Steve McClaren

[BONTEMPI]

 

It's been fucking rubbsh so far in all facets of our play right through from defence to attack. What the fuck has he been doing in preseason ffs?

 

The preseason set up by Carver, Stoney and Charnley, playing against third tier teams in North America?

 

Which we struggled against. If we had panned them, then you could argue we needed a better test.  Instead, we got bummed by some lumberjacks.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

McClaren is a good coach and a reasonable manager, but totally the wrong choice for Newcastle United. He was the wrong choice before a ball was kicked and is the wrong choice several games in and will be the wrong choice at the end of the season. He isn't a Newcastle United manager and never will be. This club, especially now and under Mike Ashley, needs a man capable of doing what the owner cannot - and that's lead the club, the players etc. McClaren is not that man and its showing.

 

Those players, after Pardew, Carver and Stone went to work on them, and having been fighting relegation battles, being defeated heavily and often and seeing team-mates leave constantly or being treat like shit, do not need McClaren and his band of coaches and their ways and methods. Not immediately anyway.

 

They don't need sophisticated training sessions, individual coaching, opposition analysis, spread sheets and clip boards and new game plans and systems. They needed a father type figure to come in, to put an arm around them, to tell them they are good, regroup and start getting back to basics.

 

If Pardew was Gullit or Big Sam, McClaren is certainly no Sir Bobby or Kevin Keegan and these players need those kind of managers and this club needs those kind of men in charge. We as fans need them too, someone we can relate to and get behind. McClaren is boring and will not raise the spirits or hopes of the fans. He lacks charisma and leadership.

 

Despite all that, however, he hasn't been helped at all by the pre-season and indeed with the players bought. All good players with potential it seems, but this team needs ready made Premier League players. Charlie Austin may have cost £15m and not have the same potential as say Mitrovic, but he is going to do the business for you and that's what we need, players who can do the business straight away. McClaren, a new manager, needed that.

 

McClaren has approached this all wrong, but then, all he knows is exactly what he is doing. He is a coach, his whole philosophy is to develop players, tactics, game plans etc. and that's all fine and well and needed in the long-term, but going in from the off with that kind of approach has led to where we are right now and that's right at the bottom with no wins and looking a mess all over the pitch.

 

I can see some little signs, encouraging signs, but its too little and too late or rather too early. Its not working and it won't work, not with these players.

 

Lastly, a manager, any manager, needs more than just an input on the players a club signs. We sign players with little thought of the actual first-team and how the manager will use them. They are bought with the ultimate goal of getting as much as possible for them in a future sale.

 

We have signed players in positions we needed to strengthen, but none of them have any Premier League experience or have come in and done the business from the start and the squad is still very week and unbalanced. In that sense he has been and will continue to be hamstrung.

 

What can he do to try and arrest this alarming run of form and get things moving? Firstly he needs to drop Colback and Anita and never play them again and find a place for Siem de Jong and Aarons, even if it means dropping Sissoko. He needs to get the players playing a much quicker game too and we need to start putting in more crosses and getting more men into the box. Perez needs to be the first name on the team-sheet too.

 

If Cisse and Tiote really want away, then drop them and never play them again.

 

That said, in reality I can't see a way out of this for the team. Not unless we somehow fluke a few wins and start rising up the table like Pardew did once or twice. The next two fixtures are very tough and come Christmas it looks like we will be right down there and possibly cut adrift.

 

I won't blame McClaren though, or his coaching staff which is arguably the best we have ever assembled in terms of depth, thinking and promise, certainly in recent times.

 

The real reason why this football club still continues to struggle is because we have an owner who doesn't have a clue and doesn't care. All he cares about is Sports Direct and himself and that's why he went on Sky to 'talk' and why he allowed McClaren to bring his own coaches in and why he released £50m of the club's money for players - simply to keep AO.com and all the protesters from highlighting just what an utter cancer he really is to our once proud, once great and once capable club.

 

Things will never truly change until he leaves.

[B-more Mag]

Could you expand on that?

[Mole_Toonfan]

[Collage]

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Could you expand on that?

