Return of the Mac

[Luke_1884]

Worthy of it's own thread, Mac's back in town.

Derby County is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve McClaren as their new manager.

McClaren, 55, has signed a contract which will run until the end of the 2017/18 season to return for his second spell in charge of the Rams.

Assistant Manager Chris Powell, First Team Coach Kevin Phillips and Goalkeeping Coach Pascal Zuberbuhler will all retain their places within McClaren’s backroom team.

McClaren’s previous spell in the Derby hotseat came between September 2013 and May 2015, during which time he guided the Rams to the 2014 Championship Play-Off Final.

Playing an exciting and attacking brand of football, Derby finished third in the Championship in 2013/14, achieving a record points total and a record number of goals scored in a season.

In total, McClaren oversaw 95 games in charge of the Rams and achieved a win percentage of 54%, with 51 wins and 22 draws.

McClaren played for Derby between 1985 and 1988 and was a Second Division title-winner. After embarking on his coaching career in the 1990s, he also tasted success as Jim Smith’s assistant during the Rams’ promotion campaign to the top flight in the 1995/96 season.

McClaren will oversee his first game back in charge when Derby take on Leeds United at the iPro Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Sky Bet Championship.

Derby County’s President & Chief Executive Sam Rush said: “We are delighted that Steve McClaren has agreed to re-join us as our manager.

“We enjoyed some fantastic and memorable moments under Steve during his previous tenure in charge.

“Steve’s arrival and subsequent work helped transform how we played our football. Steve’s time at Derby came to a premature end and I know he regrets that greatly. He values hugely his relationship with our supporters and I know that he will work very hard to ensure that the special connection returns.

“When we sat down as a board to begin the process of appointing a new manager it was apparent, as the architect of our style of football, that Steve was a prime candidate. Mel Morris, our Chairman, is clear about the plan for Derby County and we strongly believe that with Chris Powell, alongside Steve, we can ensure a successful future ahead.”

Speaking about his appointment, McClaren said: “I am excited to be back at Derby County as the club’s manager.

“I have a great affiliation with the club, having been here on three previous occasions, and I am really delighted at the prospect of finishing what we started back in September 2013.

“I regret how my time at Derby ended back in 2015 and I am very motivated to put things right for the club and our supporters.

“My ultimate aspiration remains exactly what it was before, to take Derby County back to the Premier League.

“This football club has fantastic ambition, brilliant supporters and wonderful backing from the Chairman Mel Morris. I am looking forward to working alongside Mel, as well as Sam Rush who initially brought me back here in 2013. Sam and I worked very well together previously and I am certain we can pick up where we left off.

Seems to have split our support in two, I'm not really sure which camp I'm in either to be honest. I guess I'm in the "go with the flow" category for now. Looking back on his previous spell here, overall it was far from a disaster. 52% win rate and that includes the horrific spell he finished with before he went to Newcastle.

The only way he'll shut up the laughing media/footballing world is to win matches and he was alright at doing that before, let's hope he can replicate and further his previous tenure.

 

[Leo]

Worthy of it's own thread, Mac's back in town.



Seems to have split our support in two, I'm not really sure which camp I'm in either to be honest. I guess I'm in the "go with the flow" category for now. Looking back on his previous spell here, overall it was far from a disaster. 52% win rate and that includes the horrific spell he finished with before he went to Newcastle.

The only way he'll shut up the laughing media/footballing world is to win matches and he was alright at doing that before, let's hope he can replicate and further his previous tenure.

Never understood why he decided to pack up and head to the North east when he did....a poisoned chalice if ever there was one at that time.

 

[BCFC David]

Never understood why he decided to pack up and head to the North east when he did....a poisoned chalice if ever there was one at that time.

He got sacked? Although was whoring himself to them while bottling promotion.

 

[Veggie Legs]

If he's focused on the job like he was for the first year and a half last time then there's no reason he can't do a good job again. I think Derby could have done a lot worse.

 

[Cheese & Biscuits]

All these clown sightings must be related to McClaren returning.

 

[Leo]

He got sacked? Although was whoring himself to them while bottling promotion.

