McClaren is certainly making a stir by dropping David Beckham and suggesting he could have won his last cap. And he gave the new Newcastle captain, Scott Parker, a glimmer of hope of a recall to the team when the ex-Middlesbrough manager travelled to Tyneside to watch him in action last weekend. Only to dash his hopes by not including Parker in the 25-man squad ahead of Wednesday's friendly against Greece at Old Trafford.
McClaren faced the press to announce the omission of David Beckham, the appointment of Terry Venables as his assistant and the confirmation of Chelsea's John Terry as the new national team skipper.
Yet for Parker, perhaps the news wasn't so much of a shock. With Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the team, it would take a player of tremendous talent to force their way in, and Parker was far from his best when McClaren came looking.
Parker: "I don't know what to think about it all, to be honest. It has been a while now and every time it pops up, there seem to be whispers about myself and a place in the squad.
"There have been a few times when people have said I'm going to be in and, for whatever reason, it just hasn't happened. I have tasted the England thing before and that just makes you want it even more. It was a dream of mine when I was a kid and the dream only gets stronger once have had a little taste of it in the past.
"All I can do is try my best and play as well as I can for Newcastle and, if I get England recognition from that, I will be ecstatic. There have been disappointments in the past so I have stopped setting myself up for more."