Trevor Brooking Tips Steve McClaren For England Comeback

Paul Sorene

6th, October 2010

3 Comments

By Alan Duffy

The enduring image of Steve McClaren may be of a bedraggled  man hiding under an umbrella as England’s Euro 2008 dreams crumbled in front of his eyes on a rain-sodden Wembley pitch. However, according to FA bigwig Trevor Brooking, the much-maligned McClaren may well be in the frame for the England manager’s job once again when Fabio Capello’s contract ends after Euro 2012.

Brooking points to the former Middlesbrough manager’s impressive league-winning success with FC Twente in the Netherlands which revitalised McClaren’s career and precipitated a move to the Bundesliga big boys of Wolfsburg in the summer.

“Steve has done fantastic to get a title. PSV and Ajax are usually the sides in Holland who do that and now Wolfsburg are picking up.

Could Steve do the England job again? I am sure if he continues to be a success his name will be in the frame again.”

While the idea of Schuper Schteve getting another bite of the apple he so badly bruised last time around will no doubt be met with a mixture of laughter, bemusement and utter fear on the streets of England, Broooking does make an interesting point about the island mentality which inhibits the English game:

“Sometimes we are a bit lazy with our language. I am watching other coaches and there are people speaking four or five different languages.

We have to encourage our coaches to do that so that they go abroad and get that experience if they can. They have to do it on merit and Steve has done well.”

This valid argument could also be applied to English players as well as coaches, with very few homegrown stars looking past the Premier League and out across the Channel. Although it should be noted that a move to continetal football doesn’t automatically make you an international superstar. Indeed, for every David Platt, Chris Waddle and David Beckham, there is a Matt Derbyshire, Franz Carr and Paul Rideout.

Posted in International football

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3 Comments

  1. deckard says:

    the main reason mclaren did so well with fc twente was because he was finally able to work in complete and total peace. in stark contrast to his england job where he was under the magnifying class night and day. if he’s smart he’ll never return to that life again. however, the temptation to try and get even might be too much for him. he probably still goes to bed every night dreaming how he, yes steve mclaren, wins the euro/wc for england and shuts everyone up for good.

    imo anyone with more than two brain cells should stay well clear of the damned england managerial job. you won’t win shit, you’ll just lose your hair.

  2. The truth says:

    David Beckham was hardly a success at madrid, get real. He did epitomise the madrid mentality alright, style over substance.

    Fair dues to McClaren for making the move to europe but I doubt he’s up to the job of england manager. I don’t think any English manager is up to it really, defo not Droopy face ‘Arry.

    If a few more established stars moved abroad you might see the national team improve. To spain preferably.

  3. deckard says:

    the thing is, english players are too crap to walk into significant spanish teams. and a frank lampard won’t exchange chelsea for fucking real zaragoza or whatever. but moreover, besides ashley cole, no pom would get a serious look in at either real madrid or barcelona. lampard and gerrard for example look flashy against west brom and blackpool(although do they?) but when they’re in cl action it comes to light what poor man’s versions they really are compared to the likes of xavi, iniesta, sneijder, and ozil.

    besides, doesn’t an over-rated toss pot like rio ferdinand earn like 200,000 quid per week at utd? why leave.

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