posted Mar 30, 2007

the poor performances might have been there when Sven was around but Mclaren helped to sign his own death sentence with the media before the Andorra game not wanting to talk to anyone;he did'nt even tell the team who was playing until late in the day,he'll say i'd like to my team guessing so it's no wonder they looked brassed-off when playing

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posted Mar 30, 2007

100% with comment. Us, as England 'fans' should be getting behind MacClaren and supporting him, what good is it if people keep booing him off the pitch, or the media gives him grieve. Let's cheer the England and the manager on through the qualifiers, and the Euro finals!

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posted Mar 30, 2007

How about practical solutions to the problem that is England?

1) As England coach, ban players from talking up their chances. Ensure they remain humble and do not boast to the tabloids that, eg, England are going to win the next world cup. Look at Italy and France. Despite the two countries' impeccable records in recent history, the players and coaches ALWAYS play down their chances. So no hype = no accusation of being big time charlies = less pressure.

2)Two weeks'Christmas break

3)Despite so-called football experts'views about the subject, come to terms with the fact that English players are no longer the best headers of the ball in the world (especially with diminutive forwards like Johnson or Defoe)and have also become rather hopeless at crossing the ball of late. So forget about pumping the ball high up into crowded defences. Get your players to break for the byeline and pull the ball back to oncoming teammates.

4)For their own sake, get Rooney and Ashley Cole to attend weekly anger management sessions. Failing that, cut their tongues off.

5) Understand that a team is only as good as the sum of its parts (eg Northern Ireland). So give priority to team play, not reputations (ie England can survive without Frank Lampard and David Beckham).

6) Remember that cemeteries are full of indispensable people. So if a player is not pulling his weight, take him off instead of hoping against hope that he will eventually get his act together. OK, it took Alan Shearer a long while to break his duck in an England jersey. But, at least with him defenders' niggly attacks were water off a duck's back and he never lost his concentration.

7) Tell the wags to stay at home during international competitions.

8) Oh, and give FA Directors their P45 NOW.

(From a French fan of the England Team!)

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posted Mar 31, 2007

The problem with mclaren is perception. He did not treat beckam well and seemed two faced laughing about it. Therefore seemed insincere. He is not getting results, there is no flair or direction with the team. England have some of the best players in the world. He has a simliar aura that neil kinnock had. He will not last long and is not the man for the job. They should have taken Scolari, new direction flair and winning pedigree. What has Mclaren ever achieved. How did he get the job.

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posted Mar 31, 2007

How come it is okay for Jose Mourinho to grind out 1 - 0 victories every week with a multi-million pound Chelsea squad, against sides much poorer than themselves but it's not okay for McClaren to turn over a defensive side, away from home 3 - 0?? Is it because McClaren is a balding, northern, traditional English manager, whereas Mourinho is seen as the slick, futuristic "special one"? As Mourinho will tell you they are in the results business and a win is a win. I honestly don't see how another manager could currently better our internation situation. I feel he is learning with every game he takes charge, and is gradually working out that the likes of Gerrard and Lampard cannot play together etc. But people need to give him a chance to work things out from what was a ridiculous Sven era.

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posted Mar 31, 2007

i`ve said this like a billion times...BRING BACK SVEN N BECKHAM

SVEN + BECKHAM = QUALIFICATION

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posted Apr 2, 2007

Criticism by the press, media and fans is fair, but the vitriolic way it has been delivered has been OTT. McClaren hasn't doen himself any favours by he way he has taken it personally. Easy to say , I know, but even if the attacks have seemed / been personal, I think it would be better to rise above it and not take the bait. We had all this with Taylor, and it all became a very negative slanging match. I think Max Clifford is spot on in his view, and that the whole thing has been badly handled by the FA in not providing SM with the appropriate support / training in PR.
I fear that it is already at a stage where the relationships have "irritrievably broken down". If you can mess something up, you can always rely on the good old FA to do it! But where do we go from here?

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posted Apr 2, 2007

typical lazy comments here. mcClaren isn't good enough nor are the FA so lets stop pretending otherwise. this nonsense about bringing back beckham shows we will never learn anything

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posted Apr 30, 2007

Being a female and not very versed in football - please dont dismiss a Pompey supporter fan too quickly !! One of the major problems with England is Terry Venables - why is he pottering in the background - he did nothing for Pompey, all but destroy it - hence no one will even consider what a wonderful goalie we have... I bet Terry (hiding behind Steve's skirt) wont allow him to be considered for England. England needs to wake up to the 21 Centaury - not folly in the old boys school of thought. The way McClaren treated Becks just shows you the power games of ego and not professionalism..

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