Steve McClaren: Newcastle’s new boss

Newcastle United sacked John Carver on June 9, and within a day, they appointed a new coach in the form of former England manager Steve McClaren.

The appointment of McClaren as new Newcastle manager, after he signed a three-year contract, has come as a surprise for many people. Critics have claimed that he is not ideal for Newcastle as he has been sacked many times in his career, the most recent being Derby County in 2015. But McClaren does have experience of managing in the Premier League – he managed Middlesbrough from 2001 to 2006

In his five years at the club, the 54-year-old manager enjoyed success in both the league and the cups. He took Boro to the League Cup title, the club’s first ever major silverware, and also qualified for a European competition for the first time in their history. Boro finished seventh in the league in 2004-05 season – their best finish since 1975 – and qualified for Europe for the second successive year. In 2006, Boro reached the final of the UEFA Cup under McClaren, only to be beaten by Spanish side Sevilla. McClaren was the most successful Middlesbrough manager in the club’s history.

In 2008, McClaren was appointed as the manager of Dutch side Twente. He enjoyed a good first campaign in which he took his side to a second place finish behind winners AZ Alkmaar, and reached the final of the Dutch Cup. McClaren left Twente on a high after taking them to their first ever league title in the 2009-10 season.

Newcastle is not in a good position at the moment, as off-field issues have torn the club apart. The players have not shown any ambition in the recent seasons, which has not gone down well with the fans. And McClaren himself admitted that there is only one way to win the confidence of fans as well as the board members. “The only way to change that is to win games,” he said. “Keep winning, and give the crowd a team they can watch and feel proud of.”

It will be interesting to see whether McClaren is able to take Newcastle out of their misery, or will he suffer the same fate as John Carver