Post by Neko Bazu on May 1, 2007 8:29:06 GMT -1
football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,2069496,00.html
;D
Perhaps they should play England's remaining home Euro 2008 qualifiers in Oxford. Certainly Steve McClaren must have struggled to identify the strange noise that greeted his introduction here as part of Peter Rhoades-Brown's testimonial Oxford XI. Steve, it's called applause. It means they like you. And, a couple of isolated boos apart, they certainly seemed to.
McClaren appeared alongside a selection of other famous former Oxford players, including Rhoades-Brown himself, who is now the club's community officer. The England manager seemed unusually happy with life too, at least while he was signing shirts with his big left-handed "Steve" outside the ground. Warming up before kick-off he looked like what, in another guise, he is: someone's dad playing football.
The England manager was 27 and at Oxford when a back injury led to his retirement as a player. Descriptions of McClaren in his prime usually refer to a "cultured" midfielder. Here he looked closer to thoughtful, ponderous even. Ronaldinho is said to play with a smile on his face. McClaren does everything with a smile on his face, although by the end of his brief appearance it had become more of a grimace.
The England manager took the No8 shirt against a youthful Chelsea XI. The opening minutes were spent waddling around purposefully in the holding role. Would he be able to dovetail effectively with his midfield partner Jim Magilton? Apparently so, judging by one early scuttle forward, accompanied by a frenzied burst of pointing. Frank? Stevie? That's how you do it.
At times it was a typically cagey McClaren performance. His first touch was a back-pass. His second saw him fall flat on his face attempting a square ball to his left-winger. A diving - or rather toppling over slowly - header received raucous cheers. That was about as good as it got. Before long, like an unhappy goldfish, the England manager could muster only a listless circuit of the centre of the pitch.
The rest of the game was pretty much Chelsea attack versus Oxford defence, with the visitors eventually winning 4-2. The Israeli Ben Sahar was sprightly, as he had been against McClaren's England in Tel Aviv. The pacy winger Scott Sinclair looked like a jetski slaloming between the rusting hulks of Oxford's defence, particularly during one groovy early shuffle that left the England manager in his wake.
McClaren is famous for what he did after he left Oxford. The crowd were more interested in the likes of their former striker George Lawrence, who exuded a looming menace during his 10 minutes on the pitch. But there was a certain protectiveness in the applause as the No8 trudged off after 20 minutes. McClaren gave a prim but heartfelt little clap back towards the main stand. He looked, it has to be said, completely knackered. This was apparently the first time any England manager has taken part in such a high-profile match. By the look on his face, it may be a while before it happens again.
McClaren appeared alongside a selection of other famous former Oxford players, including Rhoades-Brown himself, who is now the club's community officer. The England manager seemed unusually happy with life too, at least while he was signing shirts with his big left-handed "Steve" outside the ground. Warming up before kick-off he looked like what, in another guise, he is: someone's dad playing football.
The England manager was 27 and at Oxford when a back injury led to his retirement as a player. Descriptions of McClaren in his prime usually refer to a "cultured" midfielder. Here he looked closer to thoughtful, ponderous even. Ronaldinho is said to play with a smile on his face. McClaren does everything with a smile on his face, although by the end of his brief appearance it had become more of a grimace.
The England manager took the No8 shirt against a youthful Chelsea XI. The opening minutes were spent waddling around purposefully in the holding role. Would he be able to dovetail effectively with his midfield partner Jim Magilton? Apparently so, judging by one early scuttle forward, accompanied by a frenzied burst of pointing. Frank? Stevie? That's how you do it.
At times it was a typically cagey McClaren performance. His first touch was a back-pass. His second saw him fall flat on his face attempting a square ball to his left-winger. A diving - or rather toppling over slowly - header received raucous cheers. That was about as good as it got. Before long, like an unhappy goldfish, the England manager could muster only a listless circuit of the centre of the pitch.
The rest of the game was pretty much Chelsea attack versus Oxford defence, with the visitors eventually winning 4-2. The Israeli Ben Sahar was sprightly, as he had been against McClaren's England in Tel Aviv. The pacy winger Scott Sinclair looked like a jetski slaloming between the rusting hulks of Oxford's defence, particularly during one groovy early shuffle that left the England manager in his wake.
McClaren is famous for what he did after he left Oxford. The crowd were more interested in the likes of their former striker George Lawrence, who exuded a looming menace during his 10 minutes on the pitch. But there was a certain protectiveness in the applause as the No8 trudged off after 20 minutes. McClaren gave a prim but heartfelt little clap back towards the main stand. He looked, it has to be said, completely knackered. This was apparently the first time any England manager has taken part in such a high-profile match. By the look on his face, it may be a while before it happens again.
;D
