Steve McClaren joined Newcastle United in early June, the day after both John Carver and Steve Stone has been sacked, and Steve and his coaching team ever since then have been like a breath of fresh air for Geordie fans.
And couple that with our acquisition of Gini Wijnaldum, Aleksandar Mitrovic and hopefully Chancel Mbemba today, and things are starting to look up.
Steve McClaren – on the training field
Steve has given a very good interview with Premier League TV today, and this is some of what he had to say:
“The thing for me that I always see, the vision, is that last game against West Ham. I watched the game at a friend’s house, massive screen, the noise blasting out.”
¨And I thought, ‘now there’s a football club that is sticking together.’ Its players are playing for the club. Fantastic attitudes, great football, won the game and therefore staved off relegation.”
“That’s what we need, to grasp that, bottle that and to build on it.”
“I’ve won a couple of trophies before and I want to win more” “The objectives of what Mike Ashley, the owner, wants to achieve is the top eight and to win a trophy,”
“It’s a huge pressure sometimes, the expectation is way beyond what you can achieve. But that’s also one of the key things why I’m here.”
“This club is unique. It’s like a religion. The faithful fans turn up every week, expecting, expecting.”
“When you win something it is the highlight. In football there’s a lot of ups and downs, and more downs than ups.”
“But believe you me, the ups, when you achieve them and when you experience them, not just as a club but as a crowd, as a town and as a community, it’s absolutely fantastic.”
“When you do that it just blossoms the whole club. We need to put a smile on the fans’ faces and make them proud, whenever we play, of turning up and watching this team play.”
“It’s a club I’ve always envied. I’ve been in the area for 15 years. I know everything about Newcastle. It was a long process to get here but it’s a pleasure to finally be their new head coach.”
Steve has hired a very good coaching staff in Paul Simpson, Ian Cathro, Steve Black, Alessandro Schoenmaker and Andy Woodman, who remains the goalkeeping coach.
We are not getting carried away, and it’s still all to do next season, but there seem to be some definite signs that Newcastle want to build a top team again, and at last seem willing to spend some big money in the transfer market this summer to strengthen the squad.
There’s at least hope for Newcastle fans this season, and there wasn’t too much of that in the last five months of last season – it was a living nightmare.
But hey, on the positive side of things – here’s hoping for a very good season coming up.
Comments welcome.
55 comments so far
Liverpool Mag
Jul 25, 2015 at 9:56 AM
Comment #1more good words from McClaren, he’s really won me over
Kris
Jul 25, 2015 at 9:59 AM
Comment #2Any stream for the game tomorrow guys?
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:03 AM
Comment #3ASHLEY…. reprieved? 😉
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:05 AM
Comment #4I am more of a action kind of guy…
If you do the right things nothing really need to be said!
Mag52
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:12 AM
Comment #5Colo as captain – no way. Krul’s the man.
Rotonda heights
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Comment #6SM gets it. Some previous managers (no names mentioned haven’t)
will die for the toon army
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Comment #7Mcclaren says e same words from his first interview to the Fans Forum and with Premier league.com. its the same stuff.
Lets wait for action.
Get in Abdennour, Shaqiri and Austin amd get e season starting. With those in and Wijnaldum, Mitrovic and Mbemba. Keep Cisse, Toite and Colo. With Mcclaren and Ian Cathro at helm. I wld be aiming for TOP 6.
Rotonda heights
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Comment #8will die
He’s doing his best.
why oh why
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:18 AM
Comment #9Shteeeeve is a class act
He knows what he wants and by all accounts Ashley is backing him and some
As for colo yes he was t great last season but gents look at what he was having to play along side.utter shite apart from jammnat.
He will stay as captain
Personally I would have jammnat as cpt
will die for the toon army
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:22 AM
Comment #10Now the arm band is btn Colo, Cheik and Colback. Coz Krul, De Jong, Janmatt, Sissoko have been on the same pitch as Colback and he was chosen so not on the top list.
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:22 AM
Comment #11Will die, I think we can forget Abdenour sadly, apparently he’s in talks with Barcelona and somehow, I can’t see him kb-ing them to come to us, more’s the pity.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:24 AM
Comment #12There seems to be a culture at Newcastle under the reign of Ashley where the manager needs to be more of a talker than a do’er!
Lets judge McClaren on what he does…so far you cannot judge him on much…if anything really (and that’s not a dig)
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:26 AM
Comment #13I had hoped Krul would have gotten the armband!
In English football they never seem to drop the Captain. Would make for a better start I think!
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:27 AM
Comment #14“That’s me in the CORNER, that’s me in the FLOODlights, losing my religion…” Not any more cocker!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:28 AM
Comment #15Janmaat could do it as well seing as we have no backup anyway!
