SFA mull over Vogts future

The future of Scotland manager Berti Vogts looks set to be finalised next week.

The German suffered a tirade of abuse from travelling fans after the 1-1 draw in Moldova on Wednesday night and looks set to leave his position.

The Scottish Football Association are expected to meet next week to discuss the future of the Scotland boss after another poor result left any hopes of reaching the World Cup in 2006 in tatters.

But the Scottish governing body are adamant that nothing has been made official regarding the future of Vogts yet.

An SFA spokesman said: “There have been no meetings and no decisions taken.”

But the one-time World Cup winner has received support from Newcastle boss Graeme Souness.

The former Scotland international believes his home country has failed to unearth as much talent as hoped in recent years – leaving Vogts, or anyone else, with a virtually impossible job.

Souness told BBC Scotland: “It is disappointing for everyone who takes an interest in Scottish football.

“As the manager of a national team cannot go out and buy players, you can only work with the players that country has thrown up at that particular time.

“I think, right now, it is generally accepted that the Scottish system has not produced many top players in recent years and it is going to be hard for whoever has that job to do well at international level.”

SFA chief executive David Taylor concedes Vogts has not had the best resources available during his two-and-a-half year tenure.

He said: “The resources in terms of the depth of the squad we have available at the moment are very limited. It’s a difficult job as not only Berti will tell you, but others that are involved in football management.”

He added: “We are three games into 10 and very few teams are knocked out after three games and we haven’t been, but it would take some very, very good results to pull back from this position.

“It is arithmetically possible but to start with two draws, and one of them against Moldova, and the other match being a defeat, it leaves us behind our competitors.

“It is obviously much more difficult now but it is not impossible. Three matches in, it was not the start we were looking for.

“It was not the start the manager was looking for. The manager is as disappointed as anyone else.”