Now that the ghost of Steve McClaren has been exorcised, and the transfer window is opening – with our new financial straitjacket very apparent, a thought occurred to me.
According to me, we had a squad that had, arguably, over-achieved under Billy Davies, but was only a few players short of competing at the very top of the Championship and being capable of promotion (left back, centre-back, midfield general, winger, regular goal-scorer). And yes, we were weakened by departures, but of them, only Earnshaw and McKenna were regulars, and both positions are covered in my list of incoming players.
According to McClaren, he was promised money to buy players to achieve promotion. From the interviews he gave when he was in charge, he often seemed to imply that the players at the club were not good enough and more signings, beyond the five players that were brought in, would be needed. (And yes, the five players may not have been the right ones, although the non-defensive roles mentioned above are covered by the newcomers).
My speculation (and it is just that, as I have no idea what actually went on in the boardroom and manager’s office at the time) is that Nigel Doughty heard “big money”, went out and bought five expensive players and thought, given the previous achievements of the team, that that was enough. Steve McClaren heard “big money” and thought he was being given nine or ten high profile players to totally overhaul and rebuild the team that had failed at the last two attempts. He admitted he rushed into the job – so that simple misunderstanding could have been the cause of all the strife we have undergone so far this season.
It’s all academic now, of course. Let’s see what Steve the Second can do instead.
Comments
It is academic as you say but…
McClaren expressly said he wanted eight new players — I’m pretty sure that both Greening and Reid had been lined up before he arrived, Boateng was signed as back-up and for his experience and Miller and Derbyshire were panic buys when he realised the likes of Verhoek, Maynard, etc. weren’t coming.
He was sold a dud. And he didn’t do his homework. Disaster on all sides.
What we should have done was get someone like Mackay, McInnes or Clark and spent the fees and wages on the eight or nine players we needed.
Hindsight eh… Although I’m sure many thought that at the time.
Probably about right- but SMc seriously underestimated the challenge of the modern day Championship and that is inexcusable for any manager, in any league, anywhere.!!
I like the phrase “According to me”. It makes you sound like you don’t quite trust your own opinion!
I think you are somewhere near the mark, but it does imply that the talks between the two parties were carried out via newspaper soundbites. I imagine there were some real meetings between chairman and manager as well and the fact that things like transfer kitties, wage budgets and so on weren’t finalised before the deal was done makes both sides equally culpable for the monumental fuck-up that followed.
what a pointless ‘article’ (drivel)
Stevie Mac is very good at laying the blame at other people’s door, even when he “took the blame” he did it in a way that made it sound like he was sold a pup. It’s fine for him to say he “didn’t have the tools” but as has rightly been pointed out he had essentially a squad that had twice reached the playoffs. He was then given funds (in terms of transfer fees and wages) to bring in the likes of Reid, Greening, Boetang, Miller and Derbyshire – that’s several million there. Miller & Derbyshire were signed before the Verhoek debacle (and not panic buys after it failed) so that’s a few more million he would have had. Most managers would be extremely happy to inherit a squad that regularly finishes in the top six and be given several million pounds to strengthen it but not this idiot. Clearly the poor performance of the team in his 10 match tenureship was solely the fault of the chairman’s “lack of investment” and nothing to do with HIS failure to strengthen the right areas or his poor choices in coaching staff or his poor grasp of championship level football or his poor tactical selections and formations. No doubt this idiot will do well back at Twente as his “style” of play suits their league and he will then crow from the rooftops about being vindicated but I for one will not be listening. As I recall he was promised a level of funding similar to what Davies had had – he’s the cretin that probably saw that Doughty put in 12 odd million quid last year and assumed it was all in transfers and not in actuality in keeping the club afloat.