A chance McClaren didn't deserve, as he huffed and puffed his way through qualifying for Euro 2008 in a group we should have stormed.
But he made a hash of it, and we had to pray Israel would produce a shock against Russia to keep us in the frame.
As it happens, Israel put qualification on a plate, as they did the unthinkable and won 2-1, and all we needed was a point ... at Wembley ... against a side who had already qualified.
But England's Euro 2008 dreams - and Steve McClaren's job - were washed away in the Wembley rain as Croatia claimed a shock 3-2 win as England players wilted in the face of defeat.
Two goals down at the break, and McClaren's big goalkeeping gamble having backfired in catastrophic fashion, the boss turned to David Beckham for salvation.
Who To Blame - The Manager Or The Players?
On his 99th England appearance, the veteran midfielder almost provided it too, setting up Peter Crouch for a superb equaliser after Frank Lampard had converted a 56th-minute penalty.
But remaining on level terms against a team with nothing to play for proved a task too far for sorry England, who didn't deserve to be level in the first place.
And when substitute Mladen Petric beat hapless Scott Carson from 20 yards 13 minutes from time, there was no way back.
Let's be honest, was there anyone (apart from the old duffers at the FA) who really believed McClaren was good enough to manage England?
But the FA, in all their glory, had him at the top of their list ... and at our expence ... got exactly what they deserved.
Times have not changed. It was the same in the 1980s when the board at the FA asked Brian Clough (and he was only interviewed because the national newspapers held a campaign!) what "A" levels he had.
Clough put his League, League Cup and European Cup medals on the table, and replied: "THESE are my 'A' levels".
He was then told, "that is not what we mean Mr Clough".
Who will replace McClaren? Obviously a "yes" man, as always.
The first seeds of England's downfall were sown by Carson's monumental early blunder.
The youngster, plunged into the biggest game of his life in place of Paul Robinson, just five days after his international debut in Austria, could not have endured a more miserable evening.
He was SHOCKING!
On this stage, at this level, there is simply no excuse. Not the rain. Not a swerving ball. Nothing.
At no point did Lampard or Steven Gerrard get hold of the game, at no point did Crouch look a threat and at no point did England's defence look capable of resisting Croatia for the remainder of the game.
As he delivered potentially his last half-time team-talk, the boos of his own fans once again ringing in his ears, McClaren made his final substitutions.
He still stuck with Carson, and instead sent on Beckham and Jermain Defoe.
Josip Simunic, the man booked three times by Graham Poll at the last World Cup, was panicked into a penalty box tug on Defoe. The foul was spotted by an eagle-eyed assistant and up stepped Lampard to send Pletikosa the wrong way.
Now, the crowd were right behind England, forgetting just how badly they had been let down before.
And who should respond most positively of all but Beckham. With one deft chip, he picked out Crouch, who controlled on his chest before rattling home his 14th international goal.
McClaren darted off the bench, punching the air in utter jubilation. But the Great Escape ended as substitute Petric belted home from 20 yards to knock the stuffing out of us all!