 

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2012/12/expand619-with-overlay-space.jpg

 

McClaren is a good coach and a reasonable manager, but totally the wrong choice for Newcastle United. He was the wrong choice before a ball was kicked and is the wrong choice several games in and will be the wrong choice at the end of the season. He isn't a Newcastle United manager and never will be. This club, especially now and under Mike Ashley, needs a man capable of doing what the owner cannot - and that's lead the club, the players etc. McClaren is not that man and its showing.

 

Those players, after Pardew, Carver and Stone went to work on them, and having been fighting relegation battles, being defeated heavily and often and seeing team-mates leave constantly or being treat like s***, do not need McClaren and his band of coaches and their ways and methods. Not immediately anyway.

 

They don't need sophisticated training sessions, individual coaching, opposition analysis, spread sheets and clip boards and new game plans and systems. They needed a father type figure to come in, to put an arm around them, to tell them they are good, regroup and start getting back to basics.

 

If Pardew was Gullit or Big Sam, McClaren is certainly no Sir Bobby or Kevin Keegan and these players need those kind of managers and this club needs those kind of men in charge. We as fans need them too, someone we can relate to and get behind. McClaren is boring and will not raise the spirits or hopes of the fans. He lacks charisma and leadership.

 

Despite all that, however, he hasn't been helped at all by the pre-season and indeed with the players bought. All good players with potential it seems, but this team needs ready made Premier League players. Charlie Austin may have cost £15m and not have the same potential as say Mitrovic, but he is going to do the business for you and that's what we need, players who can do the business straight away. McClaren, a new manager, needed that.

 

McClaren has approached this all wrong, but then, all he knows is exactly what he is doing. He is a coach, his whole philosophy is to develop players, tactics, game plans etc. and that's all fine and well and needed in the long-term, but going in from the off with that kind of approach has led to where we are right now and that's right at the bottom with no wins and looking a mess all over the pitch.

 

I can see some little signs, encouraging signs, but its too little and too late or rather too early. Its not working and it won't work, not with these players.

 

Lastly, a manager, any manager, needs more than just an input on the players a club signs. We sign players with little thought of the actual first-team and how the manager will use them. They are bought with the ultimate goal of getting as much as possible for them in a future sale.

 

We have signed players in positions we needed to strengthen, but none of them have any Premier League experience or have come in and done the business from the start and the squad is still very week and unbalanced. In that sense he has been and will continue to be hamstrung.

 

What can he do to try and arrest this alarming run of form and get things moving? Firstly he needs to drop Colback and Anita and never play them again and find a place for Siem de Jong and Aarons, even if it means dropping Sissoko. He needs to get the players playing a much quicker game too and we need to start putting in more crosses and getting more men into the box. Perez needs to be the first name on the team-sheet too.

 

If Cisse and Tiote really want away, then drop them and never play them again.

 

That said, in reality I can't see a way out of this for the team. Not unless we somehow fluke a few wins and start rising up the table like Pardew did once or twice. The next two fixtures are very tough and come Christmas it looks like we will be right down there and possibly cut adrift.

 

I won't blame McClaren though, or his coaching staff which is arguably the best we have ever assembled in terms of depth, thinking and promise, certainly in recent times.

 

The real reason why this football club still continues to struggle is because we have an owner who doesn't have a clue and doesn't care. All he cares about is Sports Direct and himself and that's why he went on Sky to 'talk' and why he allowed McClaren to bring his own coaches in and why he released £50m of the club's money for players - simply to keep AO.com and all the protesters from highlighting just what an utter cancer he really is to our once proud, once great and once capable club.

 

Things will never truly change until he leaves.

 

 

 

[Gallowgate Toon]

McClaren is a good coach and a reasonable manager, but totally the wrong choice for Newcastle United. He was the wrong choice before a ball was kicked and is the wrong choice several games in and will be the wrong choice at the end of the season. He isn't a Newcastle United manager and never will be. This club, especially now and under Mike Ashley, needs a man capable of doing what the owner cannot - and that's lead the club, the players etc. McClaren is not that man and its showing.

 

Those players, after Pardew, Carver and Stone went to work on them, and having been fighting relegation battles, being defeated heavily and often and seeing team-mates leave constantly or being treat like s***, do not need McClaren and his band of coaches and their ways and methods. Not immediately anyway.

 

They don't need sophisticated training sessions, individual coaching, opposition analysis, spread sheets and clip boards and new game plans and systems. They needed a father type figure to come in, to put an arm around them, to tell them they are good, regroup and start getting back to basics.

 

If Pardew was Gullit or Big Sam, McClaren is certainly no Sir Bobby or Kevin Keegan and these players need those kind of managers and this club needs those kind of men in charge. We as fans need them too, someone we can relate to and get behind. McClaren is boring and will not raise the spirits or hopes of the fans. He lacks charisma and leadership.

 

Despite all that, however, he hasn't been helped at all by the pre-season and indeed with the players bought. All good players with potential it seems, but this team needs ready made Premier League players. Charlie Austin may have cost £15m and not have the same potential as say Mitrovic, but he is going to do the business for you and that's what we need, players who can do the business straight away. McClaren, a new manager, needed that.

 

McClaren has approached this all wrong, but then, all he knows is exactly what he is doing. He is a coach, his whole philosophy is to develop players, tactics, game plans etc. and that's all fine and well and needed in the long-term, but going in from the off with that kind of approach has led to where we are right now and that's right at the bottom with no wins and looking a mess all over the pitch.

 

I can see some little signs, encouraging signs, but its too little and too late or rather too early. Its not working and it won't work, not with these players.

 

Lastly, a manager, any manager, needs more than just an input on the players a club signs. We sign players with little thought of the actual first-team and how the manager will use them. They are bought with the ultimate goal of getting as much as possible for them in a future sale.

 

We have signed players in positions we needed to strengthen, but none of them have any Premier League experience or have come in and done the business from the start and the squad is still very week and unbalanced. In that sense he has been and will continue to be hamstrung.

 

What can he do to try and arrest this alarming run of form and get things moving? Firstly he needs to drop Colback and Anita and never play them again and find a place for Siem de Jong and Aarons, even if it means dropping Sissoko. He needs to get the players playing a much quicker game too and we need to start putting in more crosses and getting more men into the box. Perez needs to be the first name on the team-sheet too.

 

If Cisse and Tiote really want away, then drop them and never play them again.

 

That said, in reality I can't see a way out of this for the team. Not unless we somehow fluke a few wins and start rising up the table like Pardew did once or twice. The next two fixtures are very tough and come Christmas it looks like we will be right down there and possibly cut adrift.

 

I won't blame McClaren though, or his coaching staff which is arguably the best we have ever assembled in terms of depth, thinking and promise, certainly in recent times.

 

The real reason why this football club still continues to struggle is because we have an owner who doesn't have a clue and doesn't care. All he cares about is Sports Direct and himself and that's why he went on Sky to 'talk' and why he allowed McClaren to bring his own coaches in and why he released £50m of the club's money for players - simply to keep AO.com and all the protesters from highlighting just what an utter cancer he really is to our once proud, once great and once capable club.

 

Things will never truly change until he leaves.

 

I think this is a brilliant post. Disagree about the crosses and bodies in the box thing, but everything else is just about spot on. I do think McClaren will turn it around, somewhat, but we're no match made in heaven at all. Steve Black has got a hell of a job on to get these players mentally right.

[Minhosa]

I hear all of that HTT but the overriding issue, imho, is that McClaren has been badly hindered by the pre-disposed culture of the club which has taken hold as a result of the last 5 years of MA's reign.

 

The club have very obviously been sold to players as a stepping stone to the big money hence the attraction to many of them. They look at Cabaye and get all excited thinking that it could be them getting the big six figure salary per week at PSG or whoever.

 

It worked for Cabaye/Remy/Ba/Enrique/Carroll and that's been the selling point to the recruits over the last windows. I genuinely think that may have changed this window but you can't turn around a culture overnight.

 

I think his biggest mistake has been keeping the likes of Tiote/Cisse/Sissoko who are all clearly after moves.

 

I'd have cleared out all three and any others who are hankering for moves.

 

Wanting to be here has to be a bare minimum requirement. If these guys don't give a fuck, we might as forget about it until they're replaced.

 

I wasn't 100% sure about the Austin move but, in hindsight, they probably should have paid the money as an interested English focal point might have reinvigorated the attacking shape and bought Mitro some time.

