You may like Steve McClaren as a coach or you may not like him as a coach, but one thing you cannot really argue with is his record and results at Newcastle.
They have been disastrous this season but it seems he will be allowed to carry on as it seems it’s difficult to be fired when you are the Newcastle manager these days.
We are 3rd bottom of the league with 12 games to go and we’ve been in the bottom four all season for the first time ever.
There’s something wrong somewhere.
Steve McClaren – Newcastle manager
But McClaren says he’s upbeat and looking forward to preparing the side for the next 18 days to take on Stoke City away on March 2nd
This is what heard coach has said:
“We will have injured players back, defenders especially. We will be in a better position for the last 12 games.
“We’ll lose games – that’s football – and sometimes you lose games against a big team.” “I do think though, that coming to Chelsea we didn’t have the ideal back four you would need in terms of stability.”
“Steven Taylor, it was his second game in seven months. Midfielder Rolando Aarons was tremendous last week, had to play there and did OK. He is only a young lad and needs more experience.”
“They are professionals. All the anger was expressed during the game and at half-time. Now it’s time for reflection and a bit of calmness.”
“We have to make sure, in 18 days time, with 12 games to go, that we are more consistent and make sure away from home we can sort it out and get some points.”
“This is probably the third time that we’ve had a result like this and we need to come back and react.”
“We’ve done it before and that’s why I am calm and upbeat. I am looking forward to the 18 days because we will be fresher.”
“The best thing you can do is get back to work, work hard and make sure you give a reaction in 18 days time.”
We don’t think Steve McClaren can save Newcastle this season – and those who run the club could be making the same mistake they made last year – when they did nothing and almost let the inept John Carver take us down to the Championship.
But if the words are coming from Lee Charnley that Steve will stay on then that doesn’t mean much.
Lee Charnley will not fire McClaren, because he was the one who appointed him in the first place – a couple of days after Steve was sacked by Championship club Derby County.
If action is taken to remove Steve McClaren it will have to come from owner Mike Ashley, who will hardly want to have a Championship club next season.
Now’s a perfect time to bring in a new manager with two and half weeks to go until our next game, but it seems that will not happen if local reports are to be believed.
And we read the club will not make any knee jerk reactions.
Knee jerk reactions?
Newcastle gained only three draws in our first eight games and we’ve been in the bottom four all season after Ashley has spent £82M on eight new players this season.
Steve McClaren would have been fired by now if he was at any other Premier League club.
That’s the truth because his record is simply appalling.
Comments welcome.
46 comments so far
Take A Chancel On Me
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:22 PM
Comment #1Excuses excuses
lesh
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:25 PM
Comment #2Ah yes, they don’t do knee-jerk reactions.
So we can take it that Charnley does what every good MD does when his business has gone belly up.
No doubt he’ll have considered the reasons for its situation very carefully having looked at the potential damage to the business, the financial implications of its plight and decided – after much consideration – that he hasn’t a clue what to do.
Another great appointment by Mickey boy and even eclipses JFK’s two liaisons with the Club.
lesh
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:26 PM
Comment #3Chancel
You’re supposed to be chilled by now.
😉
magscar
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:27 PM
Comment #4Yes we have players coming back but do I still have faith in McClaren harnessing the extra personnel to get away points… Hmmm
I think at best we will muddle through yet again by some home wins and other teams struggling. Not what it said in the brochure.
Take A Chancel On Me
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:29 PM
Comment #5Lesh
I can’t be chilled when the useless md/board keep and inept manager that is intent in taking us down. I have never been as angry as I was after yesterdays shambles for a long time
toon22
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:32 PM
Comment #6Atm there are a few English managers out of work,it seems we are limited to this pool of people.
If we still have this guy in 17 days time we are religated unless another couple of clubs implode,atm its us and Villa imploding.
Dont care who it is as anyones worth a punt,SMC looks and sounds like he has lost the players and the plot.
blew
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:32 PM
Comment #7Ashleys loyalty to his bad appointments will
punish him financially this season, and he deserves it.
Unfortunately the fans will suffer also.
