Smith ready to get tough over call-off culture

SFA CHIEF executive Gordon Smith has stated his willingness to support Scotland manager George Burley if he decided to invoke the five-day rule over call-offs for the national side.

Burley has suffered from widespread absenteeism in his two games in charge. A friendly against Northern Ireland on August 20 will now provide him with a final opportunity to shape his team before the country's World Cup qualifiers begin with a trip to Macedonia in September. But there are fears that he could face further call-off problems, with the Northern Ireland encounter sandwiched between two vital Champions League qualifiers involving Rangers.

"We would have to back him if he wanted to invoke the (five-day] rule, no question," Smith said. "If there was any indication at all, any thought that players were deliberately pulling out when they weren't really affected (by injury], then if George wanted to do that we would have a look at it."

Smith admits the timing of the Northern Ireland game is "difficult". But he says the Hampden visit by the Irish is vital to the country's hopes of reaching a first major finals in 12 years.

"So far George has never had an opportunity to put what he might consider his first-choice team in place. By August, you really want that in place because at that stage you will be working on tactics and things you will be introducing. So even though there are Champions League fixtures around it, I would hope we would get a full squad."

FIFA rules are explicit over call-offs. "Whatever the reason" for a player not wishing, or being unable, to comply with a call-up for a game on any "date listed in the co-ordinated international match calendar", the restriction on that player then turning out for his club will be a further "five days". At the SFA, however, there has been an implicit understanding they would avoid angering clubs by exercising their rights on the matter.

Sensitivity surrounding the issue has heightened after Burley was left with a makeshift squad for the friendly away to the Czech Republic nine days ago, a game not covered by the five-day rule. The call-offs for the Prague game troubled because they appeared to be symptomatic of a trend. Across two Wednesday internationals last season, six Rangers players and three Celtic players pulled out of squads then regained fitness to appear in Old Firm encounters three days later. If Burley wanted to diminish the prospects of borderline call-offs for the Northern Ireland game, invoking the five-day rule would probably have the desired effect.

"I think we have to look at the friendly situation last week as maybe a one-off situation, with the number of games there's been and that sort of thing," Smith says. "Friendlies give other players a chance to get a game, so there's always something to be learned from it. But when it comes to a competitive game then you are hoping that all your players are going to be available."

Smith agrees there is a fine line between maintaining a harmonious relationship with clubs and ensuring the best possible squad is available to the national manager. "We'd hope that the clubs would realise that and would want to help the national team. It's for the benefit of the whole game. It's great when the clubs are doing well in Europe. We are delighted with that, and I would imagine that everyone should have the same feeling for the national team; that players are available and we would want them to be available for the big games. The World Cup is very important."

It is a question of priorities. Rangers assistant Ally McCoist as good as admitted that had Scotland been involved in an important competitive encounter then Barry Ferguson, Lee McCulloch, Christian Dailly and Allan McGregor would have shrugged off various ailments and problems to be available for the game against Croatia on March 26, Burley's first game in charge. But because that was only a friendly, playing them was considered too much of a risk with Celtic visiting Ibrox for a potentially title-shaping encounter three days later. It should be noted that in all cases of injured Scotland players being released from squads, they have done so after the national team's own medical staff have assessed them.

If the five-day rule were invoked as a matter of principle by the SFA, though, all would probably have pushed themselves through that game to ensure they were not ruled out for the derby. But would the ructions have been worth it? It was effectively a meaningless match.

Yet, Scotland's hopes of reaching Euro 2008 might have been enhanced if every available course of action had been taken to ensure the availability of the country's leading players. Celtic pair Scott Brown and Gary Caldwell and Rangers' duo Alan Hutton and Allan McGregor all featured in the first Old Firm game of the season on October 20. The outfield trio's injury absences were felt as a patchwork Scotland side flopped away to Georgia three days earlier. There is no suggestion that the quartet were not struggling. Caldwell and McGregor, indeed, were not able to join up with the squad for a double-header that brought a win over Ukraine, Brown forced off with a tight hamstring in that victory. But again, though, the five-day rule might have resulted in these four players coaxing aching limbs as they would for their clubs.

It has been suggested there might be a "respect" issue in players blanking Burley's first two games. Smith disputes this. "I am very much of the opinion that George has that respect," he says. "You don't want to resort to the fear as well. I think we need to wait and see how things go. It might be an issue that doesn't happen so there's no point going into too much detail at the moment."

Smith admits the five-day rule would be a last resort and "cannot imagine a situation" wherein Burley would invoke it. Only last April an English Championship club were deprived of a player for a club game after injury resulted in him not reporting for international duty with Northern Ireland. Under Lawrie Sanchez, it was IFA policy to invoke the five-day rule in such circumstances. "It is totally unfair to the club and to the boy," said the manager in question when Sanchez prevented Chris Baird playing for Southampton. That manager was a certain George Burley.

PLAYERS WHO CALLED OFF THEN PLAYED FOR CLUB

FRANCE, SEPT 12 2007

Player out injured
Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United)

Played next Saturday
Gary Naysmith (v Wolves)

GEORGIA, OCT 17 2007

Players out injured
Alan Hutton (Rangers)
Scott Brown (Celtic)
Paul Hartley (Celtic)
Gary Caldwell (Celtic)
Gary Naysmith (Sheffield United)
Allan McGregor (Rangers, pictured)

Played the next Saturday
Alan Hutton (v Celtic)
Scott Brown (v Rangers)
Gary Caldwell (v Rangers)
Allan McGregor (v Celtic)

CROATIA, MAR 26 2008

Players out injured
Barry Ferguson (Rangers)
James McFadden (Birmingham City)
Lee McCulloch (Rangers)
Christian Dailly (Rangers)
Barry Robson (Celtic)
Allan McGregor (Rangers)

Played the next Saturday
Barry Ferguson (v Celtic)
Lee McCulloch (v Celtic)
Christian Dailly (v Celtic)
Barry Robson (v Rangers)
Allan McGregor (v Celtic)