Derided as a buffoonish figure of fun for attempting to keep dry while his England team failed to qualify for Euro 2008, McClaren is currently attracting far less media attention for steering Derby County to fourth from 14th in the Championship after a run of just two defeats in 15 matches since he replaced Nigel Clough in September.
But it must also be said that his tenure also coincided with Rangers' worst-ever run of competitive results and a record string of Old Firm defeats.
Rafael Nadal's searing honesty has always sustained him in troubled times and, while the Spaniard is perhaps a couple of defeats short of a crisis, he admits this summer has not been one of his best.
Morgan replaced him but this campaign got off to a disastrous start with heavy defeats handed out by Australia in Melbourne and New Zealand in Wellington, a match that lasted around half the allotted overs in total, before the first win was gained against Scotland in Christchurch.
Its roots are in the second world war and the mutual loathing of both teams and sets of fans intensified after "The Mother of all Defeats", when the Germans famously triumphed over the Dutch in the 1974 World Cup final.
Chester-le-Street showed that there's a psychological fragility about the side to complement the more obvious technical flaws that blighted the first two defeats in this series.
The Tories lost their reputation for economic competence on Black Wednesday in 1992 and would have to suffer three election defeats before they were allowed anywhere near the steering wheel again.
Managed by McLean since 1971, the club had enjoyed a decade and a half of success, consisting of two League Cup wins, a first Premier League title in 1982-83 and five further Cup final defeats, confirming their progression from the smaller club in Dundee to their part in the "New Firm" in Scotland.
A 3-0 defeat at home against rivals Dundee was one of four defeats between the trip to Romania and prior to the New Year, as the team slipped five points behind leaders Celtic (in the days of two points for a win) and also dropped below Rangers into third.
After the derby defeat and all the ludicrously overblown talk about derby defeats and post-match parties, after the free publicity for Kevin Roldan and the propaganda for others, from president to players, Madrid were back in front of their fans at last.
"If the money defeats me, " he says quietly, turning back to me, "I will disappear".
