Steve McClaren was aiming to win over the supporters’ hearts and minds last Wednesday.

It was, he said pre-match, important to seduce the fans again and rekindle their desire for England after the debacle that was Germany 2006.

Well, as admirable and understandable as that plan to re-ignite the flames of love was, it didn’t quite happen did it Steve?

In fact, I would hazard a guess that if they fans were contemplating breaking up with him before this match, they will now have packed their bags, gathered up the kids and moved in with their mothers.

I have scoured the thesaurus for words to describe the defeat against Spain and the closest I found to sum it up was ‘insipid’. With the possible exception of five minutes at the beginning of each half, England were dire, aimless and devoid of ideas. They played like they didn’t care and I thought that was something we had left behind when Sven got the elbow.

I was one of those who was all for England having an English manager but it increasingly seems like McClaren is simply not up to the task. At the time I thought there were better candidates out there but Steve was given the job and deserved the chance.

But, with England’s qualification for next summer’s European Championships now hanging by a thread, his time is fast running out.

I would very much like to see McClaren succeed. But it now looks like his time as Sven’s assistant has tainted him not just in terms of public opinion but also in terms of management style.

The football England produced on Wednesday was actually worse than that they regularly served up under the Swede. And it was under the Swede that the rot started to set in the relationship between the fans and their national team.

If McClaren wants to really rekindle the romance he needs to make some changes and he needs to make them very, very quickly indeed. Only comprehensive and coherent victories over Israel and Andorra next month will be enough to get the fans to even think about moving back in.

Anything less and it might be time to get a good divorce lawyer on the phone.

Fourth richest club

That Manchester United now find themselves the fourth richest football club in the world is no great surprise. Times change, fans change, revenues change, everything changes.

But what is surprising is who knocked them into fourth place. Real Madrid and Barcelona in first and second is no great surprise. But Juventus in third?

According to the figures, based on income from ticket sales, merchandising and television revenue but not player transfers, United have slipped from second to fourth behind the fallen Italian giants.

Now, this list – based on the 2005/06 season – was compiled well before the scandal which saw Juventus relegated, so obviously that won’t have been taken into account.

But, even so, I am surprised that the Italians were able to generate more turnover than United, especially considering all my Juve-supporting friends tell me they struggle to fill their stadium even when in the top flight.

And can there be a better club than Manchester United when it comes to merchandising? A more easily recognised international brand? I think not.

Still I suppose considering they were compiled by Deloitte these figures should be pretty reliable.

But, a title for united and scandal for Juve later, I bet they are very different next time round…

Sir Alex and Ronaldo

Sir Alex may be a good manager and an astute tactician but never have a wager with him.

The United manager had a pre-season bet with Christiano Ronaldo that he wouldn’t score 15 goals this season. Here we are, just into February, and the Portugal star has already notched the required amount.

Now, the bet is only for 400 pounds which is the sort of money these people find down the back of their sofas. But, even so, the canny Scot is not ready to kiss it goodbye just yet.

“Penalties don’t count!” he claimed at the weekend after Ronaldo scored from the spot against Spurs to reach 15.

Even if they don’t, big man, I think it is fairly safe to say that over the next four months the tricky little winger will reach the required target… and exceed it.

So dust off the cheque book Alex and give the annoying little genius his dues.

Football chant of week

Football chant of the week has to go to Leeds fans who displayed remarkable and admirable humility during their latest defeat to Norwich.

“We’re not famous any more!” they sang their hearts out.

Sadly it’s not true. They are. Just for all the wrong reasons…

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