THE pressure is growing on the Scottish Football Association to appoint Walter Smith manager after Sir Alex Ferguson became the latest to back him for the job.
The Manchester United boss believes he is the "outstanding candidate" to succeed Berti Vogts.
The former Rangers and Everton boss emerged as the favourite to take on the role even before the German’s resignation was accepted by the SFA.
Gordo
n Strachan has also been linked with the post but Ferguson, who coached Scotland at the 1986 World Cup, believes only Smith can bring about a radical change in the nation’s footballing fortunes.
"He [Smith] would be the outstanding candidate as far as I am concerned, without question," the United boss said. "He has a wealth of experience.
"He was my assistant with Scotland and here at Manchester United and he has also managed Glasgow Rangers. I don’t know what credentials are needed to do the job but it is a job that needs a lot of experience.
"He would need to change the whole shape of Scottish football and radical changes are needed.
"You need somebody who knows what they are doing and Walter Smith would bring that experience to the job."
Gary McAllister has ruled himself out of the running to become the next Scotland manager.
The former national team captain is rated as third favourite, at 16-1, to take over the running of the national team after Vogts resigned yesterday.
McAllister quit Coventry last December so he could spend more time with his seriously-ill wife, Denise.
And McAllister insists he is still not ready to return to football. He said: "At this moment in time for personal reasons I can’t commit to a job like that."
