Promotion? Steve McClaren is aiming high after joining Rotherham United
NEW man Steve McClaren has set a promotion target as Rotherham United prepare for their first season in League Two in 14 years.
The former England boss has been appointed head of football at AESSEAL New York Stadium by chairman Tony Stewart who has given him complete control of the club's football operation.
The 65-year-old, who is close to bringing in a head coach, believes he has what it takes to turn around the Millers who have plummeted from the Championship to the fourth tier over the course of three miserable campaigns.
When asked if an instant return to League One was the aim next term, he replied: “Of course. But it won't be easy. The stats show that.
“The first job we have to do is to stop the decline. Then we must slowly rise. With the amount of players that we have to sign, with new staff coming in, it's not going to gel overnight.”
Teams dropping into League Two have found it hard in recent years to jump back into a higher division and he added: “We're going to need time and we're going to need patience - patience from Tony, patience from the fans as well.
“But, believe you me, we will work hard, we will be honest with each other, we will set standards. And in the good times and the bad times, we will be resilient.”
McClaren has spent many years in club management - as number two to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and then as the boss of the likes of Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Derby County and Queens Park Rangers - and accepts he must resist the temptation to be too 'hands on' once he has his new head coach in the dugout.
Recent ankle surgery will also curtail the amount of time he can spend on the training pitch.
He does have experience of an upstairs role, having helped out at Derby a few seasons after he had left the hot-seat at Pride Park in 2017.
“Not ‘managing’ the team is something that I have to deal with,” he said. “I've had that a little bit of that in the past. I did. I think, about 18 months with Derby County, in terms of working with Wayne Rooney and then Liam Rosenior and his staff in a bad moment in administration.
“I enjoyed that. But you're right, I've been a coach all of my life, and I've smelled the grass all of my life. My job is to make sure that I pick the coach and allow that coach to develop. It's about mentoring.
“I've enjoyed that the last year. I've done that with Jamaica (he was head coach of the national squad) and I've done that with the LMA (League Managers Association), going on different courses, mentoring young coaches.
“I feel it's kind of giving back. And that's what I want to do. I want to give back and help. Basically, that's the word - I'm here to help. I've done everything, so I know I can help. I have to shift my mindset towards that.”
McClaren has a huge rebuilding task on his hands and this summer should see plenty of recruitment as Rotherham look to fill the gaps left by 14 player departures.
“It's going to be difficult,” he said. “But I like difficulty. This seems a perfect opportunity. I want to work with good people, starting at the top. And Tony is a good person. He's here for the community. So that's a big, big advantage.
“We need to be a partnership that works together to get this club back. And it was just the right time - ankle operation, being sat there, itchy feet, what can I do?
“I've always had an idea of how a club should be run. I know what success looks like, I know what ingredients we need.”