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Steve McClaren has apologised and said he deserved to be sacked back in 2015

7 years ago
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Steve McClaren has admitted that he deserved the sack back in May 2015.

Rumours that he was going to be appointed as Newcastle Manager (Head Coach) had been circulating for months and indeed it was reported that he had turned down the job a couple of times and asked to be considered at a later date.

After bizarrely being given the Derby County job once again, Steve McClaren has now belatedly admitted that he handled things badly the last time when managing the Rams.

McClaren says he should have been ‘quashing’ the Newcastle speculation and ‘committing’ to Derby County during that 2014/15 season as rumours were rife about a move to St James Park after Alan Pardew walked out.

Steve McClaren has now apologised to everybody at Derby County and says they ‘had every right to sack me’.

The serial failure also accepts that some Derby County fans may find it hard to forgive him (read HERE what they were saying back in May 2015).

Steve McClaren:

“I am a very, very lucky person, I feel very lucky, very honoured to be given the opportunity to come back.

“My mistake was not quashing that (Newcastle speculation during 2014/15 season), not dampening that, and not committing.

“That is my fault and I apologise for that, by the time I had committed to the club (Derby County), the club had every right to sack me, and they did. I could have no qualms about it.

(Asked if he understood why some Derby fans might be still angered by his conduct):

“Absolutely and I can understand it. As I said, I failed to quash that, calm that, and that was my mistake. I did not do it quickly enough and, by the end, it was too late.

“I always felt I had a good relationship here with people, the staff, the players, the supporters. It was really just an unfortunate end last time that has really soured things: for myself, the staff, the players, the supporters, for everybody.

“I have to accept some responsibility for that, and I do, but I am looking forward to what is a fantastic challenge. Now we have to work together and produce a team the supporters can once again be proud of.”

As for Newcastle United only last month, Steve McClaren was insisting that he had been the right man for the job, but the only problem being it was the wrong time…:

“Run correctly and rightly, as a football club it (Newcastle United) will thrive.

“Unfortunately, I was the right man at the wrong time at Newcastle United.

What Rafa has done is gone in and gained control. It needed a big change.

“He has bought players with Championship experience, leaders in the dressing room, which was something that was badly needed.”

Steve McClaren on his own future:

“The next step in the future will be as a chief executive or sporting director, or even running my own club.

“To do that I had to acquire different skills and go back to school. It’s probably old age. I always wanted to coach and manage. I know that won’t last forever.

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