Steve McClaren is reportedly close to re-joining Derby County as boss
According to reports from Sky Sports, Derby are in negotiations with former boss Steve McClaren with a view to him returning to the club.
There are reports that the discussions are going well. Those same reports suggest that McClaren could be re-appointed as Rams boss today at some stage.
It seems a very strange move for the Rams I must say considering the circumstances of his exit last summer.
McClaren has already been sacked by Derby
Steve McClaren was sacked by Derby in May 2015, after the Rams failed to make the Championship play-offs. The fact that County failed to make the play-offs was made all the more galling because they were in the top-six of the table for most of the campaign.
One of the factors that the fans seem to believe contributed to the teams late season collapse was the fact that McClaren failed to dismiss rumours about the Newcastle job. The uncertainly around the bosses future seemed to affect the performances of the players.
If it did not. Then it was just a strange coincidence that Derby’s performances suddenly went downhill after McClaren was linked with the job at Newcastle.
The irony of the situation was that McClaren became Magpies boss just three weeks after being sacked by the Rams. The Newcastle hierarchy rather foolishly gave him a big say in the transfer dealings. He then played a big hand in the north east club being relegated from the top-flight in May.
I just don’t rate Steve McClaren
This is not a personal attack on the guy. He may be the nicest guy in the world. However, he is just not very job at his supposed job. He has enjoyed very little success during his managerial career, apart from winning the Dutch Eredivisie with FC Twente.
His supporters will say he did a decent job at Middlesbrough and took them on a European adventure. However, most of Boro’s best results in the UEFA Cup were when McClaren had got his tactics wrong in the first place. He then had to go all-out-attack to rescue the ties.
Some may even say that he did a decent job at Derby in his two seasons. However, when the going got tough for his team, McClaren was fluttering his eye-lashes at Newcastle. When the race for promotion was very much alive, McClaren failed to motivate and inspire his team enough for them to even finish in the top-six.
In other words he snatched defeat out of the jaws of victory in a way that only he could. Granted McClaren did guide the Rams to the play-off final in his first season in charge, but again he did not have the acumen to get them over the line.
To be honest Steve McClaren has been around as a coach and a manager a long time now. If he wins promotion with the Rams, I will have to eat humble pie. I have a feeling that my pie eating spoon will remain in the cutlery draw for a while yet though.
Derby need stability
Derby have been through a lot of bosses since McClaren left in 2015. Former-Real Madrid assistant boss Paul Clement failed to bring success. He was then replaced by Darren Wassall until the end of last season.
The Rams appointed controversial former Leicester boss Nigel Pearson this summer. However, the former-Rams centre-back endured a poor start to his managerial tenure. A reported blazing row with County owner Mel Morris saw him leave the club by mutual consent on Saturday.
Derby are now in need of a stability, Whether McClaren is the man that can bring that remains to be seen.
The Rams are still odds of 9/1 to be promoted to the Premier League, despite sitting 20th in the Championship table. They would have to be considered major outsiders to go up this season.
The move to re-appoint Steve McClaren could be a masterstroke or a major mistake by the County owners. I do however have a feeling that the move will not go down well with the majority of the Rams fans, though.
Is Derby making the right decision by re-appointing Steve McClaren?
- Soccer News Like
- Be the first of your friends!
