal for us either.

“Players generally like to have practice in one system and stick to that. On Wednesday night two teams played a straightforward 4-4-2 against each other and it is a tried and tested formula.”

Hibernian manager Bobby Williamson, who has produced a crop of talented youngsters which might yet prove to be Vogts’ salvation, was also behind the German.

He said: “It is shameful what is happening with that guy and I think we should try and support and encourage him.

“I’ve seen mass murderers and rapists not getting the abuse that Berti is getting for being a football manager.

“It’s ridiculous, I think we should put it all into perspective, it’s just football.”