Steve McClaren | Yessh our new assistant coach

Maticmaker

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A lot of smiles suddenly disappeared off fans faces .... "United never the lose, they just run out of time.." Steve McClaren (Quote)...err I think you will find they do Steve. ;)
 

OverratedOpinion

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Is it any different than Phelan?

One of the old guard from successful times being given a job because......?
To be fair I think he was looked upon a lot more favourably as an assistant than Phelan was.

Sure it'll be fine and hey just imagine if Ten Haag doesn't work out and Steve gets the interim job in 18 months.
 

simonhch

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I think it’s a disservice to compare appointing McClaren and appointing Phelan. One has a far better CV than the other.

I wouldnt even consider McClaren as one of the old United boys. He was only here like 3 years tops?

Its a classy thing as well that McClaren is returning the favour for ETH. He pretty much gave him his break in football management at Twente.
Yes Sir! Thank you for this post. The posts calling this jobs for the boys, are just the same trite complaints being trotted out without much thought.

McClaren is an excellent coach in his own right. Add to that his experience with Utd at its peak (that’s a plus not a minus), his managerial successes (and failures), his knowledge of English football culture, his past working relationship with ETH, and his Dutch language proficiency to further aid his role as a conduit between the players and manager, and what’s not to like about this appointment.

I am also going to add that I actually find it disrespectful the bashing Phelan gets on here, with people saying he does nothing (with zero working knowledge of what he does). He was incredibly highly regarded by the most successful British football manager of all time, he’s clearly not the witless dishcloth that many on here make him out to be.

Even if Phelan’d appointment had a sort of “substitute teacher/chaperone” vibe to it, to see Ole through the learning curve, our failures over the last few years haven’t been a result of Mike Phelan - or even his shorts - they’ve been a result of poor managerial appointments, worse recruitment. and the absence of a strategy.

All that said, McClaren appointment is still nothing like that of the unfairly maligned Phelan.

Again, thanks for your post.
 

simonhch

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I'm confused. I thought it's been widely reported that we paid Ajax extra so ETH could bring van der Gaag with him as his assistant?
ETH operates with three assistants in defined roles. The real question is, who is the third?
 

Rightnr

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This guy is already better at defending and attacking than the whole of squad he's taking over combined.
 

Chairman Steve

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ETH operates with three assistants in defined roles. The real question is, who is the third?
Media seem to think it’ll be RVP.

On paper it would bring a nice balanced coaching setup. ETH and MVDG would be the tandem who worked well at Ajax, McClaren the experienced coaching head to assist with those two in English football and then RVP the junior coach who’d probably get a lot of respect with the players being only recently retired and may have new ideas.

Its a better composition than what we had under Solskjaer, where Solskjaer and Phelan were essentially both man managers and never really coached, Carrick was a junior coach and McKenna was the only real coach from them all, and even he was still young to be taking on a role of that magnitude.
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

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Hope it is McLaren - he is a good coach in his own right and would be a good bridge between United past and future, whilst also keeping SAF happy! But, most importantly, because it’s who Ten Hag wants.
 

Loon

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Hopefully McClaren is there to help ten Hag come to grips with what’s needed to counteract the cold wet night at Stoke syndrome the PL throws up.
 

Brophs

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I’d be less worried about the jobs for the boys aspect and more about the fact he’s looked like a guy who has been left behind by the game in his last couple of jobs.
 

reelworld

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Is it any different than Phelan?

One of the old guard from successful times being given a job because......?
McClaren actually won the league with Twente beating the likes of PSV and Ajax. I'd imagine he'd have some input on bridging Dutch and English football
 

iammemphis

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If its who ETH wants then so be it. Moyes came in and got rid of everyone and it hugely backfired. It's just abit of an underwhelming appointment and I don't think links to the past is what we need, and I expect that was Murtagh and Fletcher's concern, but ETH must see a huge amount of value in him so i trust his judgement for now.
 

Loon

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The difference here is ten Hag wanted a former associate who knows United. United are not forcing a link to the past upon him. That’s crucial.
 

Escobar

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If its who ETH wants then so be it. Moyes came in and got rid of everyone and it hugely backfired. It's just abit of an underwhelming appointment and I don't think links to the past is what we need, and I expect that was Murtagh and Fletcher's concern, but ETH must see a huge amount of value in him so i trust his judgement for now.
How can you compare it? He fired SAF title winning crew, here we deal with Oles loser team
 

DJ_21

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As long as he’s bringing in the guy from Ajax with him then whoever els is a bonus. I’d rather him bring in meulensteen instead of mclaren and then RVP. Or have meleunsteen and mclaren if we can’t get RVP.
 

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Great, vibrating chairs back in the treatment room.

Chairsh?
 

tomaldinho1

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McClaren actually won the league with Twente beating the likes of PSV and Ajax. I'd imagine he'd have some input on bridging Dutch and English football
Got Boro to a Europa final as well, he actually had a really good early career. Wolfsburg onwards has been grim though.
 

Dan_F

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I can’t be bothered reading the thread but I’m assuming people are shitting their pants because he used to work for United?

I’d much rather someone with his experience than this American guy, or someone fresh from playing.

Might as well put some trust in ETH that he knows his own short comings and how to make up for that.
 

GMoore23

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Is it any different than Phelan?

One of the old guard from successful times being given a job because......?
I'd hardly compare him to Phelan. McClaren was a proper manager himself and was pretty successful earlier in his career. Won the league cup and reached the Uefa Cup final with Middlesborough and won the Eredivisie with Twente. I still have fond memories of that Middlesborough side with Juninho.
 

pcaming

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Comparing Phelan to Mclaren is wild...One is football coach/manager and the other is responsible for more off the field activities.
 

Red the Bear

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Really? I rather we stay out of Europe in ETHs first season. We will lose 7-10 players possibly. He will have a lot more time to implement his ideas with no Thursday matches and the associated travelling to distant lands.
I disagree, the allure of playing in ucl is very attractive for most young players, I rather we not miss on any eminent talents due to being out of Europe.
Its also 6 group stage games if we don't qualify for the knockouts so its not that much of a burden either.
 

Red-Man-Walking

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“The players are said to be having problems understanding what Gaag and McClaren want from them, they have doubts over their credentials to coach at this level having only ever collaborated in the much weaker Dutch league previously”

That’s what you’ll get if you ask these lads to run or put their bodies on the line
That's one definite upside to Schteve being on the coaching team - he helped coach a team that won the treble, what the feck have half the useless cnuts on the team at present done?
 

Ali Dia

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That's one definite upside to Schteve being on the coaching team - he helped coach a team that won the treble, what the feck have half the useless cnuts on the team at present done?
Pogba won the World Cup with the heavy favourites which seemingly absolves him from everything since. That’s about it really. Lingard : best dressed sub
 

Lee565

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So you want to cut ties with anyone and everyone who worked at ManUtd in the past?

How is it giving "job to the boys" when ETH worked with Mcclaren as assistant and they gave good working relationship.
I don't mind it personally, it is just ironically funny that general census from fans was wanting to get far away from living off nostalgia and even groaned at the initial reports of that ten hag may have to make do with some of the coaching staff currently already here and yet the new manager that is not in any way connected to united previously is then responsible of bringing back a past figure related to the successful fergie years.

It is actually genius from ten hag as it means he will get the soft ole treatment from ex players in the media as they won't want to jeopardise old boy mclaren's job at the club :cool: