We have empathy and sympathy for any Premier League manager these days because anything and everything they say comes under intense scrutiny – and it´s good most of them don´t read the papers otherwise they may go stark raving bonkers – so to speak.
Alan Pardew said he never read the press when he was at Newcastle and that was a good decision by Alan.
Steve McClaren – Wally with the Brolly
Steve McClaren doesn´t seem to either, because in his press conferences when certain stories are brought up that have been in the papers – he doesn´t seem to know about them.
Good for him.
But if you cannot take the criticism you are probably not cut out for this particular job – which pays out big money but maybe at the expense of the health of the PL managers.
That wouldn´t be good.
Steve took some horrendous criticism when he was the England boss for a short 16 months before he was eventually fired – and he has said this about that particular difficult life experience:
“After England, I could have worked the next day,” “Get back on the horse and work the next day. That’s what I wanted to do.”
“It was a massive blow to my confidence and belief but I still had that.” “I felt I had a lot to do and prove. I was only 44, 45, at the time, so I knew I was only young and I had to recover.”
“It is always 24-7, thinking of this that and the other, wherever you are in the league.” “Between 3am and 6am are the best times to switch off.”
3:00 am to 6:00 am eastern time over here in the US is when I do my first stint on the blog, so that´s not a good time to switch off for me – although some would claim that´s exactly what happens – given some of the articles that go out.
🙂
It´s 4:50 am right now and the game kicks off at 11:00 am our time – and I take the dogs out around 6:00 am – sometimes before that – they are asleep on the bed right now – a rottweiler Olive and a boxer mix Milo.
As my wife Madeleine keeps asking me over these last eight years – why are you doing this stuff in what are supposed to be our golden years?
That´s a good question.
But I don´t have a good answer to that other than I may just be a complete idiot.
Yeah – that´s probably it.
Hey – all I want to see today is a Newcastle win like any other Newcastle fan and I´ll be very happy – extremely happy and it makes it all worthwhile.
I may even take Madeline out to dinner – I´m not daft.
Howay The Lads!!
105 comments so far
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:12 AM
Comment #1What’s all this obsession with horses?
Jib
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Comment #2Mark Douglas is quite right.
He gives it the usual Douglas spin but after the club’s treatment of him that’s OK and perfectly understandable.
We tried to sign Rudiger , Matip , and Vestergaard in the Summer , for differing reasons the deals fell through .
Time was running out , Colo was on the point of signing for Pardew , his transfer out had to be postponed until at least the next window.
In August Colo suddenly found himself in a very strong negotiating position , which he took advantage of , no blame for that , he’s not a charity.
After effectively no preaseason under his belt he had to kick up a couple of gears. He’s played some good games
He should be commended instead of derided by no marks like Toonbrother.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:17 AM
Comment #3Ron…what horses?
…I even think Big Mike mistook a donkey for a horse 😉
cyprus
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:20 AM
Comment #4Steve,
to excel at the hippodrome you’ll need to remove the blinkers, relax about the surroundings and pressure and get on with it man.
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:21 AM
Comment #5Jeff…it was still another uncalled for gamble by club!
…we are in this predicament because of the non existing experience by our shambles of a board!
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:23 AM
Comment #6*the club
jesperfuglsang - capt'n awesome of the lemon crew
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:24 AM
Comment #7BandB…the queen of spin!
hibbitt
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:27 AM
Comment #8coloccini and charnley have dinner most thursday nights a loch fyne gosforth and have done for a number of years interesting to note charnley speaks fluent spanish ?????
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:29 AM
Comment #9hibbitt
I was wondering how they communicated!
cyprus
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:29 AM
Comment #10Somebody talked about Chelsea beating a poor A. Villa. Good point, man. Wish we get Chelsea’s luck though. That was a lucky win, all the way.
hibbitt
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:31 AM
Comment #11jib do you not watch the games coloccini has been dire and your talking about commending him
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:32 AM
Comment #12Munster is going curmudgeonly these days, back on with his I Heart Pardew thing and now adding some challenging Irish chest beating in the rugby to the mix. Relax Munster, Jeffs got the annoying Ass thing tied down, leave it to the expert. And by the way, Rugby, Schmugby.
Is Steve garnering sympathy as well as loyalty now? Hmm. Nope. Not interested. Win today Steve, just…win.
lesh
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:37 AM
Comment #13Off thread but could McClaren’s stated ambition of winning 10 of the next 30 have been a part of Black’s reverse psychology – tell the players that’s all they’re capable of and they’ll do their best to prove otherwise?
Just a thought.
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:37 AM
Comment #14jesper
Here’s a heart-warming fact:
“The Black Cats’ last three managers – Paolo Di Canio, Gus Poyet and Dick Advocaat – each lost their first game and went on to win the derby in their second match in charge.”
