Most people I know are Boro fans, and trust me not one of them have a good word to say about him, infact I've had abit of pish taking since he's been linked. His tactics for them mirrored what Poyets were for us. Negative football, and players not having a clue where they were meant to be playing. He had a diststorous second spell at Fc Twente, which cancelled out all the success he had first time round. As much as I'd like an English manager, I can see appointing him being a disaster.
They've forgotten about their league cup and UEFA cup final already? If he came here and achieved that he'd be fondly remembered and thanked for an eternity. Boro fans are as fickle as hell, their attendances prove it. MaClaren is their most successful manager ever. It was his first job as manager, I think his tactics have progressed since I think FC Twenty and derby fans would agree. Also he brought through Adam Johnson, Stewart Downing, Chris Brunt, James Morrison, Ross Turnbull, Andrew Davies, Matthew Bates, David Wheater, Andrew Taylor, Lee Cattermole, Jason Kennedy, Danny Graham and Malcolm Christie. Short memories the Boro lads.
If only we could've played Bolton in the final like them instead of City. The only 3 players on that list to have success with Boro were Catts, Downing and Johnson mate, and he'd only ever pick one or the other. Graham was loaned to Carlisle when he was there and eventually sold on. Brunt was sold when he was a young lad (big mistake), as was Morrison. Davies left Boro and spent the rest of his career in the lower leagues, as did David Wheater. And Christie was bought off derby for about 4m and hardlys played due to injury. I've never heard of Kennedy? It's not so much what t be fans are saying now, I remember the frustration and the anger here in Teesside when he was manager. Aswell as the local papers.
Don't forget how much credit Fergie gives him for our treble in 1999. He only arrived a few months before the trophies came flooding in. We won the league every year whilst he was our head coach.
I can't blame you for thinking he'd be **** mate, as a manager he's had peaks and troughs. Embarrassing troughs. Let's face it, if he went to Sunderland there's only one way he's gonna get everyone on his side and that's putting points on the board by winning games.
Edit. He sold Morrison to WBA for about 1m and they was uproar that he was allowed to leave, especially for only 1m
I think we''ve got differant ideas of success mate. I'm looking at the bigger picture, not individual talents. Every single one of those youth products played premier league football, that's a resounding success. Selling on your products is part of making the youth system profitable and successful and every bit as important as the one that makes it big time. Leadbitter and Waghorn made us around 6m together, that's a lot of money for a championship midfielder and a striker who never broke the first team. Two of very few products I have no doubts were a success. But when you look at them individually you may be underwhelmed.
Agree mate, we've had enough disaster appointments here to last me my life time, and I feel he'd be another one.
I know what you are saying, but over half of them left Boro and went on to do nothing. Brunt can't even be mentioned cause he never played a single first team game. Boro have always bought good kids through which pishes me off. How did Johnson end up there?
Does it matter? What's Waghorn done? Wish we could turn professional football players out like Boro did back then fella. I'd take McClaren all day long.
It doesn't really matter no, just saying only Catts, Downing, Johnson and Wheater out of the players on that list made Boro any decent money when selling them on. Like us Boro have state of the art facilities, Gibson spent millions and millions on Rockckiffe. Our academy has seriously underachieved when you look at what young talents come through since it was built. I don't think that's all down to the manager, it's the whole scouting network of the club.
We've got congerton now but a Manager who'll give kids the chance will complement our DoF set up and state of the art facilitys. I see it as our future and the way I personally want to see the club moving and I think McClaren would be a big player in helping that to happen. We've not put enough effort and recently faith in our youth system, but we've got some really talanted kids in our U21s time to let them blossom.
As far as I remember he never played much youth though, so who's to say our kids would get a chance? Only Catts, Downing and Wheater made the breakthrough hence the fact Brunt was sold without making a single first team appearance, Morrison was a bit part player that they could've made a lot of money out of if they'd kept him, Graham was loaned out and then sold and Johnson was loaned to Watford and only made his name when Southgate took over. Bates never played much either.
Not including that game, ha. I remember that. Likewise the 3 I mentioned were the only 3 ever present. I'm fairly sure Wheater might have been due to Southgate aswell. Due to their European cup final being 4 days away he rested every single first team player near enough, who can blame him? And full credit to them for only getting best 1-0.
Derby beat again tonight, they had looked odds on to go up about 6 weeks ago. They've completely lost their bottle and another season in the Championship beckons for them now. Not a good sign if McClaren was to take over!
The Championship leaders change like the wind....I picked out Norwich as dark horses to win the league months ago..I'm wishing I had put a few quid on it now..
I think Bournemouth and Boro will be 1st and 2nd mate. Then it'll be between Norwich and Wolves for the playoffs. Derby were the stand out team up until Febuary, now they'll do well to make the playoffs on current form. They could drop out tomorrow if results go against them.
