McLaren to be named England boss

[Guest Jung]

Well this is what will happen today, according to the BBC.

 

Can't say I'm too thrilled about it. Sure he's done great in the UEFA Cup, but has had a dreadful league campaign. Just doesn't seem to have the right attitude for England, get the impression he's like a Kevin Keegan.

 

But well I guess they could have made a worse decision, but probably a lot better ones too.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest HSM]

Well this is what will happen today, according to the BBC.

 

Can't say I'm too thrilled about it. Sure he's done great in the UEFA Cup, but has had a dreadful league campaign. Just doesn't seem to have the right attitude for England, get the impression he's like a Kevin Keegan.

 

But well I guess they could have made a worse decision, but probably a lot better ones too.

 

Thoughts?

 

:tdown :tdown :tdown should be O'Neill. McLaren is just a carbon copy of Sven, only not quite as good.

[Guest Al Stevens]

To be totally honest bad choice in manager, looks like England will be looking for a new manager in a few years time again.

[Guest Jung]

I'd like to see Stuart Pearce get it in a couple of years. He has passion, guts, not afraid to change things or upset big players, the kind of guy I think England needs.

 

I think HSM summed it perfectly by saying he's just like Sven, except without the trophies won, and management level.

[Guest The Great Ahmar]

OMG i'm the new England manager, my real name is actually Steven Mclaren but i call myslef Steve, So call me Mr. Steve Mclaren...Mclaren!!!

 

I'm plaesed a english man is the England manager, pleased for him and me!!!

[K.J 71]

Can't say I'm thrilled about this, this is very anti-climatic. If it was to be an Englishman I'd have gone for Sam Allardyce. My personal feeling is that McLaren isn't up to the job and probably wont last long.

[Guest Wolverine]

I feel sorry for you guys. You go from thinking that a World Cup winner in Phil Scolari is going to be your manager, to finding out that it's actually Mr Bland himself, Steve McClaren. If I was English, I'd be crying right about now. You're going to have to put up with this smile for four years:

 

http://img425.imageshack.us/img425/3807/mcclaren3fp.gif

[Guest Alan]

Can't say I'm thrilled about this' date=' this is very anti-climatic. If it was to be an Englishman I'd have gone for Sam Allardyce. My personal feeling is that McLaren isn't up to the job and probably wont last long.[/quote']

I would like to publicly state my (unusual) agreement with my esteemed colleague KJ, i would much have preferred Big Sam over Mclaren, i feel he is far too similar to Sven, and although he is English, which is what i wanted, he isnt the right Englishman for the job.

[Murph 93]

I'm thinking he may have been selected to keep the English fans happy in selecing an Englishman...I still think it's a poor choice, though.

[BRM 220]

Bit of mmmmmmm factor about the desicion, but i'll have him over Big Sam anyday, yes Big Sams done good things at Bolton but many of the things that help him would'nt help him at international level. he would'nt have the technolghy that he has installed at the Reebok he would'nt have diatary plans for players.

 

mclaren on the other hand has had first hand experience of the champions League whilst at Manchester United and has just got Boro into the UEFA cup final, not only that but he's had first hand international experience as part of the current England set up.

 

My first choice would of been O'Neill but i don't really think he has any intrest in the postion and would'nt want to risk the wrath of his beloved Celtic.

[Guest Wolverine]

I would love to see someone construct a proper argument as to why McClaren should have been given the job ("because he's English" doesn't count). If you absolutely have to give a mediocre English manager the job, Harry Redknapp would have been a better choice.

[BRM 220]

I'm not all for him getting the job but he's done more than most English managers, not to forget both Hoddle and Keegan.

 

Alladyce is a very good club manager but needs the players to do what he wants.

 

O'Neill did a good job at Leicester and a fantastic job at Celtic. But Alex McLeish did a similar fantatic job at Rangers without king Henrick and with a smaller budget, yet i did'nt hear his name being banded about.

