England - Sven / England - McClaren

[davieG]

McClaren must show his mettle

International football | by Phil McNulty - BBC Sport 10 October 2006

England coach Steve McClaren has spent the early days of his era spinning the line that he is his own man.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's dismal finale to his reign has been carefully air-brushed to exclude McClaren's heavy involvement in the World Cup debacle.

Indeed, you would almost need an industrial-strength magnifying glass to see McClaren's hand on England's disgraceful showing in Germany if some of his apologists are to be believed.

But he was there - and was the pivotal figure in much of England's ill-fated preparations on the training ground.

And if he wasn't, what was he doing there in the first place?

If we needed a reminder, it was seen in England's performance against Macedonia.

Hold up McClaren's supposedly brave new world against Eriksson's much-criticised regime and you could barely see the join.

No urgency. No passion. No penetration. No craft.

Now where have we seen that before?

It was a "reality check" apparently.

Really? So what was the World Cup then?

Nice soundbyte - but it doesn't wash.

And the big problem for McClaren is that the convenient human shield that was the much-derided Eriksson was not available to screen him this time.

This was all McClaren's work... and it was not a pretty sight.

In truth, McClaren was a disappointing compromise candidate as England coach.

The best man for the job is now in control at Aston Villa and no amount of window-dressing or spin can disguise that.

But McClaren is the man at the helm and will rightly be given plenty of time to stamp his own imprint on England.

The doubters have not gone away - but, perversely, the most testing fixture of his reign so far is the perfect chance to show his mettle.

McClaren can go to Croatia and show that he is not Sven by any other name.

He has the chance to show that, unlike Eriksson, he can take the decisions to change games and England's fortunes.

A starting place for Scott Parker will be good for openers.

And, if he plays, a sharp reminder to Michael Carrick that this is international football and not a half-pace testimonial would not go amiss.

It is also to be hoped that McClaren puts aside his admiration for Middlesbrough's Stewart Downing and accept that in the rarified air of international football, he simply does not cut it.

McClaren's so-called "honeymoon period" was only ever going to last until his first dubious result.

And so it proved as the whispers of discontent started to emerge.

If McClaren can fashion a victory on the traditionally hostile territory of Croatia, then he can start to put some of those doubts away.

It is a huge night for England's players in Zagreb - they need to banish the growing suggestion that they will always flatter to deceive on the highest stage.

And for McClaren himself, the stakes are just as high.

If England lose, the questions first posed when was appointed will be raised again.

[Thracian]

What the coaches do to England constantly depresses me....

I don't know how they can make so many reasonable players perform so badly as a unit.

The team always looks like they're going through some training ground routine to me.

It's pathetic.

The last game was calling out for positive individuality and the one time Sean Wright-Phillips attacked the Macedonian defence he tore them to shreds, won himself a one-against-the-goalkeeper from a central postiion then passed the buck for some other bugger to shoot.

Get Walcot in, forget these laboriously predictable systems, get up the opposition arses and make things happen instead of waiting for a break that might never come.

Five man midfields? What moron thought that up. That's fine for a technically and individually inferior side because it crowds the available space.

A quality side wants to spread the opposition as far apart from each other as it can. Then, whenever an individual is beaten either individually or by swift interplay, the defensive solidity of the opposition is under threat.

Nothing complicated about it. But it helps to use the best players for the job and altogether rather than one at a time so that defences easily make contingency plans.

You don't compromise against teams like Macedonia. You don't have a settling in period and show patience. You swamp them and break their hearts before they have chance to get optimistic.

[The People's Hero]

In my opinion, McLaren is just too wet... too orthodox and cautious to be a good manager, particularly at this level.

Many of our players are overrated, that much is true.. however, we still do have a strong squad, with good depth in some areas.

MON was the obvious and correct appointment. McLaren was the safe, soft 'no change is good' option.

[Thracian]

In my opinion, McLaren is just too wet... too orthodox and cautious to be a good manager, particularly at this level.

Many of our players are overrated, that much is true.. however, we still do have a strong squad, with good depth in some areas.

MON was the obvious and correct appointment. McLaren was the safe, soft 'no change is good' option.

More malleable than MON I'd imagine. MON won't take any shit from anyone. Just what the nation needs really.

[Benji]

More malleable than MON I'd imagine. MON won't take any shit from anyone. Just what the nation needs really.

But not what the f.a. wanted

I still think McClaren can do a decent job for England, but i cannot believe MON wasn't appointed. It seems ludicrous that we appointed someone who was a big part in the downfall of his predecessor. But there we go, the f.a. wanted someone who when asked jump will reply how high?

