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Why did Scotland boss Steve Clarke sign such a lengthy new contract?
The Times Scottish football correspondent Michael Grant, who broke the story 10 days ago that Clarke was close to extending his stay, says a four-year deal is "standard practice" for international managers.
Clarke's tenure will cover the next two World Cups and Euro 2028, and Grant suggested international management is the right fit for the 62-year-old.
"If there were offers would he, at 62, have the sheer appetite to go into, for example, the Championship in England, which is just a slog of games?" Grant told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"I think the pace of international management suits Steve. No-brainer was actually the phrase that chief executive Ian Maxwell used.
"Some fans are saying, well, why now? Why on the eve of the tournament? And also why four years? They [the SFA] say they've not really had time to get all the parties together until now to thrash out a contract.
"In terms of it being four years, Maxwell says that's quite standard practice in international football. He quoted Carlo Ancelotti at Brazil, Jesse Marsch at Canada, Michael O'Neill at Northern Ireland, who have all recently had four-year extensions.
"What they've done is removed any real issue or debate about the manager because it's going to be Clarke going forward.
"If the World Cup goes great, and we get through to the knockout rounds for the first time, or if it goes badly, there's going to be a storm of criticism but they're going to ride it out and Clarke will be the manager at the next Euros at least."
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The Times Scottish football correspondent Michael Grant, who broke the story 10 days ago that Clarke was close to extending his stay, says a four-year deal is "standard practice" for international managers.
Clarke's tenure will cover the next two World Cups and Euro 2028, and Grant suggested international management is the right fit for the 62-year-old.
"If there were offers would he, at 62, have the sheer appetite to go into, for example, the Championship in England, which is just a slog of games?" Grant told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.
"I think the pace of international management suits Steve. No-brainer was actually the phrase that chief executive Ian Maxwell used.
"Some fans are saying, well, why now? Why on the eve of the tournament? And also why four years? They [the SFA] say they've not really had time to get all the parties together until now to thrash out a contract.
"In terms of it being four years, Maxwell says that's quite standard practice in international football. He quoted Carlo Ancelotti at Brazil, Jesse Marsch at Canada, Michael O'Neill at Northern Ireland, who have all recently had four-year extensions.
"What they've done is removed any real issue or debate about the manager because it's going to be Clarke going forward.
"If the World Cup goes great, and we get through to the knockout rounds for the first time, or if it goes badly, there's going to be a storm of criticism but they're going to ride it out and Clarke will be the manager at the next Euros at least."
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