Steve McClaren has said he thinks the squad Newcastle have is very capable of seeing us through this terrible situation the team finds itself in of being 3rd bottom with a measly 12 games to play.
But before we get too carried away that’s essentially what he said after last summer’s transfer window closed and also just after last month’s transfer window closed.
But we are still losing game heavily away from home 5-1 and 3-0 in the last two – and have only six wins in 26 league games in the worst season ever for Newcastle in the Premier League.
Steve McClaren and players in La Manga this week
When you consider a head coach’s responsibility is getting the best out of the players available to him Steve has done a lousy job at Newcastle this season.
There’s just no getting away from that and we think with good coach like the ones West Ham, Watford and Leicester hired last summer we would easily be in the top ten by now.
And after remembering the great Sir Bobby Robson yesterday on what would have been his 83 rd birthday, he would have had this side in the top six this season.
We remember well when Bobby took over the side which had one point from the first seven games and he transformed it into a side that finished 11th with 52 points.
He got 51 points from 31 games.
That was simply a magnificent display of coaching from the great man – and he never got the credit he deserved for doing that – nut took us to be 4th, 3rd and 5th in his last three seasons of five in charge.
And then he was fired by Freddy Shepherd.
It was a poor dejected squad that Bobby took over in September 1999 – but he inspired his players into doing great for him and for Newcastle.
Today we have a much better squad than 1999, but one that is underperforming throughout this season.
Here are the latest comments from Steve McClaren:
“The break is good for us.” “It’s 18 days in terms of reflection, getting players fit and some players fitter, and going again.”
“I think in terms of home truths, they get that (criticism of pathetic away form) every day, not just from us but from fans, from the media, from everybody.”
“They know it and sometimes it’s a progression thing and we have to build that, but we certainly need to start picking up points away from home if we are going to climb out of this.”
“We need to stay calm and stable.” “We’ve got 12 games and what’s in that dressing room is very capable of seeing us through this.”
We really hope Steve is right about that.
We’ll just point out the irony and how things have changed from 2004.
That was when managers were held to a higher standard and fired for not finishing in the top four – never mind today when managers keep their job when the team has been in the bottom four all season long and when they get a single point from ten successive league games.
It’s an eye opener if nothing else – and Bobby will be looking down from above and thinking it’s at least an interesting situation at Newcastle this season.
Comments welcome.
42 comments so far
The overrated Frenchman
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:24 AM
Comment #1That’s a good pic. The players look totally confused. A snapshot of the season so far under McClaren (aka the Wally with the brolly, the Tosser with the tuft, the Jerk with the smirk etc.)
runheed
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:25 AM
Comment #2NUFC is a multimillion pound operation run by buffoons. Referring to Ed’s previous post…. We have an organisation full up to pussy’s bow with Dr Jekyll’s …. where are the Mr Hyde’s when you need them!
Jib
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:27 AM
Comment #3I’m going to stick my neck out here.
I try to avoid predicting stuff – but here goes.
Obviously this weekend doesn’t count because of the FA cup.
The following weekend starting Sat 27th Feb we don’t have a match because of the Cap1 cup final.
I think the mackems will lose at West Ham and Norwich will get beaten by more than a 2 goal margin away to Leicester City
Hence we will jump out of the bottom 3 without kicking a ball in anger.
Rotonda heights
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:30 AM
Comment #4Yes Ed
Totally agree, but West Ham, Watford and Leicester all hired good foreign coaches. For some reason we just will not do that at SJP.
We don’t seem to be able to embrace that concept and look beyond these shores.
Even with talk of SM being dismissed, we only ever seem to be linked to the same Brit also rans again and again.
Just imagine if just for once we’d taken a gamble on someone like Viera and trusted him to attract and bring in his own preferred players.
It really couldn’t have gone much worse than currently staring down the barrel as we are now under mssrs SM, Carr and Charnley.
sparky55
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:31 AM
Comment #5not good!
