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McClaren cannot afford Israel defeat

International football
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It is a sign of the times in football that an agent - albeit a powerful one - can give the definitive verdict on Steve McClaren's prospects if England lose in Israel.

Israeli Pini Zahavi, who counts England defender Rio Ferdinand among his clients, claims the media and public will "drink McClaren's blood" should the unthinkable happen in Tel Aviv.

Melodramatic at best, ghoulish at worst - indeed some might even suggest Zahavi should mind his own business.

It will not be the end for McClaren if England lose in Tel Aviv, although any failure to beat Andorra would make his position untenable, but he is under fierce pressure.

McClaren is tainted by the failures his association with Sven-Goran Eriksson - despite ham-fisted attempts to distance himself once the World Cup campaign went horribly wrong.

He is also mistrusted by a public who see him as someone who simply smiles a lot and is more style than substance.

McClaren has cut a singularly uninspiring figure, delivering irrelevant soundbites rather than meaningful results.

My personal view is that McClaren should not have got the job in the first place - he may have been better at a power point presentation than Martin O'Neill, but he is not a better coach.

O'Neill's first season at Villa has been a mixed bag, but he would have been perfect for England.

And the fact that a large proportion of the English footballing public also regard McClaren as the wrong man for the job only turns up the pressure to deliver in Tel Aviv.

McClaren has the players to win in Israel, but he has to prove he can assemble and inspire them in a manner that will ensure three points.

England should win both games comfortably - but the myth that this is a world-class side was shattered spectacularly in Germany and Israel will feed off that knowledge.

Once again midfield is the crux - and the time has come for McClaren to stop moving Steven Gerrard around midfield.

He must play in the centre, even if this means a move for Frank Lampard.

Gerrard is the superior talent to Lampard and must be the fulcrum of the team, with Owen Hargreaves acting as his foil.

I spoke to Terry Butcher, who suggested pushing Lampard out on the left flank and playing Aaron Lennon on the right - sensible thinking.

England's front pairing of Wayne Rooney and Andrew Johnson looks a good fit.

Rooney was never suited to the lone striker role - he can now drop deep and do damage of his own, as well as providing ammunition for the lightning quick Everton striker.

Johnson has been treated badly with England by both Eriksson and McClaren, but now he will get a chance to play in his best position from the start.

This inevitably means he has to come up with the goods and answer the questions that have yet to be answered about his suitability for international football.

But the man who has to deliver is McClaren - to start what is a long process of gaining the faith and trust of England's fans.

Defeat in Israel will not mean the fulfilment of Zahavi's gruesome prophecy about McClaren's blood being drunk ...but it could inflict a wound that would severely damage his long-term prospects of staying at Soho Square.

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comment by JT_True_Blue (U6963934)

posted Mar 24, 2007

Fair comment,I am not having pop at you Salem or anyone in this board.

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comment by SalemHanna (U3761663)

posted Mar 24, 2007

No worries.

Well, three hours to go folks...we feeling confident this afternoon?

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comment by lancer34 (U7495546)

posted Mar 24, 2007

I agree with the thought of playing Lampard out left. Left is his best position, left out of the squad completely. when will someone have the balls to tell Frank that he is simply not good enough for englend.

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comment by Capital Scot (U2602119)

posted Mar 24, 2007

dissapointed I cant get the Game here in Canada

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comment by Boro-Jase (U7893759)

posted Mar 24, 2007

Why oh why does everyone harp on and on about Martin O'Neill. His success in the English top flight is hardly massively superior to that of Steve McClarens. Two League cups and highest position of ninth. Wow. Ok so he did a great job at Celtic but its hardly the same. But oh look he comes back to the Premiership and he's got Villa in the grand place of 13th with 8 games to go. Southgate has achieved more in the league and cup this season so far and its his first managerial position! Maclaren in his first managerial role achieved one league cup, 2 semi finals in FA cup, UEFA Cup finalists, highest position of 7th and two consecutive seasons in European competition with a club that has never had any prior to that. All that in his first 5 years, tell me which current English manager in the top flight has a better record than that!

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comment by Essiential (U1745097)

posted Mar 24, 2007

comment by lancer34
posted 36 Minutes Ago

I agree with the thought of playing Lampard out left. Left is his best position, left out of the squad completely. when will someone have the balls to tell Frank that he is simply not good enough for englend.

-------------------------

This is getting silly. If Lampard is not good enough for the England squad, then England must have a depth of world class talent that I'm completely oblivious to. Sure, let's drop the muckers like Lampard and make room for the real classy players who are really lighing up the PL like Barton, Nolan, Bowyer...hey, maybe Robbie Savage has an English granny doh

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comment by Canadiancharles (U2983528)

posted Mar 24, 2007

Wonder why so many keep on about this Lampard Gerard thing-'it ain't never going to happen guys'-it never happened under Erikson and it won't happen under McLaren, no matter how many times playing them together proves a disaster. Why?. For the simple reason that all England's managers have suffered with the same problem for years-they are all so terrified of making a mistake that they will continue to stick in all the players who look the best on paper regardless of whether they fit together.
The only hope we have of this Lampard-Gerrard problem being solved is if one get's an injury serious enough to keep them out for enough time that McLaren can make the change without risk to himself.

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comment by Canadiancharles (U2983528)

posted Mar 24, 2007

See guys, told you so. It's the good old status quou for McLaren, not only with Lampard/Gerrard but the whole team and I'd put money on the fact that if it wasn't for Crouch and Owen's injury, Johnson wouldn't even be there.

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comment by robertkins (U3762934)

posted Mar 24, 2007

I feel sorry for Mclaren. He is a proud Englishman who was offered the job. Who would turn that down?

If Engalnd fail to qualify for Euro 2008 the fault lies with Brian Barwick and the FA. They had all the time in the world to appoint a new coach but they rushed it and made the wrong choice in eyes of most England fans.

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comment by supatonythetigger (U6740430)

posted Mar 24, 2007

Mclaren has proven yet again that he is simply notu pto to the job. Until there is a clearout at the FA and the old boys network is blown away, England will remain the underclass in world football. We've been kidding ourselves for years and either we wake up to the fact that we are underskilled under motivated and poorly managed and accept that we will only achieve mediocrity..... or do something radical about change.

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