Newcastle Utd Set To Make Steve McClaren Next Head Coach This Week

Derby County have sacked Steve McClaren and they hinted at the fact his link to the Newcastle job had some part in their nosedive in form this season which saw them drop from top of the Championship, to not even making the playoffs. Something McClaren was quick to deny in a statement of his own shortly after the news was released.

McClaren, allegedly, turned the Newcastle job down twice including just a few weeks ago when Derby were confirmed as missing out on the playoffs. However seeing as he is now jobless and Newcastle Utd are still managerlesx, it now seems certain that he will come together with Lee Charnley to sort out a contract as the next Head Coach Newcastle Utd. Or is it...?

Mike Ashley seems, if nothing else, a stubborn head strong man who doesn't think twice to burn bridges quickly without hesitation so the fact McClaren had his chance to join his club and refused it in favour of a Championship team may have ended any chance of the former England manager being named Toon boss. Albeit Ashley has made it clear in his recent TV interview (who saw that coming?) that Charnley and the football board make all the decisions on the next manager, the company he keeps don't seem to be that much different to him. So perhaps Charnleys 'pride' may block any future talks or the football board feel McClare showed a lack of desire to take the job and has practically 'blown it' so the club has moved on.

From my point of view I can't see such bridges being burned. It wouldn't really make much sense given the circumstances. At the end of the day McClaren basically showed loyalty to his employers which isn't a bad trait to have as a head coach is it? You would think Charnley and co would have seen that and understood it. Plus considering McClaren was identified as the man to take this club on nothing has changed in three weeks. One plus with McClaren being sacked, for especially Mike Ashley, is that there is no compensation to be paid now so you would think it's just a matter of time before Newcastle make their offer and finally have a long official chat.

I personally have no problem with Steve McClaren being the next man to take over. The club,
whether you agree or not, have made it clear they want a head coach to take control of the first team as Graeme Carr and co have the main say on transfers so considering this we can't do much worse then McClaren. I would go as far to say as he is probably the best English Head Coach we could possibly get. His previous experience down at Middlesbrough doesn't do him any harm in what to expect.

If we were to bring in a man from the continent, would he understand this club? He may admire it from a far and think he knows what to expect, but this club is unique. Even the most experienced of managers who have worked here STILL have no clue what this football club is about. You just have to listen to the insufferable Graeme Souness whenever he tries to offer his opinion about our clubs affairs to see his total ignorance. McClaren has been around a bit and has proven to be capable of handling difficult situations.

The England job did not exactly go well, but who exactly has been successful in the past 20 years? Even our king of all kings Kevin Keegan struggled as England boss but is arguably our best manager of all time. McClaren won a trophy at Middlesbrough which is more then we have done in my lifetime. He even took them to a European final. He went to Holland and won the league with a relatively small club in FC Twente. How many English managers can say they have done that. Obvious comparison is another hero of ours Sir Bobby. The comparisons are apt.

Steve McClaren is a top Head Coach. I believe he understands the club. He is available and no doubt interested. The shoe fits on all fronts so I expect this appointment to be made sooner rather then later as McClaren has already been on holiday as Derby's season finished weeks ago.

Whether McClaren will keep John Carver on as first team coach or otherwise is another story...!!

Follow on Twitter @ToonBano

SkySports Have Shamelessly Switched Their Main Coverage To 'Hopefully' Show Newcastle Drop!

So all week we have seen that on Survival Sunday Hull vs Man Utd will be shown on SkySports 1 from 2pm with Newcastle vs West Ham on SkySports 3 from 2.55pm & Chelsea vs mackems on Sky1. Even though the mackems are now safe, they are still going to be shown as it will be Chelsea's title winning party with the trophy being lifted and all that nonsense. However Sky have decided to change their main coverage on SkySports 1 from the KC Stadium to St. James Park. How do they explain this?

It is clear that Hull City are the most likely team to go down and seeing as Arsenal failed to win last night, Man Utd are still technically in with a very outside shot at 3rd place on goal difference. So why would SkySports make a sudden U-turn in which stadium to send their head presenter & pundits to be at offering all of their wisdom? Well it's only for one reasonable explanation and that's because they want to be there to show our demise first hand. They want to crank up the pressure as much as they can to see the mighty Newcastle Utd deliver the perfect punchline of the nations favourite football joke, as we amazingly get relegated.

