McClaren's finally a lucky coach

On his Friday-morning walk through the heart of Vienna, ahead of England's meaningless, almost tragi-comic friendly win against Austria that evening, Brian Barwick had much to contemplate. Maybe that is why, as he marched through the magnificence of the Heldenplatz, the "Heroes Square" and past the Hofburg, the Imperial Palace, he didn't stop and barely lifted his gaze from the snow-coated paths.

As the chief executive of the Football Association, despite the existence of committees and boards, the need for ratification and procedure, Barwick was the man who drove through Steve McClaren's appointment. He was also the man the England head coach turned to last week, when the pair, in theory, discussed what McClaren called "business" and "certain meetings we've had before. Not my job".

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It was a silly admission by the former Middlesbrough manager, still a rabbit in the headlights a full 16 months into the post. Only tell the media you have met with the boss if the boss is then going to back you. Barwick didn't. Pure and simple. AndMcClaren knows that he has to secure qualification for next summer's European Championship to have any strong hope of fulfilling the £2.5m per annum, four-year deal he was awarded as Sven Goran Eriksson's successor.

But after beating Austria, and losing Michael Owen to injury in the process, McClaren didn't even know if he would fulfil this campaign. "At the present moment, yes," he said when asked whether he expected to lead England out against Croatia at Wembley this Wednesday. Even the Austrian coach, Josef Hickersberger, hardly a man with much to crow about given the woefulness of his team, said thefinal Group E match could be "embarrassing" for England.

And what of that qualification from McClaren when he said: "At the present moment?" It was a crushing admission of uncertainty and weakness. "All I have said is that I believe that yes, the first six months, seven months, was difficult and we were growing into everything, growing into the job and I think I've done that, "McClaren added of his stewardship following the World Cup. "But ulti-mately it's not my decision and it's got to be done for the best of English football and the England team."

This is not just a man floundering but one who has been rocked back on both heels and struck in the solar plexus. Being the England manager is not something that can be learnt on the job, espec-ially when all he appears to have learnt is that he wants to revert back to Eriksson's team and ditch his own pledges of youth and what he termed "pace and penetration".

But the wisdom of appointing McClaren in the first place also needs to be examined as closely as what has happened since then. The FA are split over what to do which, given their track record for obfuscation, is hardly a surprise. There is a mood to retain McClaren, to show faith in their man andbattle the apparently perfidious media come what may, which is thought to be headed by Sir Dave Richards, the low-profile chairman of the Premier League and one of the seven members of the management board.

They may even argue that Sir Bobby Robson kept his job after failing to qualify for the 1984 European Championship finals, also his first campaign, and then went on to relative success at two World Cups. But those were different times. England did not routinely qualifyfor tournaments and getting there then was more difficult, there were fewer places up for grabs.

Retaining McClaren is not the prevalent feeling, and the briefing last week that the response of the Wembley crowd would also be a factor in the decision was highly significant. It led to an outpouring of criticism,but football associations and clubs have done this before. Tottenham Hotspur pulled back from the brink of sacking Martin Jol earlier this season – before eventually doing the deed – because the supporters had not turned on him. Recently the Football Association of Ireland went through a similar debate before getting rid of Steve Staunton. It ishardly a sign of decisiveness, but it happens.

Indeed it may soundlike an X Factor-style execution, but Barwick and his associates are into self-preservation as much as success. They don't want the blame. The FA revenues are healthy but Wembley, all £800m of it, cannot be paid for through a failing national team. High-profile friendlies and tours to the United States can be set up but the fans may march with their feet. The FA are still haunted by the sight of a half-empty Old Trafford for the first match after last year's World Cup. A half-empty Wembley doesn't bear thinking about.

McClaren is aware of all this, and the way in which he explains the various scenarios is part of preparing the way for his departure. "We are all responsible," he said. "But ultimately it's my job. You live and die by the players, you live and die by results. I have always said that from day one and it will always be the case.

"I can make excuses about injuries, about the lack of talent coming through, if there is, about this and that and bad luck. But we've got enough games to qualify. We all ultimatelytake responsibility but the buck stops with me and I accept that."

There will be a word of thanks from Barwick for that mea culpa, and he will also have to weigh up who replaces McClaren. The chances are of a caretaker interregnum, probably headed by McClaren's assistant, Terry Venables, before the real business begins next year. If Venables succeeds, there will be a clamour for him to remain, although the main bandwagon will hitch itself to Martin O'Neill even if the FA will have an almighty task persuading him to move from Aston Villa after the shambolic way he was treated last time around.

For McClaren there will be sympathy for the roll call of injuries, the absence of both strikers and central defenders for the Croatian match, which will be no stroll, and the foolishness of this friendly against Austria. But the fact is that some managers are just unfortunate, and to take one point from three matches in Croatia, Israel and Russia is not good enough.

The body of evidence grows. McClaren talked enthusiastically about the emergence of Ashley Young, David Bentley, Micah Richards, Joleon Lescott and Scott Carson – he even had the gall to throw in Jermain Defoe's name – and warmed to the prospect of calling up Theo Walcott from the Under-21s to face Croatia. He then talked about the need for experience, praising Sol Campbell, a player he ditched, and expressing concern about the fitness of another he had omitted, David Beckham. He spoke of England's strength at set-pieces. It was depressingly familiar.

"It's been a difficult week," McClaren admitted late on Friday as he leaned against a wall in the Ernst Happel Stadium. "We're in a vacuum and it's not a good place to be. I'm glad I had this game. At least it's taken my mind off [things]. Saturday is going to be a long day now." It may have been followed by a long night.

Watch England against Croatia on BBC1 from 7.30pm on Wednesday