Steve McClaren For England Manager.....

[Bob]

I think he's crap. I thought it before he was appointed, I thought it when he was appointed and funnily enough I still think it now. He got lucky in Middlesbrough's UEFA cup run last year - wholesale changes and playing with four forwards when you're three goals down isn't the sign of a tactical genius, it's the act of a desperate man. When they came up against a decent team, they got hammered.

Sack him now.

Never like to see managers sacked so early in their career. With the squad he has, and the group their in he'll coast that team to the finals.

You're right of course, had he not have had that run to the UEFA cup final, coupled with the xenophobic clamour for a ‘pure’ English manager then O’Neil or someone of that ilk would have been in charge now.

He's an average manager/coach IMO, and should never have been given the job!

[Neil Young]

To clarify, I wasn't being entirely serious about sacking him. I do think the Graham Taylor comparisons are worryingly/amusingly accurate. If he resigned tomorrow (as he should do since if he's honest with himself he must know he's out of his depth ), I have no idea who would be a good person to replace him and who might be available.

Then again I didn't think of Rafa when Houllier left but I'm glad someone did.

[Bob]

To clarify, I wasn't being entirely serious about sacking him. I do think the Graham Taylor comparisons are worryingly/amusingly accurate. If he resigned tomorrow (as he should do since if he's honest with himself he must know he's out of his depth ), I have no idea who would be a good person to replace him and who might be available.

Then again I didn't think of Rafa when Houllier left but I'm glad someone did.

Yes, it won’t happen. It would make the FA look even more incompetent, if that's humanly possible. If McClaren qualifies he should, like you say, do the honourable thing and step down, citing media pressure or some ****. He’d be found out big time in the finals.

[dww]

I think at this stage we are best off staying with him. The only other candidate would be big Sam and I fear the media attention of late has scuppered that (although I always thought he was a better choice than McLaren anyway), there was not a queue for the job when it was last advertised and now the two most popular candidates Hiddink and Scolari have already ruled themselves out. I guess the other more surprising candidate would be Steve Coppell.

Still I hope McLaren sees the error of his ways and scuttles back to solid 4-4-2, possibly playing with wingers if he feel experimental in future.

[Los Rojos]

Never like to see managers sacked so early in their career. With the squad he has, and the group their in he'll coast that team to the finals.

Don't be so sure that England will get there. They could quite easily slip up again.

[Neil Young]

If England qualify he will be given the chance to lead the team there and to be honest that would probably be fair enough.

If they don't though, what happens then?

[Los Rojos]

There was a comment from Steve McClaren in a press conference before the Croatia match which tickled me. He said he'd know much more about his team after Wednesday night. It made me wonder what he was doing with Sven for all those years. Did he not take anything in? It doesn't look like it.

He'll be sacked before the end of 2008.

[Rich]

Other than the massive wages and short hours, I can't see why anybody would want to be manager of England. Hiding to nothing, especially if you are tactically inept like Steve "Inane Grin" McLaren.

[Bob]

There was a comment from Steve McClaren in a press conference before the Croatia match which tickled me. He said he'd know much more about his team after Wednesday night. It made me wonder what he was doing with Sven for all those years. Did he not take anything in? It doesn't look like it.

He'll be sacked before the end of 2008.

It's just arbitrary wordage. Don't take to seriously, the pre-match drivel managers come out with. They're obliged to do these interviews so it only natural they fill it with verbal-diarrhoea.

At least Jose is witty, to an extent!

[Nic83]

When the second goal went in, the camera's flashed on Maclaren and he was taking notes.

[CharlieMansonsSquint]

Who was the manager in question then

The current boss of the England under 21's.

The current set-up is bizarre alright. Venables as the number 2 man?, that was never going to work out, and just what exactly has McLaren achieved in the game before England came calling?, good rep as a coach, but as a manager at Boro he was mediocre. At one point last season he lost the plot so badly that Southgate and Jimmy Floyd steadied the ship so to speak. And no he's been handed the car keys at Soho Square. Hilarious.