Up in the stands

It may be an understatement to say that Steve McClaren is an easy target for critics after that infamous qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 in charge of England. The use of umbrella on that tormented night against Croatia didn’t help either, and neither did the abysmally guided press conference in attempted pidgin Dutch after taking the reins at FC Twente. However, after winning the Dutch Premier League with the club from humble Enschede, his stock saw something of an upturn and, after an ill-fated spell in charge of Wolfsburg, he has been permitted a route back into England and a shot at redemption.

With a few days to go until the new season of Premier League football, the self- titled best league in Europe, there is a sense of anticipation that this will be most exciting, open title races in years, with the big teams all spending big money and strengthening to land the biggest prize.

At around this time last year, Fernando Torres was heading into a new campaign with a team that had just undergone a change in management following a poor preceding season and there was a fresh buzz about the place, partly due to the goal-scoring potential he promised once he would get back to full form. This time round, he finds himself in a similar situation but in very difficult circumstances, for it is now the blue of Chelsea he represents, rather than the red of Liverpool and it is the price tag he carries with him as a result of that switch, a paltry £50 million, that has stuck further expectation on the shoulders of the Spaniard.

With both teams adding to already impressive squads, La Liga may be on course for another year in which Real Madrid and Barcelona fight it out for the title in what is a recurrent theme. Barcelona have drafted £22 million striker Alexis Sanchez into their League and Champions League winning squad while their dogged pursuit of Cesc Fabregas is ongoing.

The rebuilding process is underway for Liverpool, started in January with the acquisition of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll, it has continued into the summer with a ringing endorsement from owner John Henry, who said that his club will prioritise the future, and not just look for short term benefit.

Despite the staunch refusal of Inter Milan’s technical director Marco Branca on Tuesday evening regarding the potential sale of Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United, speculation is still rife that United have indeed made a breakthrough and some media outlets claimed that David Gill has even travelled to Milan to finalise a £35 Million deal.

Back in the summer of 1983, Dario Gradi was offered a route back into club football management after being cast into the wilderness as a result of failure at Crystal Palace. That June, he embarked on an unbelievable journey that begins its 28^th year at Gresty Road in charge of Crewe Alexandra.

Coleman’s work at the Manchester club has originated from scratch, from the depths of the Northern Premier League in a remarkable journey which had its latest stop in the League 2 play-off semi-finals back in May.