Now this isn't paranoia or some Geordie moaning about the world is against us and many other cliches, just look at the plain facts. If you were a television company and you had to choose a story to show and tell on Sunday, surely the one with two dramatic scenarios which Hull face right now is the best. They either miracously stay up with a win against Man Utd or they do indeed go down. The ecstasy and the agony of either one of these GUARANTEED scenes at the final whistle is exactly why they chose to have this match as their main game to begin with. It's obvious. Isn't it?

Well no, apparently not. Sky don't want that. They want something else. They want to see Newcastle's possible demise beyond anything Hull could provide. They want to be there when Newcastle Utd go down. They want to crank up the pressure as much as they can and build up the game for a whole hour (instead of the original 5 mins) as well as the days leading up to it. They want to leave no stone unturned in reminding footballing world, as well as NUFC themselves, what a disaster this season has been. What a disaster relegation would mean. What a joke this football club is. These scenario come Sunday is more important to them beyond anything else.

SkySports are choosing to switch theirs and in hand the footballing worlds attention to our game versus West Ham which could in theory be totally meaningless. We could get beat 10-0 on Sunday and it could not mean a thing if Hull fail in beating Man Utd. It's stunts like this that fuels my disgust and almost hatred towards this Murdoch money making machine joke of a broadcasting provider. What exactly are they trying to achieve IF they get what they want? Why is Newcastle Utd going down more important that if they have any influence over it actually happen, they will do it. With bells on!

We have been here before albeit in different circumstances. We have experienced this total lack of respect and blatant bias from these clown as far back as 20 years ago when we were actually trying achieve something remarkable in winning the title from the dominant Man Utd. Watching the games tick by on Sky comprehensive coverage that season you experienced an overwhelming feeling that Man Utd losing out on another title, after Blackburn won it a year earlier, would be a PR disaster for BSkyB. They couldn't have their ultimate cash cow lose again...surely not?!

Now as much as I didn't like it, I at least could understand it. What I don't understand is their latest stunt. Why are they almost begging to see our club be relegated to the Championship? Why? All we ever hear from Sky pundits is how we aren't a big club and are nothing but an also ran in the Premier League. How we are 'no where near as good as Stoke'. So why this obsession in seeing us fail? Sky were overjoyed with the mackems saving themselves, again, last night. Will they be the same on Sunday with Newcastle?

Have a think about it. Will Sky Sports on Sunday at the final whistle be congratulating Newcastle Utd in getting the result they need in staying in the Premier League if we pull it off or will they totally ignore that and head straight over to the KC Stadium to console Steve Bruce and the Hull players for putting up a brave fight? What do you think?! Am I wrong? Are you expecting anything other then this?

Am I paranoid? No. Because what I'm saying is perfectly true. Sky don't have any interest in being at St James Park to see if we can survive and are their to congratulate us for doing so. They are their for only one thing. To see us lose, to see us go down and to rub as much salt in the wound as they can find to pander to this culture in English football at 'laughing at daft Geordies crying at football matches'. You all know it and no one can deny it.

Not even I saw this latest stunt from Sky Sports coming. I saw they had Hull, correctly, as their main game to be there if either the miracle is produced or relegation is confirmed  and thought nothing else of it. Seeing now that they have decided to switch this focus to our games instead, which I repeat will be totally MEANINGLESS of Hull don't win, is a total disgrace. It's nothing but another example of how Sky Sports decide to 'promote' our football club.

They don't just pander to the notion of the Daft Geordie nation...they created it!

See you all on Sunday. Dont forget...its SkySports1 now!

Utterly Shameless.

Follow on Twitter @ToonBano

Dear NUFC Fans, We're Around 6/1 To Be Relegated. TAKE IT!

Getting relegated will set this football club back for years to come and the financial impact will have inconceivable repercussions. The amount of money we will miss out on from Sky's ridiculous new TV deal is eye watering. Whereas other clubs as small as my now local team AFC Bournemouth will be raking it in instead. It's sickening.

Nothing will make us feel any better if we do go down however that doesn't mean we can't be compensated in some way. Checking out the latest odds you can get around 6/1 for Newcastle to be relegated, so why not stick what you can afford on that happening? You won't celebrate if the bet comes in but at least you will have a night out paid for as you drown your sorrows.

This football club has given us nothing for a long time. Make yourself some money from this misery. Take the best odds you can and have a bit of income come in from Mike Ashley's train wreck.

I have and I hope I lose my bet royally. If I don't lose and it pays out...that's at least some compensation. I suggest you do the same. Why not? They owe you.