 

I'd also add that alot of the criticism of the new buys has been a bit harsh as they're coming into a squad that's fundamentally flawed. Judging them now might be a bit premature because there is no doubt they must be half decent for the money we've spent on them and they've all shown (albeit very minor) flashes of quality.

[Tsunami]

When a new manager can't motivate his players to show they are worth the shirt then the manager is not going to succeed. Pardew can't take the blame for the lack of effort. If there are players causing problems put them with the kids, let Cisse go to Russia or the Middle East, try and off load Tiote. Drop senior players when they are going through the motions.

 

McClaren must be a right easy touch in the dressing room he doesn't look like he has anything about him to inspirie or demand respect. He's acting like the job is too big, when you're in charge and try and smile your way out of a corner and more or less admit you ain't got a clue what's going on then quite frankly you're already beyond the point of no return.

 

We've got these players until January at least. The only one we can get rid of is McClaren. These players need a manager, not a head coach.

[Guest chopey]

I still think we need to play a good old fashioned 4 4 2, have a go and get the fans behind the team, the atmosphere is terrible at st James these days and the current defensive mentality of the team will constantly see fans like Watford out sing us, I can't count the amount of times that we have kicked off at half time and I have hardly realised.

[Ronaldo]

Good post, HTT. I detest the Pardew - Gullit comparison, mind.

[Minhosa]

When a new manager can't motivate his players to show they are worth the shirt then the manager is not going to succeed. Pardew can't take the blame for the lack of effort. If there are players causing problems put them with the kids, let Cisse go to Russia or the Middle East, try and off load Tiote. Drop senior players when they are going through the motions.

 

McClaren must be a right easy touch in the dressing room he doesn't look like he has anything about him to inspirie or demand respect. He's acting like the job is too big, when you're in charge and try and smile your way out of a corner and more or less admit you ain't got a clue what's going on then quite frankly you're already beyond the point of no return.

 

We've got these players until January at least. The only one we can get rid of is McClaren. These players need a manager, not a head coach.

 

Don't disagree with any of that. The last line in particular resonates.

 

I'd love to have seen with Vieira would have done with them.

 

Might be totally misguided but I suspect he might have been the sea-change we've needed. A proper figurehead.

 

I think he would have taken the players with him and been quite happy to bin the bad boys.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Good post, HTT. I detest the Pardew - Gullit comparison, mind.

 

Aye Gullit was bad, but nowhere near as bad as Pardew.

[Guest ElCid]

Agree 100% about Ashley but just can't agree about McClaren.

[Dr Venkman]

 

McClaren is a good coach and a reasonable manager, but totally the wrong choice for Newcastle United. He was the wrong choice before a ball was kicked and is the wrong choice several games in and will be the wrong choice at the end of the season. He isn't a Newcastle United manager and never will be. This club, especially now and under Mike Ashley, needs a man capable of doing what the owner cannot - and that's lead the club, the players etc. McClaren is not that man and its showing.

 

Those players, after Pardew, Carver and Stone went to work on them, and having been fighting relegation battles, being defeated heavily and often and seeing team-mates leave constantly or being treat like shit, do not need McClaren and his band of coaches and their ways and methods. Not immediately anyway.

 

They don't need sophisticated training sessions, individual coaching, opposition analysis, spread sheets and clip boards and new game plans and systems. They needed a father type figure to come in, to put an arm around them, to tell them they are good, regroup and start getting back to basics.

 

If Pardew was Gullit or Big Sam, McClaren is certainly no Sir Bobby or Kevin Keegan and these players need those kind of managers and this club needs those kind of men in charge. We as fans need them too, someone we can relate to and get behind. McClaren is boring and will not raise the spirits or hopes of the fans. He lacks charisma and leadership.

 

Despite all that, however, he hasn't been helped at all by the pre-season and indeed with the players bought. All good players with potential it seems, but this team needs ready made Premier League players. Charlie Austin may have cost £15m and not have the same potential as say Mitrovic, but he is going to do the business for you and that's what we need, players who can do the business straight away. McClaren, a new manager, needed that.

