Ha! When I wrote that last football post, I had no idea quite how effective the England team would be in sealing McClaren’s fate.
They were absolutely bloody woeful. Out of the starting eleven, Joe Cole was competent (although nowhere near his full potential) and Peter Crouch was excellent, doing everything that could be expected of him. However, the lone striker in a 4-5-1 formation is supposed to be knocking balls down to the attacking midfielders, and they just weren’t there. The introduction of Beckham added a touch of class (as well as the necessary support for Crouch in a more comfortable 4-4-2) while Defoe contributed a little extra, not least earning the penalty.
Every other player was either under par or utterly incompetent. Croatia must have wondered whether they’d mixed up their flights to Skopje and London… while Macedonia battled hard for their win, England played like international minnows, leaving Croatia players to run in acres of space and firing loose balls into dangerous positions. This was not a difficult qualification group for a major football nation, despite the improved form of Israel and Russia, nor can England blame bad luck or dodgy refereeing. To drop thirteen points in ten games is inexcusable. Croatia looked good, but barely seemed to be trying. England created their own downfall.
As I write this, McClaren has not yet resigned or been sacked, but it’s almost inevitable that he’ll be clearing his desk at some point during the next couple of days (if not, there’s something *really* wrong at the FA). Intriguingly, the BBC reveals that Marcello Lippi, former trophy-hogging coach of Juventus and Italy, has turned down the job of manager at Birmingham City. If I was in a senior position at the FA, I think I’d interpret this as a sign. There’s your next England manager, right there. Not only is he hugely successful, he also smokes cigars. On the touchline! How much cooler can a manager be? The man’s a legend… let’s get him!
(Oh, and if you’re on Facebook, join my Lippi for England group)
He won’t be able to smoke at English grounds due to the ban! Happy Birthday by the way!
Thanks mate!