It’s time to forgive that man Steve McClaren, the much-maligned ex-England manager, the man they call “Steve McClown” or “The Wally with the Brolly”. It’s time to acknowledge that the man who masterminded two Euro 2008 qualifying debacles against Croatia and 1 more against Russia for good measure, not to mention minor indiscretions against Macedonia and Israel, could become a force for good in English football. There can be no doubt he made some horrific mistakes during his time as England manager, such as playing (a Terry Venables influenced)3-5-2 in Zagreb with Gary Neville as a right wing back, and bringing in Scott Carson for the qualification deciding return match at Wembley, with horrific results for England fans.
There’s no doubt Steve McClaren’s managerial experience caused England’s failure to qualify for the Euro 2008 Finals in Austria and Switzerland. But that’s just it, inexperience. McClaren’s sole managerial experience before taking on the England job was four years with Middlesbrough. Compare that with Fabio Capello’s twenty years’ experience at the very top clubs in Europe.
That’s not to say that McClaren didn’t record some notable achievements at Middlesbrough. Firstly, he established them as a fixture in the Premier League, something they were not under his predecessor Bryan Robson, nor under his successor, Gareth Southgate. Under McClaren, Middlesbrough won the first trophy in their history – the League Cup in 2004. They had two great runs in the UEFA Cup, culminating in their 2006 run to the final. McClaren also oversaw the development of a hugely impressive youth academy, whose highly promising graduates such as Adam Johnson, David Wheater and Stewart Downing, could earn the club a lot of money in transfer fees.
Following on from his ill-fated spell in charge of the England team during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, McClaren has been undergoing a form of rehabilitation in the Netherlands. In the 2007-08 season FC Twente, under respected coach Fred Rutten, finished 4th in the league and qualified for the Champions League after a play-off victory over Ajax. As Steve McClaren took over following Rutten’s departure for Schalke 04, many thought the only way was down. FC Twente ended this season second in the table, again qualifying for the Champions League. Twente also narrowly missed out on a victory in the Dutch Cup final after an unlucky defeat to Heerenveen on penalties. The season was so successful for McClaren and FC Twente that McClaren was linked with the Ajax job following the departure of Marco van Basten.
McClaren is one of a short list of English coaches to have plied their trade abroad in recent history, along with the likes of Bobby Robson, Terry Venables and Roy Hodgson. It would be fair to say that, before Italia 90, Bobby Robson was almost as unpopular as McClaren. We all know what happened at Italia 90, and then Robson went on to win silverware with PSV Eindhoven , Barcelona and FC Porto.
Whilst it would be foolish to suggest that McClaren would go on to enjoy the same success enjoyed by Bobby Robson, it is also worth noting that having a successful period in Dutch football could propel him into more high profile leagues, just as it did with Robson. It is a distinct possibility that if McClaren continues his success at FC Twente, he could be snapped up by one of the more illustrious Dutch clubs or a big club from other leagues such as the Bundesliga. This illustrates another point about McClaren’s time in Holland. He is showing the way forward for upcoming English managers hopeful of securing top managerial jobs in England, especially with the ‘Big 4’ Champions League regulars.
In order to get a chance to manage one of the ‘Big 4’, guiding a smaller club to mid-table security in the Premier League is no longer enough. The Premier League is a global league now. Why should the powers that be in charge of a ‘Big 4’ club appoint a British coach like Roy Hodgson who has just guided Fulham to 7th place in the league, when they can appoint a manager like Carlo Ancelotti, who has won numerous titles with AC Milan. The ‘Big 4’ are in a position whereby they need to appoint managers who have a record of tangible success at the highest level from across Europe. If British coaches want the chance to coach a team in the ‘Big 4’ they have to find a way to gain those credentials , and follow Steve McClaren.
Written by Geoff Edwards
