Does it matter who manages Scotland?

It is impossible to measure the exact effect a manager can have on a football team. However, installing a new manager during a difficult time period can give rise to a positive attitude and a new hope. A strong manager can bring certain credibility to the whole organisation around him/her.

Scotland faces an important decision on their new national team boss. After a few succesful years under the guidance of Alex McLeish and gaining their top ever rank on FIFA ranking list Scots have arguably faded into a minor player on European level. Poor results of the Scottish national team in addition to problems of the Scottish national football league result in the whole Scottish football being in the brink of extinction, at least according to Glasgow Rangers boss Walter Smith. (http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/rangers/2009/10/16/walter-smith-scottish-football-will-die-if-old-firm-are-denied-move-elsewhere-86908-21751069/)

There are many examples of a new manager turning the fate of a team. Obviously it is impossible to say beforehand who might be the best candidate for the job, but in a situation Scotland is currently facing, a right decision could certainly bring a new momentum. Even the strongest manager can't fix all the problems single-handedly, but a bad one can certainly cause new ones.

Nobody is seriously thinking that a new manager would instantly turn Scotland into a World Cup winner candidate, but it is far too harsh to argue that it wouldn't matter at all who their boss is.