Journalists make it personal, turning up the heat on Steve McClaren to create words and to protect their own interests

Newspaper coverage of Steve McClaren’s final month as England manager was both relentless and remorseless. Even in the usually more even-handed broadsheet press the tone rarely rose above the standard “Sack This Fool Now” template. “This is a black and white issue,” wrote Martin Samuel in the Times on November 12, in a column headlined Fail and McClaren has to go. For the football press there was simply no alternative.

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Qualification failure leaves England searching for answers but are supporters aware of how heavy their expectations weigh? 

We had the cover of this issue worked out ahead of the Croatia match. “Disaster for England” would have been the headline, with two players discussing the fact that qualifying meant Steve McClaren was still the manager. We should have known better. Still, in the wake of the Wembley debacle, it has been suggested that England’s worst ever qualification failure may yet have a silver lining if it leads to the “root and branch investigation” of English football promised by the FA.

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When Saturday Comes is the only nationally available independent football magazine in the UK, and you can get it monthly for a very reasonable £4.50. You should be able to find a copy in your local newsagent, otherwise outlets that stock WSC include WH Smith, mainline train stations plus selected supermarkets. If you’re having trouble finding the magazine, you could do one of the following:

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WSC 273 is on sale in the UK October 7
UK subscribers should receive their copies October 5

Featuring
Youth football in crisis
The sorry state of coaching in England
Why new squad regulations won’t work
African players exploited in Europe

Around the world
Brazil’s most popular club?
Feud flares in Belgium
Why India underachieve
Red Bull in East Germany
Ukraine ready for 2012?
Italy says no to ID cards

Plus
Scotland’s World Cup woes
Property prices hit Arsenal
Crewe adjust to League Two
Fighting on the big screen
Strange squad numbers
Spurs fan’s legal battle

How to get WSC
Buy WSC 273 and get your copy posted today
Subscribe and get the magazine delivered to your door every month
Find your nearest stockist
Further details of availability

WSC 274 is on sale November 11

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