Newcastle head coach Steve McClaren has said today on BBC Newcastle that the club can become one of the top 10 clubs in Europe, but he has stressed that everybody associated with the club must be pulling in the same direction – all rowing in the same direction so to speak.
Steve McClaren is there somewhere
Steve took over yesterday and said all the right things – but the real change at Newcastle is that from Mike Ashley down – there is now a will to win a trophy – to win something – which we haven’t done since way back in 1969 – 46 years ago and the goal now is to break that streak.
Steve has won two trophies in his career – the League Cup in 2004 with Middlesbrough (their first every trophy) and the Dutch championship with FC Twente in 2010 (their only Dutch Championship in their history).
Steve’s also the first head coach at Newcastle to have won a trophy in his career since the great Sir Bobby Robson was in charge from 1999 through 2004 when Bobby had us in the Champions League twice in that time.
This is some of what Steve McClaren has said to BBC Newcastle today:
“”Speak to anyone in football, they’ll say ‘Newcastle United, what a big club'” “It can be in the top 10 in Europe, it has the ability to do that.”” That’s the aim, the dream of everybody,”
“We had that dream at Middlesbrough, when we came in and we achieved it, we need to achieve it.” “We only achieved that by everyone being together, getting everyone in the right direction and winning things is a long process.”
There were some positives yesterday that we didn’t expect, including a new Board of Directors which seems a step up from the old Board.
Former Newcastle striker Mick Quinn also called Steve a “clever guy” – and we know what Mick means – McClaren seems to have loads of common sense, and hopefully he will complete his coaching team very soon.
Some of our Newcastle players may even be excited to return to a club that seems to have got some of its ambition back – after eight years under Mike Ashley.
That has to be a huge positive at Newcastle, whatever you think of the owner.
Comments welcome.
81 comments so far
Slank
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:47 PM
Comment #1REPOST
Munster
Yes I agree that Englishness is largely irrelevant.
The Premiership teams that have won the league title and cups have been made up of mixed nationalities.
The key is the head coach/manager getting them to gel together and work as a unit and giving them the confidence and determination to win matches.
SuperShearer
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:49 PM
Comment #2I like what McClaren is saying but he needs the club to put their backing behind his words and loosen the purse strings, until we have the players to compete with a top ten finish it’s all just PR. I’ll back him to the hilt but I need to owner to prove his track record thus far is a thing of nightmares rather than the operating procedure.
swemag
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:53 PM
Comment #3Looking forward to our first signing. Hope we have a few by early next week.
hibbit
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:55 PM
Comment #4Mc….first the staff then players then we see ……….this lot will hang you out to dry just for fun ……..they can not be trusted
Tsunki
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:57 PM
Comment #5The club still behaves according to the SD remit of secrecy and skulduggery by the look. Let’s see just how much the ‘new look’ coaching team gets support in the way of transfers, and if Mclaren carries on the propaganda spewing that Carver took over from pardew.
Toon toon b&w army
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:58 PM
Comment #6I’m sure souness won trophies too before he came to the too.
And he worked out to be a good manager for us, NOT.
Toon-Prodigy
Jun 11, 2015 at 2:59 PM
Comment #7Munster,
I’v really touched a nerve here havn’t I? Lol.
I suppose we are just going to have to wait and see if it benefits our squad or not, NUFC are looking to build a more English base within the squad according to McClaren.
No, I wouldn’t knock back those players, not at all, but we could never get them also, we get a Gouffran, Sissoko and Cabella.
Austin and Ince I’d take as a decent start to the rebuild, but there needs to be more brought in also.
NezzaNUFC
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:08 PM
Comment #8Ince on the left is quick and has skills to go past people and deliver good on target crosses and on the right he acts like an inside forward using his pace and dribbling skills, he only needs to work o his finishing.
Hell yeah get this young lad through ASAP in fact let them have Obertan for free
ToonFromLeeds
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:15 PM
Comment #9We are 1/5 to sign Austin & 3/1 to sign townsend
https://nufcdigest.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/newcastle-bookies-favourites-for-4-players/
richyg01
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:20 PM
Comment #10Links to Dutch players or Dutch League players cropping up all over.
ITV are linking us to Georginio Wijnaldum
barkel
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:25 PM
Comment #11We’ve been linked to Wijnaldum for a couple of months now. If I was to believe any of the rumours, based on what went on yesterday, SSN and the Mirror will be closet the mark .. In my opinion
Toon-Prodigy
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:27 PM
Comment #12If Ince comes in it could be to compete with Sammy or replace him or Gouffran.
I’d take Townsend aswell, canny shout.
~A Riviere of Goals~
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:36 PM
Comment #13I’d sell Tiote to boost transfer funds and work Bigri back into the team.
Tiote is forever a liability.
JackButler
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:37 PM
Comment #14Todays vote is
Can Steve McClaren Be Successful At Newcastle?
The answer is Yes, as long as he’s backed and allowed to bring in the quality we are in desperate need of
Blackley and Brownlie
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:40 PM
Comment #15Catchy
You rate McClaren based on his record. His record is a mixed bag.
davetoon
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:42 PM
Comment #16People have short memories. Tiote is one fo our very few genuine internationals. The starting defensive midfielder of the African champions.
