Steve McClaren

[Gallowgate Toon]

Read the other day he's not abandoned the possession-based stuff, that's still the long term plan but he just doesn't think it's in this lot and is trying to play to their strengths on the counter. Gone way too far, obviously, as the whole set up is based on transitions now whereas we seemed to be mixing it up more before that dreaded international break. I don't actually think his selections are negatively-minded, he just keeps his 4 best attacking players higher up the pitch for opportunities to break as he thinks that's our best chance of getting in on goal while trying to keep our defensive unit more solid. You'd like to think with our coaching knowledge they'd now realise we have to start changing things...

[mrmojorisin75]

He's fucking shit, no one should be kidding themselves.

 

Often stated but at any other club he's already sacked.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

IMO we would have got there eventually if he had persevered with what he was doing at the start of the season. Just results scared him out of it.

[mrmojorisin75]

IMO we would have got there eventually if he had persevered with what he was doing at the start of the season. Just results scared him out of it.

Not convinced myself, it never looked like developing imo, never went past pissing about with the ball in defence.

[loki679]

While i'd love to see him get sacked asap it's really not going to happen.  He's mates with Carr and on the board so that's 50% of our board who'll be in his corner.  Bob will just concur with the others and Charnley is a spineless little lickspittle.

 

It was (another) stupid appointment that we went for because he was cheap, desperate and mates with the head scout.  Pathetic way to run a football club.

[Collage]

Though our squad is both unbalanced and peppered with s****, and I acknowledge he's having to turn around what Pardew and Carver have done, I refuse to believe he couldn't be doing better than being in the relegation zone after half the season. 17 points from 19 matches is absolutely pitiful.

 

I don't detest him as a person (yet) but he's not f***ing good enough. Next.

 

This.

[mrmojorisin75]

Though our squad is both unbalanced and peppered with s****, and I acknowledge he's having to turn around what Pardew and Carver have done, I refuse to believe he couldn't be doing better than being in the relegation zone after half the season. 17 points from 19 matches is absolutely pitiful.

 

I don't detest him as a person (yet) but he's not f***ing good enough. Next.

 

This.

Yep. Someone said it elsewhere too but when was the last time we had a manager capable of moulding a team to be more than the sum of its parts? SBR and a brief Keegan stint probably. Other clubs have managers who can do it but we seem to go out of our way to employ managers who need perfect conditions to be able to put a fucking team together.

[Hhtoon]

Pards knew he was lying whereas I think Steve believes what he says.

 

So I don't dislike him, but I do pity him as he's clearly a bit delusional.

[Wallsendmag]

IMO we would have got there eventually if he had persevered with what he was doing at the start of the season. Just results scared him out of it.

Not convinced myself, it never looked like developing imo, never went past pissing about with the ball in defence.

 

Aye he got far too much credit at the start of the season because he wasn't Pardew or Carver.

[Collage]

Though our squad is both unbalanced and peppered with s****, and I acknowledge he's having to turn around what Pardew and Carver have done, I refuse to believe he couldn't be doing better than being in the relegation zone after half the season. 17 points from 19 matches is absolutely pitiful.

 

I don't detest him as a person (yet) but he's not f***ing good enough. Next.

 

This.

Yep. Someone said it elsewhere too but when was the last time we had a manager capable of moulding a team to be more than the sum of its parts? SBR and a brief Keegan stint probably. Other clubs have managers who can do it but we seem to go out of our way to employ managers who need perfect conditions to be able to put a f***ing team together.

 

Chris Hughton did a fine job. We had a great team spirit back then.

[Guest Hog]

Harry Redknapp incoming, him and his accountant dog.

[nufc4eva]

He has improved fuck all, if anything we look worse. The football is disgusting to watch and substitutions left too late. He seems scared to drop certain players and we are generally playing long ball now albeit fucking badly

[nufc4eva]

They need to pull the trigger soon, can only see us going down at this point

[Altamullan]

The concerns about SMc for me are: not as responsive re substitutions and tactical changes as I would expect (slow to act, and reluctant to stick his neck out?); he seems risk-averse and sticks when he should twist; he looks scared, exasperated. God knows the game can be cruel, but I want to see confident and passionate leadership on the sidelines/in the cauldron--not least to model this to the players and also as this suggests that will be what the players are consistently receiving behind the scenes.

[Dave]

“I think the half-term report, or half-time maybe, would say that we didn’t start the season very well.

 

“We were very inconsistent, but I think we’ve ended the first half of the season with a bit of consistency. We’re going to places now with a consistency of performance, whereas before we were inconsistent.

