Scottish FA chief executive Gordon Smith is unlikely to be winding down for Christmas any time soon as he seeks Scotland's answer to Fabio Capello.

With the English Football Association celebrating the capture of new manager Capello last night, Scotland are determined to secure the services of the perfect man to fill their own vacancy which was created by Alex McLeish's sudden resignation last month.

Unlike the FA, however, it seems highly unlikely the SFA will look for a new boss from overseas.

The next Scotland boss seems certain to be a Scot, with Mark McGhee, Craig Levein, Graeme Souness, John Collins and Billy Davies the most obvious candidates.

SFA chief executive Gordon Smith and president George Peat struck a deal in Amsterdam yesterday which should make the job enticing to any new manager, defying Dutch wishes by securing a Hampden clash against top seeds Holland as Scotland's final 2010 World Cup qualifier.

With only the group winners qualifying automatically, that could be a winner-takes-all clash if Scotland can match Holland's pace.

And over the coming weeks Smith will step up the process of identifying the most suitable candidates to become the national team boss.

Smith said last night on STV: "The next thing we do is sit down and look at the candidates, and then we'll be choosing a manager hopefully from that.

"Then we'll start negotiations with them. That's our next priority."

Smith and Peat handled discussions concerning the qualifying fixtures with Scotland's Group Nine World Cup opponents in Holland yesterday.

They flew home convinced they had agreed a schedule of games which will please the Scottish clubs, the players, who will have the summer off in 2009, and the new manager.

Smith told PA Sport that, despite Scotland committing to playing the final three of their eight qualifiers in the space of 22 days - against Norway, FYR Macedonia and Holland - getting the Dutch to come to Hampden for the last match on September 9, 2009 was always a priority.

"Yes, we wanted that," Smith said.

"It was one of those things which we thought might not be significant. But if it is, it gives you the opportunity to have your fate in your own hands at that stage.

"They [Holland] weren't too keen on it."

Scotland face trips to FYR Macedonia and Iceland for their opening two fixtures in September 2008. The two sides are supposedly the weakest teams in Scotland's group.

And although Scotland had wanted to face Macedonia at Hampden in the opening game, Smith was not perturbed by the prospect of having to travel after the Balkan nation dug their heels in.

Each country had to accept the give-and-take nature of negotiations.

Scotland offered that concession to Macedonia but benefited from switching their away match against Norway from June 10, 2009 to August 19 of the same year, allowing the players a full summer break.

By persuading the Dutch to head to Glasgow at the end of the campaign they have set up a match which could be just as decisive a game as Scotland's climactic Euro 2008 tussle with Italy last month.

Scotland's new manager might dream of qualifying before the Holland game comes around in 21 months' time.

Smith said: "Hopefully we'll have already qualified but if we haven't it could become a really major event like the Italy game did.

"They [Holland] weren't too happy to have to play us last to be honest.

"They were arguing against that one but we managed to win our argument on that one."