Vogts faces some home truths

EUROPION CHAMPIONSHIPS/Group Five/ Scotland v Germany: Berti Vogts did his best to smile yesterday. There were moments when his determination to do so won the battle over the grimace that, as manager of Scotland, comes naturally.

Vogts was in Dumbarton where lots of journalists had trooped there from his native Germany and they travelled with some baggage. Vogts' stock has fallen in his homeland since guiding the national team to the European Championship in 1996 at Wembley. In Scotland, too, scepticism is growing. Vogts's record as manager is nine defeats in 14 games with only three wins, and the arrival of Germany for today's Group Five qualifier could have been timed better.

The 55-year-old tried to distance himself from the idea the match was about him rather than the teams. But he must know whether the final whistle brings a surprise win or an emphatic Germany triumph, the spotlight will fall on him. "They play not against me but against Scotland," Vogts said of a Germany team that will contain players he coached at national and club level. "The match score is Germany-Scotland, not Voller-Vogts."

The presence of Rudi Voller as Germany's manager adds to the intrigue. Both he and his assistant Michael Skibbe played under Vogts during his eight years as Germany manager. Even forgetting Vogts was an international for 11 years and won the World Cup in 1974, these relationships and his nationality meant he was always going to be top of the agenda once the two nations were drawn in the same group.

But fresh criticism - in Scotland from Charlie Nicholas and in Germany from Michael Ballack, a player under Vogts in his time in charge of Bayer Leverkusen - has added to the personalising of the game: "I won't hang out dirty laundry but I don't have to keep it secret that some Leverkusen players had a problem with him," Ballack said of Vogts' doomed few months on the Rhine. "Berti Vogts has great knowledge of the game but his relationships with the players weren't easy; he had his problems there."

Vogts retaliated: "Michael Ballack is the best attacking midfielder in Europe. He is a very good player. He's got only one problem: he's German."

Vogts will be pleased Ballack is doubtful with a calf injury.

When Voller called the fixture "our match of the year" Vogts reacted by saying: "Rudi is building up this match too much. I don't know why. He doesn't need to build up something that isn't there." It seemed a churlish remark from Vogts, who he refuses to believe the starting XI announced by Voller in midweek will be the team that starts. "He knows me very well, I know him very well," Vogts said. "He's given you 11 names, 10 may be right. He's waiting for my reaction. It hasn't worked."

To the neutral that may sound like a shrewd reading of a tricky situation by an experienced campaigner. To disillusioned Scots, who have witnessed defeats by Austria, Lithuania and South Korea (4-1), it is meaningless. Another result under Vogts was the 2-2 draw with the Faroes in September. It has all helped whittle away enthusiasm.

"I am passionate about Scotland and I desperately want them to do well," said Nicholas, who is Vogts' most high-profile critic. "Berti seems to be passionate about cakes."

The sarcasm came at the end of a week that began with Vogts banning Nicholas and his fellow Sky pundit Davie Provan from speaking to the players. That the Scottish FA has a £27 million contract with Sky was lost on Vogts and his assistant Tommy Burns.

Burns, once a Celtic colleague of Nicholas and Provan, lambasted his former team-mates.

"There are guys who have played at top clubs for maybe 15 years but they couldn't take a training session."

That tenacity, which characterised Vogts as a player, may see him cling on to a reputed £500,000 a year four-year contract, yet it is one of the accusations against his Scotland team: they lack heart. Just as significantly, though, what Scotland lack is quality.

Less than a year after reaching the World Cup final Germany's self-esteem may be low due to a home draw with Lithuania in March and a 2-1 home win over the Faroes, but they are heavy favourites against Scotland.

At least Hampden is a near 52,000 sell-out. Vogts hopes the roar will intimidate. By 4.45 p.m. it may intimidate only the German manager - of Scotland.

-Guardian Service