Sport 03-12-2004 Scots` World Cup Dream Still Alive who: Walter Smith what: Appointed new Scotland football team manager where: Hampden Park, GLASGOW when: Yesterday snippet: "Walter Smith has been confirmed as the new Scotland manager," says The Guardian. "The former Rangers and Everton boss succeeds Berti Vogts, who quit his position on November 1 after picking up just two points from the opening three World Cup qualifiers." "Smith, 56, is being given a four-year contract that will take him up to Euro 2008," says The Times, "but the former Rangers and Everton manager - who declared himself refreshed after the best part of two years away from the game - insisted that Scotland`s hopes of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup are not dead." "Italy are the favourites to go through but their previous result, only 4-3 against Belarus, was one no-one would have expected," he says. "If there are going to be upsets, and if Italy are going to lose a game or two, then the opportunities might be there to catch up." The Telegraph`s Ewing Grahame says it was "a straight choice between Walter Smith and Gordon Strachan" and comments that "Strachan will not take kindly to having his failure to secure the position made public by the Scottish Football Association". "Although the appointment of Smith was one of this year’s worst-kept football secrets, [SFA chief executive David] Taylor phoned Strachan yesterday to confirm to him he had not been successful," says The Scotsman`s Alan Pattullo. "Taylor said he sounded disappointed, and this emotion is likely to be mirrored within the rank-and-file body of Scotland supporters." [... more]

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