For most fans of English football and particularly the national side, the above image is the one of Steve McClaren that stays firmly planted in the memory after the failure of the 2008 European finals qualification campaign forcing Steve to run for the hills, or more precisely, the Netherlands.
However after a three year break from all things England stopping at FC Twente and Wolfsburg along the way Steve is well and truly back, looking to bring the good times back to Nottingham Forest after signing a three year deal with the red's whilst looking to do what former boss Billy Davies couldn't...get Forest back into the big time.
As a coach McClaren's credentials couldn't be better, working closely with Sir Alex at United for a number of years during success after success was achieved at the club suggests that this man is no mug, however it took a season-ticket throwing supporter of Middlesbrough to bring all that crashing down as Steve failed to win over the teessider's as a manager in the latter stages at the 'boro despite a UEFA cup run all the way to the final in Eindhoven only to be beaten by Sevilla.
After leaving Middlesbrough the country undertook a collective gasp as McClaren was named England manager following the departure of predecessor Sven-Goran-Eriksson who was finding it harder to manage his secretary than his starting eleven. From the off McClaren was branded 'Sven-lite' and predictions began to stack up that the Yorkshireman was well out of his depth and as Slavan Bilic and his Croatian sensations made us look silly, apart from Paul Robinson of course who made himself look silly, it was time to get Easyjet flight 137 to Zurich cancelled as we'd be spending the summer watching the cricket.
After the dust had settled in May of 2008 Steve finally came out from underneath the umbrella to take a job at dutch side FC Twente leading them in his first season to second place in the division finishing cup runners up to Heerenveen only being defeated in the most English way possible, via penalty shootout. However McClaren was to go one better the season after and become the first English manager since Sir Bobby Robson to win a domestic league title with a foreign club earning him the coveted 'Rinus Michels Dutch Manager of the year award' Steve perhaps had taken this a little too literally in the early stages of his time in Holland as comically his native Yorkshire twang was replaced with an impersonation of Goldmember from the Austin Powers movies as the video above will give away.
Soon after the last of the bunting was taken down and the last empty can of Grolsch had been collected all of a sudden it was 'Sccchhhtop!' and Steve had bolted, this time over the border into Germany to take on the challenge of Wolfsburg, by now McClaren was a man of the world and seemingly unfazed by the challenge of the Bundesliga and sadly it all ended in the dreaded vote of confidence after unconvincing results and poor league standing leading onto the dismissal of Steve McClaren as manager.
So now the challenge is set and although myself having a particular dislike of Nottingham Forest and Steve McClaren to boot you cant help but think this could be the season for the red's. A talented team and an admirable home record stand Forest in good stead and maybe a couple of signings here and there will finally get them over the line, the highlight of the season surely is to be sorcerer vs the apprentice when McClaren is facing Sven of Leicester City in what will surely be an epic encounter. Just one thing though Steve.....leave the brolly at home.
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