You can **** right off! There I was thinking this was a good news day and then you go and get all positive. Where is the entertainment going to come from now???
McClaren manager and Clark assistant could be a great partnership. Clark a local lad and inspiring for greater things. My thoughts on McClaren - Recently, he's had a pants record, but, what we need is a manager that will help organise us at the back and make us tough to beat again, if not a side that scores a load of goals. Our past 3 managers have all failed miserably to keep out goals, especially from set pieces. We must be the worst team in premier league history when it comes to defending set pieces. A lot of the goals we conceded were simple front post/back post balls that should have been dealt with. He's got a lot of experience and that can help, and I think his organisation skills can do us good. It will be interesting to see what he can do with some funds this summer. He'll likely want to bring in english players, and that will be very welcome at NUFC, with fans who are sick of cheap french players. I could see the fans taking a liking to his approach, and the fans being on side can be the difference. The atmosphere and the reputation of the North East is what we hold onto for pride. McClaren/Clark could help restore that. With the right funds, I think he could make us a strong top half of the table team. We need a good season or two in mid table, and have stability under a new manager. McClaren could bring this.
Mate Lee Clark is a complete ******. We don't need the likes of him here. He couldn't inspire **** all.
McClaren is far from the negative coach/manager he was when he started out at Middlesbrough. At Twente and Derby (the only two jobs since England he's held long enough to be judged on) both of his team were very attacking minded, they were too attacking at times in Derby's case, a few 3-3 & 4-4 draws towards the back end of the season cost them their playoff place. I think the fact that Carver and Stone have gone shows that he wasn't appointed because he was "cheap" to recruit. I'm not suggesting that Mike & Charnley have gone full circle and we're going to spend 70m on new blood, I just think the days of going in to a season with one proven striker and a couple of inexperienced kids are gone. I don't think we'll ever go down to the bare bones again like we did in January by flogging Santon etc. I'm happy with McClaren as manager/head coach. I think we can look forward to next season and I'm hopeful we'll land Austin and a couple other home grown players.
I grudgingly agree that this is right. I think the fear was we were just going to bring in Pardew2. But the Carver events, demotion of Watson have shown the club are listening or acting in some kind of professional manner. Even Pards didn't get to pick his backroom staff - McClaren is getting what appears to be free reign. If Steve Round is allowed back in, that's even more of a sign that Ashley is simply not involved, as Round still has money left from his Allardyce pay-off.
I think we are going to see one massive overhaul of the coaching staff and the playing squad which bodes well. McClaren being able to bring in his own people suggests that the club has realised to some degree that their philosophy is simply too rigid to work. Or, it could simply be that they wanted McClaren so much that they bowed to his demands. I am hoping that this is a sign of things to come. No more signing second rate French players with questionable temperament.
McClaren is allegedly at SJP, but also has declined to hold a press conference? Instead will only be talking to "selected media partners". Not sure what to make of that, good chance for the club to start anew.
