McClaren reveals reason for quitting

Published Oct. 3, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Steve McClaren claims he stepped down as Nottingham Forest manager because they didn't share his ambition.

The former England boss quit the City Ground post on Sunday after seeing the Reds beaten 3-1 at home by Birmingham in the Championship.

That defeat, Forest's sixth of the season, proved the final straw as McClaren opted to walk away from a role he had held for less than four months.

His arrival as Billy Davies' replacement over the summer was greeted with scepticism by some supporters, but he was expected to build on the foundations put down by his predecessor.

McClaren encountered the same problems in the transfer market that had annoyed Davies, though, with an apparent lack of backing from the club's board leaving him frustrated.

"I resigned - they don't share the ambition that I came for," said McClaren.

An eventful evening on Trentside also saw owner Nigel Doughty announce his intention to step down as chairman at the end of the season.

Having been the target of pre and post-match protests, he is prepared to stand aside.

Doughty has pumped millions into the club during his decade at the helm, but concedes that his decision to appoint McClaren was not one of his better calls.

"We should have been more thorough when we appointed Steve," he said. "I just felt it was a bad decision all round."