Championships preview: McClaren needs to stay positive despite poor form

From wally with the brolly to Forest folly, Steve McClaren is never far from the spotlight. And the under-fire manager will face continued pressure and the glare of floodlights when his Nottingham Forest team play at Watford tomorrow night.

Forest have been in poor form, are perched in the relegation zone and it seems everything the team touches turns to dust, not gold. Despite the doom and gloom, positivity is needed. But comments emanating from McClaren suggests even their head coach is struggling for motivation.

“I have been frustrated every day since the first day I came here,” McClaren said after a 2-1 home defeat to Derby. McClaren insists he won’t quit the club but he appears to have a defeatist attitude.

Indeed after his side fell 4-3 to Newcastle mid-week the former England manager said: “We were never going to win the Carling Cup. You can’t have everything.” The players’ commitment levels may have been raised that night but not the fans’ spirits after that comment.

Does McClaren see Arsene Wenger complaining? The Frenchman has been attempting to deflect sharp barbs of criticism from all angles for months but not once has he exuded negativity. “Are you still optimistic?” a reporter asked Wenger during their disastrous run. “ALWAYS!” rang the reply. Arsenal’s manager just keeps going, keeps giving the face of adversity the elbow. Forest could do with a dose of that defiance tomorrow.

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