The topic doesn't seem to be going away.

Does Bob McClure, the pitching coach of the Red Sox, get along with the manager of his team, Bobby Valentine?

Prior to the Sox' 3-1 win over the White Sox at Fenway Park Thursday, McClure went a long way toward clarifying the situation.

"I think it's getting better all the time," McClure told WEEI.com. "Like I said before, guys might have blown it a little out of proportion. It's fine. It's like you getting to know somebody. The more you get to know them, the more you understand them, you don't misinterpret things. You know what I'm saying? So, it's good."

The whispers regarding possible tension between Valentine and McClure have circulated for much of the season, especially during a stretch in which it appeared as though the manager was leaning more on his longtime friend -- assistant pitching coach Randy Niemann -- instead of McClure.

But now, thanks to a mandate from Major League Baseball, Niemann is forced to watch games from the clubhouse due to regulations dictating how many in-game coaches a team can have. That has left Valentine with McClure in the dugout, with Gary Tuck (who began the season in the dugout while Niemann worked in the bullpen) in the 'pen.

"There's so many eyes. It's unbelievable, these people. In my opinion, it's been overblown," McClure said. "Was there anything as far as us not seeing eye to eye? Oh yeah, sure. But is it anything that can't be worked out? Of course, anything can be worked out. We're both trying all the time. To me, it's more just getting to know each other. The needs are from a pitching coach to what a manager needs."

McClure, who worked as a pitching coach in both the Rockies and Royals organizations, admits he has never experienced such a dynamic as the one he has gone through with Valentine. But he also pointed out that doesn't mean the system (and relationship) can't result in positive results.

"I've always thought it could work," he said. "I'll take the blame for that because I get hard-headed about certain things. Sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes that's a bad thing. Sometimes pitching-wise, being hard-headed helped me, and sometimes it hurt me. It just happens sometimes. As far as the animosity, that hasn't been the case. Miscommunication, possibly on my part, sure. Me getting pissed off and not want to say anything? Maybe. Like I said, he's the manager, so I need to go out of my way in order to find out if he needs something because he is the manager. It's my responsibility to the Red Sox, to the players, to the pitchers and to the manager to do my job, and that's part of my job. I'll just continue to do better."

The 60-year-old, who was hired by the Red Sox after Valentine took over as manager, said he hasn't had a specific meeting with the team's skipper to address any conflicts, but a better understanding of what needs to be done has evolved from McClure's point of view.

"It's like this: He's the manager, I'm just the pitching coach. If he wants something done then I'll do it," he said. "Now, sometimes maybe it's me misinterpreting the message. I would put that on me if there has been anything goofy about something not being right. I would take full responsibility. To me, there is never any animosity. It's just getting to know each other. It's like anything, it doesn't just happen overnight sometimes. He's the manager, I'm the pitching coach and there's an order to this. We both have ideas and I know I get kind of strong-headed about things. I'm not saying I'm always right. I could have been rubbing it the wrong way.

"But I think it's more of just getting to know somebody. I think more than anything, it's more understanding what he wants, what he needs, how he wants it done and just going from there. Because all that matters is winning the fricking game, as far as I'm concerned. I hate losing more than I like winning. I heard that in a movie or something, I heard it somewhere, but it's true. Just win."