Thank you Mr Burley. Send in the next man please ...

George Burley was finally removed from his post as manager of the Scotland national side this evening, bringing to an end the managerial run of a man who in the end "managed" to make even Berti Vogts look good, and whose dismal record in charge of the national squad is second only to the late John Prentice in 1966, who didn't even manage a single victory (although Prentice at least managed a 1-1 draw with Brazil).

It's all  very well giving SFA flunkies George Peat and Gordon Smith a portion of the blame, but at the end of the day it was Burley who failed to produce the goods, Burley who failed to inspire his players (all 52 of them) to consistency, Burley who presided over some of the most mediocre performances in recent times, and Burley who managed to alienate not only his own players, but perhaps more crucially the support of the Tartan Army and the nation.

The time has come to make a change at the helm and begin the rebuilding process started by Walter Smith and continued so well by Alex McLeish following the shambles of the Vogts era. We don't expect an announcement soon, but some candidates have already been named by the media. We take a look at the possibilities.

The Candidates

Craig Levein, the current Dundee United manager would make an excellent choice given the amazing results he's getting at Tannadice, but he's just maneuvererd himself into a position where he can shape the club according to his own vision. He's overhauled the youth setup and has his team playing decent football. He's close to the Thomson family, who will be very unlikely and unwilling to let him go.  He's not keen on Gordon Smith either, and he's expressed a desire to return south someday.

Nottingham Forest manager Billie Davies is another possibility, though with Forest currently 2 points from the play-off places in the Championship, he'll be reluctant to make the move north.

Former Aberdeen legend Billy Stark has been showing the way forward with the U21's and has club management experience, but would he want to step up to the pressure of life with the big boys?

Darren Ferguson, son of Alex Ferguson is available following his departure from Peterborough United whom he'd led through back-to-back promotion from League Two to the Championship. He might well want to get back into contention for the Manchester United job, a job he´s been linked with as a possible future successor to his father, and what better way than to take a bunch of no-hopers and lead them to a major European competition - it´d certainly get you noticed. A somewhat checkered personal life may well attract the wrong kind of media attention however ...

Walter Smith may well be looking for a job in January if promises of additional funds are not forthcoming at Rangers. Then again, would he be looking for this job? He's done it before, so the job probably holds little challenge for him and let's face it, the nation has never forgiven him for walking out on the job to return to club management.

Ally McCoist, Smith's assistant at Ibrox might also be a victim in the upcoming shake-up at Ibrox. Comfortable with the media, he's a pundits choice. He´s also served time in the trenches before for Scotland alongside Walter Smith, but he lacks the experience needed to take the job on full-time.

Jim Jefferies must be getting pretty bored at Kilmarnock these days, and the challenges of the Scotland job, together with the easier pace of life the job affords may just be the ticket for a man who has no club management ambitions once his contract at Killie is up. Like Walter Smith, Jefferies has been around the block (twice) and knows many of the players and crucially might be the man to bring his former star Kris Boyd back to the fold.

Aberdeen manager Mark McGhee might well be tempted away from his misfiring adventures in the north-east. Interviewed for the Scotland job already, he´s not exactly been setting the heather alight at Pittodrie so far, but who can blame him with the "talent" and budget available to him.  The Aberdeen board might welcome the compensation the SFA would need to pay to entice the former Aberdeen and Celtic striker away, so for a small sum, possibly in the low-to-mid hundreds given the state of Aberdeen´s finances, you might have a candidate with a good eye for young talent, but not in a Gary Glitter way, obviously.

Joe Jordan. He's Scottish and a legend, so he'd be popular with the support. But former legends do not always make good managers, and besides, he´s a little like Carlos Quiroz - a good number 2, but can he do the job on his own?

The "Fuck No" List

Graeme Souness. I'd rather have Vogts back than this moustache-wearing cunt, an odious man whose gone through more clubs than Dean Windass. Souness, a self confessed mercenary who was only ever in it for the money has the staying power of a stale fart and the personality to match. His appointment would certainly bring some order and discipline to the squad, but at what price?

Terry Butcher, another of the former Rangers contingent associated with Souness, Butcher is a great motivator, but a thoroughly mediocre manager (although mediocrity is not something that's seen as a deal-breaker at SFA HQ). Besides, he's English.

So aye, who would you lot like as manager? Answers in a comment down below please.