Steve McClaren is brilliant

[Phoenix1]

I think he was an excellent bold appointment, he had a point to prove in England after his dismal run at forest. I found this article that's really interesting, Macclaren is Infinitely better than Clough purely because I think he can connect with supporters.

Daily express article:

Derby County boss Steve McClaren loved by Rams fans

IT might have been just a sound-bite: a bit of good PR that he knew would play well with Derby supporters.

But it was probably more than that. After being lampooned when his England reign ended in failure, Steve McClaren really does want to be loved.

So, after watching his revitalised side’s 2-0 Championship win at Charlton, McClaren said: “I am so pleased by the response of the people of Derby to what is happening. I am enjoying myself purely because of the reaction of the fans.”

At the Valley the reaction was a mass jig of joy in the away end and choruses of: ‘McClaren’s a Ram’.

No wonder Derby supporters idolise him. His impact has been extraordinary. He was appointed when Nigel Clough was sacked after three defeats in eight days. With nine league games played, Derby were 14th.

Since then, they have won eight, drawn two, lost just once and climbed 10 places. The last six games have all been wins.

McClaren has brought in four well-regarded players on loan, but only two of them started against Charlton, so what else is he doing?

Insiders say the alchemy has been achieved at the training ground, where McClaren is doing what he is best at: coaching.

That was how he built a reputation – at Oxford, at Derby as they reached the Premier League under Jim Smith and at Manchester United when they won the treble in 1999 and the Premier League in each of the two other seasons he spent there.

He had managerial success at Middlesbrough but, of course, there was then England, that umbrella and public ridicule. There was much hilarity too, when ‘Shhhteeeve’ spoke in a Dutch accent while in charge at FC Twente in Holland.

So of course he wants to be loved in Derby, where he also spent three years as a player. “I have an affinity with the club and the town,” he said, as he basked in Saturday’s win.

He talks about “finding different ways to win”. So, although his men played with flair to swat Blackpool aside a week earlier, they had to chisel out their 2-0 triumph at Charlton, with a deflected first-half free-kick from Jamie Ward and a clincher from Craig Bryson as Charlton chased an equaliser and left holes at the back.

At the finish, McClaren was still clutching the clip-board he had been holding when he popped into the media area before the game to watch the finish of the afternoon’s early Championship match.

The clip-board, padded jacket, white shirt, big, striped tie with a huge Windsor knot and that gingery quiff teased across his male pattern baldness make McClaren look like a Geography teacher on a field trip in the Sixties.

He avoids the technical area quite a lot these days. He always watches the first part of matches from a seat high in the stand and, even when he goes down to the bench, he mostly stays seated and allows his assistant, Paul Simpson, to do the pointing and shouting.

But, in the frantic last 15 minutes, McClaren became quite pointy and shouty himself.

McClaren has never been short of self-belief. The first Wembley programme of his England tenure contained 14 photographs of him, mostly artily lit and showing him striking heroic, thoughtful poses.

But he wants us to share his own view of his ability. And Derby are the fortunate recipients of that drive.

[ramblur]

Surprised me a bit that he spent 3 years here as a player-didn't think it was that long.I remember him as a very good passer of the ball,long and short,but too easily shrugged off the ball for someone of his build.I doubt anyone would disagree that he's been (and is) an exceptional coach.

[Alph]

So will he still be the "wally with the brolly"?

Not that it must hurt. When they make a complete mockery of Capello who has more medals than a war hero you do wonder if being called a 'wally' should be considered complimentary.

I do see the funny side of this 'brolly' thing. But the media aren't laughing with him. They laugh at him. They have been bang out of order just as always. Just like with Wenger, AVB and Capello.

What was Capello? Postman Prat? The guy has won plenty more than Harry Redknapp. Or Fat Sam, another media favourite.

[Grimbeard]

Never understood all this brolly stuff. It was raining, he had a brolly, he put the brolly up.  Problem?

[Duracell]

If England qualified on that night, the brolly would have been an iconic image. 

 

The whole rotten saga did a lot of damage to him, I'm sure. And he must now be in a much better place.

 

He made a lot of mistakes as England manager, but he effectively became the scapegoat for a nation which couldn't and wouldn't come to the terms with the fact we weren't anywhere near as good as we thought we were, and hadn't been for quite some time.

[Gerry Daly]

It won't be long before he is being 'linked' with big vacancies

[Cisse]

Yes he is.

