I HAD to afford myself a little chuckle when Steve McClaren tried to defend the indefensible last night.
As England manager I would have said to the players go out against Andorra and knock at least ten past them (bearing in mind they are the equivalent of League Two at best).
They might not necessarily have done that but seven or eight goals would have been acceptable.
Three? That’s just not good enough. Why didn’t he just come out and say so? He should have said “yes we got the three points but I’m disappointed how poorly we played”. But no he praised them for showing character and resilience and said it was the result that mattered.
Noooooo! That’s missing the point altogether. It was the performance that mattered. A good performance and England were guaranteed to win so in my eyes a good performance was more important that the win.
Rooney and Johnson should be ashamed and embarrassed not to have grabbed at least a goal each – I fear Johnson’s chance may have passed.
The other thing I don’t like about McClaren is this persona he gives off that he doesn’t care what the “fickle” fans say – there’s no way you can call the fans who spend hundreds of pounds, take time off work and travel all the way to watch their national side in Israel and Barcelona fickle.
When he took the job he knew there was huge pressure – just ask Graham Taylor, Glenn Hoddle and the rest. So why did he storm out of yesterday’s post match press conference without answering all the questions? As the national manager he owes a duty to the fans to answer all questions and explain himself by walking away he opens himself to more ridicule.
What will be the upshot of all this? Nothing. Another dismal qualifying campaign and little to look forward to on the international front.
Now was it my grandparents who said they were born in Northern Ireland?!