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Comment #16Captain: Janmaat, de Jong, Krul and (mainly) Wijnaldum, strike me as having good leadership qualities. I like Jack C, and personally would always start him (given current squad) but I don’t think he is a natural leader.
seantoon
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:34 AM
Comment #17Anyone know where I can get tickets for tomorrow’s game?
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Comment #18Mclaren seem to have grasped what the Club is all about?
However, if he achieves half of what he wants to then i for one will be happy !
Its all Roses now but until afer a few games into a new season i will reserve my judgement.
But for now he is the Main guy and i will support him and the Club!
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Comment #19Seantoon. There’s a limited number available at the box office at SUFC. They say limited, but being a testimonial and not a sellout, I would be very surprised if they turned anybody away. That’s no guarantee, but based on commonsense
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Comment #20Jesper
Shaqiri seems like a wrong un, to me. I mean personality wise. (Recent pic with terrorist didn’t help image). Whilst I’ve said same about Ronaldo and really thought he would implode (given how far up his own rare end he seems to be) maybe it doesn’t make that much difference. Some effective footballers maybe aren’t that nice to be around; SMc will know all about having the right mix in the dressing room/around the coffee table as well as on the pitch. Plus, what’s critical and what’s irrelevant. Mancini is apparently pretty easy to fall out with as well, so maybe not all on XS.
will die for the toon army
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Comment #21Tim Krul for Me.
why oh why
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:41 AM
Comment #22Go online for tickets or ring Sheffield Utd ticket office
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:42 AM
Comment #23Sean re tickets
Can turn up (opens 11:30) and get tickets from box office. Thinking of heading over myself (I’m in Manchester).
Transfer Sage
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:47 AM
Comment #24Jesper
I agree. Far too much talking about what they want to do from most people over here.
I reckon most of that is due to the press. Managers and players have to go to that many press conferences to please the media who pay the bills they have to say something. I do agree it’s overly repetitive though.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:48 AM
Comment #25I see another young Brit is priced way above his level and potencial – John Stones.
…a huge problem with the HG rule and one of the reasons why not that many Brits plays outside of the UK or get their football education on the continent.
Would benefit English football so much though. I say drop the HG rule as we know it and think outside of the box in terms of how to develope the young English talent.
seantoon
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:49 AM
Comment #26Cheers lads, am going from huddersfield so not too far. Will we have to sit in the home section do you think?
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:51 AM
Comment #27Expat, bear in mind that it might take a few games for the new team and the new ideas to get working together. He’s clearly doing his level best to make this work and deserves everybody’s backing win, lose or draw. We might not even have all our transfers done before the end of August after all. We’ve now got a club that is visibly trying to put right the wrongs of the past 8 years. That’s all we demanded when all’s said and done. I for one am excited by the prospect and I suspect I’m far from being alone. HOWAY THE LADS! ! !
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:52 AM
Comment #28Sean
Some seats available in the away end according to http://www.nufc.com
sing in the corner
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:52 AM
Comment #29Never been a big fan of keeper captains myself, sometimes not in the thick of it enough for me..
Bring back Barton 🙂
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:54 AM
Comment #30Not if you get there early enough, there are some toon tickets still available at the box office, which opens at 11.30. If you’re there for that time you’ll get one with the rest of the lads nay bother. Best to be waiting for it to open i reckon.
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Comment #31Bobby
I too have dodged and delivered blows (reasonable force/in self-defence) on various 80s excursions with our team, and I feel the same knot of excitement now. Hawaaaa! the lads! Really looking forward to how the season develops.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:58 AM
Comment #32TS…good to see you mate. It’s been a while!
I hope it will all change when the season starts and McClaren is hopefully more busy with pressing matters 😉
I am also curious about something Charmley said in his press release back in January about who will talk about what at the club. So far it seems it was all static as usual with McClaren doing all the talking!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 10:59 AM
Comment #33*Charnley
seantoon
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:01 AM
Comment #34Thanks for your help Lads
Altamullan
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:03 AM
Comment #35Charmley-Charnley-Charmless… Wee new hoo ewe mint Jesper 😉
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:04 AM
Comment #36Even at the FF meeting the minutes states Charnley said almost nothing at all! What a w@nker! Pardon my French!
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:04 AM
Comment #37Altamullen, fair to say it was always worth it though. Extremely pleased it’s changed for the better or I would never have introduced my son to that carnage. So much better to have good craic with opposition fans than crack each other, like it was back then. Strange how everyone just accepted that as part of the matchday experience – we must have been crackers! 🙂
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:05 AM
Comment #38Altamullan…my phone just don’t want to write his name 😉
Bobbybee
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:07 AM
Comment #39We aim to please! Enjoy the game my friend. In fact, enjoy the whole season coz it’s going to be a whole lot better than that last disaster!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Jul 25, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Comment #40Altamullan @ #20…thanks bud 🙂