Why McClaren's too good for West Ham.. and could be heading for Villa
By Mark Segal
Steve McClaren’s public snubbing of the vacant managerial role at West Ham was greeted with joy among a section of Hammers fans who are desperate for any scrap of positive news following relegation last weekend.
The thought of The Wally With The Brolly standing on the Upton Park touchline was too much for supporters who have just endured a miserable season under Avram Grant’s uninspired and ultimately disastrous leadership.
But these fans are living on past glories or in fantasy land if they believe McClaren would even be tempted to manage in the Championship.
The man thinks he’s better than that and, to tell you the truth, he is.
Before going on to explain why McClaren will be one of the most wanted men in Europe this summer, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – England.
McClaren was a disaster as national team boss and would probably accept that the job was too big for him.
It was clear from the start that he was the FA’s third or even fourth choice for the job, he never commanded any respect from players or press and was eventually found out on that sodden night at Wembley against Croatia.
But he’s hardly the first Englishman to fail at international level, and that failure actually masks and impressive CV.
His reputation as a fine coach dates back to his days alongside first Jim Smith at Derby and then, most obviously, in the Old Trafford dugout with Sir Alex Ferguson.
McClaren was by Fergie’s side as United conquered Europe in 1999 and, in many circles, is seen as the man who introduced the club's hierarchy to the modern coaching techniques which have served them so well over the last decade.
Among Middlesbrough fans he is regarded as the best coach they ever had, ending their 128-year wait for a trophy with the 2004 League Cup and remarkably leading them to the UEFA Cup Final a season later.
In truth, not many on Teesside were sad to see him leave when he replaced Sven-Goran Eriksson with England, but within three seasons Boro were relegated to the Championship and haven’t come close to a Premier League return since.
After his England experience, McClaren was toxic and no Premier League club would touch him, so he did what very few of his compatriots have done in recent times and went to manage abroad.
It may have been the only available option, but it was a brave and inspired one.
McClaren resurfaced at FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie and, just like at Boro, created history by leading them to their first ever league title.
Some will dismiss the Dutch league as somewhere between the SPL and the League of Wales, but in that comparison McClaren wasn’t leading Celtic or Rangers, more like Hearts or Aberdeen.
His Dutch exploits made him a wanted man last summer and history was once again alongside him when he became the first English manager to lead a top flight club in Germany.
He enjoyed a brief period of success at Wolfsburg, but ultimately he couldn’t turn round a mid-season slump and was shown the door.
A failure? Certainly. Career threatening? Not really.
Apart from the very top managers at home and abroad, every coach will suffer tough times and get the sack, it goes with the territory.
Now back home, McClaren has been popping up as a summariser on TV and radio in recent weeks - a sure sign he is on the lookout for a job.
His opinions and tactical insight have been eye-opening to some who still see him as the idiot who was arguably England’s worst ever manager. They have also proved once again how much he knows about the game.
With West Ham crossed off his list, McClaren can now concentrate on landing a job back in the Premier League.
Aston Villa could come calling if Gerard Houllier is advised to call it a day, while Blackburn may also be interested if Steve Kean can steer them away from relegation. Or could a return to the north-east, at Sunderland, be on the cards?
But even if none of these come off, McClaren is likely to be hot property abroad as well, with clubs in Holland, Portugal and Spain all being linked with him.
Whatever he does next, McClaren is slowly rebuilding his reputation as one of the finest football minds of his generation. And about time too.
Follow me on Twitter: @segalmark
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