No fan wishes to see their club bottom of the league. Newcastle United fans currently have to deal with this scenario. Having capitulated at Eastland’s, an inferior goal difference saw Newcastle leap frogged by neighbours Sunderland.
Being rock bottom in the table brings increased pressures, demands and every decision openly commented about. Come times of struggle, football is a sport with no place to hide. Ex-players, pundits, journalists, radio phone-in presenters and fans all offering the solution to a problem. The task is made all the harder given the income currently received by clubs due to television revenue. Relegation is not an option.
Amongst the heaviest of critics, Ex-captain and caretaker manager Alan Shearer along with former Head Coach John Carver have offered the sternest of words directed towards Newcastle United. First of all, both men are allowed to air their views because as fans everyone has the right to express an opinion, however, I find their views not only hypocritical but embarrassing.
Alan Shearer recently mocked Steve McClaren’s record since taking over as Head Coach of Newcastle United and he found great amusement to announce via twitter that he won only one game as manager. I find such comments completely unnecessary. Shearer saw his beloved club relegated under his watch. I don’t necessarily blame Shearer for the relegation as the rot had already set in, however, he still has relegation on his CV. Having spent time at the helm, one would not only think but hope that Shearer would try to support Steve McClaren.
Having seen the club narrowly avoid relegation, rebuilding a club left in disarray is no easy task; support from former players goes a long way. Having taken his seat as a pundit on Match of the day Shearer’s next trick was to publicly lambast Frenchman Florian Thauvin’s attire prior to a game. Thauvin arrived at St James’ Park wearing a Tuxedo. Shearer took huge offence to this and suggested players should not be arriving in such attire. I found his comments embarrassing. Whilst a Tuxedo is not the usual attire for players it was not worthy of the criticism. Is a player’s attire the best Shearer could think of to moan about? Had Thauvin arrived in a leather gimp suit I may change my stance.
Shearer’s comments annoyed me but they fail in comparison to the comments made by John Carver. Having narrowly avoided relegation under Carver’s watch, I find his recent comments incredible. Carver has decided to tell fans; whilst the club has spent £50m the same problems have not been rectified from last season. Cast your minds back a few months to Carver’s time at the helm; At every press conference, Carver announced the club had a shortlist of targets, ones which would excite fans. Why now a sudden change of heart? Carver, during his time at the helm, spent every breathing moment lavishing praise towards Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley.
Carver said he couldn’t have Newcastle United relegated on his watch. Had Hull not collapsed, Newcastle would have fallen without as much as a whimper. West Ham United arrived at St James’ Park badly out of form, with a manager whose employment was terminated at half-time and a set of players who had eyes upon their summer holidays. Carver didn’t starve off relegation in my mind. From fighting with fans to breaking records in losing, Carver has little to no place commenting upon the club. If you carried out a job and were sacked due to incompetency, would you try to criticise the next man employed to take your role? Such a notion would never be thought of. A sense of humility and embarrassment runs through sensible individuals. Carver lives unlike mere mortals, lost in his own self-importance and ego.
Steve McClaren, on the whole, has been well received by fans. I do, however, feel compelled to offer my thoughts given all the recent offerings afforded by all and sundry. Newcastle United’s situation is not a scenario I hoped to see again. £50m investment, as well as a complete overhaul in coaching staff, was a sign of new things to come. Now after 8 games, Newcastle United are rock bottom and the knives are out. I still stand by and support McClaren and whilst I cannot demand I would ask you to do the same.
In all seriousness what did you expect Newcastle United to be like this season? I ask this openly. Did you believe Newcastle would be in the higher echelons of the league? £50 Million is a large and substantial investment to the squad. Gone are the days where we can compete with the top 4 and elite and it’s nonsensical to think that is remotely possible. Rebuilding Newcastle United is going to take more than £50 million pounds, meaning the job at hand will take time. Far too many players are not good enough to represent Newcastle United. Newcastle attempted to sell the vast majority of those but encountered difficulties. With such lucrative contracts, they are more than happy to sit and collect their wages.
The players brought in during the summer were not only of the highest calibre, but added much needed quality to the squad. Having watched the opening 8 games of the season, I feel many of the problems stem from the players’ negative attitudes and mentalities. Captain Coloccini, Sissoko, Cisse and Tiote all have displayed a body language of disinterest. Rot appears to have set in. This poison cannot be allowed to continue.
Watch Newcastle United and during games, you get a sense of what McClaren is trying to do. Possession and control appears to be the order of the day. McClaren can offer as much tactical advice as he wants but if the players don’t react to the information then nothing will be achieved. I would like McClaren, for lack of better words, to ‘grow a pair’. Players do not have a right to be automatically selected. It is hardly an amazing feat to pick players based upon performances as opposed to name.
Patience is needed in this situation. Many fans have taken to social media calling for Steve McClaren to be sacked. What would that achieve? Weeks of groundwork would be lost, plans shredded and discarded. A new manager must begin mid-season implementing new ideas and ideologies. Given what I have seen this season, certain players do not listen to instruction or have the capacity or determination to want better for Newcastle United. Rome was not built in a day. This old saying will always ring true when it comes to Newcastle United. We must rid ourselves of poison and work with the manager. A change at such a critical time seems irrational in my mind. Given the fixtures how many more points would you liked to have seen?
Given we have faced Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Swansea and Southampton, how many points did you expect to take from these? After the international break, Newcastle face newly promoted Norwich, a chance for the club to move forward. Whilst no fixture in the Premier League is easy, I believe they are more manageable. Allow McClaren time to get things right. I would rather face a year of ups and downs with a clear goal at the end as opposed to what I was forced to endure under the previous regimes.
I’m not going to say everything is rosy, far from it. The club must begin to attain results, however, after 8 games it would be nice to see support rather than hysteria. All I want is the best for the club and I believe Steve McClaren can provide that.
