10 Key Reasons Why Newcastle Have Chosen Steve McClaren

McClaren has already stated that he will leave the 'admin' to Lee Charnley and will dedicate his time to working with the first team squad on the training field. From the outset it appears as if the 54-year-old is the archetypal 'tracksuit manager' that Newcastle have needed for some time, and his  reputation as a hands-on coach is an attribute that elevated him above the supposed other candidates.

And he doesn't come without some glowing endorsements.

Sir Alex Ferguson described McClaren as an "energetic and innovative coach" and "manager material" in his no-holds-barred autobiography , while ex-Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby, who worked with him at Oxford and Middlesbrough, says Newcastle are getting one of the best coaches in the game and an individual with the capability to revive the club.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and George Boating, two of his Middlesbrough stalwarts, told the Guardian that McClaren is the "best England coach" and he is peerless when it comes to improving players, with former Holland international Boateng ranking McClaren as the best coach he's ever played under: “His coaching’s amazing, he engages your brain, makes you think twice.” 

There is no doubt that a Newcastle side that has straddled the definition of one-dimensional in season's gone by require long overdue dose of intelligent coaching and tactical nous. The club have needed a forward-thinking coach for too long now, an individual with the confidence to develop an attack-minded playing style and make way with the ponderous, anaesthetic-like dross served up by messrs Pardew and Carver.

A good starting point would be to infuse his defenders with a mental understanding of how to defend set-pieces.