Well, it's eventually happened. Steve McClaren has been sacked. In what was possibly the worst kept secret in football, Newcastle announced on Friday lunchtime that McClaren has been relieved of his duties at the club - and apologised for the way in which the dismissal was handled. With the Magpies in free-fall recently, the decision to ditch the wally with the brolly may have come a few games too late in the eyes of many, but in Rafa Benitez, the Toon get a coach who will command the respect of the players who let his predecessor down so badly this season. The likes of Moussa Sissoko and Fabricio Coloccini haven't shown the commitment required to produce the results needed to keep the likes of John Carver and Steve McClaren in a job, but with such a vast - and successful - portfolio, there's a real buzz that the Spaniard can turn around our misfortunes. The national media, although never doubting the passion of our fans, seem to take offence to our pleads for the club to be managed properly and hold us responsible for the 'hounding' out of messrs Pardew, Carver and now McClaren, even though their records certainly left a lot to be desired. With Benitez, we can't argue that the club isn't showing continued ambition after splashing £80 million on new signings this season and if the former Liverpool man were to fail, surely the buck will have to stop at the players? So, who exactly is the Spaniard, what has he achieved in his illustrious career, and is he the right man for this so-called poisoned chalice?
