Could Steve McClaren return as England manager?
Less than three years ago, Steve McClaren felt the media’s wrath after failing to qualify for Euro 2008.
The notorious 3-2 home defeat against Croatia in the qualifying rounds will live with McClaren forever, just as the images of the former Middlesbrough boss watching on helplessly on from the sidelines, sheltering from the falling rain with his FA umbrella, will live with the millions of expectant England supporters.
For the first time since the 1994 World Cup finals, England had failed to qualify for a major tournament and, somewhat unsurprisingly, McClaren – by this point the laughing stock of English football – was handed his P45 by those who’d employed him just a year earlier.
In fact, the backlash was so severe that he set sail from the UK to take his next job on the continent. His next destination? FC Twente. An unfashionable Netherlands’ outfit, but a club McClaren perceived as having bags of potential.
And despite again amusing those watching back in England after developing a bizarre Dutch-twang to his accent during interviews, which racked up thousands of hits on YouTube, McClaren’s two-year stint with Twente was a remarkable success. In his first season he guided the club to second in the table, before leading the Dutch side to their first title win in his second and final campaign in charge.
It was a supreme effort from the failed England coach and his players, and certainly made those back in the UK stand up and take notice.
After achieving success in the Netherlands, McClaren then took his next job in the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg. And following a shaky start to life in Germany, the 49-year-old is already beginning to get the best out of his new players, winning his last three league matches in charge.
His success certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed back in his home country. With the current England manager Fabio Capello set to step down after the 2012 European Championships, there are even suggestions that McClaren should return as the national team’s next manager in two years time.
And this week, one of English football’s most influential figures, Sir Trevor Brooking – the FA’s director of football development – has championed the idea of McClaren’s return to the England hotseat.
"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," Brooking said.
"If you think he will be a lot more experienced this time around and he has learnt his lesson, then why not?
"I wouldn't rule out anyone. I think it would be very unfair to do that."
At this stage, it’s unclear whether McClaren would even entertain the idea of a return. The fierce criticism he was faced with after his failure to secure qualification for the European Championships was rather severe, and doubts continue to persist over whether he’s suited to international management.
But as the FA have already announced that Capello’s successor will be English, the governing body have limited themselves in their search for a manager capable of leading England to a decent finish at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
Following Brooking’s comments, the latest markets suggest that a sensational return isn’t beyond the realms of possibility. And while the likes of Roy Hodgson, Harry Redknapp and Stuart Pearce are the frontrunners for one of the toughest and most demanding jobs in football, should McClaren enjoy more success on the continent over the next two seasons, it could – could – just happen.
Watch this space.
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