For Gordon Smith, yesterday was a career-shaping moment. The SFA chief executive has had success in a lot of jobs – as a footballer, an agent, a BBC pundit – but his fate as the head of the SFA will depend on what befalls the rabbit which Smith pulled out of his hat at at Hampden Park.

George Burley is the new manager of Scotland. In the SFA’s slightly cumbersome way, the appointment is the recommendation of a four-man panel, but Smith has been the driving force. It is Smith who homed in on Burley, and Smith who carried such men as George Peat, the SFA president, with him in making the judgment call.

Now we await the outcome with intrigue. And Smith is waiting as well. “The fact is, this will only be the right decision if the results go for us,” he said. “If George gets results, then we’ll have made the right call. That’s how it is in football. Also, this is the biggest job George has had in his career, there’s no doubt about that.”

Let it be said that, in certain media circles at least, there is already cynicism over Burley’s appointment. He is a figure who, as well as having periods of success in his management career, has also been the subject of much rumour and gossip about his après-ski activities. It was one such saga which more than one Heart of Midlothian source said was a factor behind Burley’s abrupt departure from Tyne-castle in September, 2005, notwithstanding a potty club owner.

In one sense, it only makes Smith’s appointment of Burley all the more brave and principled. In the current internet age, football fans’ websites can trash all and sundry, and Smith has chosen to ignore such unpoliced human farmyards and instead judge Burley on his career in football. In that context he claims to have come upon good evidence, such as Burley being named manager of the year in the former Premiership after taking Ips-wich Town to fifth spot and into Europe in 2001.

“He has achieved a lot in the game, and it placed George just ahead of the other candidates,” Smith said. And of Burley’s so-called “baggage”?

“We don’t think there is a problem – that was not a consideration for us,” Smith said. It may be the most decent and principled stance to take on the matter.

Other issues around the SFA boss were not so smooth yesterday. It is arguable that he made a tactical error in deciding to publicly chide the media on their coverage of the SFA’s search process, a bee in Smith’s bonnet that suddenly interrupted the proceedings of the unveiling of Burley at yesterday’s press conference.

Smith, with more than a little justification, is said to have been peeved at the way the SFA’s interviewing process for the new Scotland manager had been criticised in certain quarters. Bafflingly, one radio reporter yesterday still couldn’t see that interviewing candidates was a procedure of most businesses.

“I’ve heard lots of ridiculous stuff – that we’ve been dragging our feet, that our process was wrong, and so forth,” Smith said. “But we believe that the interviewing road that we have gone down with all the candidates was the right way to go.

“You guys here at this press conference are all asking George questions about his aims for Scotland – so isn’t that something that we should be doing as well? I think you’ll find that any high-turnover businesses would go down the line of interviewing people. I think it is the only way that you truly get to the mindset of someone.

“Even Graeme Souness himself said that he thought his interview was good, that it was an efficient way to do it. How do you find out what people’s plans are unless you actually interview them?” In all this Smith only served to look a mite piqued, though he laughed it off later.

Smith equally swatted away suggestions that he had felt “the pressure” of the past two months in dealing with the search for a new manager.

“Nope, I’ve felt no pressure at all,” he said. “I’ve always said that my schedule for the Scotland manager’s job was an announcement by the end of January. I also said I wanted to arrange a game against major rivals in March [against Croatia], and both tasks are completed. Also, we don’t have a competitive match until September. So I’ve felt no pressure at all in all of this.”

Much more germane was how long Burley, if successful, will stay at the helm with Scotland. The SFA in recent years have had to swallow an uncomfortable truth – that they are small fry in football, certainly compared to the clubs. Both Walter Smith and Alex McLeish, serving two years and ten months, respectively, as Scotland manager, have testified to that.

So the issue remains of how long Burley might stay in the job if he is successful. In offering such a long contract – 4½ years – Smith and the SFA are clearly trying to establish a period of stability.

“George has got a contract until 2012 over two campaigns, but whether we can keep him is another question,” Smith said candidly. “I was very conscious with Alex McLeish that, with Alex being successful, the big clubs would come calling, and it might be the same with George, In fact, in one way I hope it is the same with George, because it will mean he is being successful. But he’s got a contract here until 2012 and we want him to be here for its [duration].”

Almost, but not quite, corroborating the view, Burley chimed up with a slightly shorter time-frame. “My only focus is the next 2½ years,” he said. “Get to the World Cup, that is my sole aim. I’m going to say to the players, ‘Let’s go for it.’ It is a challenge, but we’ll be ready for it, and we can do it.”

Both Smith and Burley may face some slings and arrows ahead of them. In Burley’s case, though, teams have tended to improve under his watch, which is now Scotland’s hope.

Fixtures

Friendly

Scotland v Croatia March 26

World Cup qualifiers

Macedonia v Scotland September 6
Iceland v Scotland September 10
Scotland v Norway October 11
Holland v Scotland March 28, 2009
Scotland v Iceland April 1
Norway v Scotland August 19
Scotland v Macedonia September 5
Scotland v Holland September 9