Winji’s doing a ZZ TOP impersonation
Colo just looks lost so no changes there
Maclaren is asking kids to cross the road and Jamaat’s doing a stan laurel impersonation
we’re fcuked! 🙂
banjax
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:45 AM
Comment #6You can only say so much and after that it becomes Groundhog Day. This team under McLaren would fail even if they had 6 months in Bermuda never mind 4 days in La Manga. Results all boil down to desire, graft and pride of the club your being paid to play for. Most of us supporters, if we had been blessed with the skills, would play for our club for no money, let alone the £Thousands a week in a big fat pay packet our players get. Ashley must know by now that McLaren is the glaring failure at the club along with his Chairman and Chief Scout and Ashley must also know the £Hundreds of Millions he is going to lose when we are relegated. But still, for some reason, he fidgets and fiddles like a nervous kid who is scared to face the truth. Ashley tried cut price players and failed and learnt his lesson, but the most important lesson he is yet to learn !
kakaobi
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:47 AM
Comment #7Most of Ashley’s company’s are run badly and it’s the customers that suffer sweatshop springs to mind it’s good at giving customers bad advice
AncientC
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:52 AM
Comment #8Photoshop a few instruments into the above picture – they could be signing ‘where the streets have no name.’
The overrated Frenchman
Feb 19, 2016 at 9:53 AM
Comment #9Jib, that’s probably a fair call. Actually, if we stopped playing now, full stop, it would be the best thing we could do for our goal difference. Just a problem with those pesky points, I suppose.
BandB
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:03 AM
Comment #10They are looking for the ball in picture, after the wind in La Manga blew it away.
According to Shelvey on the club website, it’s so strong they can’t string two passes together…..
The overrated Frenchman
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:04 AM
Comment #11McClaren: “See that? It’s an opponent with the ball rushing toward our goal”
Gini: “I don’t want to know. I’m off to the left wing to wait for a pass”
Colo: “I don’t see anybody”
Dazza: “I see him, but I have no idea what to do..”
oldbobaycliffe
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:07 AM
Comment #12Why doesn’t,t mcclaren play Anita at left back a position he played for Ajax before he was converted into a midfielder.reading his record on wiki he has more experience than dummet
WorJordi
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:10 AM
Comment #13Didn’t Ashley say he wouldn’t sell before 2016?
And today in the business sections there is a possible taking SD back into private ownership by himself and apparently paying a handsome 35% increase on the share price. No doubt this will be financed mainly by loans but the reason I make comment is :
MA has invested last 2 windows ( admittedly in the wrong areas)
Is he he setting NUFC up for a quick sale to release funds for his bigger operation?
The reason McBrolly is still there is it is easier to sell to a new investor if they can bring in their own manager and backroom team?
I think he is using the “board” to keep things ticking to sale time and then the lot will be gone when a new owner comes in
Well its a theory……HWTL
Jail for Ashley
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:17 AM
Comment #14What a turn around, catchy was always very vocal after defeat, yet after humiliating defeat after defeat with Maccas total football the trawler from Norway is nowhere to be seen?
BandB
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:19 AM
Comment #15Caption..
“there it is look!….it’s rolling across the motorway!”
Jail for Ashley
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:21 AM
Comment #16Oldbay,
Isn’t Anita injured, Colback was fit enough for the bench though, Aarons played well against WBA because he literally had nothing to do
Jib
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:30 AM
Comment #17AncientC // Feb 19, 2016 at 9:52 AM
“signing ‘
Isn’t awful when a typo spoils the effect of a sneering joke at the expense of a team you “support”.
Blackley and Brownlie
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:41 AM
Comment #18Jib
You should give up commenting on goal difference after your last bungle, fella. This is not rugby. You don’t get points when you lose.
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:50 AM
Comment #19“C’mon Darryl – it’s easy…”
It’s just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
With your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
But it’s the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let’s do the Time Warp again
Let’s do the Time Warp again
lochinvar
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:51 AM
Comment #20McLaren: “The break is good for us.” “It’s 18 days in terms of reflection, getting players fit and some players fitter, and going again.”
Reflections !?
Reflections !
I’ve been reflecting on years of indifferent results and tainted ambition, perhaps McLaren could reflect on that
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 10:54 AM
Comment #21Jeff, you’ve only just come back from ‘opening up the property in Spain’ you might want to tone down the sneering a bit or you might end up ‘opening up the property in Spain ‘ again 🙂
Jib
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:00 AM
Comment #22Blackley and Brownlie
Thanks for that fella
You see I answered when you use my right name fella
My point on goal difference went WHOOSH right over your head fella
Are you related in some way to Mr Tuff ?
fella
catchy in norway
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:10 AM
Comment #23Your choice will be Moyes if there is going to be a change, and that’s the last thing I want , another anti football manager.
