Outcast McClaren now a hero

Monday 23 February 2009

The stunts of FC Twente have been in the news for a while now and thus it's a justified question whether people in England are getting excited about the achievements of Steve McClaren, the coach of the Tukkers.

With his suite and bright red scarf around his neck he is every inch a gentleman after FC Twente needed a lot of fortune to beat Sparta Rotterdam on Sunday.

He was an outcast in England one year ago after he failed to qualify for the European Championships with England.

Surely he must have gained some more respect now that he is doing so well with Twente?

"I am sorry," says the 47-year-old.

"I don't read British newspapers anymore and I am not looking for information or appreciation from England."

In Enschede McClaren has already been put on a pedestal.

They praise his openness and the results are spectacular.

Second in the league, quarterfinal in the Dutch Cup and very close to achieving the same in the UEFA Cup after Thursday's 0-1 win in Marseilles.

But Sunday it should have gone wrong in Rotterdam.

It had been 13 years since Twente last won a game at Sparta and McClaren too was wondering whether his players would be sharp enough three days after their great performance in southern France.

Because that is what you can expect from a top side.

The Englishman knows this.

In the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson he worked with the top players of Manchester United and experienced first hand how immense the pressure can be at the top when he was with the national team.

FC Twente is different.

A provincial club with big ambitions, but with a group of players who are not used to having to win every week.

"This was a very important game for us," says McClaren after the fortunate win over Sparta.

"I was wondering how the boys would do. I might have some experience as a coach but just talking about it is not enough. The players must experience it themselves, they must learn from what they are going through in these weeks."

Shortly before the game he was told that Twente have a lot of trouble taking anything from Rotterdam.

No other Eredivisie team has kept Twente from a win for such a long time as Sparta have.

"Somebody from a TV-station told me just before the game. No, I didn't mention it in the dressing room. I kept it to myself."

After four minutes Sparta seemed to just give away the points when Sander van Gessel scores an own goal.

A top team is then supposed to seal things of and play for keeps.

But after half an hour Sparta deserved to equalize from the spot.

Briefly Ajax, PSV and Heerenveen can get their hopes up for the second spot, but McClaren acts during the half-time break.

He made two substitutions and had no trouble taking of playmaker Kenneth Perez as the Dane was coming very close to a red card.

McClaren tried to influence the fourth official and called upon his players for more sharpness but also knew he had Eljero Elia, Blaise N’Kufo, Marko Arnautovic and Theo Janssen out on the field, and that all four of them can decide a game.

"This is Theo's day," McClaren says with a big smile after Janssen wins the game for him with a fluke shot in the final seconds of the game.

But apart from that he is calm, cool almost.

First there is the home game against Olympique, on Thursday.

"And in the league there are ten games left to play, so it's only just begun. There can be enough trouble or bad luck on the way."

McClaren knows all about it.

A year and a half ago he was cursed in England.

And now, very carefully, his name is being mentioned at a number of Premier League sides.

But if we are to believe him he will never know...