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Steve McClaren turns down League One job – Reports

7 years ago
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Steve McClaren surely had to run out of luck sometime.

It is still amazing to think he somehow landed the England job.

Whilst I still have nightmares remembering the moment when I found out he’d got the Newcastle post.

Amongst the many, maybe the very worst ever decision by Mike Ashley. A Premier League club supposedly with aspirations, deciding to employ somebody who had been sacked for failing in the second tier – simply because he was willing to take the job with no say on which players were bought or sold and to basically do as he was told.

The fact Derby County actually took Steve McClaren back, was potentially an even worse decision than Newcastle’s, though they quickly realised just how daft they had been and sacked him once again only five months after taking over in October 2016.

Since leaving Derby in March, there have been numerous reports of him applying for jobs in both the Premier League and Championship – but not surprisingly clubs are now staying well clear.

Maybe his luck has finally really ran out but Steve McClaren just doesn’t realise/accept it.

Reports today say that Wigan approached McClaren for their vacancy but he knocked them back.

The Sun say that their information is that the Lancashire club spoke to the former Newcastle Head Coach and he went away to think about it, before telling them that he wasn’t prepared to drop down into League One.

You have to ask though, just what level of club would now take him?

The one-time Newcastle Manager recently denied he was interested in becoming Huddersfield’s Director of Football and reiterated that he is still looking for his next club to coach/manage, rather than take a job upstairs.

Steve McClaren speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I am purely at Huddersfield games because I admire the way that they play.

“They play great football and it’s only just up the road from where I am and you always get an exciting game.

“Sporting Director? Not for me at the present moment, I want to coach and manage.

“Many people have been linking me with a Sporting Director role – but there is no way I am ready for that.

“That is something in a few years time – I am a coach, a manager, and I want to work on the field.”

Last September, having been out of work since being sacked by Newcastle in March 2016, Steve McClaren said on starting a two year part-time course at Manchester Metropolitan University in order to gain a Masters degree in Sporting Directorship, that he still wanted to be a Manager for the time being.

Steve McClaren talking to BBC Sport – 13 September 2016:

“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.

“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.

“I still have a few years left in me yet on the field (as a Manager).

“I have had offers from abroad, but nothing that appeals. I don’t want to go to China. I feel I have something to offer here. If not here, then in Europe.”

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