I Wish I Was A Geordie - The Blog of Newcastle United in the US

Reasons To Believe In Steve

I'll admit it: Steve McClaren wasn't my preferred choice for Newcastle United's new manager/head coach/guy in the firing line.

I may have even labelled him as "Alan Pardew 2.0" in an email to the rest of the IWIWAG team. That's probably harsh, considering McClaren's varied and fairly extensive resume.

I'm bothered that Newcastle seems to have once again settled for an out-of-work journeyman whose career seemingly needs United more than the club needs him.

I'm annoyed that Mike Ashley and Lee Charnley have made what feels like a safe, conservative hire at a time when the clubs could stand to chart a bold, new direction.

But I'm not totally down on this hire. Maybe it's the eternal optimist that lives under my sometimes-cynical exterior. Maybe I've been swayed by McClaren's early sound bites. Maybe I'm just happy to see Newcastle planning to sign some legitimate Premier League players.

Either way, there are a few reasons why I think the McClaren-Newcastle marriage might turn out to be decent (and decent rates as pretty good these days, right?). Here they are:

He seems to hold some sway at St. James'
The McClaren-to-Newcastle rumor had been out there since the moment Alan Pardew made his Selhurst Park escape. No one was surprised when Newcastle made it official.

The stunner was McClaren being appointed to an overhauled board. McClaren might not have the absolute power of a traditional English manager when it comes to personnel, but his influence should — key word there — be considerably greater than whatever clout Alan Pardew held (which wasn't much).

Let me be clear: Pardew should have been fired before he left on his own volition. He was no longer an effective manager in Newcastle's setup, with Newcastle's players. But it became increasingly hard to evaluate his ability because the club's hierarchy effectively neutered him. He had little say in the players at his disposal, and those players didn't appear to fit his playing style. Which brings us to reason No. 2 why McClaren might succeed ...

He might be able to work with Graham Carr
The Chronicle's Mark Douglas has reported on multiple occasions that the idea that McClaren and Carr, Newcastle's chief scout and transfer overlord, are best buddies has been overplayed. When Mark Douglas (or The Times' George Caulkin, for that matter) writes something, I pay attention.

That said, it sounds like McClaren and Carr at the very least get along, which should be an upgrade on the clearly dysfunctional relationship that festered during Pardew's reign. All too often, Carr delivered players who Pardew, in turn, neglected.

We could debate who takes what share of the blame for those failures, but that's not the point. Carr is, as Phil likes to say, the English soccer equivalent of an American sports general manager. He and the head coach need to be working off the same master plan. And McClaren sounds decidedly more comfortable with the partnership.

The club has (allegedly) seen the light on transfers
Yet another reason the McClaren-Carr pairing figures to work better: Mike Ashley has reportedly relented on the club's strict transfer policy. Finally, Newcastle might shell out some cash for players with Premier League experience.

Ashley's thinking on buying thrifty imports had some merits, but the club's rigid approach too often prevented it from landing players who could help immediately. And as the pressure cranked up during the second half of last season, too many of Newcastle's continental purchases looked bewildered.

Let's be clear: buying all British players isn't a magic bullet. But mixing in some players who know the league and its demands is always a positive.

He has faced similar pressure
Newcastle is an intensely unique club. What other team would draw 50,000 fans a week despite not having had a whiff of the Premier League title race since 1996?

While we all take issue with the distorted notion of the delusional Geordie, there's no denying the pressure that comes with such a zealous fan base. Pardew, for all his self-confidence and smooth talking, struggled to handle that stress — hence, the never-ending excuses, science being against him, etc.

McClaren may very well crumble under the burden as well. But he has a much larger bank of experiences from which to draw — the failure with England, testing himself in new countries — and he'll come into the job with a more nuanced idea of Newcastle's context as a club from his time at Middlesbrough and from living in the region. Those two factors could come in handy when dealing with the black-and-white craziness that's no doubt ahead.

Shhhhhhhhhhhh… eetveeeee

In the end, the "new era" of Mike Ashley looks set to begin with the appointment of Steve McClaren as the eighth permanent manager to take the helm of Newcastle United under our oxford-shirt-wearing overlord.

After a job search that spanned six months and generated more than 80 applications, managing director Lee Charley and chief scout Graham Carr will reportedly opt for the conservative candidate when McClaren's hire becomes official next week. While the former England manager's credentials aren't anything to sneeze at, his appointment feels like an opportunity missed. The Toon Army is desperate for a bolt of electricity and optimism. McClaren was not the hire to put fans back in their seats at St. James Park, or — on this side of the pond — make us eager to set those early morning alarm clocks.

