It was another summer of disappointment in 2006 as England threatened to produce their best form at a major tournament before suffering yet more heartache at the World Cup as Portugal claimed victory on penalties in Gelsenkirchen.
Sven-Goran Eriksson was unable to deliver glory with England's 'golden generation' and it was time for the Swede to leave his post to make way for one of his assistants to step into the limelight.
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On August 1, 2006 Steve McClaren officially started his reign as England manager. The appointment had been confirmed in May, with supporters of the national team voicing their concern over whether the right man had been picked to lead the country's group of underperforming stars forward. Trusted as a brilliant number two under Eriksson and Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson, the question of whether he could deliver success for a team blessed with great individuals continued to be asked.
Prior to beginning his new role, there had been signs of encouragement in the previous season as he guided Middlesbrough to the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the final of the UEFA Cup, before seeing his players outclassed by Sevilla.
It was an obvious, if uninspiring, choice by the FA. Luiz Felipe Scolari was the man they wanted, but after the Brazilian had eventually rejected an approach, there were calls for an Englishman to be given the job. Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley were among those considered for the role, but the FA elected to select someone who had already had a taste of international football. The confidence they had in their new man was certainly admirable.
Brian Barwick, the FA's chief executive at the time, said on the day of McClaren's arrival in Soho Square: "It's very exciting, isn't it? It's a new chapter and a new era. The England team has huge support and a huge following, and now it's a huge opportunity.
"His first challenge was to find a coffee machine, his second challenge was to find my office and his third challenge - and the real challenge - is to build an England team that we can all be proud of. And I am happy he will be able to do that."
It wasn't long before McClaren's first game had arrived, and talk of David Beckham's omission from the squad for the friendly against Greece was soon replaced with cautious optimism as the hosts cruised to a 4-0 victory at Old Trafford, before beginning their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign with two wins.
However, the honeymoon period would not last long for the England boss as an awful week in October 2006 heaped the pressure on his shoulders. A goalless draw with Macedonia was followed four days later by a 2-0 defeat to Croatia, with that air kick from Paul Robinson bringing some unwanted headlines to McClaren's front door.
Even when England were recording victories, McClaren was struggling to escape criticism from the frustrated supporters. After limping to a 3-0 win over minnows Andorra in March 2007, there were clear signs that the stress was beginning to reach new levels. Journalists were in the crossfire as he fought back, with the media being told: "Gentlemen, if you want to write whatever you want to write, you can write it because that is all I am going to say. Thank you."
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There seemed to be no way for McClaren to win over his critics, but a chance was there for him to gain some time. England needed just a draw from their final qualifying match with Croatia in November. It was an unforgettable night at Wembley as the hosts fought back from two goals behind only to see Mladen Petric secure a 3-2 victory for the Croatians. McClaren watched on with an umbrella in hand, opening himself up to ridicule on one of the most disappointing evenings of football for supporters of England. The final whistle was blown, and his fate was sealed.
Less than 24 hours later, McClaren was removed from his post just 16 months and 18 games after he had walked into the FA's offices with the full backing of his bosses. Fabio Capello was drafted in as an expensive replacement, and McClaren returned to club football, going on to enjoy success in Holland with FC Twente before spells with Wolfsburg and Nottingham Forest.
"At the time I thought I was ready, but the job finds out that you're not ready," McClaren told reporters in May of this year. "I didn't have the experience and, together with a little bit of bad luck as well along the way, it didn't work out."
The 53-year-old is now winning plaudits with Derby County in the Championship, but losing his tag as the 'Wally with the Brolly' could be a challenge just too difficult to overcome.
