Championship 
/ Paul Moon / 21 June 2011 / Leave a Comment Paul believes Steve McClaren can succeed at the City Ground
"Apart from Sven Göran Eriksson, there's nobody else currently managing in the Championship with the pedigree of McClaren."
He may not be Brian Clough and he may not be Jose Mourinho but, England aside, Steve McClaren has a stellar CV and can guide Nottingham Forest back to the top flight, argues Paul Moon.
As a Nottingham Forest supporter, I was horrified to hear of the cruel sacking of Billy Davies and then equally dismayed by the subsequent appointment of Steve McClaren. At least I was initially because, once the dust had settled, a different picture emerged. After looking at the pros and cons of the appointment it became apparent that this was an excellent move for Forest.
England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008 still rankles and McClaren will likely never live down the wally with brolly tag. However, with this new appointment, McClaren has pitched his return to English football perfectly. With some prestige and a reasonable core of players to work with, the club looks like the perfect vessel for McClaren to destroy the caricature he created for himself and advertise his credentials as a quality manager.
Whether McClaren is adept at scrapping for points in the Championship remains to be seen but the division plays more football these days than it used to and it may not be the barrier it once was. With his temperament the suggestion is that he will work well with football consultant David Pleat and it is possible that a man of his stature might be able to unlock the purse strings, something Davies was unable to do latterly, with current chairman Nigel Doughty.
Apart from Sven Göran Eriksson there is no one else currently managing in the Championship with the pedigree of McClaren. Also, with the exception of Brian Clough, a coach of international repute has never managed Forest and not since 1996 under Frank Clark has the club experienced any degree of sophistication.
Since 1996 the Forest boardroom have relinquished good judgement and employed a conveyor belt of honest but uninspiring sorts, including Dave Bassett, Micky Adams, Mick Harford, Gary Megson and Colin Calderwood. This was interspersed with three dreadful appointments: Joe Kinnear, Ron Atkinson and David Platt, the damage of which is still felt today.
McClaren's absence from English league football is a slight negative. Once back in the groove and with his international and European experience behind him he should be stronger and more rounded than he was in November 2007.
Setting aside the debacle with England, his coaching CV is impressive. He is yet to receive sufficent credit for winning the Dutch Eredivisie with FC Twente. Sir Alex Ferguson does not suffer fools gladly and had him as number two when Manchester United won the treble in 1999. At Old Trafford he gained a reputation for being one of the most tactically astute coaches in the country. His term at Middlesborough was the most successful in their history, winning the League Cup and reaching the UEFA Cup final.
McClaren's association with Manchester United could help Forest this season with regard to loan players (now an important resource for Championship clubs). With his comprehensive knowledge of European football, he's also likely to attract quality players who might not be radar on radar of other clubs. At least one signing of that sort is imminent.
This job is not without pressure. McClaren will be expected to get Forest promoted at the very least and it is traditional in Nottingham for former players to snipe from the sidelines at the first hint of failure. Regardless, I believe McClaren is up to the task.
Betfair prices to win the 2011/12 Championship include: West Ham [5.7] Leicester [8] Birmingham [11] Reading [13] Nottingham Forest [14] Middlesborough [14.5] Cardiff [20] Blackpool [20] Southampton [20] Leeds [20] Ipswich [23] Burnley [27] Brighton [26] Bar [30].
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