Mr. McCLaren, you are the proud front-runner of the Dutch League. Number one with FC Twente after three games in the current season.
On your resume, it can be spotted that you worked alongside some top footballing people. You were an assistant manager of the English team. Being an assistant manager to Alex Ferguson was a good lesson. Also a lesson about limitations. Good assistant managers rarely convert into good managers. In the words of Jamie Redknapp: “Players rarely listen to an assistant manager. He’s the one who comes to you offering a cuddle after you’ve been dropped. You will moan at him, you’ll say things you would never say to the manager; there isn’t the same respect or the same fear.”
His successes at Middlesbrough can’t be denied. Some may say that their grandfather would have produced similar results, because the presence of bags of money to invest in new players. But winning the League Cup is what you did. Like Icarus you tried ambitiously to approach the sun and smell the glory. You were proud to be England’s manager. A hard job, but you seemed confident that you could guide England to Euro 2008. We hardly knew if you could succeed, but loved your enthusiasm. Hopes were high, but fell apart when you and the nervous looking players lost the crucial game against Croatia, who didn’t have anything to win.
Afterwards, you were called a “Wally with a Brolly”. The English press was all over you. I was happy for you, when you could flee England, the media and the stress. After a time out, you landed in an outback of the Netherlands and had a successful first season with FC Twente. In the second season you made FC Twente Dutch champions. A unique result and your reputation was somewhat recovered. Steve, you showed the critics were wrong. Still you left FC Twente to prove your skills in bigger competitions. But luck was absent. You were subsequently dismissed from VfL Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest.
Support was high in Enschede, a safe haven where you could fly back. A damaged manager who could only function at FC Twente? Last year, no lesson was learned Steve, as you don’t seem to respond to signals of criticism. You arrived late on the pitch. After 5 minutes of play you showed up at the field. I am sure you had to adjust your tie. Dress to impress, but what is the squad thinking? At other games you showed your coaching skills too, either on or off the pitch. You took a peek at your beloved video replays on the monitor and protested afterwards about possible injustices. You disdainfully sent your second best team out for the EL and acted weird in the dug-out.
You started this year in pole-position to finish a disappointing sixth place.
Dutch media will start to get critical as well. What happens if you succeed? England again or maybe Real Madrid? What will happen when you fail in Enschede? You like the attention, the sunshine. But you are scared of getting torn apart by the media. So just fly away. Because I know it and deep inside it you know it too Steve: you’re a very big fly. You know the Dutch expression: A one day fly, A one hit wonder as they say back home.
What’s your opinion? React or follow me on Twitter @Ariferrari010
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.