 

“We’ve been unlucky with the last two results – a last-minute goal against Everton and then losing this one like we did.

 

“I’m more disappointed for the players because they’re fighting and showing attitude and endeavour.

 

“They’re playing football, and we have to keep doing that, and get back to picking up points like we were in the previous three games when we were unbeaten.

 

“I would say we’re getting consistency and we just need to keep that going.

 

“The harder you work, the more your luck will turn. We haven’t had a lot of that over the last two games.”

 

ok

[Heron]

If that's the case then we've had a lack of effort for all of your reign, Steve.

[steve_69]

Steve, you're talking shit mate.

[mrmojorisin75]

He has improved fuck all, if anything we look worse. The football is disgusting to watch and substitutions left too late. He seems scared to drop certain players and we are generally playing long ball now albeit fucking badly

 

Exactly. How many players have got better since he came vs those who have got worse?

 

He's shit.

[merlin]

Any 'manager' employed by Spor - I mean, NUFC - must toe the Party line, i.e.manage the expectations of the mu- I mean, fans, downwards. That is the ONLY way he will survive as any words out of line with Ashley's policies will result in him disappearing pronto, a la Hughton...and we were mid-table when he was fired.

McClaren was heading for the managerial scrap heap when he was 'rescued' by Ashley's stooge, Charnley, who knows as much about football as I do about being an astronaut - and there is NO way I'd ever get into a space capsule, but McClaren is not going to turn down a last pay day before he fades from the scene for good and so he will hang on until either Ashley sells and the new owners fire him(not happening for a few years yet)or he fails in the Championship to and is fired then.

We all know that no manager worth a light will work under Ashley's terms so suck it up....Pardew toed the line to keep his loot coming in until Palace - his former club - took the chance and only another season or so will show whether their gamble has paid off in the medium term and that is the type of manager who would take the job, or perhaps a young guy seeking a springboard to better things....much the same as is Ashley's buying policy with players.

[steve_69]

Yeah but this time there's £60m of TV money at stake. In the past they've been patient but i'm not so sure they will this time around

[Dave]

They have to back him this January or sack him. We're going down otherwise.

[Guest neesy111]

Yeah but this time there's £60m of TV money at stake. In the past they've been patient but i'm not so sure they will this time around

 

Make that £100m for next season.

[mrmojorisin75]

They have to back him this January or sack him. We're going down otherwise.

Yep, it'll be fucking insanity for them to do nothing. They've employed a manager who can't get anything out of the players they've given him so they need to give him new players or get a manager that can work with them.

[ikri]

Any 'manager' employed by Spor - I mean, NUFC - must toe the Party line, i.e.manage the expectations of the mu- I mean, fans, downwards. That is the ONLY way he will survive as any words out of line with Ashley's policies will result in him disappearing pronto, a la Hughton...and we were mid-table when he was fired.

McClaren was heading for the managerial scrap heap when he was 'rescued' by Ashley's stooge, Charnley, who knows as much about football as I do about being an astronaut - and there is NO way I'd ever get into a space capsule, but McClaren is not going to turn down a last pay day before he fades from the scene for good and so he will hang on until either Ashley sells and the new owners fire him(not happening for a few years yet)or he fails in the Championship to and is fired then.

We all know that no manager worth a light will work under Ashley's terms so suck it up....Pardew toed the line to keep his loot coming in until Palace - his former club - took the chance and only another season or so will show whether their gamble has paid off in the medium term and that is the type of manager who would take the job, or perhaps a young guy seeking a springboard to better things....much the same as is Ashley's buying policy with players.

 

I actually disagree with this bit.  Most managers at the highest levels are egotistical dicks, they have to be to be able to manage the egotistical dicks that play for them and cope with the egotistical dicks that own the clubs.  A good number of managers probably look at us and think I could do better than that, in fact I'm not sure I'd want a manager who didn't think that way.  Our problem is that the club employs people at every level who seem to believe that this is as good as it gets and don't want to hire people below them who might challenge them to do better.

[Beren]

They have to back him this January or sack him. We're going down otherwise.

 

Not sure about that. The league is rubbish and Norwich/Bournemouth could easily go down with Villa (who have all but assured their Championship berth) and the mackems.

 

In any case, 7 points out of the last 15 available may be enough evidence for Ashley that things are moving in the right direction without further need for his intervention. Two more points might have been had but for late-ish goals also (ignoring performances/deservedness etc). It'd be a gamble on his part, but one I think he is tight enough to take a punt on.