He's finally tired of rejecting us. Maybe it was the lack of further opportunities in the Championship. Maybe it was the thought of returning Holland. Whatever it was, he's here to rescue us from our over-enthusiastic caretaker manager, but perhaps not much more. The one thing I will give him is he knows how to manage a cup run, so maybe we'll finally have one of those. http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/32980980
Underwhelming. What's doing my head in are all the people saying that he will have cash to spend... no manager... sorry, COACH... will have money to spend. That is done by the triumvirate of coach/MD/Scout. He's just another yes man.
Is McClaren such a bad thing? Won a European League recently, first Englishman to do so since Wilkinson. His teams always play decent football. He's a renowned tactician across Europe, I like that he's tactically astute, although he perhaps lacks the dynastic mindset that contributes to long-term success. The best tactically minded coaches are always more successful in cups rather than leagues, see Benitez as an example, as they're able to out think an opponent in a one-off game - so perhaps we'd have a genuine chance of making some progress in competitions we actually have a chance in with him in charge. His reputation is still besmirched by his time in charge of the national team. I mean even Capello struggled with England, and he's got arguably the best club record of any football manager ever. That said, Watford have just hired Sanchez-Flores who won the Europa League with Atletico and then smahsed Chelsea in the Super Cup. A manager with genuine pedigree that we should also have been in for.
I don't see McClaren as a "bad" thing. I just don't see a change in outlook from the Ashley/Charnley level of the club that I would like to see in terms of ambition. Sanchez-Flores is ambition. Viera too (but more of a gamble). The highest position McClaren achieved with Boro was 7th and that was with a large budget provided by Gibson. Otherwise he was mediocre with mid to lower table finishes. I just see him as another coach in the Pardew mold. http://www.soccerbase.com/managers/manager.sd?manager_id=1657
Vieira would have represented a huge gamble. Sanchez-Flores or Laudrup would have been my preference, but McClaren far exceeds Pardew in terms of tactics and style of play, though admittedly trails him somewhat in other managerial facets. I have no idea how much he spent at Boro, but he was successful enough there to warrant an appointment as England manager. Given some of the appalling names (Lee Clark?!) mentioned in the press, he seems a relatively safe (if a little predictable) appointment.
I agree with Viera. Sometimes I see gamble=ambition. I also agree with Sanchez-Flores or Laudrup. I would also have liked de Boer. To me, putting McClaren up against those three names and it becomes a disappointment. Still not convinced on tactics though. If he was tactically astute, he would have been able to bring up Derby as they have had a decent squad the past two years, especially through the play-offs which would have been the scenario (winning one-off games) that you mentioned in your earlier post. Another point would have been the meltdown that Derby experienced at the end of the season. He pointed to the injuries of one or two key players as being the reason for the decline. If he was tactically aware, wouldn't he have been able to cope with that? To be clear, I haven't written him off. I was just hoping/expecting for more.
I can understand people being disappointed - this represents a continuation of the same old Ashley regime. In fact don't know if any of you listen to the Taylor and Besty podcast but on that George Caulkin said over a year ago that he expected McClaren would rock up as Newcastle manager at some point in the future, cited there was a "connection" there. Now it appears as though the connection might be that he's mates with Graham Carr? The cons for me are; this was a real chance to signal some intent to do something different; maybe look to build something over the long term with a young, talented manager with their career in front of them. That may have been a gamble - but every appointment is a gamble to a degree. There was a chance to embrace modern philosophies and generally appear to be forward-thinking (bit like Southampton or Swansea), this feels like a retrograde step. We know exactly what McClaren will give us and that's probably solid (but not spectacular) ticking along. Also his last four jobs (at least?) have ended in the sack, and limited "success" with Boro was a long time ago now. The pros are: He's very well regarded as a coach, if there's one thing we do need it's someone with fresh ideas on the training ground to get the best out of the players we already have. Development of players has been an ambition rather than a reality. He'll be welcomed because hopes have diminished to the point of "ABC = Anyone But Carver".
Carver is rumored to be staying on as coach. Makes no sense after the squad quit on him as manager. Thx, Jay!