If he can regain his form prior to Pardew telling him to calm down and stop getting yellow cards, he could be our best player again
richyg01
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:42 PM
Comment #17Derby have a buyout clause as part of the Ince loan deal, so will need to wait and see if they move I guess.
JackButler
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:44 PM
Comment #18davetoon
Agree 100%, Tiote on form is a class player and we are desperatley short of class at this point in time and we need to keep him and move out the likes of Colo
ToonFromLeeds
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:49 PM
Comment #19I’d take Ince
https://nufcdigest.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/rams-target-tom-ince-wanted-by-newcastle-united/
shaun__
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:51 PM
Comment #20Sorry…how were Middlesbrough top ten in Europe!?
JackButler
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:54 PM
Comment #21Bas Dost, Austin, Ince would be a great start to the summer, but two center half’s are a must as we are woeful with captain Colo, Willo and the treatment room sqwatter Saylor
lochinvar
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:54 PM
Comment #22Newcastle Can Be A Top Club In Europe – We Must Pull Together
2:44 pm, Thursday, June 11th, 2015 by Dr. Ed Harrison
Incorrect statement.
We are a Top Club in Europe – just that we haven’t been behaving like one !
archaeomag
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:55 PM
Comment #23I think that scoring a goal from a corner would be a more realistic ambition for a Newcastle Coach.
Belfast
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:56 PM
Comment #24Why did he get an injunction to stop something that’s already been widely reported in the media ?
“In fact, despite the loyalty of the Rangers fans seeing £7.6m spent on retail in the year covered by the accounts, the club’s share of that spending is a paltry £590k. That means that for every £10 spent by Rangers fans on merchandise, the club receives only around 75p. The accounts also reveal that Rangers Retail has an obligation to purchase stock at a higher price than it is able to be sold at.
“In the second half of the year covered by the accounts it appears that the portion of profit due to the club is an unbelievable £2k.
“For comparative purposes, the much maligned JJB agreement, our previous retail deal, made the club a minimum of £4.8m a year over the term of the deal, over 8x the amount we are making from Sports Direct.
“Crucially, it is also not clear whether the club has yet received a penny of the £590k it is due or whether it is still retained within Rangers Retail. Indeed, from inception it would appear that the club has only received £100k in dividends from the venture with Sports Direct. Mr Ashley has loaned money to strengthen his stranglehold over our commercial operations whilst funds due to the club through Rangers Retail, over which Sports Direct has effective control, are retained.”
davetoon
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:56 PM
Comment #25This is our current squad’s international status.
Starters: Tiote
Squad: Janmaat, Krul, Cisse, Sissoko, Cabella(?)
lochinvar
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:57 PM
Comment #26Bit of a distraction this with all our other news but BBC reports:
Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct has won a court injunction against Rangers disclosing confidential information about its retail deal with the club.
It prevents Rangers revealing details of their contract to an extraordinary meeting of the Championship club called by Ashley and being held on Friday.
The Newcastle United owner and Rangers shareholder asked for the EGM to force the club to pay back a £5m loan.
Sports Direct was also awarded costs of £20,000 at the Royal Courts of Justice.
hibbit
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:58 PM
Comment #27the list of players grows longer by the hour can we get them across the line…………. at this moment i am more interested in the quality of the staff Mc brings in…. quality coaches are a must to improve any club
ToonFromLeeds
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:58 PM
Comment #28Gateshead following in Newcastle’s footsteps, they’ve released their GK by twitter!!
BigB75
Jun 11, 2015 at 3:59 PM
Comment #29the positive flo on the blog is great..hoping it all turns out like we hope!!!! excited, but feeling like the rug is going to get pulled!
ToonFromLeeds
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:00 PM
Comment #30sorry GK Coach
barkel
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:02 PM
Comment #31Dave
Although most of these usually pull out with injury
Elliot – Irish back up
Dummett – Welsh back up
Fergie – N.I. starter
Abeid – Algerian back up
JackButler
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:03 PM
Comment #32http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/transfer-news/newcastle-united-move-appeals-charlie-9430352
JackButler
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:05 PM
Comment #33TICKET ALERT: Season ticket prices for United’s 2015/16 campaign have been frozen.
(Please buy one as otherwise Lee Charnley will be Billy No Mates in an empty stadium)
davetoon
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:05 PM
Comment #34@barkel true but at least 2 of them are halfway out the door and for some reason they are trying to force Abeid out also
Still I think my point stands that Cisse is our only true international at the moment but hopefully Janmaat gets back into Hiddinks first team again
davetoon
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:06 PM
Comment #35*sorry was sposed to say Tiote 😛
will die for the toon army
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:07 PM
Comment #36Waiting for the back room staff. I wonder why wasn’t Woodman fired. Did he say he will leave with his son or what?
Belfast
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:09 PM
Comment #37They are obviously looking compensation for Woodman. Because they know Crystal Palace want him. So instead of having to pay Woodmans contract up, Crystal Palace pay them.
vipgreek
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:09 PM
Comment #38Well you first need to buy players and pay the going rate, if you look for bargains chances are its not going to gel and as history has it Mike Ashley isnt one for spending money in developing the squad with depth and quality. I would have to say that the movie MONEYBALL is Mike Ashley’s favourite
Belfast
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:10 PM
Comment #39Charmless using his brain for once
davis_toons
Jun 11, 2015 at 4:22 PM
Comment #40Move Colo Out and who’s suppose to come in ? Staylor?