by W.H. Garcia

Created on: October 15, 2007

40 years of hurt and England is still none the wiser in finding someone to emulate the success of Sir Alf Ramsey and exorcise the penalty ghosts of past World Cups. Being the manager of the England national football team must be one of the most unenviable jobs in the whole of England, especially considering the fickle fans and the notoriously unforgiving media. Achieve sustained success and you will be revered by the nation. A few indifferent performances and critics would be ready to pounce, making you wish you have never taken the job.

England fans are segregated into two factions when it comes to appointing an England manager. The Best Englishman' camp is in favor of having a competent local as the manager while the Best Man' camp is a proponent of choosing the most suitable candidate for the job, without regard for nationality. Unfortunately, the appointment of Steve McClaren has not served to appease either.

Managerial statistics taken from the FIFA World Cup makes very good reading for those in favor of an Englishman leading the national team. In all eighteen editions of the World Cup, all triumphant countries have been led by natives. However, there are many who feel that there are other English managers who deserve the job more than McClaren. Sam Allardyce was apparently in the running and was considered one of the fans' favorites, despite his lack of experience in international football.

McClaren is in a no-win situation. The only realistic way for him to stay at the helm beyond 2008 is to bring back the European Cup. Even then, he will eternally be stuck with the tag of second choice', thanks to the mishandling of the Scolari affair by the incompetent English FA. In terms of managerial ability, he still has much to prove, despite having been under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson. His limited success with Middlesbrough also makes his appointment hard to justify.

Looking at things from another perspective, what he has achieved in club management pales in comparison only to the foreign managers. Despite his limited success, he is, statistically speaking, the most successful English manager since the turn of the century. In 2001 and 2005, he achieved FA Cup semi-final berths with Middlesbrough. The League Cup he won in 2004 was the last trophy won by an English manager. Of course, he famously took Middlesbrough to the UEFA Cup final in 2006. Bringing things into perspective has certainly made McClaren's appointment seem like a sensible choice. Similar sentiments by Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Trevor Brooking have lent further weight to the decision.

The debate of the suitability of McClaren has unfortunately distracted people from addressing the more fundamental issues of the English psyche. The English media has a habit of perching the England team onto the highest pedestal just so they can pummel them back to the ground. Just before any major tournament, the English media inadvertently builds up hype surrounding the national team, placing undue pressure on the players and the manager. Each time a new manager is appointed, the media hounds would gradually gnaw away, creating one football tragedy after another. Perhaps it is time for the FA, the media and the fans to assume some of the responsibility for England's perpetual failure, instead of pointing their fingers at Steve McClaren.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mccl aren

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifa_world_cup

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