Scotland boss Levein exit reports sadden Adam

05 November 2012 18:47

Scotland midfielder Charlie Adam said the press were to blame as both the BBC and Sky Sports reported Monday that Craig Levein had left his position as manager of the national side.

There was no immediate confirmation from the Scottish Football Association that former Scotland defender Levein had quit his post.

But the SFA did announce it would be holding a 1900GMT media conference Monday, with chief executive Stewart Regan and president Campbell Ogilvie, at its Hampden Park headquarters in Glasgow where officials were expected to announce Levein's departure.

There had been widespread speculation Levein's job was on the line following a record of just three wins in 12 competitive matches in charge.

Scotland, who haven't played in a major tournament since the 1998 World Cup in France, are also bottom of their qualifying group for Brazil 2014.

However, Adam, who plays for English Premier League club Stoke, used Twitter to say Levein had been the victim of a media witch-hunt.

"On my way back to hear Craig Levein has gone. Unbelievable. Can't believe the Scottish papers got what they wanted."

But Levein, who took over from George Burley in 2009, revealed last week he'd held talks regarding his future with Regan and Ogilvie.

The seven-man SFA board were meeting at Hampden on Monday, and if, as expected, Levein has gone the officials are likely to face fresh criticism regarding the timing of the manager's departure just a day before he was due to name his squad for next week's friendly against Luxembourg.

Recent defeats by both Wales and Belgium had piled the pressure on Levein.

But the scale of the problem confronting Scottish football is that any successor to Levein will be the eighth Scotland manager already this century.

Former Scotland midfielder Gordon Strachan, currently out-of-work, has long been tipped as the favourite to replace Levein.

Strachan, who played under Alex Ferguson at both Aberdeen and Manchester United, has previously been in charge of Glasgow giants Celtic and has also managed in the English Premier League at Coventry and Southampton.

Source: AFP