GLASGOW (AFP) - Former Celtic manager Tommy Burns was appointed caretaker coach of Scotland following the resignation of Berti Vogts earlier this week.
Burns, a former Celtic player who went on to manage the club, had been Vogts's assistant until the German quit Monday.
He is now set to take charge for the November 17 friendly against Sweden at Easter Road after a Scottish Football Association (SFA) board meeting Thursday left him in temporary control.
But if a permanent successor is found before then, Burns could step aside.
SFA chief executive David Taylor said whoever replaced Vogts, the first foreigner to coach the team, would be Scottish.
Scotland are desperate to revive their hopes of reaching the 2006 World Cup in Germany after taking just two points from three qualifiers.
Former Rangers and Everton manager Walter Smith is the favourite to replace Vogts on a permanent basis along with former Coventry and Southampton manager Gordon Strachan.
But Taylor, asked why there were only home-grown names under consideration, said: "This is a provisional short-list. We are barely three days after Berti's resignation.
"It may be that another candidate might come suddenly upon us that we might want to interview.
"But what is important is the culture of Scottish football. And, looking at the candidates we have on our short-list, we feel they would understand that.
"We are looking for the best candidate and someone who is going to be the best candidate would have to have an understanding of the culture of football in Scotland."
The Tartan Army clearly favour Strachan if the 2,000 fans calling his name in Moldova following the 1-1 draw which spelled the end of the road for Vogts are anything to go by.
But the 56-year-old Smith has the experience and knowledge of the Scottish game which could swing it in his favour.
Strachan has distanced himself from the post while Smith is understood to be ready to take over immediately.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson backed Smith, his former assistant during his spell in charge of Scotland at the 1986 World Cup finals and later at Old Trafford, for the job earlier this week.
And the profile outlined by Taylor on Thursday appeared to be a perfect description of the former Everton chief.
"As you might expect, we are looking for someone who has had experience of management and international management - I don't mean international teams - someone with technical coaching ability for obvious reasons, someone who is motivational and has a respect within the game - and maybe the person also needs some media skills."
Such was the impact of the Moldova result, the game against Sweden was switched from the national stadium at Hampden Park in Glasgow to the more compact Edinburgh home of Premier League side Hibernian.
However the new manager, whoever it is, will not be truly tested until March when Scotland travel to Italy to take on the World Cup qualifying group favourites.
Defeat could leave the Scots, who failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Asia and also the 2004 European Championships in Portugal, well adrift of rivals for the play-off spot by the time the next two qualifiers come along in June.
But Taylor insisted: "Germany is not a forlorn hope. We are not in a good position but it is certainly possible for us to qualify out of this section."
Moldova are the visitors on June 4, followed by a trip to Belarus four days later.
German Rainer Bohhof remains in charge of Scotland's Under-21 team. "His position is unchanged," Taylor said. "I have spoken to him in detail and he is quite happy to continue his work."

11/04/2004 - 18:43 GMT - AFP