Someone Has To Talk Boyd Back From Edge

Oct 12 2008 Gordon Waddell

World Cup

HE divides more opinion than the Prime Minister. Starts more fights than the bell for round one.

Yesterday? The arguments started as soon as the team was read out. Kept going through halftime when every person in the ground, every punter in every pub, knew we needed a change, a spark, a goal.

Reached fever pitch after 55 minutes when two strikers with a cap between them got stripped and he didn't.

And nine minutes later the arguments ended.

Because everyone thought the same thing when Gary Naysmith's ball fell to a dark blue shirt three yards out with the keeper a goner - Kris Boyd would have buried it.

Now? The big man may have buried himself by deciding to take himself out of the Scotland picture as long as George Burley is in the dugout.

Boyd has put himself out on the ledge and left only the tiniest crack in the window to let himself back in.

And I want to talk him down rather than see him jump to his international death.

You can understand Kris' frustration. When Burley turned to his bench, knowing his Plan A had failed, what was in his head?

He sees a guy who has scored every other time he has pulled on a dark blue shirt - seven goals in 15 caps - and ignores him.

And goes to the guy behind him without a cap to his name, without an ounce of European experience or top-flight nous.

Burley rolled the dice - and lost as Chris Iwelumo somehow managed to top that Peter van Vossen miss at Parkhead in 1996.

As it is, he stands or falls by a decision that size. But then you have to ask if Walter Smith doesn't put his faith in Boyd for his biggest games in light blue why would the Scotland manager be expected to do it in a different shade?

That's always been the crux of the argument.

Boyd gives you goals, they fall out of his shorts. The one against Partick two weeks ago, only someone with a gift could have done it.

But ask 100 Rangers fans and 50 will tell you he should never be out of the team, another 50 will say he doesn't work hard enough when he's in it.

And here's what I don't understand. Boyd has taken more boots to the bollocks from Smith at Rangers than he could ever dream of taking from Burley.

The striker hasn't played a single minute of any of the last five Old Firm games. Of Gers' last 21 Euro matches he has started three.

And that's despite an even more monumental scoring record for his club than his country. How can you argue with 74 goals in 83 starts?

But obviously Smith can if he doesn't pick him ahead of a Daniel Cousin or a Jean Claude Darcheville.

The question is, though, how many times has he turned round after those snubs and said: "Right, I'm off. I can't play for Rangers as long as he's in charge."

Never. Every time Kris is dumped he's on the back pages saying it'll just make him fight even harder to prove he's worth the jersey.

And you have to admire that resilience. So why chuck in the towel this time?

Especially, as I understand it, you're a guy who cares deeply about your country?

Because you might as well understand this - you're not turning your back on a manager, you're turning your back on a nation and a badge.

Managers come and go.

You're selected to play for your country, not the guy in the blazer.

And once you've said your country's not good enough for you there's rarely a way back in anyone's eyes.

I'm willing to bet if you went on to a Tartan Army website this morning and started a poll the majority would say: "Fine, you don't want to play for us? Stick it."

But there will be some who think he's spot on, that when we have a guy who's a natural predator we should build a team around him.

The only guy I can remember doing this and being given redemption is Davie Weir.

Even then the man who asked him to come back - Walter Smith - was maybe the ONLY manager who could have persuaded him to do it because of the relationship they had.

Think hard about what you're doing big man.

Maybe the next guy and the guy after that won't judge you on your talent either. They'll judge you on the fact you walked.

And that would be a total waste for everyone.