Scotland closing on Burley deal Southampton manager George Burley

The Scottish FA board has ratified the move to make Southampton's George Burley the new Scotland manager.

Compensation must now be agreed with the Championship club over the 51-year-old's contract.

Burley was on a four-man shortlist alongside Mark McGhee, Graeme Souness and Tommy Burns.

The former Ipswich, Derby and Hearts manager will succeed Alex McLeish, who quit to take charge of Premier League side Birmingham at the end of November.

"His track record is very sound, but what is particularly good about George is his man-management," former Scotland boss Craig Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He always gets the best out of players."

But Brown said there would be a lot of pressure on the new man, adding: "He is inheriting an outstanding set-up.

"Alex McLeish had a wonderful record, winning seven out of his 10 internationals, and Scotland are 14th in the world rankings.

"So he's got quite a bit to live up to and there is a good crop of players coming through."

Burley was interviewed for the post last week after Southampton reluctantly agreed to the SFA's request to speak to their manager.

Born in Cumnock, he has vast experience in club management, having coached Ayr, Colchester, Ipswich, Hearts and Derby.

He led Ipswich to a fifth-place finish in the Premier League in 2001, securing a Uefa Cup place in the process.

At Hearts, he briefly threatened to make the Edinburgh side serious challengers to the Old Firm but departed after a superb start to the 2005-06 season due to off-field matters.

He also played for Ipswich and won 11 caps for Scotland as a defender from 1979 to 1982.

Burley, whose first game in charge would be the 26 March friendly against Croatia at Hampden Park, is expected to grasp the opportunity to lead his country.

He said at the weekend: "It is a great honour that Scotland asked to speak to me.

"There is a lot to consider. I am very happy at Southampton, but if your country asks to speak to you then it is only right to do so."

As for McGhee, many people's favourites to land the job, he admitted it was a blow to miss out.

"Its a huge disappointment because I felt I was very close," said the Motherwell boss, who was told of Burley's imminent appointment by the media.

"At times, I was given the impression I was very very close."

Speaking to BBC Radio Scotland ahead of Motherwell's SPL match against Hearts on Tuesday night, he added: "All I can say is congratulations to George.

"I think he will be a terrific Scotland manager and I will do all I can to help him.

"I remain very proud to have been considered and if George does not win the World Cup then it opens it up for me to be one who does!"

Scotland have not qualified for a major tournament since reaching the 1998 World Cup.

Under McLeish, they just failed to reach the finals of the 2008 European Championships, finishing third in their group behind world champions Italy and France.

McLeish was in charge for just 10 months, succeeding Walter Smith, who resigned to take charge of Rangers.

Former Scotland international Pat Nevin is confident Burley's appointment is a step forward for Scottish football.

"Everyone in England knows what he has done. He has done a great job everywhere he has been," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He is the only man who has recently come close to breaking the Old Firm stronghold with Hearts.

"If he had been given more time he would have taken Celtic and Rangers to the wire."

Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon added: "It's good we are appointing another Scot who knows the players, knows the teams and the Scottish game.

"It's important for us to keep our identity."

Southampton say they have yet to receive official confirmation from the SFA that Burley is the man they want.

But former Derby boss Billy Davies has already been linked with the Championship club, who are struggling to mount a promotion push for the third straight year.

Burley said: "I am very sad to be leaving Southampton. It will be a big wrench because it is a fantastic club with top facilities, some terrific people, a great bunch of players and magnificent supporters.
"I have had full backing from the board and I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here.

"I'd like to thank all the staff there for their help and support while I have been at St Mary's. I am sure they will soon get back to the Premiership where they belong and I really wish them all well.
"However this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity which I could not turn down.

"It was a huge honour even to be considered for the post and I am thrilled to have been offered it.
"To take charge of your country is perhaps the highest accolade you can get as a manager and I am really looking forward to that challenge."

Burley took over from Harry Redknapp in December 2005 and immediately set about rebuilding the squad. He got a quick and harsh lesson about the size of his task as Saints crashed 3-0 at Watford in his first game on Boxing Day.
He said at the time there were players who did not want to be there and some who were not what he was looking for.

A major clear-out followed with Antti Niemi, Nigel Quashie and club record signing Rory Delap all seeking their fortunes elsewhere.
And Burley was effectively forced to sell hot prospect Theo Walcott who, as a 16-year-old, would have been able to move for nothing if Saints had not negotiated a £12m move.

