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..to Steve McClaren in winning Dutch Eredivisie with Twente Enschede.

 First time they've won the title...not exactly his fault he was over promoted with England, and deserves credit for taking on a different challenge a la Bobby Robson.

Yep, very brave thing to do and it's paid off, I certainly think more English coaches (and players) should try their hands abroad occasionally.

I am friends with a Feyenoord fan and he was over the moon that Twente beat Ajax to winning the league, big rivals apparently.

Totally agree with that....we're all Europeans now  ;)

Fuck him, he's Oxford and City, he means nothing to me.

He's a Scum cunt who fucked up England so apologies for not wishing him the best.

I felt sorry for him in the England job.

Lessons need to be learned about how hard the fans and media were on him. He did have decent credentials for the job.

Its not our right to abuse England managers just because they are English.

If it happens to Roy Hodgson and England ruins his career in the future then that would be very sad.

Good on Steve McLaren, hes got some balls thats for sure.

Glad he bounced back.

Should NEVER have been given the England job.

Also a brilliant recovery from this total embarrassment - he thought he needed to speak in english, with a dutch accent! TWAT!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZnoP4sUV90

He got an unfashionable English side to the UEFA cup final, the same achievement as Roy Hodgson, he could have commanded that wage at Middlesborough (who went downhill after he left).

McLaren wasnt the right man because he was Sven's lacky, and that whole set up needed a clear out because it had become far too cozy. He didnt do himself any favours at times (terrible video there). But the behaviour of the fans (particularly the Barcelona Andora game) and the media towards him was a disgrace.

It's not as if his treatment was much different to any England coach before though was it?

I didn't like the chummy 'Stevie G' stuff for the reasons Spencer mentioned above.

He'll forge a decent career on the mainland. I still blame the likes of Dave Whelan who went on and on about how the national job had to go to an Englishman, even though at the time there were no candidates really ready for the job. Funny how Whelan & co disappeared when McClaren failed.

maclaren was shit for england.

...and there's that of course :)

Sven got a lot of slack from the media because of the 5-1 result. Although the FA always has been a joke, it has to be said, that the whole Faria thing was an absolute embaressment and he got off very lightly on that one.

Whelan really is a senile old prat who is totally full of himself and shouldnt be taken seriously by anyone.

I think Capello is fantastic. But England means more to me with an English manager.

I reserve judgement on Cappello after he's coped with the ridiculous expectations of the english media and after we,for instance, lose against the USA.

Corrected for you. :)

Fucking newspaper bosses trying to sell papers.  Next thing you know, Tesco will be trying to sell food and other everyday products.

They're all cunts.

McClaren is a dick and all of his dutch interviews and press conferences make me want to stab him in the face.

I think part of the reason why he had to go abroad is that after the England fallout, he would have been lucky to get a job at somewhere like Coventry.

I see he's "refusing to comment" on his future at Twente - why not just be a man about it, and admit that you will be looking to move on (because they were only ever a stepping stone in order to recover some semblance of reputation in England).

Yes, I'd much rather manage Coventry to 12th in the Championship than win a major European League.  What a twat.

The fact is he is the first English manager in 14 years to win a major European League Title.  I for one say that is a fantastic achievement, and previous failings aside, he seems like a thoroughly decent bloke too.

Calm down Judith. What's got up your arse this evening?

Not knocking his achievement at all - to win a league is obviously no mean feat. I just don't like him.

And my point about Coventry was related to Reg's post:


He had to look abroad to get a decent job - nobody here, at a club he would have wanted to work at, would have taken him at the time. And he wouldn't have looked twice at Twente unless he was so ruined in England. Bet he quits them for a crap Prem team.

OF is correct. The fallout of the England job meant that no club could touch him, even if they wanted to.

Seems like there's a lot of interest from Germany too. I can see his first press conference now;

"VEE VILL DESTROY ANYONE THAT GETS IN OUR VAY!! VEE VILL RISE UP ABOVE EVERYONE AND CREATE A SUPERCLUB THAT WILL TAKE OVER ZEE WHOLE WUULLLD!! ACHTUNG, MOTHER-FUCKERZZZZZ!!"

I'm sure he could have picked up a lucrative assistant manager post or some media work, if he'd have wanted. Plus he had a fat pay off from the FA.

I just think that English football shouldn't be so insular....there's got to be more chance of England getting coached by an Englishman, if more coaches worked abroad.

What the fuck is it with him and that stupid dutch accent?

He was totally shit for England no question. Over rated when he got the job. 

Fair play winning the Dutch league but does that really qualify as a 'major' European league ? Not if recent Dutch club football successes in Europe are compared to a few other countries.

Wouldn't want him in place of Capello or DW thanks !

Dutch League is probably better than the Portugese league? Nobody would have questioned Bobby Robson's achievement.

And he's done it with one of the unfashionable teams.

Totally agree. Same applies to footballers. It wouldn't do our national side any harm if we had more players plying their trade on the mainland.

They could all learn to 'simulate' properly then.

McLaren's biggest mistake was failing to resign after he fucked up our Euro qualification. No honour and only after the payoff.

Same scenario as Gordon Brown - massively over-promoted & ended up drowning.


He did it because he thought they would understand him better..........I know. If this was the result of someone stitching him up, I'd like to shake their hand.