Which England manager was the Wally?

[Nick Bateman]

Steve McClaren the infamous "Wally with a brolly"?



or

Current boss formerly of Fulham Roy Hodgson seen here in his days at Liverpool during a torrential downpour??




One would have thought it made sense to use an umbrella if there was heavy rain??

[Wolf]

I know the bloke who handed Steve McClaren that brolly. Works for MLS now - no brollies required!

[tommy]

I know the bloke who handed Steve McClaren that brolly. Works for MLS now - no brollies required!

vanvoucer Whitecaps in the MLS still need a brolly. Rains every time i am there

[alfie]

I could and never will understand all the fuss because he was standing their with a brolly, I would have done the same. I look at the picture of Roy and think Why?  :49:

[BigbadBillyMcKinley]

It's in the Sun. That's a comic!

[RaySmith]

That's how McClaren was remembered, after all he'd achieved in the game - still is, despite going some way to rescue his image - shows the power of the media, and the desire to ridicule to sell papers -especially an England manager.

And managers are still scared to put up umbrellas against the rain, or even wear a hood or cap-lest they be ridiculed.

[Fulham1959]

If we saw a man in the street, dressed in a suit and standing in the pouring rain, we would think, "What a Wally!".

A ridiculous fuss was made of this.  Yeah, it would have been so macho to get soaking wet and it would really have inspired the team . . . NOT !

[HatterDon]

It's always amazed me that his value as a manager has always been defined by his standing under an umbrella. You guys over there crack me up.

[ron]

"When staying dry seems like hooey
When it's wise to get soaked to your socks....
Then it must be the parapluie
That provides the paradox...."

[dannyboi-ffc]

I think the umbrella was a massive over reaction but I also take Woollys point and agree with him. I wouldn't do it as a manager, in a way it shows weakness like a defender who wears gloves. For someone with his experience I thought it was a silly thing to do especially with the way our media is.

His handling of Beckham is what annoyed me. I think dropping him was an ego problem and it backfired. We would have qualified if he treated Becks properly. Just like Pearce with the Olympic team,it was almost as if they were intimidated or jealous of golden balls and in the end both got what they deserved.

Woy doesn't look great getting drenched though so not sure who Id rather be lol

[RaySmith]

Yes my thoughts entirely about the way McClaren treated David Beckham poorly, as though he wanted to stamp his authority, well he came unstuck with that also, and then came the ridiculous scenario of instructing his full backs not to cross the half way line, and by the time McClaren had the operation to remove his pen and notepaper from his hand, the damage had been done.

These were negative things that were highlighted in the press- but you can find fault with all managers if you focus on that.

But the fact was that he wasn't a success as England manager, unlike...............hmm, Alf Ramsey, though only in '66, not later on, and the press seem to delight in undermining England's managers; but McClaren does have a good track record over many years in the game as manager and coach, and doesn't deserve to be remembered as 'the Wally with the brolly.'

Should it really be considered weak and unmanly these days for a manager to shelter from pouring rain under an umbrella?

[Nick Bateman]

I do recall Kit Symons also getting soaked last season, clearly the "Wally with the brolly" tag affected him.

[Vienna1]

Perhaps Steve M. just didn't want his coffee to be spoiled by rain...  :021: