Roy Keane has left

[Clampy]

Am I imagining it, or was it once said that part of Ferguson's success was that he kept bringing in new assistants with new ideas?

That's pretty true, all of their assistants got a glowing reputation working as his number 2 and then got jobs elsewhere and struggled being 'the main man', true for Kidd, Mclaren and Queiroz at least.

Apart from those short spells with Wolfsburg and Forest I wouldn't really say that McClaren's career has been that bad. Gave Middlesbrough and Twente the best times they'd ever had in their history and now doing very impressive things with Derby.

Even with England, it's not as if losing matches against that Croatia and that Russia side is a complete embarrassment as they were both very good teams.

I wonder if he hasn't felt the pressure at Boro, Twente and Derby like he did for England and would he handle a big job like Villa? It'll be interesting to see how he does if a big club ever takes a punt on him again.

[Dave]

His biggest club job was Wolfsburg and that went very badly, so you could well be right on the pressure thing.

[saunders_heroes]

What we need first and foremost without question is a chairman with ambition and a large wallet which he is willing to open. Sadly With Lerner we haven't, and it whoever is in charge of the team will continue to struggle at the wrong end of the table.

[peter w]

My younger son when I sent him a text "Keane has done one" replied "bear shits in woods."   My kids are brilliant.   Bit coarse like their dad, but brilliant none the less.

I know someone who is at Man City (not a player -Head of scouting or something)and he sent me an email saying something along the lines of, "It's not like keane to walk out of a job is it"? Everyone saw it coming.

[Gregorys Boy]

I agree about Mclahan's mangerial career not looking too bad, and if he gets Derby up this season it will look even better.  I still think he is much better as a number two.  In fact I would have him to replace Keane, but there is no point discussing it as he will see out the Derby job and won't be availble for awhile.

[Matt C]

Some just aren't cut out to be managers but it doesn't make them bad coaches - McClaren being a prime example.

[Archbishop Herbert Cockthrottle]

If changing backroom staff gets us results then I suggest we randomly sack someone before each game.

[Dr Butler]

If changing backroom staff gets us results then I suggest we randomly sack someone before each game.

agreed...oh and thanks for the 3 points Roy..

UTV
The Doc

[john e]

Some just aren't cut out to be managers but it doesn't make them bad coaches - McClaren being a prime example.

You do know he's won the league and a cup competition as a manager ?

And it was the Dutch league which isn't to shabby, they play decent football there, you won't get away with hit and hope
The England thing is a misnomer everyone's failed at that, even Capello who's won the lot

I'm not saying he hasn't had his failures, he has, but that's not always a bad thing
I think it was Dave Woodhall who recently said he would rather have a manager who has had a few bad experiences elsewhere than someone who has had nothing but everything going right

[LTA]

Am I imagining it, or was it once said that part of Ferguson's success was that he kept bringing in new assistants with new ideas?

That's pretty true, all of their assistants got a glowing reputation working as his number 2 and then got jobs elsewhere and struggled being 'the main man', true for Kidd, Mclaren and Queiroz at least.

Apart from those short spells with Wolfsburg and Forest I wouldn't really say that McClaren's career has been that bad. Gave Middlesbrough and Twente the best times they'd ever had in their history and now doing very impressive things with Derby.

Even with England, it's not as if losing matches against that Croatia and that Russia side is a complete embarrassment as they were both very good teams.

There's not many managers in the UK outside the real top ones that have achieved what Mclaren has in the game, yes he's had his bad times but overall he's proved himself a bloody good manager in my view
The only reason he's not working with a bigger club in the prem is because of what he looks like and sounds like, people just don't warm to him he's a bit bland and comes over a tad boring, Curbishley suffers in the same way

I would be quite happy with him at Villa, I'd certainly take him over Pullis

I don't mean they can't do the job, I mean they didn't handle the pressure all that well, Mclaren struggled with the pressure at England (his results weren't terrible but he did what pretty much any half decent coach could've done with those players and nothing more), he just didn't have the personality to handle such a big job.  That's what a meant, basically all guys that are good coaches but aren't necessarily the right people to have doing press interviews and being seen as the 'boss' from the outside.

The England job was probably too soon for him in all honesty - something even he's admitted in the past.  I think the real reason for his unfair malignment was the treatment he got from the press

[tomd2103]

Some just aren't cut out to be managers but it doesn't make them bad coaches - McClaren being a prime example.

True Matt, yet when they have had a managerial job they seem reticent to want to go back to being a coach.  So much so that they often end up managing in the lower leagues rather than coaching in the top division.

[Gregorys Boy]

As a manager would say he is a solid-strong Championship coach but am not so if he could do it in the top flight.  But certainly have changed my view on him recently.   Derby were hash to sack Clough Jr but fact is under him they were a mid-table club who had an outside chance of the play-offs but now they are one of the automatic promotion favourites.

[mr underhill]

Steve's done a good job so far and all trace of that silly Dutch accent has gone - he can now Nah theen and Alrate youth wiv the best of them

[pauliewalnuts]

Interesting point re pressure and whether he can handle it. This would be his biggest club football manager job, so a certain amount of pressure is guaranteed. Look at it another way, though, and if he took on our manager job at the end of the season, he'd only have to improve on four years of absolute shite to be seen as doing well.

Which is similar to what we said about Lambert when he joined, mind, and look how that is turning out.

[Pat McMahon]

Interesting point re pressure and whether he can handle it. This would be his biggest club football manager job, so a certain amount of pressure is guaranteed. Look at it another way, though, and if he took on our manager job at the end of the season, he'd only have to improve on four years of absolute shite to be seen as doing well.

Which is similar to what we said about Lambert when he joined, mind, and look how that is turning out.

Good point Paulie but after the England job I imagine the pressure at Villa would be a doddle.