It was very much a time of transition for Saints who lost their first three league games under the new boss and then flirted briefly with the relegation zone before finishing strongly to end the campaign in 12th place.
The summer change of regime saw the club splash out £7m on players in a bid to seal a return to the Premiership in the last year of their parachute payment.

They played some exciting football as they finished the campaign strongly with a remarkable 6-0 win at Wolves proving the launchpad for a promotion push.

And they went agonisingly close with only the heart-break of a penalty shoot-out standing between them and a place in the Play-off final at Wembley.
The loss of the parachute payment had a huge effect on Saints who were forced to sell during the summer.

Key departures included two more hot prospects in Gareth Bale and Kenwyne Jones as well as Chris Baird, Leon Best and Pele.
That forced Burley to rebuild for a second successive season but this time a lack of funds and a crippling injury list made the task much harder.

He stuck to his principles of playing an attractive passing game but it was tough to get a settled side with some fans growing impatient at a perceived lack of progress.
But despite more boardroom upheavals, Saints hung onto the coat-tails of the play-off race and are still in a decent position for the new man to launch a promotion push.

They now need to find a strong replacement for Burley who has been freed to take a once-in-a-lifetime chance to take charge of his country's bid for the 2010 World Cup.
His 109 games as Saints manager brought 45 wins, 25 draws and 39 defeats.

His last game in charge was a 1-1 draw at Plymouth and he now embarks on a new challenge with the club's thanks for his hard work.

Source

Burley's gone    He was a decent manager, had his ups and downs with the club....I wish him well coachin Scotland

Nigel Pearson( Newcastle's former caretaker manager)
News
Nigel Pearson has been appointed as Saints manager in the wake of Saturday's FA Cup defeat at Bristol Rovers.
The former Newcastle assistant boss today signed a rolling contract taking over from caretaker duo John Gorman and Jason Dodd who are 100 per cent behind the appointment and will stay on as backroom staff.
The 44-year-old is a very experienced coach who has come through the Football Association coaching ranks working with every age group up to the Under 21's and recently stepped down as Newcastle assistant manager following the arrival of Kevin Keegan.
Saints chairman Leon Crouch has acted swiftly and decisively to bring in a new man following a run of four defeats in five games.
He was quick to pay tribute to caretaker duo John Gorman and Jason Dodd who took over following the sudden departure of George Burley.
They were given the role for the foreseeable future following a positive initial response from the players.
But Saturday's shock Cup exit has prompted the club to make a change with the team in danger of slipping into a relegation battle.
Crouch said: "We are very grateful to John and Jason for all their hard work and their passion after taking over in very difficult circumstances.
"They did everything they could and they must feel as hurt as everyone else at the club by Saturday's result.
"It was clear that the uncertainty of the management situation was having a detrimental effect on the players and so we have decided to bring in a new man.
"Pearson is a top quality coach with plenty of experience and good contacts in the game. He is also a disciplinarian with a strong work ethic and I believe he will inject new impetus into our campaign.
"He was a top defender in his time and has a good coaching and managerial pedigree at Stoke, West Brom, Newcastle and with the England Under 21 squad.
"I believe he is the right man to steady the ship and get us moving up the table once more. He is a winner and he will instil that mentality in the players."
Pearson made his name as a gritty defender with Sheffield Wednesday and Middlesbrough before carving out a strong coaching career.
He began as manager of Carlisle and kept them in the Football League against all the odds at the end of the 1998-99 season. He signed on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass who unforgettably came up for a corner and scored the injury-time goal which kept Carlisle up at the expense of Scarborough.
From there he joined Stoke as right-hand man to Gary Megson and was kept on when the manager was sacked later that year.
He then worked for the FA for two and a half years as part of the national coaching set-up.
He was involved with every England youth team from the Under-16s to the Under-20s before leaving to become assistant to Bryan Robson at West Brom.
When Robson was sacked, Pearson stood in as caretaker boss winning three of his four games before Tony Mowbray was appointed.
He was linked with a return to Hillsborough but instead took over from former Saint Kevin Bond as Newcastle Number Two in October 2006.
He recently stepped down following the departure of Sam Allardyce and the appointment of Kevin Keegan but recently began working with the England Under 21's as assistant to Stuart Pearce.