The former England manager was sacked for the second time as Derby boss after a poor run of form.
Derby County manager Steve McClaren
There is no denying that Steve McClaren suffered from a poor run of form before his second sacking as Derby County boss this weekend.
In his second stint as manager, the former England manager had won just 1 of his previous 9 games, leaving Derby in 10th just 5 months after being reappointed.
His sacking nevertheless feels a little premature – when McClaren took over the club in October 2016, they were lying in 20th, and were grateful for the sudden impact the change of manager produced.
Has Mel Morris reacted too quickly? Especially considering where the Rams were before McClaren returned to rescue a terrible start. Has he been trigger happy – something a growing number of bosses in the Championship have been accused of in recent years?
McClaren lead his team to an FA Cup third round upset versus West Brom, and won 12 of his 26 games in charge, losing 8.
Admittedly it has not been a stellar season for the Rams, but they are hardly in a position to panic over, and the firing of McClaren so soon after being appointed and a slight dip in form suggests an insecurity within the management of the club.
Of course, the morale of the club is important, and perhaps it’s true that the unity of the players and manager fell apart. After 4 new managerial appointments in 21 months, though, it’s tricky to see where the morale is going to come from next for Derby.
Derby County’s manager Steve McClaren
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