Worrying Retirement Undermines Burley
At the start of the current World Cup qualifying campaign there was reasonable cause for enthusiasm within the Scottish national team and it's supporters. Indeed this optimism still remains now, even if it is a little dented by Scotland's opening three games, which have yielded one win, a draw and a loss thus far.
Since the start of the campaign, Scotland have had even more reason for concern than their results, with issues coming from off the field. Kris Boyd has decided after the 0-0 draw at home to Norway, that he no longer wishes to be considered for the Scotland squad. This is not a permanent decision though but instead one that makes it clear that Boyd has no desire to play football under a Scotland led by George Burley.
Over the years it has become more common-place for footballers to retire from international duty years before they retire altogether, this has usually been with a view to prolonging careers that could otherwise be shortened by such an intensive programme of games. Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes have been English examples of this phenomenon in the past, and typically when it comes to such influential players, both were consistently linked with a return to the international fold. In the case of the two Englishmen this did not occur, Shearer extended his time at Newcastle with no reward, and Scholes is continuing to fill his trophy cabinet at Old Trafford.
On the other hand international retirement has seen many a great player tempted back to the rigours of competitive football at the highest level, with varying degrees of success. Before the last World Cup Raymond Domenech literally press-ganged Claude Makalele into playing for France, insisting that he was calling him up into the French squad and that it was a binding process. Makalele relented and ended up on the wrong side of a penalty shoot-out in the 2006 World Cup final, a successful return even if it was tinged with disappointment.
In light of the decision by Kris Boyd to abstain from future call-ups under George Burley's tenure, his 'temporary' international retirement is a far more unique case than the usual. By retiring in the manner that he has Boyd's made his hiatus from playing for Scotland into a personal attack on George Burley, and it is difficult to believe he intended it any other way.
Only Jamie Carragher comes to mind as having left international football under a similar cloud, but even then his decision at least appears to be a fixed one. It is hard to remember any other player having invited vitriol as Carragher did in his autobigraphical admission, by openly expressing a greater concern for his club than his country, whether or not this was motivated by him not being a first-choice international, I'll leave for you to decide!
Many opinions will be expressed on Boyd, with ex-professionals being heavily critical and mentioning a lack of patriotism, whereas some will opine that Boyd is entitled to retire however he sees fit. This is very true, and in that way Boyd has done nothing wrong to react how he has, but the worry is that instead of being determined to prove his national manger wrong and win a place in Scotland's team, he has chosen to place the blame for his exclusion on George Burley alone.
Of course this is technically true as Burley picks the team, but Boyd leaves himself open to accusations that he does not respect his manager's decisions or values being a part of the Scottish squad unless he starts games.
If Scotland are to invoke their much mentioned trait of being determined fighters and finally qualify for an international tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup, then they will be better off without the likes of Kris Boyd trying to undermine the influence of George Burley. This may be a harsh judgement in the eyes of some, but as the old saying goes one player does not make a team. Besides, to miss being in a team that plays in the World Cup would be a tragic event to miss with hindsight if you're name is Kris Boyd.
Since the start of the campaign, Scotland have had even more reason for concern than their results, with issues coming from off the field. Kris Boyd has decided after the 0-0 draw at home to Norway, that he no longer wishes to be considered for the Scotland squad. This is not a permanent decision though but instead one that makes it clear that Boyd has no desire to play football under a Scotland led by George Burley.
Over the years it has become more common-place for footballers to retire from international duty years before they retire altogether, this has usually been with a view to prolonging careers that could otherwise be shortened by such an intensive programme of games. Alan Shearer and Paul Scholes have been English examples of this phenomenon in the past, and typically when it comes to such influential players, both were consistently linked with a return to the international fold. In the case of the two Englishmen this did not occur, Shearer extended his time at Newcastle with no reward, and Scholes is continuing to fill his trophy cabinet at Old Trafford.
On the other hand international retirement has seen many a great player tempted back to the rigours of competitive football at the highest level, with varying degrees of success. Before the last World Cup Raymond Domenech literally press-ganged Claude Makalele into playing for France, insisting that he was calling him up into the French squad and that it was a binding process. Makalele relented and ended up on the wrong side of a penalty shoot-out in the 2006 World Cup final, a successful return even if it was tinged with disappointment.
In light of the decision by Kris Boyd to abstain from future call-ups under George Burley's tenure, his 'temporary' international retirement is a far more unique case than the usual. By retiring in the manner that he has Boyd's made his hiatus from playing for Scotland into a personal attack on George Burley, and it is difficult to believe he intended it any other way.
Only Jamie Carragher comes to mind as having left international football under a similar cloud, but even then his decision at least appears to be a fixed one. It is hard to remember any other player having invited vitriol as Carragher did in his autobigraphical admission, by openly expressing a greater concern for his club than his country, whether or not this was motivated by him not being a first-choice international, I'll leave for you to decide!
Many opinions will be expressed on Boyd, with ex-professionals being heavily critical and mentioning a lack of patriotism, whereas some will opine that Boyd is entitled to retire however he sees fit. This is very true, and in that way Boyd has done nothing wrong to react how he has, but the worry is that instead of being determined to prove his national manger wrong and win a place in Scotland's team, he has chosen to place the blame for his exclusion on George Burley alone.
Of course this is technically true as Burley picks the team, but Boyd leaves himself open to accusations that he does not respect his manager's decisions or values being a part of the Scottish squad unless he starts games.
If Scotland are to invoke their much mentioned trait of being determined fighters and finally qualify for an international tournament for the first time since the 1998 World Cup, then they will be better off without the likes of Kris Boyd trying to undermine the influence of George Burley. This may be a harsh judgement in the eyes of some, but as the old saying goes one player does not make a team. Besides, to miss being in a team that plays in the World Cup would be a tragic event to miss with hindsight if you're name is Kris Boyd.
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