McGhee - Strachan's Keep The Fans Off My Back Card

I AM not a pub regular, never have been, however, on the rate occasion when I feel it necessary to nip in for a pint somewhere, I favour a small pub, just off Ayr High Street, run by a somewhat controversial ex-footballer.

Jim McSherry's 'Wee Windaes' pub in Newmarket Street is a haven of peace and good taste in a frequently hassled world; the avuncular James is a different animal to the often greetin'-faced wee nyaff who raged around the midfield for Kilmarnock and Ayr United, dispensing drink and good-humour in equal measures; his bar staff are all charming ladies, while the food and in particular the steak pie, is to die for.

Wee Windaes draws-in a number of ex-footballers and it is always a pleasure to listen to Scotland's undisputed "Penalty King", the wee South African wing wizard Johnny Hubbard speak of times past, of Bill Struth, George Young and of the way the Old Firm players were great friends, in spite of the mass mutual hatred all around them.

The pub is also a good place for picking-up racing gossip if you're into the sport of Kings, which I'm not, but, when I popped in this week, the conversation was mainly about how WGS might do as Scotland boss. However, Gordon's appointment of Mark McGhee as his assistant was not at all warmly welcomed by the members of the Ayr Company, Tartan Army.

Naturally, WGS will have a honeymoon period, he is a TA legend, so, it could be, when, as they surely will given the paucity of talent WGS has at his disposal, a paucity made worse by the sad news of Darren Fletcher's impending bowel surgery, the TA turns on the management, it may be that it is McGhee who cops the bulk of the flak.

Let's face it, McGhee aint liked in the world of football. Mind you, if it's him and not the gaffer who gets the abuse, he'll have proved an inspired choice by the Wee Man.

However, I'd rather have seen WGS pick Billy Stark as his Number Two; just think back to how the combination of Andy Roxburgh as manager, with Craig Brown as assistant got us to Italia'90 then Sweden in 1992 and meant a seamless transition from Under-21s to full squad for a good few players - it could have worked again with Strachan and Stark, two noted graduates of the Sir Alex Ferguson school for managers. Of course, McGhee is also one, but, for my money one with a poorer "degree" than Strachan and Stark.

THE "Scribblerati" in the English media are still tying themselves in knots about Manchester City's Vincent Kompany's travails with the FA's disciplinary system. First of all referee Mike Dean decides his in my view magnificent tackle on Arsenal's Jack Wilshire was worthy of a red card, then City appealed and the red was rescinded - which gave lazy English hacks something to write about all week.

I have long called for changes to the disciplinary system, and cited how much-more sensible is rugby's handling of contentious matters as regards red cards and missed incidents.

It is right that referees' mistakes be sorted out, but, we should not forget Law V (i): "The referee is the sole judge of fact" - Mr Dean (mistakenly) decided the tackle was worthy of a red card, and from his position and point of view, perhaps it seemed thus, so, Dean's view has to be upheld.

In rugby, the video evidence would have been looked at, the red card would have been rescinded and a statement would have been issued saying something along the lines of: "In this case the disciplinary committee decided the red card issued was sufficient punishment".

The referee's stance is upheld, but, no further action is taken and Kompany plays on - honour on all sides is satisfied. Now, because of football's way of doing things, every subsequent Dean decision will be analysed in minute detail, with extra pressure heaped on the official.

Referees are human, of course they make mistakes. However, as I have said before, in any game, if you totted-up the mistakes a referee made and totted-up the mistakes the players made, I think you would find that the three most-efficient people on the park, the ones who made least errors would by the referee and his two assistants. On the whole, referees do the hardest jobs better than the players do the easy job - simply playing.

We should never forget this.