Nevertheless, all cause for optimism is not lost. Here are a few things the former Derby County manager must fix from last season to inject some much needed "feel-goods" throughout the Newcastle nation:

Identify tactics that will bring out the most in the squad handed to him

McClaren knows what he's getting himself into in joining Newcastle United presented by SportsDirect.com. He will not have any control over personnel moves, despite an apparent "war chest" awaiting the 54-year-old. That job belongs to Carr, who is essentially a good-ol'-fashioned American-style general manager. Carr will select the players for McClaren to coach, just like in the States, where the GM controls the roster moves. There will be new players coming in (allegedly),  but McClaren's task will be to quickly decipher the strengths and weaknesses of the new personnel and formulate a game plan to get the best out of the squad assembled for him.

Rumor has it McClaren is an excellent coach — he's gotten praise from the likes of Phil Neville, and he was famously handpicked to be Sir Alex Ferguson's No. 2 at Manchester United. Lifted of the burden of player transactions, McClaren could excel concentrating solely on shaping the first team. 

The Englishman must be tactically flexble, and avoid the pitfalls of the previous regime — namely, jamming square pegs in round holes. Too many  times during Alan Pardew's reign, players were played out of position to fit Pardew's preferred formation. The tension between Carr and Pardew has been well-documented. Did the former manager select lineups in spite of the players Carr signed for Newcastle? Potentially. This cannot happen under McClaren.

For the club to go forward, the GM and coach need to be simpatico on player acquisition. The "head coach" needs to be creative with the talent he receives, and put his players in positions for team success.  

Sort out the back line and stop making me drink whiskey before noon

I'm not going out on a limb by saying Carr and McClaren need to first and foremost focus on rebuilding Newcastle from the back. Unquestionably, the backline was the area of the field that regressed most last season, allowing 63 goals — the second-highest number in the Premier League; only last-place QPR conceded more goals. Goalkeeper Tim Krul had a down year in both whoscored.com and eyeball analytics. To be fair, Krul was let down by a not tremendously fearsome foursome of center backs. In fact, the best performer of the group was a converted left back.

The stats for the backline are gruesome. They kept three clean sheets in 2015 (NUFC's only wins of the second half of the season) and conceded multiple goals in seven of their last 10 matches.  

There will probably be plenty of personnel movement on this side of the field during the offseason. Newcastle’s captain is in the twilight of his career, Mike Williamson should never see the field again for NUFC, and Steven Taylor cannot be trusted to stay healthy for more than a month. Players are needed at center back, and would anyone be shocked to see Tim Krul take his gloves elsewhere?

New defenders are coming in, and it would behoove McClaren to spend a little extra time on this side of the field in training. The quickest way up the Premier League table is to shut off the faucet that leaked goals last season.

My liver thanks you.

Start the season off strong to get the fans on his side

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The easiest way McClaren can get the Toon Army on his side is to simply win games. Well, duh, way to state the obvious; but nothing silences an angry, boycotting crowd better than a few early wins. For all the huff and puff about the Pardew era at St. James' Park (mostly by observers who didn't, well, observe Newcastle much during the final year of his reign), the man stopped winning matches. Last season, Pardew's NUFC  didn't win its first Premier league match until Oct. 18. 

We don't need a reminder of what happened last season, that is, unless we've surgically removed it from our memories. 

Get the best player on his side

Without debate, Moussa Sissoko is the most polarizing player currently employed in black and white. On his day, he can dominate a Premier League match with the Agueros, Rooneys and Hazards. However, more often than not, his play resembles more of the Cattermoles.

If Newcastle United's No. 7 came across a newspaper in between games of FIFA this offseason, he would have read a name he most assuredly idolized growing up linked with the Newcastle job. Alas, he wakes up with a manager who once faked a Dutch accent.

If McClaren is to have any success on Tyneside, he must unlock the powerful potential of Sissoko — and not only get Sissoko to play well, but play consistently well. Take a look at Sissoko's rating according to whoscored.com: his form all too often rises and falls like a ride at Great Adventure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seems simple enough. Newcastle needs its best player excelling week in and week out if the team is to have any success. The Magpies were 10-5-3 in matches where Sissoko earned a rating higher than 7. When the midfielder's form dipped, so did his team's. In matches Sissoko rated lower than a 7, the Toon was 2-11-4. Additionally, in matches Sissoko registered a goal or assist, NUFC was 4-1-2.

First order of business for the new man in charge should be to get Sissoko focused and motivated. Hopefully, with Euro 2016 on the horizon, there is a well-placed carrot to dangle in front of our powerful midfielder. 

The NUFC Fan Guide To Milwaukee

Last time Newcastle United came to the US, the two co-founders of this blog traveled more than 2,000 miles for matches in Kansas City and Columbus. This summer we won't travel at all, and not because we're boycotting (we softened our stance on that idea even before Jonas' thunderbastard and Mike Ashley at least trying to say something). It turns out NUFC is coming July 14 to our "home ground" - the fine city of Milwaukee in the pastoral state of Wisconsin. I'm a lifelong Milwaukeean, my original co-blogger Tom lives 80 miles away in the state capital of Madison, and our third addition Matt has come to visit from out east a couple of times as well (still waiting for Phil). Seeing as we're about as close to experts as NUFC fans get, here's our pocket guide to Milwaukee for Magpies.

