Boyd quits
Couple of qualifications here in preamble to this post. I didn't see the Scotland game on Saturday. I'm a Celtic fan but I think Kris Boyd is a tremendously talented Ally McCoist-esq striker.
Kris Boyd has followed Lee McCulloch into international retirement. Between them they have a grand total of 30 caps. McCulloch I think is rubbish, and we're better without him. But I'm a little sadder about Boyd's decision. He has scored 7 goals in his 15 appearances for Scotland, and has 54 goals in 82 appearances for Rangers, despite hardly ever getting a start (which, as a Celtic fan I'm pleased about - obviously if he isn't playing then he can't score). But it is his inability to break into the Rangers side that has led George Burley to leave him out.
Burley himself held a rather quick press conference on the topic of Kris Boyd's departure (which gets away from him a little towards the end) in which he explains why he overlooked Boyd for an appearance on Saturday.
He said:
"I only want people who are totally committed... How much do you care? You don't need to like everybody. This is your country.... you've got to show that passion. At the end of the day, I just want committed players, 'cause I'm Scottish through and through and I want them to be totally committed."
Now I might not be convinced by Burley's results as Scotland manager (one win in six) but I'm impressed by the man. He's right. In this day and age, when players who earn thousands of pounds a week don't want to represent their country (because they can't get into their club side) then fine. Go and sulk.
But here's the rub. We're a relatively small nation with limited talent when it comes to football. We need our most skilled players if we are ever going to achieve the Holy Grail of qualifying for a major tournament again (sometime before I start drawing a pension would be nice). Will it hamper our opportunities if players like Boyd don't play? Probably.
But I'd rather have eleven men on the field that want to be there, that want to go and win for Scotland. The Kris Boyds and Lee McCullochs of the game should never even be asked to pull on a Scotland jersey again.
ps - apparently Boyd was to be dropped from the squad anyway.
2 comments:
Frankly the SFA should tell him he won't be getting picked again under any manager. I fail to see how you can talk about national pride and then walk out.
In any case if Boyd is being consistent - and not simply playing to the elements of the media that don't like Burley - I presume he'll soon be telling Walter Smith that he doesn't want picked again for Rangers.
After all he doesn't normally get a game there either.
Despite believing Boyd to be a good striker, I never want to see him in a Scotland shirt again. Of all the time to let down his nation, he chose the day after a poor draw to Norway. Poor show from Boydchenko.
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