NoahJ
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:33 PM
Comment #8I’m sorry, mclaren, but three times?
just off the top of my head, we’ve been COMPLETELY outplayed by:
man city away (6-1), leicester at home (0-3), palace away (5-1), everton away (3-0), chelsea away (5-1),
Let’s also not forget being outplayed by a second string sheffield wed in the cup.
this man is not upbeat, he is delusional, dangerous, naiive and ignorant
Toon Tang
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:39 PM
Comment #9McClarens been at the MK-ultra again clearly.
lesh
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:45 PM
Comment #10Chancel
toon22
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:48 PM
Comment #11Has he still not been sacked?
lesh
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:52 PM
Comment #12Chancel
Like most fans, you’ve every reason to feel aggrieved and frustrated at such inept and incompetent management which in turn is reflected in performances on the field.
Life’s too short to burn yourself out chewing over the way they’ve made a mess of a once great club.
To paraphrase an ex boss who once told me when things were a bit tough, the club is but a minor part of life and life’s more precious than it.
Keep smilin’ bonny lad. You’re a star and no mistake.
lesh
Feb 14, 2016 at 11:53 PM
Comment #13Toon22
Has who not been sacked yet?
Blackley and Brownlie
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:01 AM
Comment #14Ed, Charnley and Carr provided the crap squad, neglecting to strengthen back and front. They provided the crap head coach.
Ashley said the buck stops with him: “My door.” So Charnley and Carr must go before the head coach goes.
If they don’t go, they will either dither or appoint another duffer. But why would we want another head coach when the club needs a strong manager?
Charnley and Carr would need to bin all the cv’s of managers and keep those of head coaches. Who does that leave? No wonder they dither.
Lindisfarne
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:03 AM
Comment #15On Bleacher Reports a guy called Dean Jones seems to be suggesting Shteve is on borrowed time, according to sources. However his other prediction was that Charlie Austin was to stay at QPR until the end of his contract.
Munster Mag
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:11 AM
Comment #16Looks like we are stuck with smc. And good old carr will advise on the next mgr too, whilst filling mondials coffers. Again
Take A Chancel On Me
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:16 AM
Comment #17lesh
fair point marra
King_Solano
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:18 AM
Comment #18He needs to go now. Not tomorrow, not next week but right now. Its the perfect time to get a new manager in and get time with the squad before our next game.
if Ashley really wants to win something, like he said, there are managers available that would show REAL intent to do so.
I doubt he will though or will wait until it’s too late.
jimmysmith
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:27 AM
Comment #19McC isn’t an inspired manager, but like Pardew, based on achievement, he is capable, given time and the right backing, of getting sides to punch their weight.
The squad was neglected for over two years, and in the half season since has had around ten new players introduced. Hardly the most cohesive way to build a top eight side.
Replace McC with a top, top manager if anyone, but we know that’s not likely, so McC it probably will be, and to be fair to him should be, after he was only appointed at the beginning of this season, and amid such tumult.
Ashley, Charnley and Carr are the ones who have made this bed.
Lindisfarne
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:31 AM
Comment #20Shteve McClaren, all words and no action. Take a look at what he said when he got the Derby job, it is almost exactly the same as at NUFC. Except he never played for us and replaced it with when he was just down the road.
“We’ve still got to assess what we have here. We know we’ve got some excellent players.
“I’ve got a great history with this club as a player in the 80s and as assistant to Jim Smith in the 90s.
“It was a very successful period. I know the town very well, my family has been brought up there and there was no hesitation.
“I know what this club is all about. I know its fans, I know the fanbase, I know what they want and I know how great this club can be if it’s successful.”
OK what else would you expect him to say when starting a new job, but it appears a little prescriptive and may illustrate a disconnect with the players.
Lindisfarne
Feb 15, 2016 at 12:51 AM
Comment #21Does anyone know what Shelvey was shouting at the bench?
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/steve-mcclaren-reveals-harsh-words-10889860
McClaren quotes:
“We’ll have a look at some of the tracking for the goals, but I think the biggest disappointment is the way that we gave the ball away quite cheaply” – after suggesting we play attacking and passing football, most of the possession was in our own half which leads to giving away quick goals.
“after a time of reflection, we need calmness and consistency” – a game plan more like.
Sav
Feb 15, 2016 at 1:54 AM
Comment #22For the last 12 games I’d be happy if they’d give the job to Lee Clarke but he’s off to Kilmarnock. In point of fact, McClaren is right, there’s no point wringing hands and moping. They have to believe they can win the next one. But I wish he’d stop his smirky interviews.
davis_toons
Feb 15, 2016 at 2:52 AM
Comment #23We got to bring in players like this
N’Golo KantéN’Golo Kanté
Yes, he is kinda short for me but he is slightly above what we have at the club a fighting DM.