Oddschecker Relegation Odds

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WAKE UP! Don't Lose Touch With Reality, Newcastle WILL NOT Go Down

Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots and lots have been said on Newcastle's fall from mid-table
security to a full blown relegation fight as they lose disgustingly EIGHT league games in a row. Every man and his dog, as per usual, throughout the footballing media world add there two pence opinion as to how bad we are, how we are facing relegation in the face, how we are the worst team in the league, how we wont get another point this season etc etc etc. Now not that i'm saying I don't agree or think they don't have a point but this should not deflect what is the actual reality. We still wont go down.

Reason being Newcastle still, after all of the pathetic performances we have sat through, have their destiny in their own hands and have pretty much the perfect fixtures any team in our position could hope for. Home games against West Brom who have now confirmed their Premier League status by getting to the 40 point mark and West Ham on the last day who have nothing to play for and their form this calendar year isn't that much better then ours. Between these games is the perfect away game at QPR who should be already down and out by the time we play them.

Considering the fact that very realistically one win could be enough to keep us up, for us to go ELEVEN games without a win in total come the season end is something even NUFC would stuggle to 'achieve'. Whereas our most likely direct opponents in this fight to stave of relegation have pretty horrendous games to find points. Sunderland have to travel to in-form Everton, Arsenal & Champions Chelsea. They also have a home game against flying Leicester and of course they cant both win so we will keep one of these teams in our sights at the very least.

Hull have to face flying Arsenal this evening and if that result goes to plan they will join Leicester in
having less points then us with the same amount of games left to play. They will probably pick up 3 points versus Burnley at home but then have to overcome Spurs away and Man Utd at home. Not exactly favourites for either of those remaining two games. Now Leicester are an interesting one. They have a point less then us but have decent fixtures left to play.

A home game versus Southampton is a flip of coin as to how it will go. Either Saints will not show up like they did pretty much against the mackems with nothing to play for or they will stick in the type of performance that has got them so much success this season with no pressure on them to perform. If this were happen then the game against the mackems at the stadium of plight falls perfectly into our hands. We cant lost either way no matter the result.

Then there is Aston Villa. The FA Cup finalists have turned their season around and aren't odds on to go down as it stands but all it takes is a dodgy result at home to West Ham and they will have something to think about with trips to Southampton and Arsenal to come and the FA Cup final distraction. They sit on the same points as us right now and a much needed win for us versus West Brom could pile the pressure back on them.

Now all of the above is meaningless unless we sort our selves out and start picking up some serious points ie a home win against West Brom. Form is only ever temporary and it doesnt matter if you have lost eight games in a row or won eight in a row it always comes to end at some point. Always. If those Newcastle players aren't terrified enough of being relegated from an almost impossible positions then they will be now. The fear must surely kick them out their slump. Even if Carvers 'motivational' team talks aren't capable.

We're in the worst form of our Premier League lives. We don't have a manager in place to at least inspire calm and confidence we can stop the rot. Every man and his dog are licking their lips in the hope our club will continue to lose every game it plays to either point and laugh at or because they support one of the other clubs near the bottom. Fact is we are Newcastle United. We were in an almost impossible position to be relegated for a reason, we were good enough to get to 35 points in February. We are good enough to get at least 3 from 9 with the fixtures we have left. Let's get real.

If we don't get real and continue to embrace the negativity the whole footballing world insist on throwing on top of us to suicidal proportions then we will go down after 38 games asking ourselves how in the hell did that happen?! We have the players to get us out of this so let's back em to get the job done. Williamson being unavailable for two games is a GOOD thing. He is a coward and I would much rather local lad Dummett be in central defence then that plank. Good riddens. Cisse is back so we have at least a goal scorer on the pitch. Even if it takes Sammy to strike one against his backside to get it in the net like last season. I'll take it!

We can't allow ourselves to sleep walk our way through this nightmare just because the footballing
media enjoy ramming sleeping pills down our throat for their own amusement. Spit em out, get a good firm slap on the face and sort this nonsense out. One win from a home game against West Brom, QPR away or West Ham at home on the final day is not the stuff of nightmares by anyones standards. Just think about Burnley and QPR right now. They would give any amount of money to have our points tally and fixtures so like I say...GET REAL.

Wake the hell up, get the win we need and we won't go down in a month of Sundays. Enough is enough.

Follow me on Twitter @ToonBano