 

Face the fact that were not going to get a Scolari or a Mouriniho if you want a Englishman the Mclaren is the best qualified for the job.

[Guest Wolverine]

I'm not all for him getting the job but he's done more than most English managers' date=' not to forget both Hoddle and Keegan.[/quote']

 

His ONLY achievement to date is winning is the Carling Cup. Despite spending shedloads of money, that's all he's accomplished as a manager and his team is just 14th in the league. Does five years of mid-table mediocrity really entitle him to the England job?

 

Alladyce is a very good club manager but needs the players to do what he wants.

 

Which they would do, else they'd be dropped. I seriously don't get your reasoning here.

 

O'Neill did a good job at Leicester and a fantastic job at Celtic. But Alex McLeish did a similar fantatic job at Rangers without king Henrick and with a smaller budget, yet i did'nt hear his name being banded about.

 

So fantastic that he got Rangers to finish behind Hearts this season. Brilliant.

 

Face the fact that were not going to get a Scolari or a Mouriniho if you want a Englishman the Mclaren is the best qualified for the job.

 

I'd bet serious money that Allardyce and Redknapp could both do a better job than McClaren.

[BRM 220]

His ONLY achievement to date is winning is the Carling Cup. Despite spending shedloads of money, that's all he's accomplished as a manager and his team is just 14th in the league. Does five years of mid-table mediocrity really entitle him to the England job?

 

As well as being Alex Fergersons Assitant during the treble winning season. Not to forget being the first Englishman to guide a team to a European Final since the 80's plus the first Englishman to win a moajor honour since Joe Royle in 1995

 

Which they would do, else they'd be dropped. I seriously don't get your reasoning here.

 

My point about Alladyce is that he he needs the players around him all the time, Alladyce states himself that much of his sucess is down to prozone a facilty that would be very hard for him to use at international level due to lack of training games and training compared to that of boltons, i'm not saying he's not a good manger but due to his style of management i doubt he would be able to suceed at international level.

 

So fantastic that he got Rangers to finish behind Hearts this season. Brilliant.

 

Very well so, but in seasons prior his record stands toe to toe with Martin O'Neills a man that many people wanted to see as England manager. Not to forgetting guiding Scotlands 3rd team into the last 16 of the Champions League. The first time thats been done by a Scottish club.

 

 

Don't get me wrong i'm not overly thrilled by the appointment of Mclaren i would of much rather Sven had kept the job in the first place. but thats done with now and Mclarens era be it a short dismall one or a long glorious one will soon be upon us.

[Guest Wolverine]

As well as being Alex Fergersons Assitant during the treble winning season. Not to forget being the first Englishman to guide a team to a European Final since the 80's plus the first Englishman to win a moajor honour since Joe Royle in 1995

 

Being a coach/assistant manager is totally different to being a manager, so you can't bring the Treble into this. And let's be honest here, the only decent side who Middlesborough have beaten in Europe this season are Roma.

 

My point about Alladyce is that he he needs the players around him all the time, Alladyce states himself that much of his sucess is down to prozone a facilty that would be very hard for him to use at international level due to lack of training games and training compared to that of boltons, i'm not saying he's not a good manger but due to his style of management i doubt he would be able to suceed at international level.

 

Prozone is, I think, based on actual matches, so he'd probably be able to use it anyway.

 

Very well so, but in seasons prior his record stands toe to toe with Martin O'Neills a man that many people wanted to see as England manager. Not to forgetting guiding Scotlands 3rd team into the last 16 of the Champions League. The first time thats been done by a Scottish club.

 

They were very lucky to get that far in the CL. He's done reasonably well at Rangers, but saying that he's done a fantastic job is hyperbolic.

[BRM 220]

Being a coach/assistant manager is totally different to being a manager, so you can't bring the Treble into this. And let's be honest here, the only decent side who Middlesborough have beaten in Europe this season are Roma.

 

Still won more than Redknapp and Alladyce put togther.

 

Prozone is, I think, based on actual matches, so he'd probably be able to use it anyway.