…what we are selling cheick tiote the Only old DM at 29 that can still fight a ball? ..so ..whos his replacement?
Santon03
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:01 AM
Comment #24I turned off the tv when it was 4-0, couldn’t watch anymore.
I really can’t blame Colo for this, he did everything he could, he just can’t do it alone while others making mistakes and didn’t do their job. Chelsea was great, we were poor all over the pitch.
Tiote and Taylor were very poor, Tiote didn’t really sit deeper to cover cb, Taylor was awful keep getting the team in trouble. Shelvey also gave the ball away too many times.
Probably the plan was to attack, not defend.
We need to defend 1st and counter attack when we can, but main plan has to defend like we were against spurs or bournemouth, sure it’s not pretty but effective. Forget about attractive or exciting football atm, we need points especially away.
We put very attacking team, attack minded players when we need defensive ones. We should have gone with 5-3-2 or 4-3-2-1, hopefully next away game we do this, forget 3 points try get 1 point first, if we can steal 3 points it will be a bonus, prioritize defensive duties.
Santon03
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:19 AM
Comment #25I’ve been saying this too many times until no use of saying it anymore, we need Italian or Italian based coach/manager, I even mentioned Ranieri before he became Leicester manager, Italians took pride in their defensive game which is very important when you can’t afford team like MCity, Manutd, Chelsea, Bayern, etc. They don’t play pretty football like takatiki whatever football, but they are playing effective football to get points with less quality players. Try Guardiola to manage Leicester, they will probably be bottom 3 right now, because he can only manage big teams with high quality teams.
Santon03
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:27 AM
Comment #26We will be in top 8 at least if we could get Carlo Ancelotti with the same exact team we have right now. Another option is Walter Mazzari or Vincenzo Montella.
Laurent Robert The Legend
Feb 15, 2016 at 4:56 AM
Comment #27He was still upbeat at Derby when he was fired..so what?
John Akomfrah
Feb 15, 2016 at 5:16 AM
Comment #28He will still lead the train wreck whatever happens that will damn his portfolio
gonufc (Newcastle United Sports Direct Advertising Club)
Feb 15, 2016 at 5:29 AM
Comment #29I was pretty grumpy after the game saturday- but then it got worse when Mclaren was grinning and laughing yet AGAIN in his interview!
It’s been p!ssing me off all season. We have the worst game of the season and he still laughs in his interview. I’m not saying everyone has to react the same way kicking things in the changing rooms but his reaction to these losses this season have been like a person in denial. He just laughs to himself pretending the score will somehow get better after the final whistle.
I can’t imagine what it’d be like if he acts like that in the changing room. He’d be the most irritating coach around!
P.S. Our transfer person (whoever it really is in the committee) is seriously pathetic. Cabella/ Thauvin disasters are like something from a comedy film. Then we fail to buy a CB and LB in january.
I quite like Shelvey and Townsend but I don’t think either are as good as Carr/ whoever seem to think they are.
I was pretty disappointed with Doumbia- he was great at CSKA when I saw him in the champions league but he looked like a slightly faster Shola when he came on. Seems like he constantly goes good touch – bad touch – good touch – bad touch… Every time he controlled it well his second touch was awful and vice versa.
Also, sorry to say this, but STaylor looks completely out of his depth now. We were unbelievably poor passing it out of the back- it just ended up going between Colo, STaylor and Tiote for minutes till the bad pass came and we lost it in our half yet again!
What exactly was our plan meant to be? I’d like to hear what Mclaren thought it was.
scout
Feb 15, 2016 at 5:51 AM
Comment #30Sack the man Ashley hes tarnishing your SD model.
Ron Knee
Feb 15, 2016 at 6:22 AM
Comment #31Morning jesper
I suppose we should spare a thought for Ed. What’s he going to write about for two weeks?
