McClaren has been a controversial, unadventurous choice. It was worrying to learn from his former captain at Middlesbrough, Gareth Southgate, that earlier this year, the senior Boro players virtually had to take over the team. Pressure in the Premiership, after all, is nothing to what pressure can be in international football.
On Wednesday, England play in Macedonia, and that could well be a troubling test for McClaren and his team. Not that the Macedonians are a side of any great consequence, but they showed when they drew with England in Southampton, and perhaps when they won against Estonia in the present group in their initial match, that they are not to be taken lightly.
In other words, just the kind of awkward game in which apparent favourites, not least England on past record, can come embarrassingly to grief.
It is, of course, too early to calculate how the international picture, in such a state of flux after the recent World Cup, is likely to seem when it settles down. Lurking in ambush later on for England are Croatia, who are never easy to beat though their chief marksman, Dado Prso, is giving up the international game and their recent 2-0 win away to a scratch Italian team should not be taken seriously.
Also Russia, now under Guus Hiddink, who will surely get more out of his side, with their vast potential reservoir of talent, than recent managers have done.
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It remains to be seen how a bunch of newly appointed managers will fare, including Roberto Donadoni with Italy, who replaced Marcello Lippi.