Couldn't agree more. Even Shearer did not see results by being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline. Managing requires something else. Moreover, is "Walk out, if you don't fancy it." ever the right thing to say? It won't impress those already giving their all, and it will annoy those who aren't. Maybe he delivered it like Bill Shankly, but I doubt it. Ideally, Steve will have a clear notion of who he wants to work with to be most effective. Existing contracts should not stand in the way of assembling the staff he wants. Thanks for your loyalty, John. Please pass the phone to Steve.
That didn't take long. I suspect McClaren will keep us well out of the relegation worries but if he threatens to cause Ashely to have to spend more money on players by doing something absurd like a cup run or a chance at a European slot, he'll see the door not long after. The problem isn't the manager.
We've been beaten into such submission that I can't even get worked up at the possibilities left on the table in the form of an innovative, bright young thing as coach. More of the same, I expect. Maybe his international "pedigree" will help bolster the squad in terms of player acquisition, although I doubt it. Thx, Jay!
From what I gather he's already spoken about the need to refresh our squad with British players. If we are to spend £40m on players as has been suggested by the press. I would rather they spent that on only two players, get proven quality, and do the same every summer. Supplement that with the odd free if someone good is available. In two or three years you've the making of a good side. That said, buying players of the calibre of Cabaye for £4m or Sissoko for £2.5m obviously represents great value if you can keep a hold of them. So who knows, fraught with difficulty. The purported interest in Micah Richards, Charlie Austin and Will Hughes all seems positive enough.
The board developments are far more interesting to me than the managerial appointment, in all honesty. Ashley putting football men (and Charnley) in charge of the football club is a step in the right direction, provided he makes funds available and they make smart decisions with said funds -- pretty much the same situation anywhere else. Putting McClaren on the board is an interesting stroke and I'm not sure how that will play out. What I do remember is he won Boro a trophy and is known for tactical nous, of which we have absolutely none. So in that sense he's already better than what we've endured the last 5 years. We'll see once (if?) we get some players in what kind of track we're on now.
Steve McClaren "Thank you for the warm welcome" Dear Jay, I wanted to take the opportunity to write to you directly to thank you for the warm welcome I have received since I arrived at Newcastle United. Anybody who knows me well has known for a long time that I’ve wanted to be Head Coach of this great club and now that I’m here, I’m relishing what is ahead. My time here so far has been spent meeting a lot of people, both inside the club and outside. At any club, you have to absorb as much information as possible, adapt quickly and then put your own stamp on things. Planning is key. On the surface, things can seem quiet, but beneath it, I want to assure you that we are striving to be prepared for the upcoming season. The hard work needed to push us where we want to go is well underway. That was no clearer anywhere than at the training ground yesterday as we welcomed the players back for the first day of pre-season training. There are some very tough days and weeks ahead for all of us in terms of hard work but the players are applying themselves fantastically and they will need to maintain those high standards, especially as we add to the squad this summer. I know the anticipation is already out there and that you want to see new players coming through the door immediately. That is natural. For me as head coach, however, it is so important that the right players come through the door. However long that takes, I want to make sure that we have just the type of people who can come in and force us forward. I have certainly got that in my newly-appointed backroom team and I've had the pleasure of welcoming them to the club. I’m sure you will extend the same warm welcome to them as I have received. Paul Simpson, who I know very well and have worked with for many years, has joined the club as assistant coach alongside Ian Cathro, who is rightly regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in Europe. In addition, Alessandro Schoenmaker has joined the club as fitness coach and Steve Black, who many of you will know following his time here and at Newcastle Falcons, has returned to the club as a consultant. I have worked with both Alessandro and Steve before and, alongside goalkeeper coach Andy Woodman who remains at the club, their expertise will be hugely beneficial. The plan we have as a club excites me. It isn't a quick fix, it’s not going to happen overnight. It’s going to take patience and ups and downs, knocks, highs and lows, but we have got an opportunity over time to really make a statement. I’m looking forward to being with you on the journey. It is our intention to update you directly on a regular basis and we hope these direct messages will provide you with a greater insight into the club. We will be in touch again before our first game at Gateshead next week, shortly before we depart for the US. Best wishes, Steve McClaren Head Coach
And the "era" has ended already. Another manager does not survive a year in the toon. Apparently, this one was competent and respected (by other managers anyway), but got the worst results of everyone, except Carver. You would think that simply by the amount of money that Ashley finally allowed to be spent, we would be nowhere near the bottom. Now, we'll need some luck to survive. WTF with this club???