 

Prozone is installed into the ground, every Premiership ground had it installed a few years back but due to costs all removed it bar Bolton as requet of Sam Alladyce.

 

They were very lucky to get that far in the CL. He's done reasonably well at Rangers, but saying that he's done a fantastic job is hyperbolic.

 

Fact is they DID get to the Champions League knock out stages, and if you say that McLeish has only done a reasonably good job for rangers than the same applies to O'Neil, as their records at the Old firm teams are toe to toe!

[Guest Wolverine]

Still won more than Redknapp and Alladyce put togther.

 

Allardyce has finished 6th and 7th over the last two seasons, having spent considerably less than McClaren. The imminent England manager, on the other hand, has finished 7th and 14th over the last two seasons (as well as a decent UEFA Cup run). Call me insane, but just looking at their respective acheivements over the last two seasons, I'd take Big Sam over McClaren.

 

Fact is they DID get to the Champions League knock out stages, and if you say that McLeish has only done a reasonably good job for rangers than the same applies to O'Neil, as their records at the Old firm teams are toe to toe!

 

Absolutely. O'Neill wasn't fantastic either.

[Guest The Crippler]

BRM's right, also if you put them head to head (O'Neill managed Celtic for a season and a half before McLeish came in) then McLeish won more trophies.

 

I'm not sure why McLeish never got lauded as much. I think it might be because Rangers were so dominant and won everything during the 90s then Celtic's only really sustained period of winning things came when O'Neill took over. It's a strange one. I do think O'Neill deserves the credit and the lofty position he holds, I just often don't understand why Alex McLeish seems to get panned so much.

[Guest Moobs]

Rubbish. I would have picked Allardyce over him, as he's the highest English manager (excluding Roeder) in the Premiership.

[Guest Jung]

Highest?

 

What in centremetres or amount of dope he's smoked?

 

Confused completely.

[Guest Proudy]

I believe he means highest position in the EPL.

 

Im happy I spose with SM, really didnt want Big Sam, my choice was Pearce with either Sir Bob or Brooking helping.

[Guest Jung]

Oh OK although must say, one season's position shouldn't ever mean anything, especially to a high profile England job. Which makes McLaren's appointment stranger, considering he's got nowhere with Boro in the league.

[Guest Moobs]

I believe he means highest position in the EPL.

 

Yeah, I meant that. Sorry, didn't really explain it very well. But anyway, I guess McClaren isnt too bad, atleast he's English.

[Guest Nemesis Enforcer]

Well its offical I see, I have form the start not wanted McClaren in the job, I don't think he is a good manager, he just thows money at his side and they still don't do well (ok a good Cup run this season but its not exactly been ALL top sides he has faced and they came close to going out on more then one occasion against weak opponents)

 

I would have liked to have seen Big Sam in the job, with no money to spend he has taken a poor Bolton team through the ranks and now they compete well in the Prem, he has proven he can do it and I think should have got the job.... he was also the fans choice as newspaper and tv news polls showed

[Guest MillionLiraMan]

I'm not English but I think it's great that England have appointed a smooth manager. It must make it that much easier to take defeat knowing that some smooth charm will make it slightly better. Steve McClaren was just on Sky Sports News being presented with cheap bubbly while in his car listening to 'Romeo And Juliet' by Dire Straits. I almost slipped to the floor because of the smoothness being projected at me by my television.

 

I think he is the right man or the job from the candidates that remained interested. His conduct throughout the whole process alone should have earned him the job. He kept himself to himself and got on with his job at Middlesbrough while Allardyce was whinging and laptop lobbying messages to the FA telling them what they should be doing outwith the interview process according to reports. Some people think it's passion and that he wants it more and that's one view. However, it smacked of desperation and overstepped his boundaries in my view. I also think it's unprofessional. If McClaren hadn't been given the job, his rhetoric would have been that he always said he was concentrating on Middlesbrough and could then go back to his job. Allardyce though has flogged himself to the media for a campaign to get the England job and since he hasn't, what must the Bolton fans think of him? If I were a Bolton fan I'd want him sacked. Get someone in who wants to be there.