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:40 AM
Comment #15Ron it’s a stat but I think it’s not necessarily new manager syndrome, more a statement – ” we may be dire, but not as dire as them”. Unfortunately they’ve proved it time and again.
Jib
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:42 AM
Comment #16Hibbit
Colo has not been dire.
He has made the odd gaffe whcich have cost us.
Show me a defender that doesn’t it’s the nature of the position .There are compilations on Youtube of John Terry clangers , are you telling me JT’s dire ?
You are like so many moronic fans who are given an opinion by a clown and take up the chant like the kids in “lord of the Flies”
“Kill the pig”
“Pards plays hoofball”
“We need Obertan for his speed”
yadder yadder yadder
spitfire_
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:43 AM
Comment #17I don’t care, Steve. I don’t want to be your pal, I don’t need to listen for your personal life details. I just want from you to start win games. That’s it.
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:44 AM
Comment #18Hate to agree but with more support from our pathetic and I mean absolutely pathetic midfield, our back line would look pretty solid. Beleaguered rather than bad is the word.
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:46 AM
Comment #19Tsunki
McClaren’s provisional new rallying cry: “Go out and show you’re less dire than SAFC!”
hibbitt
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:47 AM
Comment #20back to normal jib ……….. no point in talking to you
sparky55
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:48 AM
Comment #21Lesh
winning one in three out of next 30 when our current track record is winning one in 18(?) seems a very tall order to me
Is it 18 games other than west ham since we won a game or is it more?????
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:48 AM
Comment #22Ron – that’s ambition that is 🙂
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Comment #23Tsunki
I think the parasite would approve!
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:52 AM
Comment #24” let’s go out and make our own luck against the mackems boys – bring out the horse and cart! “
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Comment #25OK lads, we’ve lost against the scum so many times I can’t remember which one was last, a derby win or the Fairs cup, but let’s remember ‘United we stand’, at least for the first half. After that ‘United we should probably sit for a rest’. Now let’s bolt that horse onto that cart and show this new manager how a Newcastle side rolls over!
SUTTY1978
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:56 AM
Comment #26Jib, you think that Colo should be commended for refusing to play in pre-season and then waltzing into the team? You have a very strange opinion on what should be lauded.
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 10:57 AM
Comment #27…meanwhile another glass case is being fabricated on wear side in readiness for another pair of grass stained suit trousers.
Ron Knee
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:02 AM
Comment #28Unfortunately, we won’t have Tim Krul to congratulate the opposition on scoring a great goal.
sparky55
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:02 AM
Comment #29Get shot of Colo and I would wager our results would markedly improve with almost immediate effect.
When you’re a centre half and you know you’re playing alongside a sh!te centre half, you get drawn into covering for the sh!te centre half and you end up not 100% concentrating on your own job.
Mbemba has got the worst job in the premiership because he’ splaying alongside THE worst centre half in the premiership…it’s pretty much mission impossible.
lesh
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:05 AM
Comment #30Aw Sparky
You’re a killjoy.
Winning one in three is a tad ambitious considering recent history.
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:07 AM
Comment #31Toonbrother – talk some sense into Sparky! 🙂
sparky55
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Comment #32tsunki
LMAO…lap-top covered in tea and digestives!
nufconceandfuturekings
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:09 AM
Comment #33Good Post, Dr Ed. No, you’re not daft, you’re doing something you love. That’s wisdom.
Your work on this blog is appreciated.
And always and forever….haway the lads.
The Makems seem to think next week is a foregone conclusion. Oh, to take the smugness off their faces…
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:11 AM
Comment #34The problem is the core of our team is below standard and not currently living up to the coaching. That means that a number of good players who would shine in a well organised team are ruthlessly shovelled into the ‘ crap’ category. That includes Krul, Colo, Cisse, while others decide to throw in the towel, Goofy, Sissoko, Tiote… the only bright spot is that some are trying, mitrovic, Perez….
Tsunki
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:12 AM
Comment #35Sparky 🙂 , I do try to provide a service.
Jib
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:14 AM
Comment #36Sutty I think the club kept Colo away from things because his transfer was almost a done deal.
Is it only on blogs that “fans” put the worst possible spin on everything a club and it’s employees do or say ?
I can’t wait to see who will be the first to put the knife into Chancel if he should give away penalty .
optimistic prime
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:14 AM
Comment #37Jibs a unhappy bunny today, he must see a toon win on the horizon
hibbitt
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:18 AM
Comment #38op ….. jib ‘s his normal self a pain in the arse
manxpie
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:18 AM
Comment #39Colos been babysitting LB’s for about 3 years now if we actually had a solid LB we’d see the best of collo again
Jib
Oct 18, 2015 at 11:25 AM
Comment #40optimistic prime
Moi ?
Je suis heureux comme un cochon dans la merde