[Archived] Other Pl Happenings 2009/10

[thenodrog]

Notoriously unreliable but I think this cut and paste from Wiki sums it up...........

"Middlesbrough

At the end of the 2000–01 season McClaren began looking for a managerial job, having decided his chances of succeeding Ferguson at Old Trafford were slim.[13] With a positive reputation and closely linked with three Premier League vacancies, Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson won the race to appoint him after McClaren turned down Southampton and West Ham United.[17] In his first season, Middlesbrough reached the FA Cup semi-final, knocking out his previous employers Manchester United en route,[18] but lost 0–1 to Arsenal.[19] They finished 12th in the league, a small improvement on the previous season's 14th-place finish. The following season bought another modest improvement, this time finishing eleventh.

The 2004 Football League Cup Final between Middlesbrough and Bolton Wanderers at the Millennium Stadium.In the 2003–04 season, McClaren guided Boro to victory in the League Cup with a 2–1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the final.[20] This was the club's first ever major honour and also guaranteed them qualification for a European competition for the first time in their 128-year history.[21] In the following close season, McClaren was able to attract proven players Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Reiziger and Mark Viduka to the Riverside Stadium.[22] The signings paid dividends as the club reached the round of 16 in the UEFA Cup, having beaten more experienced sides such as S.S. Lazio,[23] before being eliminated by Sporting Clube de Portugal.[24] The club finished in seventh position in the Premier League—their best finish since 1975—ensuring qualification for the UEFA Cup for a second successive season.[25]

The 2005–06 season proved to be the most eventful of McClaren's tenure at Middlesbrough.[26] The club endured mediocre league form, humiliatingly losing at home to local rivals Sunderland[26] (who went on to be relegated with a then record low points total) and suffering a 0–7 thrashing at Arsenal, putting the club in relegation form.[27] During a 0–4 defeat at home to Aston Villa, a Middlesbrough fan ran onto the pitch and threw his season ticket at McClaren signifying his disgust at the club's performances.[27] Boro eventually finished 14th but enjoyed greater success in the cup competitions, reaching the latter stages of both the FA and UEFA Cups.[28] They lost 0–1 to West Ham United in the FA Cup semi-finals.[26] In the UEFA Cup, Middlesbrough were losing on aggregate in the second legs of both the quarter and semi-final ties against FC Basle and FC Steaua Bucureşti respectively. After McClaren substituted defenders with attackers Boro produced two spectacular four goal comebacks in both ties to reach the final.[25][29] In the final, however, Middlesbrough were outclassed by Sevilla and lost 0–4.[30]

McClaren's five year tenure on Teesside saw him establish himself as Middlesbrough's most successful manager as he made the often difficult transition from coach to manager.[29] He was also the most successful English manager of the early 21st century; he was the first Englishman to win a major honour since 1996 and first to reach the UEFA Cup final since 1984.[31] However, many Boro fans were indifferent about his departure believing Steve Gibson, the club chairman, to be more important to their success.[32] McClaren was accused by rival managers as having a "pot of gold" provided by Gibson to buy players, giving him an advantage over other teams when signing players.[33] Despite this, towards the latter end of his tenure McClaren was criticised by supporters of using negative tactics and earning Middlesbrough the tag of a "dull" side.[26][34] Some observers attributed Middlesbrough's success to the senior, experienced players in the side rather than McClaren's managerial ability.[26]"

Plusses and minus's but the salient bit is that the fans were damned glad to get shot of him in the end..... but who knows, maybe they'd have him back now! One things for sure and universally accepted and thats that his England tenure was a pure unmitigated disaster, and the finest example of promotion to incompetence that I can readily think of until we signed Paul Ince!

[den]

Think you need to have a look back Gord. Did very well at Boro, hence being given the England job.

He got the England job because he was 1] English and 2] had previously worked at Man Utd.

Talking about McLaren in a Middlesbrough pub - to Middlesbrough supporters, before one of their games against Rovers - at the time he was manager there - they called him "the magician", because he was making the crowd disappear. They were fed up with their team playing one isolated striker and defending at home, trying to hit teams with a breakaway. He did that for years at 'brough and they hated it. We had some of our easiest away wins while SM was in charge at the Riverside.

[T4E]

I wonder how many Middlesbrough fans have changed their opinions on McClaren after Southgate, his record at Twente, relegation and a year (atleast) in the Championship.

[thenodrog]

Closer to home.........

http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/index.php/topic/13664-more-madness-from-mcclaren/

[gumboots]

Many of my family are Boro fans. They were happy enough with McClaren when they were winning the only trophy they'd ever won and getting through those amazing Uefa cup games. They were however, not sorry to see him go to England as basically he'd come to the end of his shelf life as most managers do. Suspect most would take him back however, compared to the poor management they have had since

[LeChuck]

I don't see how anyone can argue McClaren isn't a very good club manager, his record speaks for itself.

He's going to have the problem that Graham Taylor, another very good club manager, had with shrugging off his poor time with England. He was ridiculed by the press with 'turnip' in the same way McClaren was with the brolly thing.

Eventually people recognised his ability as a club manager, and I think the same will happen with McClaren.

[tcj_jones]

We had some of our easiest away wins while SM was in charge at the Riverside.

