10 Key Reasons Why Newcastle Have Chosen Steve McClaren
1. He's A 'Safe' Appointment
Newcastle could have taken a calculated gamble in their pursuit of success as they were linked with a whole host of names that would have brought something 'different' to the St James' Park table. Names that included the likes of former Lyon manager Remi Garde, and Manchester City’s Elite Development manager Patrick Vieira, to name but a couple.
Concerns surrounding Garde’s supposedly fragile temperament and the personnel he would want to add to his backroom staff effectively vetoed his application, whilst Vieira’s reported demand for more control over recruitment saw his candidacy terminated, despite supporters championing the former Arsenal midfielder’s cause.
It left McClaren, in the eyes of Lee Charnley, as the only viable candidate and a perfect fit for the newly implemented boardroom model. In short, a safe pair of hands to oversee, what is hoped to be, a new era and a fresh direction for Newcastle and a perfect fit for the newly implemented boardroom model.
Out of the aforementioned contenders for the job, McClaren's experience shone through, being the only applicant with Premier League management on his CV and his record at previous clubs indicates an innate ability to wring improvement from an under-performing squad - a category that Newcastle's current crop of players fall into.
It's difficult to argue with Charnley's decision. McClaren is certainly an underwhelming choice, especially considering Garde, Vieira and Ajax boss Frank de Boer were all mooted to take over, but his experience and reputation are the best fit for a football club in urgent need of stability