Didn't recall that.

 

[Kilburn Ram]

I need a lie down in a dark room.

Can't get my head round the last couple of weeks. Today tops it all.

Could be worse, could support a boring non club like Reading or something. (With the greatest of respect to Reading and all that...).

 

[Super_horns]

Didn't recall that.

Same day as the 2015 Play-off final it seems.

Maybe just showing him what could have been!

 

[JaseTheVillain]

I like this league, even when we continue trying to be the laughing stock of our respective division, there seems to be someone else (mostly Derby so far) who decides to try and top our club in being a circus.

 

[Mansfield_Ram]

Wait till forest have a go. Fawaz has been doing plenty on twitter this week that has gone relatively unnoticed because of our situation

 

[Rammy]

Our club is unbelievable. An absolute farce bringing McClaren back. Can we sack him again now please?

The circumstances of his departure should have meant he never came near this club again, but oh no Morris is so desparate to playing a certain way again that he's gone crawling back to him. Pathetic.

 

[Haillay7]

Do you reckon we can have a refund for him?

 

[Rammy]

Do you reckon we can have a refund for him?

You can have him back instead? We'll take Rafa.

 

[Luke_1884]

Who would you have appointed Jimbob, purely out of curiosity.

 

[Rammy]

Who would you have appointed Jimbob, purely out of curiosity.

I quite liked the idea of Rowett, although not sure if Birmingham would let him go too easily.

 

[Magic]

To be fair we were probably one defeat away from replacing Monk with Steve Evans again so this looks like a great decision in comparison.

 

[91SPP]

Delighted, personally.

Pretty much every single player in the squad has severely weakened since his departure. Clement and Pearson just highlighted exactly how good McClaren was for us.

I just hope he can get us anywhere close to where he had us last time, because we're about a 10th of that side at the moment.

 

[JJH]

I need a lie down in a dark room.

Can't get my head round the last couple of weeks. Today tops it all.

Could be worse, could support a boring non club like Reading or something. (With the greatest of respect to Reading and all that...).

Bit harsh, every chance that Reading will finish above you this season!

 

[PDS]

I really think MCclaren is done in English football. He may well prove me wrong but the England experience (As well as Wolfsburg, Forest etc) seem to have left a permanent mark. There's no way he should have been given the job at Newcastle, let alone kept it for so long.

Maybe he'll prove me wrong but I just can;t see him replicating what he had at Derby last time, who seems to have fallen into a cycle of: Appoint manager, spend loads, sack manager.

 

[QPR_Matt]

My initial reaction was to laugh at this. But then I thought that all in all, Derby done very well under him (pre Newcasle link) and I think he will have learnt from that. I can see you going on a bit of a run, you'll definitely be there or there abouts for your usual play off bottle job.

 

[MagpieBee]

I think Maclaren sowed a lot of the seeds as to why they've been so bad since he left. If a team is really good they can run themselves, but a poor manager will eventually fuck it up and I think that's what happened with him last time

 

[JJH]

The thread title has gone unnoticed Luke_1884, very good work if it was intentional.

 

[Rammy]

Bit harsh, every chance that Reading will finish above you this season!

They're still a boring non-entity of a club though.

The thread title has gone unnoticed Luke_1884, very good work if it was intentional.

Definitely not a tagline used since he became manager the first time around...

 

[Madejski]

Bit harsh, every chance that Reading will finish above you this season!

Don't bother, we get it all the time... Derby fans have every right to be bored of us when we leave Pride Park (or whatever it is called now) every year with 3 points.

 

[Luke_1884]

I think Maclaren sowed a lot of the seeds as to why they've been so bad since he left. If a team is really good they can run themselves, but a poor manager will eventually fuck it up and I think that's what happened with him last time

Extremely harsh, the reason why we've been so bad since he left is purely down to a lack of direction and terrible recruitment. Nothing Macca did. The only thing he's guilty for is for not distancing himself from the Newcastle job and he's apologised for not doing so today, maybe a bit too late as far as saving season 14/15 goes but it should be water under the bridge now. Time to look forward and try and get this squad playing.