Time for Newcastle to pull the plug on McClaren
Published:
When Steve McClaren joined Newcastle United this summer he said his aim was to finish in the top eight and win trophies.
However, the Championship currently looks like a more likely destination, but of course the former England manager never said which league he was planning to finish in the top eight of, while they also have no chance of silverware.
Joking aside, the Magpies have been woeful this season and are currently languishing in 19th place, with the troubled side priced at 8/11 to get relegated.
McClaren’s men have lost eight of their last 11 games across all competitions, getting knocked out of the FA Cup in the process, and things are looking bleak on Tyneside.
According to The Daily Mail, senior players at St James’ Park are baffled as to why the 54-year-old boss is still in the dugout.
The tabloid reports that a bad result against Bournemouth will see Mike Ashley show McClaren the door, but the chairman should act regardless of the result.
Under the former Derby County manager, the Magpies have spent over £81m, while only making £5m from sales, this term and this heavy investment is yet to yield results.
To make matters worse, the 54-year-old has frustrated many Newcastle fans with his team selections.
Seydou Doumbia is yet to start a game despite arriving on loan from Roma with a big reputation, while the St James’ Park faithful also feel he is misusing talented youngsters Roland Aarons and Ayoze Perez.
Getting rid of McClaren after the Bournemouth game regardless of the scoreline would be a wise move given the importance of upcoming fixtures.
Newcastle face table-topping Leicester City after the Cherries, but two relegation six pointers follow, with a home Tyne-Wear derby against Sunderland coming before a trip to Norwich.
Losing those games would be catastrophic for the Magpies and Ashley needs to act now before survival starts looking like an impossibility.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