 

As for the O'Neill/McLeish debate, you can take the achievements of either with a pinch of salt if you like. McLeish never got the praise because he came into his job with Celtic on top, when he won the treble Celtic were getting to the UEFA Cup final and more so as defending champions took the title race to the last game which made people think of Celtic as the top domestic side still up to the last kick of the season. The following season Rangers lost the plot reasonable quickly (plus they lost all five Old Firm games that season), won nothing and so lost their moment for McLeish to be regarded highly. The following season Rangers only won on the last day while Celtic were the defending champions who were leading until the last moment so again Rangers didn't get all of the limelight.

 

This season Rangers have been awful, seriously, I mean awful, even though they got to the last 16 of the Champions League let's not kid ourselves, they were rubbish then as well, in the whole campaign they only won one game. They were playing weak opposition in the group stages. Before anyone points out that Artmedia beat Celtic 5-0 in a home game and Porto 3-2 away from home, Celtic have been rubbish this season as well and have only won the SPL by default because of Hearts self-destructing and Rangers being so, so bad this season, while Porto aren't the Champions League side of Mourinho but another powderpuff, toothless, easily outmuscled Co Adriaanse team, just like all of Co Adriaanse's teams. When they were qualifying with draws in the Champions League, let's not forget Rangers were getting horsed in the SPL, losing two-goal leads to Livingston, losing at Tynecastle, conceding hat-tricks at home to Hibs and shipping five goals without reply in two Old Firm games.

 

Hmm. I did enjoy writing that. :P

 

My point is, McLeish did deserve more recognition than he got in previous seasons. However, he lost his dressing room long before he was due for the chop. You never know when his team will downturn suddenly from such seemingly unassailable positions. Bear in mind also that more players still want to play for Rangers than Celtic because of their wage structure and facilities in comparison to Celtic's tinpot set-up and he hasn't had such adversity in his time as Rangers manager. He's done OK, but among the trophies he has taken Rangers to their longest ever run of games without a win and got them this season outside the top two since I can't remember - 1986? The top two were Celtic and Hearts that year but I can't recall Rangers finishing outside the top two since that year.

 

O'Neill also is not the man for the job. For one thing, once he gets a group of players together, he sticks to them through blind loyalty regardless of form, age, other prospects coming through or even conduct. For a start you'd be lobbying to change international rules to let Neil Lennon play for England. Maybe Steve Guppy might fancy a game. O'Neill has had a year from the game to look after his missus as well so I doubt he's totally up with what is happening at the moment in terms of who is coming through, form of players and this sort of thing. His problem at Celtic in the end was that his ageing squad all thought they were the greatest players ever and somehow thought it was a privilege for Celtic to have them rather than vice versa when the reality was they weren't of much use any more. Look at the way Sutton and Thompson threw their toys out of the pram. If you think Sven picks the same team regardless of form and players are too big-headed just now, O'Neill would make you beg for Sven to sort out the dressing room. O'Neill is good firstly, but the players he'd want are too old now so it remains to be seen if he gets attached to newer players when he next goes for a job. In the meantime I don't think the England job suits him and I don't think he suits it.

 

Scolari's methods would have seen him hounded out the job sooner rather than later, win or lose, that's if he was ever going to take the job anyway. As a Scotsman I'm not sorry he didn't take the job - he might have been quite good until the press would have kicked him out of the job.

 

I think McClaren was the best choice, he's smooth, he's the housewives' choice, he's quite a calm guy, he has the temperament. Whatever you say about passion, if your manager can't keep his cool and gets cheesed off for this job he wouldn't be able to handle the press and would suffer in big matches and some of the psychological games, I think. I like him and think he's the man for the England job. Which is a shame because I think the England team and media are an odious bunch.

 

Just reflect on this over a glass of win, guys. Steve McClaren will.

Edited May 5, 2006 by MillionLiraMan