Has McClaren Turned The Corner?

Filed in archive England on June 7, 2007

After an eternity of being vilified, Steve McClaren's England have now drawn with Brazil and then gone away and done a thoroughly professional job in Estonia. Beckham looked more like his old self in both games, check out his two perfect crosses for Crouch and Owen's goals.

The suspicion is starting to creep in that Steve Mac knows what he's doing. Would a Beckham who hadn't been dropped have been so influential in these last two games? Is McClaren actually a genius? The answers are "maybe" and "definitely not" but even asking the question means McClaren is turning the corner PR wise.

Let's suspend judgement until after the next three games, because it's possible McClaren could complete an astonishing West Ham United like Turnaround. There's a friendly against Germany at Wembley on August 22 and then crucial home qualifiers against Israel (September 8) and Russia (September 12.) The return of Rooney will mean the forwards pick themselves with Crouch undeservedly missing out to Owen, while the return of Owen Hargreaves might see the English public get their wish and Frank Lampard disappear from central midfield.

Even good English managers have rough patches where everyone claims they don't know what they're doing. Remember the calls for Bobby Robson to be sacked after Euro '88? (me neither, but I've read about them.) Two years later he lead England to within penalty kicks of the World Cup final.