Jail for Ashley
Feb 15, 2016 at 6:29 AM
Comment #32Scout,
Can SD be anymore tarnished.
magscar,
I think you have let the last eight and a half years cloud your judgement on our 3+ hidings, to pull out one result under SBR were we took a hiding is clutching at straws to back up your argument. Rather than it being a club trait it has a lot more to do with the management decision not to spend heavily on defence for whatever reason. An injured right footed LB who was bought injured and seen as a bargain over a solid LB in Erik Pieters, the reliance on just three CB’s for three seasons, one of them being the perennially injured STaylor and the ridiculous purple policy that would only allow one specialist defender for each position.
firebug666
Feb 15, 2016 at 6:49 AM
Comment #33Our club is naive, Macca thinks we are better than we are, The board think Macca is better than he is.
Sissoko was pathetic on Saturday, (the whole squad was) but Sissoko did more to break up our attacking down the right than Chelsea could ever do.
We have a team that cannot string two passes together unless we are playing a team that stand off us.
Oh and the players are not bothered if we go down, for them nothing changes, they either move on to another Premiership club, or stay where they are on the same wages.
So what does it matter what league they are in? They are never going to win the Premiership title, and they still get their one or two cup games no matter what league they are in.
What incentive do they have to stay up? Maybe international duty but on their performances even that would be in doubt, and our Dutch players are out anyway.
There is nothing at all to give them any incentive to play for the league, I would mention pride and passion, but the evidence suggests they have none, and care little for the club, the fans or the history.
They will get their pay packets regardless!
magscar
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:04 AM
Comment #34Jfa
I am not overlooking Ashley’s reign but was mulling over my time as a supporter and those defeats sprung immediately to mind. If I could have been bothered I could of researched my point and dredged up plenty more over the years including other hammering at Chelsea ,Arsenal,Spurs. My main point was that as a club we have suffered far more hammerings than most even under SBR at times. It may be I am more aware of NUFC than other clubs but that is my impression.
posada
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:10 AM
Comment #35The spin starts again.
We’ll have 18 days of it.
Everything about the club is tickety boo – until we actually play a game of football !
That’s all he is good at. SM that is.
But are we not the problem, the supporters. We all knew what he was in the summer. Another stooge. A just say credible appointment as Pardew was.
But, it started did’nt it. He deserves his chance bla bla bla.
No he did’nt. Even his appointment as manager was more shame on all of us. But, again we accepted it. Fooled again by the Goons that run NUFC.
firebug666
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:20 AM
Comment #36posada
I think it’s too late now for the fans to do anything, I never wanted McClaren here, but was guilty of agreeing to give him a chance.
The reason I say I think it’s to late for the fans, most of them have already accepted that we will be relegated, and given up.
We (maybe I) expected big changes last month, and expected the club would kick on and climb the table, truth is though nothing has changed, we are still watching the same pathetic football, with the same pathetic approach every week.
Macca will take this club down this season, simply put, he doesn’t know how to change things to improve us, he can see the iceberg dead ahead, but doesn’t know how to turn the ship.
Jail for Ashley
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:21 AM
Comment #37magscar,
If you researched it properly you’ll find that we probably average out, it’s not since being promoted with an inadequate and threadbare defence under Pardew and now Mclaren that we are getting half a dozen three+ hidings a season.
magscar
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:42 AM
Comment #38From your response it seems you have researched it ( then say probably? Lager drinker haha) whereas I haven’t as I said quite openly. Villa fans may be feeling the same as me this morning it is what fans do.
In my time as a supporter there have been far more thin times than good including years in the 2cnd division. I have been to 4 cup finals and not enjoyed any of them especially my first against Liverpool. At my age apart from Fairs Cup (too young to really recall 50’s cup wins) there has only been near misses.
Yes we might have had more hidings under Ashley but I await your thorough research findings for the definitive answer to what we have had under each of our last 3 owners. For the moment I can only rely on my memories
posada
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:44 AM
Comment #39Firebug
SM does not care. He will walk away laughing when we are down. He keeps it going cos every week that goes by is another pile of cash in the bank. He would probably welcome the sack and the usual extended paid holiday.
In his case pension as he won’t find anyone else daft enough to give him a job.
We will have to do something.
Enough is enough.
magscar
Feb 15, 2016 at 7:49 AM
Comment #40Jfa
By the way I was only joking about the research so spare yourself. my musings after a couple of glasses of wine last night were only that as I am fortunate enough given my age to be able to think beyond these (trying) times and not over focus on Ashley all the time. It wasn’t always a bed of roses before him either.