Given a vote of confidence despite failing to guide the Scots to South Africa next year, Burley appeared to be in line to oversee his country's qualification campaign for the 2012 European Championships.
- Fletcher: Don't blame Burley
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However, Saturday's comprehensive defeat to John Toshack's struggling side has seen his position as manager weakened greatly over the past few days. It is believed that Scottish Football Association chief executive Gordon Smith and SFA president George Peat will convene with other board members this week to discuss Burley's future in greater detail, after preliminary talks were held yesterday morning.
The decision comes following a performance devoid of both quality and passion, a shadow of the spirited side who narrowly lost out to Holland in a World Cup qualifier just a few months ago.
Not all the blame can be put on Burley, his players did simply not perform against a Wales side buoyed by playing in front of a near capacity crowd at the new home of Cardiff City, instead of an almost empty Millennium stadium. But the fact remains that the former Hearts chief failed to motivate a squad still coming to terms with yet more World Cup qualifying heartbreak.
His tactics and substitutions did nothing to change the game and on another day Wales, inspired by impressive Arsenal youngster Aaron Ramsey, could have had five or six.
As bad as Saturday was, the SFA might want to consider just who they can convince to take what has to be one of the least attractive jobs in international management, should they choose to dispose with Burley's services this week.
Failing to qualify for next summer's World Cup, with just three wins from the last 14 games and defeat to a Wales side ranked over 30 places lower in the FIFA world rankings have contributed to Burley's situation - but when a country has only qualified for two major tournaments in the last fifteen years, is it really the manager's fault?
Scotland's record in qualifying for international tournaments is pretty abysmal so will the SFA's new man really have much of a chance or will it be another case of mission impossible?
Dundee United manager Craig Levein is the favourite to succeed Burley with most bookies, with Walter Smith, Jim Jeffries and Jimmy Calderwood not far behind but whether any of them actually want the job is another question entirely.
Despite a resurgence in form in recent years both Walter Smith and Alex McLeish have turned their back on managing their country, choosing to ditch seemingly doomed qualification campaigns for the glitz and glamour of top-flight domestic football.
With Burley failing to qualify from arguably the easiest group, will any top managers really fancy their chances of reaching Poland and Ukraine in three years time? Probably not.
With Scottish greats such as Graeme Souness already ruling out managing his country in favour of talking dribble with Jamie Redknapp and Richard Keys come Sunday afternoon on Sky, the SFA might start to think that keeping Burley could be a wise decision after all.
- Joe Strange
Source: DSG
