‘Wally with the Brolly’- Bye Bye Mr Lucky!
So have we again, all seen the back of one of the ’top European and English managers’? Was this gentlemans failed period at former European cup double winners Nottingham forest in the English lower leagues a surprise? A man who was the first Englishman to win a European league title since football legend and unaware comedian, the late great Sir Bobby Robson.
Step forward Mr Steve McLaren, no doubt it is an achievement to win a European title but let’s face it the Dutch league is not exactly the crème de la crème even with the superior giant name of Dutch masters Ajax residing in it. The league struggles to attract stars, money and fans alike.
I have no doubt this man is a very good coach, hence his advice to Ferguson at Manchester United during the clubs nineties golden period, but good coaches do not always make good managers.
Ferguson described McLaren as ‘an extremely talented coach who has fantastic observation skills and a good work ethic’. Then again the Scot also said the same over the Carlos Quiroz, who destroyed the Portuguese national teams fluent attacking ‘let us play football the way it is supposed to be played’ philosophy single handedly and virtually stalked Alex until he bought Man Utd striking flop Bebe.
Upon taking Middlesbrough to the UEFA cup final against Sevilla McLaren sold his soul to the devil by coming back from three goals down twice en route to the final before being utterly destroyed by the Spanish clubs fluent and direct play.
He then charmed his way into the England job (I say charmed as only someone who gets well and truly taught a football lesson in a UEFA cup final and can only boast a League Cup medal and a few top eight finish’s be selected for this country’s biggest sporting job).
Failing miserably with a talented England side and I mean failed as in failure to qualify for a major tournament, not ‘Sven Goran Eriksson failure’ in guiding the three lions to three successive quarter finals. Steve found himself out of work with his burgeoning reputation again in utter tatters.
After this latest Nottingham fiasco will he fall further from the top table or will he again manage to charm his way into another football club to preach and spell out his utter footballing rubbish!? Stick to the coaching Steve, give up the day job.