[Wycombe Fox]

All of our coaches seem to be a bunch of automatons. At top level you can't be a top coach/manager without the necessary badges so if they're all reading the same books, doing the same courses, learning the same systems to get the same badges, where does the individuality come from? They're all trained to do the same things and they'll be the same people teaching the next generation the same again.

Can you notice a theme here? SAME, SAME, SAME. All the other teams know how we play because we play the same way every game. I'm watching England v Croatia and it's the same as the last England game and the same as the World Cup. The formation's different but the song remains the SAME! (wasn't that Led Zep?)

I doubt we'll ever see an English maverick like Brian Clough again. The nearest we have is Martin O'Neill whose formative coaching experiences must have been gleaned from Brian Clough. Someone like BC wouldn't get a job now because he wouldn't have had the right badge. Can you imagine the FA? "Here you go Mr. Clough, here's our latest coaching manual". That would have been hanging up at the City Ground under a sign reading 'Now Wash Your Hands Please' faster than Rooney could score in an old peoples home.

I manage an Under 10's team and the club asked me if I wanted to go on an FA course. I took one look at the literature and at the number of people attending and thought "this ain't for me lads" so I've read some books of my own and thought about how I want my team to play and how to get it across. We work, we have lots of fun and we've won three, drawn one and lost one so far this season.

Pass, move, always find space, never stand still and never wait to see what the ball's doing - make the ball do what YOU want it to do.

Sorry lads - rant over!!!

[Thracian]

All of our coaches seem to be a bunch of automatons. At top level you can't be a top coach/manager without the necessary badges so if they're all reading the same books, doing the same courses, learning the same systems to get the same badges, where does the individuality come from? They're all trained to do the same things and they'll be the same people teaching the next generation the same again.

Can you notice a theme here? SAME, SAME, SAME. All the other teams know how we play because we play the same way every game. I'm watching England v Croatia and it's the same as the last England game and the same as the World Cup. The formation's different but the song remains the SAME! (wasn't that Led Zep?)

I doubt we'll ever see an English maverick like Brian Clough again. The nearest we have is Martin O'Neill whose formative coaching experiences must have been gleaned from Brian Clough. Someone like BC wouldn't get a job now because he wouldn't have had the right badge. Can you imagine the FA? "Here you go Mr. Clough, here's our latest coaching manual". That would have been hanging up at the City Ground under a sign reading 'Now Wash Your Hands Please' faster than Rooney could score in an old peoples home.

I manage an Under 10's team and the club asked me if I wanted to go on an FA course. I took one look at the literature and at the number of people attending and thought "this ain't for me lads" so I've read some books of my own and thought about how I want my team to play and how to get it across. We work, we have lots of fun and we've won three, drawn one and lost one so far this season.

Pass, move, always find space, never stand still and never wait to see what the ball's doing - make the ball do what YOU want it to do.

Sorry lads - rant over!!!

They do teach em some s..t.

[lookwhaticando]

Great chance to prove to the nation he's no muppet, and he fluffed it.

Mind you... the players have been pretty shameful for... well, months now.

I'd neglect to take half the squad next time. I'd leave them all at home and take the U21's instead.

Actually, that's not a bad idea. Instead of McClaren and his bunch of overpaid muppets, let Peter Taylor take his bunch of underaged players.

Better yet, send our Academy - surely they'd be able to muster something more than the England senior team did tonight.

McClaren OUT? Yes.

England First Team OUT? YES - All of them.

[Ultra]

Better yet, send our Academy - surely they'd be able to muster something more than the England senior team did tonight.

McClaren OUT? Yes.

England First Team OUT? YES - All of them.

But half our Academy aren't English-qualified...

And if PT was in charge at senior level, we'd struggle to beat Andorra!

[lookwhaticando]

But half our Academy aren't English-qualified...

And if PT was in charge at senior level, we'd struggle to beat Andorra!

If our U18s aint English, include a few of the U16s or even U9s.

Anything's gotta be better than the shower playing the national team right now.

PT's under 21s should be able to muster something up against the likes of Macedonia. Even he could work that out... I think.

[Ultra]

If our U18s aint English, include a few of the U16s or even U9s.

Anything's gotta be better than the shower playing the national team right now.

PT's under 21s should be able to muster something up against the likes of Macedonia. Even he could work that out... I think.

You obviously didn't see THAT Wycombe game.

Or the Bolton game, the season afterwards!

[lookwhaticando]

You obviously didn't see THAT Wycombe game.

Or the Bolton game, the season afterwards!

I heard about em.

Boy did I hear about em.

I guess you're right. I reckon Nigel Clough's more chance of hackin' it at the top level.