Football Dispatch

Tuesday Football
27 November 2007
by Jerrad Peters

THE Scottish Football Association accepted the resignation of national team manager Alex McLeish, today. SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith confirmed the 48-year-old's exit -- prompting speculation that the former Rangers boss will succeed Steve Bruce at Birmingham City. Eric Black, Bruce's number-two at St. Andrews, bolted the club earlier in the morning and has joined-up with his long-time boss at Wigan Athletic. Birmingham, meanwhile, have been spurned by the likes of Marcello Lippi and Paul Jewell and are believed to have turned their attention to McLeish when Scotland lost to Italy at Hampden Park ten days ago. Out of club football since getting the sack at Rangers and swapping jobs with Scotland manager Walter Smith in January, McLeish brings an impressive pedigree to St. Andrews -- including two Scottish Premier League titles, two Scottish Cups, and three League Cups. Birmingham, meanwhile, have yet to officially negotiate financial compensation with the SFA. Their initial offer of 750,000-pounds was rejected, yesterday; and the eventual price will likely approach 1M-pounds. A long-time centre-half with Aberdeen and Scotland, McLeish has also managed Motherwell and Hibernian over a 13-year coaching career.

Gigi Cagni is the sixth managerial casualty in the Serie-A so far this season. The 57-year-old took the helm at Empoli in early 2006 and was largely credited with the respectable top-half finish which followed. As an encore, he led the Tuscan club to a 7th-place finish last season and a berth in the UEFA Cup. Still, a difficult start to the current campaign and an early European exit at the hands of FC Zurich saw Cagni shown the exit door. With just 10-points from 13-matches, Empoli are 18th in Serie-A and have scored just seven goals in the league all season. A 0-0 draw at Stadio Carlo Castellani was the final straw for the club's brass. Cagni, however, refused to go quietly into the sunset, stating, "I do not understand how one can say that the team doesn't respond to me when against Torino they played a great second half." Nonetheless, he has already been replaced by Alberto Malesani. Released from Udinese after a 10th-place finish last term, the 53-year-old has also managed Chievo Verona, Fiorentina, Parma, Verona, Modena, and Panathinaikos. His first match in charge will be on Sunday away to Parma.

Derby County are hoping to lure Paul Ince to Pride Park in the wake of Billy Davies' sacking, yesterday. The 40-year-old retired midfielder broke into the coaching ranks with Macclesfield Town last season and is presently behind MK Dons' astonishing push to the top of League Two. And while the Guv'nor has repeatedly stated his intention to remain at Stadium:MK until the conclusion of the season, a job in the Premier League may be too hard to pass up. Should he make the move, he will have a considerable task ahead of him. Derby have just 6-points from 14-matches and have scored just 5-goals in that span. Still, the Rams remain only 4-points adrift of 17th-place Middlesbrough in the battle to remain in England's top-flight.

Sheffield Wednesday have denied that they are headed into the financial purgatory of administration. Following the resignation of chairman Dave Allen on Friday, speculation was rampant that, as a result of the club's growing debts, it would opt into Company Voluntary Arrangement, or administration. The fact that Allen remains among the club's foremost creditors only enhanced the rumors. A club statement released today, however, proclaimed a stable financial foothold. "Regarding the club's financial position," it read, "Sheffield Wednesday continues to have an excellent working relationship with the bank; and there is certainly no threat of administration at this time." The woes on the ledger-sheet were compounded by the Owls poor start to the current season. But after righting the ship after taking no points from their first five matches, Wednesday now find themselves 16th in the Championship and just 7-points back of a spot in the play-offs.