Sunday, April 16, 2006

Steve McClaren: The Alec Douglas Home of English Football

Joe Lovejoy writes in today's Sunday Times that Steve McClaren will be offered the England manager's job this week. Patrick Barclay in the Sunday Telegraph agrees. Yet if you asked football fans, 90% of them would have gone for Martin O'Neill. McClaren's qualification for the job is that he has been Sven's Number Two and therefore represents continuity. His club career has hardly been stellar, despite having had millions to spend. He's squandered it on mediocrity. Three months ago it looked likely that Middlesbrough would be involved in a relegation dogfight. They're now in two cup semi-finals. Joe Lovejoy reckons the only reason he's getting the job is that he's everybody's second choice and is without sworn enemies within the FA. That was the reason Alec Douglas Home became Tory leader in 1963. He lasted 18 months.

3 comments:

Rigger Mortice said...

It had to be an Englishman.Sam Allardyce/Alan Curbishley could have done a decent job.

Look how the Scottish rugby team has been transformed by a home grown coach after they got rid of the Aussie.Sven,should be the last non Englishman.

Anonymous said...

Can you name another English manager who has won anything recently ?

Worked with Sven, No2 to Sir Alex when he won the treble, only english contender to have managed a cup winning team. Easy choice.

Or we could take Alan Pardew

Rigger Mortice said...

the reason no English manager has won anything is because the Premiership A list,ie the ones with the money-Jose,Fergie,Arsene,are foreign.