[eddie]

Never understood all this brolly stuff. It was raining, he had a brolly, he put the brolly up.  Problem?

 

He had a cup of coffee too. If it hadn't have rained, he would have been the pratté with the latté.

[uttoxram75]

Journo's found Steve a bit easy to pick on because of his chummy, matey way with them and the players. Don't think he helped himself with  his "Stevie G", "Lamps" and the rest.during interviews.

[Boycie]

Is he as brilliant as milk?

I think he might be, he's carried on from where he left us when he went to Manu.

All hail the king!

[Jayram]

He was on a hiding to nothing as England manager, at the mercy of a bunch of overpaid, underworked Premier League ponces who look great up against the cannon fodder that make up most of the Prem but are found wanting at world level. He was no better and no worse than the likes of Erikson or Capello. As a coach he is an outstanding capture for us and I have great faith in his ability to take us to the next level.

[tomsdubs]

The players let the country down end of. Croatia were a better side.

[curb]

To the dumbass gutter press and the idiots that read it he'll always be the Wally with the brolly, but look beyond that, to anyone in football worth listening to he's one of the most highly regarded coaches in football.

[Ramarena]

We are very lucky to have a coach of his calibre at this club.

 

Look at it this way, Man Utd have never replicated the success at the same level they had when he was coaching there. Boro slid away after he left. 

 

England is a poison chalice for any manager that touches it. Harry Redknapp is lucky he's never been given the job, because if he had I doubt he'd still be the media's blue eyed boy. 

 

What I find interesting is Simmo's role. If you didn't know better you could think he was manager, he's is always on his feet in the dugout and does a lot with the press. 

 

I't look like they have a great partnership with Steele as well. I really like the feel of the set-up we have now.

[RIMBAUD]

We are very lucky to have a coach of his calibre at this club.

 

Look at it this way, Man Utd have never replicated the success at the same level they had when he was coaching there. Boro slid away after he left. 

 

England is a poison chalice for any manager that touches it. Harry Redknapp is lucky he's never been given the job, because if he had I doubt he'd still be the media's blue eyed boy. 

 

What I find interesting is Simmo's role. If you didn't know better you could think he was manager, he's is always on his feet in the dugout and does a lot with the press. 

 

I't look like they have a great partnership with Steele as well. I really like the feel of the set-up we have now.

 

I agree about Simmo's role.  But that's because we have all been brought up on the 'Manager - coaching staff' stereo type.

 

One of our strengths is that that model is not being employed at the club.  imo it is one of the reasons why we are doing well.

 

(along with a host of others...)

[LittleEatonRam]

I recall when SMC was appointed that some supporters were not overly impressed.  A common complaint was "He's record as a manager is patchy" (even Gemmill said that).

 

But the other day something occurred to me - I'm not sure we've ever had a manager as qualified as him.

 

He's won a League Cup with Boro, took them to the UEFA Cup final, won a title in Holland with an unfashionable side and managed the national team.  He arrived here as manager with a far better record than Smith, Cox, Todd, Gregory, Brown, Davies, Burley, Nigel Clough, Brian Clough (his success came mostly after he left us, and certainly not before)...  The list goes on.

 

So to the people for whom SMC's record in management wasn't good enough my question is this - what must you have thought about all of his predecessors?

[uttoxram75]

I recall when SMC was appointed that some supporters were not overly impressed.  A common complaint was "He's record as a manager is patchy" (even Gemmill said that).

 

But the other day something occurred to me - I'm not sure we've ever had a manager as qualified as him.

 

He's won a League Cup with Boro, took them to the UEFA Cup final, won a title in Holland with an unfashionable side and managed the national team.  He arrived here as manager with a far better record than Smith, Cox, Todd, Gregory, Brown, Davies, Burley, Nigel Clough, Brian Clough (his success came mostly after he left us, and certainly not before)...  The list goes on.

 

So to the people for whom SMC's record in management wasn't good enough my question is this - what must you have thought about all of his predecessors?

All good points but we didn't have the internet then to waste hours and hours chatting about it.

[Guest]

He is just lucky that he inherited a good squad and has had an easy run of games, unlike the previous manager

[Curtains]

He is just lucky that he inherited a good squad and has had an easy run of games, unlike the previous manager

I suspect your being facetious and rightly so.

[Alph]

Nooooooo! Lets not make this thread about somebody else!