AncientC
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:35 AM
Comment #24Jib – No typo, autocorrect from an android device. Good to see you involved in your favourite part-time, literacy cannibalism. Considering you make more mistakes than most, I can only liken your correction of others to knawing on your leg, like a bored canine.
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:40 AM
Comment #25Jeff I don’t like autocorrect either, can’t stand the fella.
But I doubt even autocorrect deserves the constant chiming from you.
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:44 AM
Comment #26Jeff, the neighbours gate bashing and clacking in the wind that keeps one awake in the early hours.
Jib
Feb 19, 2016 at 11:52 AM
Comment #27Vurnon Anita back to full training
ROSHAN MAGPIE
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:05 PM
Comment #28last season before that last match against west ham ashley said that from now on we will make our own luck he sounded like he will bring in a new manager the likes of rodgers or de boer or any good quality manager but who did we signed a manager who was sacked from a championship football he added stupid board members so what has changed sure he invested money but where are we now again relegation candidates with worst points record than last season that’s some luck we are making
thank you mike ashley
ROSHAN MAGPIE
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:06 PM
Comment #29guess he forgot to mention that we will make our own bad luck
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:14 PM
Comment #30I afraid the stupid board members are exactly that, a token ambassador, a fan-placating ‘assurance of footballing ambition’ coaching representative, a middling scout who willingly conforms to a tight budget and buying parameters without complaint for the chance to have his feet under a cushy table, and a pencil-chewing serial Feeder who bean counts at brinkmanship level to oversee the whole precarious mess. All the while, the clueless sole Shareholder pops his head round the door just long enough to avoid inhaling the heady musk of stale farts and B. O., to see whether he needs to pump more money in before his brand pet is sucked down the plughole and out of reach of siphonable tv money.
Belfast
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:19 PM
Comment #31Take A Chancel On Me // Feb 18, 2016 at 11:21 PM
For anyone interested my twitter is @burboutique
Nothing footy related it’s all for my shop.
sorry for the advertising but I was asked
Rob Vollans (@rob_vollans) | Twitter
https://twitter.com/rob_vollans
The latest Tweets from Rob Vollans (@rob_vollans). … The new @burboutique Burmantofts Boutique Webstore is currenly under construction but can be viewed ..
Belfast
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:19 PM
Comment #32Yer nicked Rob. 😉
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:23 PM
Comment #33Sherlock Strikes. TFL is the famous Rob Vollans whoever that is. Does this mean we have had a Jekyll and Hyde poster on the blog all this time?
Is TFL and YMFB one and the same? Serves us right for listening to the WUMS telling us to stop complaining and being suspicious. Now.. Ian…
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:25 PM
Comment #34Was TFL really in St Jimmys? Many questions to be answered….
Belfast
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:28 PM
Comment #35Wouldn’t have been possible with you on the team. Your sacking was justified.
WWSBRD
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:30 PM
Comment #36Belfast
Who is Rob Vollens like? I missed something?
toon kk
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:34 PM
Comment #37We have too many weak fragile players at Newcastle, always picking up injuries and far too easily knocked off the ball or frightened to make a tackle incase they get hurt.
As far as Mc goes of course he’s going to say we have enough quality to survive, he’d lose his job otherwise.
Why can’t everyone just accept we’re a poor lazy bunch of relegation candidates sitting in the bottom three because we’re sh.t.
Fans shouldn’t complain because they’ve payed for the privilege to watch dross for a long time.
BandB
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:39 PM
Comment #38He was Tsunki
You might recall him posting links to the NUFC Digest from his intensive care bed, just hours after surgery.
Tsunki
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:43 PM
Comment #39Yes I remember something about him being chastised by trauma nurses charged with adjusting catheters and feeding tubes, for wriggling about while redirecting his hyperlink. 😉
I feel like I’ve been had.
JamesToon
Feb 19, 2016 at 12:46 PM
Comment #40In the summer we need a total revamp (we seem to say this every year) and build the team around Mbemba/Wijnaldum/Shelvey/Townsend
Bring in players who are British, or are at least hard working/determined kind of players (essentially bring in Kante esc players if they’re not British) honestly forget about splashing the cash on players like Batshuyai, Willems whoever, I want players who are going to fight for the teams, players who are characters and leaders, the only way I think we’re gonna find those sorts of players is domestically.
Secondly, we need a decent young manager British or foreign, someone who understands the fans and can bridge the gap between the fans and the club. Someone who can transfer our passion for the club to the players, who’s going to bring stability, honesty and a style of football that we can enjoy watching.