So, I couldn’t help but notice that many people on Bleacher Report have started regular columns. Being something of a sheep, always following the herd, I certainly didn’t want to miss out on this new trend.
I figure that if enough of us have regular columns, it can only be a good thing for the growth of the football community on B/R. I also figured that if I didn’t have my own column, I would be a loser.
My column, "And Another Thing," will hopefully become a weekly event—where I analyse one topic from the past seven days that has really interested me.
Ideally, it will be a topic that has been given little coverage by the general press, adding even more creative journalism to the great World Football section of our beloved B/R.
It may not be funny, it may not be interesting but...well, at least it gives me something to do. Along the way, you might just see something about it you like—and it might even stir some debate.
So, without further ado, here is the first installment.
It is not easy to like Steve McClaren.
Ever since Stewart Downing and Massimo Maccarone propelled the former Manchester United Assistant Manager towards becoming the FA’s “unanimous” choice for England's head coach, the faintly-ginger one has done little to endear himself to the fans.
The Three Lions’ drab performances on the pitch, and his sickening smile off it, always made it unlikely that people would warm to him.
Unpopular to start with, there quickly came the faltering Euro 2008 qualification campaign, the “Wally in the Brolly” incident, and our subsequent failure to reach the main event in Austria & Switzerland.
Not content with that cracking piece of work, McClaren refused to resign from his post, thus forcing the FA to pay hefty compensation so he would kindly sod off.
The English public thought they had finally got rid of their bete noir, even if he had to be pushed. They should have known better.
To firmly rub salt into already painful wounds, McClaren ended up working for the BBC at Euro 2008, offering his “expert” analysis on the unbelievable teams that had actually managed the strenuous task of qualifying.
All in all, it was damn hard to write anything remotely nice about the man. Arguably, it still is.
When I heard he had taken the managers job at Dutch side FC Twente, I was just glad it meant that (presumably) I no longer lived in the same country as the loathsome man.
Now, however, I have to admit my stance has changed—I even have some grudging respect for the former Middlesbrough manager.
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