In today’s Times, Steve McLaren gave his first newspaper interview since he was sacked. Typically, he made a mess of it. But before his reputation is finally fixed in stone for the history books, let’s have one last stab at rescuing it. Everyone now knows he was the worst England manager ever, but everyone is not always fair, let alone right.
McLaren was unlucky in four respects. First, with injuries. England played Croatia at Wembley with virtually a reserve side. In particular, they played without their first choice back four (Neville, Terry and Cole were all injured, Ferdinand was suspended), five if you include the absent Carragher, who had ruled himself out. They also played without their two world-class strikers, Owen and Rooney, both also injured. The crucial loss was at the back. Before Croatia, England had conceded 9 goals in 17 games, one goal in every two games (compare this with a goal a game under Eriksson and Keegan). It is extremely unlikely that England would have conceded three goals against Croatia with a proper defence. In Moscow, the other crucial match, England conceded two goals without Neville, Cole and Terry.
McLaren was even more unlucky with his goalkeepers. Robinson let in two terrible goals in crucial games, one in Croatia where England lost 2-0, when the ball went under his foot, and the other in Moscow, when Russia won 2-1. The first Croatian goal that Carson conceded was just as bad. In three crucial games, England’s goalkeepers let in three ridiculous goals. Back in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Alex Stepney and Peter Bonetti couldn’t get a look in because of Banks, Shilton and Clemence, now England doesn’t have a single world-class goalkeeper. The top clubs all have European goalkeepers, except for Ben Foster at Man U who is injured.
Finally, McLaren’s critics always underestimated the opposition. Despite Eriksson’s crazy farewell words about leaving McLaren with a good draw, it was always going to be hard. Not as hard as Scotland’s but difficult. FIFA rank Croatia 10th in the world. They came 3rd in the 1998 World Cup and have been undefeated in all competitive matches played at home since 1990. During almost 20 years, they have played 60 home matches and lost only 4, all in friendlies. They qualified for the last two World Cups without losing a qualifying match.
Russia were ranked 16th in the world by FIFA in October. As we now know, they are an uneven team, unpredictable away but tough at home. In the Moscow winter they are unbeatable. Since they played as the CIS in 1992, Russia’s record at home is played 69, lost 6. They have lost one competitive match at home in 15 years and that was to France when they were World Cup holders (3-2 in 1998). They have never lost at home between mid-October and March. Not once.
In short, to come away from those away matches with more than a point was always going to be hard. Finally, Israel were no pushovers at home. Ranked 26th in the world, their record at home under their manager Dror Kashtan is won 4, drew 2 and lost 1 (to Croatia 4-3). They narrowly failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup, emerging undefeated in their group. Under Avram Grant (manager 2000-06) they lost 6 times in 33 games. Of course, all these countries are off the English media’s radar, but this was never going to be an easy draw.
McLaren’s final piece of bad luck raises a larger point. Like Eriksson he was coach at a time when expectations were high because of the so-called ‘golden generation’, but the hype rubbed against the reality. The top clubs from which England draws its players have long since stopped relying on English players. Arsenal barely play any. Liverpool under Benitez have increasingly turned to Spanish and other European players. Chelsea would be nowhere without their blend of African and European players and even United have increasingly turned to French, Portuguese and South American players. So when Owen and Rooney were injured, McLaren had nowhere to turn. There are no other world-class English strikers in the Premiership with experience of the Champions League, playing at a top club.
Nothing became McLaren like the way he departed. The ridiculous golf umbrella, the sad compulsive clutching at his water bottle, the lack of passion at his last press conference. His feeble interview in the Times was true to form. He could have stood up for himself and made some kind of defence. He didn’t. It was a sad hint of what the England dressing-room was like in Moscow and at Wembley and perhaps explains why his teams could never hold onto a lead or lost nerve at crucial moments. And other performances – against Andorra and Macedonia, in particular – were truly wretched, shaming moments. But McLaren was unlucky. The question for him is whether Premiership clubs will fear his bad luck is contagious.
What Steve McLaren should have told the Times
January 11, 2008
