Uitgebreid interview Steve McClaren

One of the most successful English exports to the continental game in recent years has been Steve McClaren. His title success with FC Twente in the Dutch Eredivisie in 2010 made him one of a handful of rare English bosses to have won a top flight league in Europe since the Second World War. We even thought so highly of the achievement that he was awarded the Les Rosbifs Coach of the Year Award last year.

Since this success he has endured two difficult spells – with Wolfsburg in the German Bundesliga (where he became the first Englishman to manage in the league), and the other with Nottingham Forest in the Championship. It is safe to say – as an outsider looking in – that neither of these two roles would pass advertising standards regulations, while the regular interest in acquiring the services from overseas highlights two things: he is a man in great demand; and sections of the game in England still employ that same, myopic stance when it comes to any former England manager.

Steve very kindly gave up a couple of hours of his time to talk about his experiences overseas, both in the Netherlands and Germany and how it has influenced his approach to the game.

LESROSBIFS: The Eredivisie title with FC Twente: would you class that as the biggest success of your career?

STEVE McCLAREN: Absolutely, yes. When I was at Manchester United, being part of all of the successes we enjoyed there, I thought it would be fantastic to win a league title as the manager of the team. And so it proved. Twente are a fantastic club.

What stood out about your time there?
Everything about the club really. Right from the top, all the way through the club were well organised and focussed at every level. But there is also the culture of Dutch football: the way they think about the game, right from an early age. The emphasis on the tactical side of the game is prevalent from an early age.

Clearly you are highly thought of in Dutch football circles (Johan Cruyff thinks so for a start!). Would you go back?
Yes. I keep in touch with the game over there, speak to a lot of people. I enjoyed my time in the Eredivisie.

How did the Wolfsburg move come about?
Frank Arnesen (former Chelsea sporting director, now fulfilling the role with Hamburg) was a friend of Dieter Hoeness, who was general manager at the club at the time. He was interested in bringing me to the club and, I must admit, it was a very attractive offer. I took my time making the decision, but in the end the desire to become the first Englishman to manage in the Bundesliga was something that really appealed.

How was the relationship with Hoeness?
Both parties (Hoeness and I) had to adapt to each other and, I think it is fair to say, we both failed to do this. It’s like any new job in any new environment: all parties have to adapt to each other, and I had to adapt to the new working environment. It takes a while to do this but I felt I was getting there.

Reports suggested some communication problems with some of the players, such as Diego and Dzeko.
The Wolfsburg dressing room was very multi-cultural, with many different languages and nationalities. Coupled with that, the humour in the dressing room (a big part of football) was difficult for some players to get into. As things went on communication was fine.

During the summer, I reported on a number of ‘credible’ rumours from a number of ‘sources’, stating you were going back to the Netherlands – either with FC Twente or Vitesse. How close were you to moving back?
I’ve had opportunities to go back, yes. I spoke to a couple of clubs…

The ones I mentioned?
I did speak to Twente, yes. I had the chance to go back, but I wanted to come back to England. That’s when the Nottingham Forest offer came up.
The youth teams all watched the first team in action… (and) would be set homework which focused on a tactical aspect of the game…

We won’t discuss that; it’s already been done to death! What are the differences in mentality between English and continental players?
Dutch players are very strong technically and tactically. This comes about from the way they are brought up by the clubs from an early age. To give you an example: at Twente, the youth teams from 11 years old and upwards all watched the first team in action. They would be set homework which focused on a tactical aspect of the game. Their coach would read, mark and feedback on these…It develops a very strong tactical understanding of the game from a very early age.
Everybody in the Netherlands is a coach. Everybody you met – even if you were out shopping – discussed tactics with you and offered sensible opinions on such matters.

How about in Germany?
In Germany, the players were supremely strong mentally and physically, and I think we are really seeing this at the moment with the strength in depth they have in all age-groups. English players have benefitted from the quality of players coming in from overseas to the Premier League; the English tend to be a mix of all of these factors.

Why do you think so few Englishmen are prepared to play or coach on the continent? Why do so few English managers/players try to make it abroad and when they do, they often “disappear” to the media.
I can’t answer about the media, but it is fair to say that our national and footballing cultures do not have the best reputations overseas. I think there is, amongst Englishmen, a lack of desire to move away from the comforts of home.

How aware are the FA and the national team of the efforts of Englishmen playing/coaching abroad? Did you scout them?
The England set-up tend to scout English footballers abroad regularly. Players now, such as (Joe) Cole and (Scott) Carson have been , and will be, watched.

Mancienne: Benny Hill and Mr Bean might come in handy
Do you think Michael Mancienne is the sort of player who will succeed in the Bundesliga?
It is difficult to go and play abroad and Mancienne deserves credit for giving it a go. He must make sure he is not isolated from the squad and the local culture. Things will be different to what he is used to, but the multi-cultural environment at Chelsea will have been good preparation for him.
The humour in a German dressing room will be different to what he is used to, but again his experiences will have given him a head start. If he is adaptable and makes an effort to learn the language, he will be fine.

Did you ever consider signing an Englishman for either Twente or Wolfsburg?
If a player has the right mentality, I would sign them for my club without hesitation.

How did you find the Dutch and German perceptions of English football? Was there a certain degree of respect for how the English play and coach the game?
There is not a lot of respect on the continent for the coaching cultures and systems in England.
Both the Dutch and Germans respect English football. They admire the mental strength of the players, the physicality of the game. The tempo and aggression stands out about the Premier League. These are the positives.

Any negatives?
There is not a lot of respect for the coaching cultures and systems in England.

In what way?
In terms of how the players are coached from a young age, the lack of technical and tactical work compared to other nations and so on.

How do you feel the youth systems compare in quality?
The differences are incredible. I’ve already spoken about how the Dutch focus on the tactical side of the game from an early age. The key difference between them all though is the amount of money spent on youth development in the Netherlands and Germany, compared to England. Looking at Germany right now, you can see what good quality youth development work does.

Personally speaking, what did you get from working in the Netherlands and Germany?
Great experience. I have learnt from the different ways of working, which leads to broader knowledge and a greater appreciation of football worldwide. I have also gained experience of adapting to different places and situations.

What impressed you most about the approach to football in those countries?
In the Netherlands: the tactical emphasis placed on their football. In Germany, their organisational efficiency and discipline.

What would you want English clubs to take from your experiences abroad?
It would benefit the coaching system in England if the clubs would put more belief in their coaches and systems. Instead of giving good English coaches a chance at the top, clubs tend to look overseas more than they do within their club or lower down the divisions. In the Netherlands, if a coach is good, they get their chances.
In terms of players, I would love to see our children taught game intelligence from a young age, just as they do in the Netherlands.

How were you treated by the continental media?
Very well. I would have lunch with the Dutch media every Friday and on the whole, they were very fair. The German press were stricter/harsher, but good.

Did you feel the English press were gunning for you after the England job, whilst abroad?
To be honest I never read anything they wrote in the end. I ignored it when I was abroad.

Do you feel you left Middlesbrough at the right time? Looking back do you wish you stayed and left under better circumstances?
I think I took them as far as I could. The final of the UEFA Cup is some achievement!

A Dutch journalist friend of mine asks if you have followed the progression of Luuk de Jong? What do you think of him?
He is a very good player; very talented.

What are your thoughts on the top Dutch clubs giving young Dutch managers and coaches a chance, and why is it not the same in the English game?
Sadly it’s the culture of the English game. In Germany and Holland they believe in their coaches; they give them the support they need. In England it is just not the same.

Any regrets?
Millions!

Bron: lesrosbifs