UEFA Cup

A 1-0 home win for Steve McClaren’s FC Twente saw us reap the rewards.

Lyon aside, there’s no too much between the standard of the French and Dutch league’s and second tier representitves from each clash in Holland on Thursday in the Uefa Cup.

While he didn’t excel during his brief spell as England boss it should not be forgotten just how successful Steve McClaren was a club coach and manager before he took the job and having taken over the reigns at FC Twente during the summer he could not have asked for a better start.

Unbeaten in the Eredevisie after four games, McClaren now has his sights set on reaching the Uefa Cup group stages and will need his side to turn around a 2-1 deficit against Rennes on Thursday if they are to do so. At odds against, I am more than willing to take the chance that they can.

Having finished fourth in the top flight last season FC Twente qualified for the Champions League but were unfortunate to be drawn against Arsenal in the preliminary round. There was only ever going to be one winner of that tie, the Gunners eventually running out 6-0 victors on aggregate, but the Uefa Cup was always a more realistic target and they could go far in the competition. The club has produced a number of talented players down the years and McClaren has a capable squad to work with.

It was no surprise to see Rennes establish a first leg lead, coming from behind after the wonderfully named Romano Danneboom had given the visitors the lead, as they are a much stronger outfit on home soil but have yet to find the net on their travels so far this season. There’s no doubt McClaren, a former Uefa Cup finalists as manager of Middlesbrough, would have taken that a fortnight ago however, having bagged an away goal, and he’ll be confident his side can turn things around.

Sylvain Wiltord, the former Arsenal star still going strong at the age of 34, will pose a threat for Rennes but FC Twente are strong at the back, only PSV conceded less in Holland last season, and know one will be enough to send them through. The 2.25 freely available on them doing so looks more than fair to me.