Good point, Den. 'Boro away was always a favourite of mine.

[tcj_jones]

Let's see tcj.

I think you are forgetting Liverpool are playing Lille tonight and they are the worst placed in terms of points available of the four clubs challenging for fourth.

If games in hand are won by their challengers, Liverpool will be 5 points behind City, 4 pts behind Villa and 4 pts plus significant goal difference behind Spurs with just 8 games remaining including for Liverpool Man U away and Chelsea in a home game which the visitors could emulate Rovers by taking the Prem trophy at Anfield.

The odds are against Liverpool being in the CL next season- not all three of Villa, Spurs and City are going to fail to find a consistent winning streak in the run in and Villa certainly have both the fixtures and previous track record to do so.

Oops, for some reason I thought they were out of Europe. I guess they could be tonight, but I expect them to win through.

Call it a hunch, but I still think that they'll get fourth. 4 points really isn't a lot to catch up over eight games and that's providing Spurs, City and Villa win their games in hand. Villa have done remarkably well this season considering their European and domestic cup commitments, but I think they'll tail off. City don't seem to want it enough and are too inconsistent, so I see Spurs being the main challenger.

I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[joey_big_nose]

For a supposed former youth team manager who insists upon total control of the youth set up at Liverpool, the last five years have witnessed very few youngsters come through the ranks. In fact, Lucas is the only one and he was bought in aged 20.

Unfortunately, I think Liverpool will get fourth spot. They have all their big guns fit again now and have no European distractions. I have the top six eight finishing like this:

Chelsea

Man United

Arsenal

Liverpool

Spurs

Man City

Villa

Everton

Spurs or Liverpool for fourth? I don't know which one is worse!

I hate spurs but to be honest I want them (or anyone not liverpool) to finish fourth for the novelty. I am utterly bored of the big four.

[den]

I wonder how many Middlesbrough fans have changed their opinions on McClaren after Southgate, his record at Twente, relegation and a year (atleast) in the Championship.

The fickle ones probably would.

[Hughesy]

Why all the talk about Boro, southgate & McClown?

They are all gone from the prem - nobody cares

[den]

I don't see how anyone can argue McClaren isn't a very good club manager, his record speaks for itself.

Hardly anyone here wanted him LeChuck.

[den]

It's the same concept as saying Sam Allardyce isn't a very good club manager.

No it isn't El Tom. People didn't want Sam because of the type of football that he was associated with. People didn't want McLaren because of what they had seen of the sides under his management.

[broadsword]

What would McLaren's record have been like if he hadn't have had quite so much money to spend? He had a lucky run in the UEFA Cup, and when 'Boro met a team of genuine class, they got mullered. They might've finished mid-table while he was there, but I do seem to remember they had a fair few relegation battles while he was there, maybe they were strong finishers?

In any case, for all the money he spent, he didn't manage to fashion a particularly good team. It quickly became obvious he was out of his depth as England manager. His success at Twente is undeniable, perhaps continental coaching suits him? They don't have much money, so he's playing to his strengths as a coach, rather than as a manager. Let's not forget, he came to prominence because he did a very good job as assistant to Ferguson. This is probably where he picked up his daft habit of referring to players by their nicknames or first names.

My abiding memory will be of him stood on the touchline watching on helplessly in the rain as England got stuffed by Croatia.

[CAPT KAYOS]

Good point, Den. 'Boro away was always a favourite of mine.

hA ha - obviously not around in the eighties tcj and the old Ayresome Park.

Den - I wouldn't say they where the easiest but we did seem to have a purple patch up there

[Exiled_Rover]

You that surprised E_R? Did a great job with Boro and had his reputation destroyed by the gutter press. Same with Sven. Why anyone would want to manage England is beyond me.

I thought he did a passable job, but he was well out of his depth on the international scene. I'm surprised he's winning the Dutch league with a team I couldn't point out on a map, yes.

[LeChuck]

Probably worth pointing out that Martin Jol is in charge of Ajax, with a bigger budget and a more prestigious club, yet McClaren is outdoing him. I think Jol was mentioned by a few on here when Hughes left?

[Exiled_Rover]

Ah that would explain why Ajax are doing so poorly then.

[den]

Ah that would explain why Ajax are doing so poorly then.

The one thing about this site LeChuck, is that there's always someone with an answer, no matter what the point is.

[LeChuck]

The one thing about this site LeChuck, is that there's always someone with an answer, no matter what the point is.

I didn't know how to take that answer so I just left it alone!

[cn174]

Clint Dempsey has just scored a beautiful goal to put Fulham 4-1 ahead. They're now winning 5-4 on aggregate.

Oh to be back in the Uefa cup

[RibbleValleyRover]

Great performance by Fulham. ffan must be loving this.

[HemelRover]

Great performance by Fulham. ffan must be loving this.

Congratulation Fulham, great game and amazing result. Really pleased for ffan.

[Mr. E]

Some people here are elated with our "heroic efforts" of only losing 5-2 or 5-3 to Aston Villa, while Fulham go on and trash Juventus in the Europa Cup.

I mean, what else is there to say, besides that the lack of money and resources are not what set out limits, but our own negative (oh I'm sorry, I mean "realistic") mentality.

[Tom]

Well done Fulham, now come on Lille