Steve McClaren’s spell as England manager was a low point for all concerned. McClaren, promoted from within the England staff, was well respected as a coach and would go on to win the Dutch Eredivisie title with FC Twente after leaving the national team post. Under his tutelage England failed to qualify for UEFA Euro 2008, an occurrence that has thankfully been quite rare in recent years. The mercifully brief McClaren era’s true nadir came at the end – Croatia, Scott Carson and an umbrella saw to that – but in February 2007 the calls for his head were already increasing in volume and frequency.

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