 

McClaren has approached this all wrong, but then, all he knows is exactly what he is doing. He is a coach, his whole philosophy is to develop players, tactics, game plans etc. and that's all fine and well and needed in the long-term, but going in from the off with that kind of approach has led to where we are right now and that's right at the bottom with no wins and looking a mess all over the pitch.

 

I can see some little signs, encouraging signs, but its too little and too late or rather too early. Its not working and it won't work, not with these players.

 

Lastly, a manager, any manager, needs more than just an input on the players a club signs. We sign players with little thought of the actual first-team and how the manager will use them. They are bought with the ultimate goal of getting as much as possible for them in a future sale.

 

We have signed players in positions we needed to strengthen, but none of them have any Premier League experience or have come in and done the business from the start and the squad is still very week and unbalanced. In that sense he has been and will continue to be hamstrung.

 

What can he do to try and arrest this alarming run of form and get things moving? Firstly he needs to drop Colback and Anita and never play them again and find a place for Siem de Jong and Aarons, even if it means dropping Sissoko. He needs to get the players playing a much quicker game too and we need to start putting in more crosses and getting more men into the box. Perez needs to be the first name on the team-sheet too.

 

If Cisse and Tiote really want away, then drop them and never play them again.

 

That said, in reality I can't see a way out of this for the team. Not unless we somehow fluke a few wins and start rising up the table like Pardew did once or twice. The next two fixtures are very tough and come Christmas it looks like we will be right down there and possibly cut adrift.

 

I won't blame McClaren though, or his coaching staff which is arguably the best we have ever assembled in terms of depth, thinking and promise, certainly in recent times.

 

The real reason why this football club still continues to struggle is because we have an owner who doesn't have a clue and doesn't care. All he cares about is Sports Direct and himself and that's why he went on Sky to 'talk' and why he allowed McClaren to bring his own coaches in and why he released £50m of the club's money for players - simply to keep AO.com and all the protesters from highlighting just what an utter cancer he really is to our once proud, once great and once capable club.

 

Things will never truly change until he leaves.

 

Lastly

[Parky]

Some fine reading the past few pages.

[Astroblack]

I've been feeling really uneasy with McClaren as manager. It just doesn't feel right. He never looked like he wanted to be here in the first place and I can't help but feel he'll walk any minute.

 

We don't have a great squad, but we do at least have players capable of coming 10th. For whatever reason, it's just not working. Really strange occurrences this season.

[Guest chopey]

How long did he last a forest ?

[sempuki]

How long did he last a forest ?

Was it about 10 games? The sad thing is he'll probably have a better record at Forest for that period than here.

[Guest chopey]

Just done a wiki check and if his past is anything to go by he'll be gone by February

[Heake]

If his wages are heavy on the 'bonus related' side, he'll be doing eBay for Christmas pressies at this rate.

I can't even see a plan 'b' if he gets peddled neither. Unless charnley has some bizarre 'big Sam ' type has been to provide some experience with a 'proven track record of keeping teams up' in the short term up his sleeve.

That in itself opens up some truly horrific prospects

Charnley and SMC to go before Xmass

 

 

 

[number9shirt]

How long did he last a forest ?

Was it about 10 games? The sad thing is he'll probably have a better record at Forest for that period than here.

At forest 8 points from 10 league games saw him have the decency to resign, I expect he will quit after yet another defeat to the mackems.

[Kanji]

Well, at the end of the day, I'd rather he walk if he's truly unable to do this job versus sticking around like a bad smell like Pardew and Carver.

[Gallowgate Toon]

I've been feeling really uneasy with McClaren as manager. It just doesn't feel right. He never looked like he wanted to be here in the first place and I can't help but feel he'll walk any minute.

 

We don't have a great squad, but we do at least have players capable of coming 10th. For whatever reason, it's just not working. Really strange occurrences this season.

 

We have defenders that can't handle being left to defend against strikers on their own, midfielders that can't tackle or get a grip of a game and 2 strikers - one of which has gone mentally, the other an unproven, currently unreliable kid. It'd take a seriously, seriously good manager to get this rabble to finish 10th. We might have some talented footballers but that doesn't count for much when you have what is probably the least balanced squad in the league. HTT nailed what's wrong, too many are mentally fucked which is a symptom of the way the club has been run for years.

[Dave]

As if he'd resign ffs.