Scotland National Team Manager Craig Levein Could Pay Price For Team's Poor Play

Scotland's search for a sixth permanent int'l manager in a decade is "expected to begin within a fortnight," with national team Manager Craig Levein "set to pay the price for the country's disastrous start" to its World Cup qualifying campaign, according to Ewan Murray of the London GUARDIAN. Public opinion, which has "never appeared fully behind Levein, is now vehemently in favour of the Scottish Football Association disposing" of its manager. It is "anticipated" that Levein will be sacked before Scotland's friendly with Luxembourg next month. Informal SFA board talks "will take place within days, and again formally next week," amid a private acknowledgement within the association that "the manager's tenure must come to an end" (GUARDIAN, 10/17). The SCOTSMAN reported that the SFA would have to pay £700,000 ($1.1M) to sack Levein. The SFA could have terminated Levein's contract after Scotland failed to qualify for Euro 2012 "for nothing" (SCOTSMAN, 10/18).