Steve McClaren considering future

Nottingham Forest manager Steve McClaren is understood to be considering his position at the City Ground.

McClaren only took charge during the summer following the dismissal of Billy Davies, but Forest have made a poor start to the season and he has been frustrated by a lack of activity from the club in the transfer market.

The former England manager had hoped to bring in a number of reinforcements to help Forest challenge for promotion to the Premier League, and called on the board to show their ambition before Wednesday's 11pm deadline.

However, the squad was not strengthened as much as McClaren would have liked and his future at the club is now in doubt.

McClaren has gone away for a few days during the international break for a period of reflection, and is expected to make a decision by the end of the weekend.

McClaren's predecessor at the City Ground, Davies, regularly called for support in making new signings during his two-and-a-half years at the helm.

Davies guided the club to back-to-back play-off finishes but did not manage to secure promotion and was relieved of his duties in June.

Forest are currently 18th in the Championship standings five games into the new campaign, having lost 4-1 at home to West Ham last Sunday.

McClaren had been determined to prove that he could be successful in English football after a miserable spell in charge of the national team earlier in his career.

He repaired some of the damage to his reputation with a title-winning stint at Dutch club FC Twente, before moving to German outfit Wolfsburg.

But he lasted less than a season at Wolfsburg after finding that he did not have full control over transfers, and he now faces a similar situation at Forest.

I wish Grayson at leeds would resign as he has the same problem. Forest and leeds should have been close this season, but now not able to compete. Grayson should resign and save his reputation, because the longer this goes on the worse he will be seen. Maclaren can walk and tell everyone that the board gave him promises which were not kept, and his reputation would be intact, but by leaving it until things get much worse, he will be tarnished. So both managers should stand up and be counted in my humble opinion.

when you look at 18th to 21st in the table you wonder how any of the teams are down there, Forest, Leeds, Reading, Birmingham. Hell alot of Bristol City fans are frustrated by our manager for how we've played this season and for how he has worked in the transfer window. None of our fans expect anything other than survival this season and we are currently 17th.

Could Leeds be suffering from a bit of second season syndrome, they are not an unknown quality anymore and teams could be working them out slightly? Forest, could just be taking a while to play McClaren's way plus him not being backed in the transfer market the way he would have liked could mean the slow start to the season. The real supprise for me has been Reading, apart from Shane Long has there been any real loss to the squad?

Its ridiculous, its far to early to panic. Sunderland lost their first 5 games in a row when Roy Keane took charge but they went on the gain automatic promotion. Too many knee jerk reactions these days.

Mr H wrote:Its ridiculous, its far to early to panic. Sunderland lost their first 5 games in a row when Roy Keane took charge but they went on the gain automatic promotion. Too many knee jerk reactions these days.

It's the fact he's considering his future not the board considering his future that is the striking thing, that how they didn't seem to back the transfers he wanted so doesnt feel he gets the support he needs.

As a Leicester fan, all I have to say is:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Not very constructive, but still...

hodge wrote:

Mr H wrote:Its ridiculous, its far to early to panic. Sunderland lost their first 5 games in a row when Roy Keane took charge but they went on the gain automatic promotion. Too many knee jerk reactions these days.

It's the fact he's considering his future not the board considering his future that is the striking thing, that how they didn't seem to back the transfers he wanted so doesnt feel he gets the support he needs.

Seems Stevie Mac's idea of a promotion transfer kitty and the board's are two rather different things. Mind you Billy Davis left over pretty much the same thing, after fighting with the board for over a year, didn't he? So, it would seem its not exactly a new problem.

That said, I reckon that, despite their results, Forest do have a decent squad, capable of finishing in the play-offs at least. I'd be surprised if they weren't there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

As a Forest Fan, I understand that he hasn't been given any money or the chance to sign players.

However he shouldn;t be here, Billy should have been given another year to complete his task.

Now look where we are under the Wally with a Brolly, it's a farce. Get rid of him!!!

AntLord wrote:As a Forest Fan, I understand that he hasn't been given any money or the chance to sign players.

However he shouldn;t be here, Billy should have been given another year to complete his task.

Now look where we are under the Wally with a Brolly, it's a farce. Get rid of him!!!

Actually, Forest have signed 5 players since Mclaren arrived. Three frees and two others for a combined fee of £1.8m. Most of them seem good signings.

Besides, who would you bring in to replace him at such short notice?

The guy took us to a UEFA Cup Final and we also won the Carling Cup with him. Okay, you've had a poor start, but at least give him until January before you start pronouncing judgement on him. I reckon he'll come good.

1 Win, 2 Draws (one against Leicester) and 2 Defeats (one against West Ham) isn't the worst start, plus you're on a bit of a cup run.

I seem to recall we got stuffed in our first 4 games under S Mac - so no need to panic, this is a 46 game season

I dont know what McClaren was expecting ? Billy Davies had the same transfer money problems every season he was in charge . I'm surprised he thought that would change .

Partly a ploy to bring in some loan signings tomorrow I suspect. He said this was his big chance to rebuild his reputation, if he walks away after a few games its dead.

Graeme Swann's Cat wrote:Partly a ploy to bring in some loan signings tomorrow I suspect. He said this was his big chance to rebuild his reputation, if he walks away after a few games its dead.

He's only rebuilding his reputation in England though, he won FC Twente's first ever league in Holland and I'm sure if he wanted to he could move back abroad fairly easily.

he needs to deal with what he has got, ask managers in the lower leagues what they think, they dont throw a strop just cos they dont have millions to spend

He Has resigned

Chairman has said he'll leave at the end of the season as well.

I wonder whether he can viably manage again in this country?

I genuinely think he will find it difficult to get the respect of English players and fans purely because of his failures at International level. It's wrong, but he will do well to escape that particular stigma.

He can definitely find a club abroad again, I'm sure. His reputation as a coach is pretty strong and it tends to be that sackings on the continent mean far less than they do in this country -- it doesn't make them a bad coach, just wasn't right at the time.

I think the best thing Stevie Mac can do now is try and find an overseas club, like Twente, where his managerial style seemed to work really well.

I think he probably is finished as a manager in England - unless he's willing to drop to League 1 or 2. One of the smaller SPL or First Division teams might be another option.

To be fair, I think Forest have done the right thing. McLaren said he was going to resign after the Birmingham game, whatever the result, but that he'd hoped to leave on a high note. At least they've got time to find a suitable replacement. Nice to see the chairman taking his responsibilities seriously too.

Wish both Forest and McLaren better luck in the future.

Wish Forest luck? No way lol!!

IMO Steve McClaren should have never left Twente.