Beer. Like Newcastle, Milwaukee is widely recognized for its beer - hence the name of the baseball club, the Brewers. Stemming from the town's German heritage, at one time all the major breweries in the US - Miller, Pabst, Schlitz, Blatz - were located here. (No, I didn't mention Budweiser. Once you're here you might not want to mention it either.) Only Miller still operates a large brewery in town, overlooking the baseball and occasional soccer stadium that bears its name. The departed mega-breweries have been supplanted joyfully by a host of small craft breweries that produce wonderful and often strong brew. We love our beer, especially before or after a game in the parking lots that sprawl between Miller Brewery and Miller Park - it's the oldest and best tailgate party scene in the US, and if you doubt it, come see for yourself. 

Pubs. Wisconsin has more taverns per capita than any other state, many of which offer a large array of taps (see Beer, above). Milwaukee alone has several thousand pubs for you to explore - land in town and walk in any direction until there's a pint in your hand. For the Newcastle fan we can recommend one bar in particular: Highbury Pub, a couple of miles south of downtown in the Bay View neighborhood, easily reached from the city center by car or bus. There are several well-known soccer pubs in the city, but Highbury is the rowdiest, which is why it's been adopted by the Magpie crowd, and vice versa. The place is owned by a Crystal Palace fan. Rest assured you'll receive a warm welcome from him and everyone else, as the couple-to-a-dozen of us who show up on matchdays are the life (and sometimes demise) of the party. We're often given the balcony level to ourselves, which we unofficially re-label St. James' Pub.

Beaches. Wait, isn't Milwaukee in the middle of the country? Yes, but thanks to its positioning on the shore of Lake Michigan, it's one of the most inland ocean ports on the planet. While the water quality can fluctuate with the currents, there's no salt, and the beaches can feel like Florida. Bradford Beach adjacent to downtown is the most popular, where the sand is dotted with - of course - bars, so you don't have to bring in your beer cooler or margarita fixings. Green bluffs, some of which are still wilderness, spill to the lakeshore up and down the length of the city, giving Milwaukee a natural beauty that belies its industrial reputation. The lake breezes mean we rarely have to endure the blast-furnace temperatures that plagued NUFC during the 2011 tour, though if the wind is blowing out to the lake at the wrong time we can suffer the odd heat wave. This shouldn't be an issue at the match, though - Miller Park has a retractable-dome roof and can be closed and cooled if necessary.

 

Culture. Ask an American outside Milwaukee about the city, and with perhaps a nod to our iconic winged art museum, you'll likely hear about the German stuff, beer and bratwurst. There's plenty of that, for sure: Some of the more toothsome brats in town are served at Miller Park, with sauerkraut and a secret barbecue sauce (better than it sounds). Modern Milwaukee, though, is as much Hispanic as European, with a massive
Mexican-American community that helps explain why this match is being scheduled and who NUFC will be playing. While Atlas may not be quite the draw Chivas was in a friendly here against Swansea last year, prepare to be outnumbered in the stadium - this is not likely to resemble the typical away match in England where the local fans are drowned out on TV by "Toon Toon, black-and-white army." The Latin spirit permeates the city in surprising and colorful ways, including Mexican food as authentic and delicious as any US locale, in taquerias dotting the urban landscape particularly on the south side of town not far from the ballpark. With its central location and moderate living expense the city has been a magnet for immigrants from all over the globe, and whatever ethnic group or cultural attraction you can't find here you'll find in Chicago, whose central Loop is less than a 90-minute zip away on the Amtrak Hiawatha commuter train - so close the exurbs of the two cities are beginning to blend into a single lakeside megalopolis.

How to get here: Milwaukee has a nice and relatively stress-free airport with sinking fares thanks to the arrival of US discount carrier Southwest and the resulting competition. If you can't find a good fare, try Chicago - you can reach Milwaukee from there by rental car, bus or train, but be prepared for the jumble of humanity that is O'Hare International. If you're making the trip by car from any direction other than northwest, add an hour or so for passing through Chicago unless you hit it in the middle of the night.

Where to stay: The historic luxury hotel downtown is the Pfister, and on the right date you can find deals there at sub-luxury prices. Marriott and Hilton have new hotels in renovated historic buildings downtown. A fun upscale option not too far from the stadium is the independent Iron Horse Hotel, adjacent to the headquarters and museum of Harley-Davidson, whose motorcycles emit a steady hum here in their native city. Most of the budget accommodation options are outside the city center, and there's not much hotel-wise or otherwise around the stadium, which lies about 50 blocks west of downtown. There's always Airbnb.

As a bonus, here's a guide to the other cities on the newly announced NUFC tour.

Portland: Hipsters.

Sacramento: Cows.

So come to Milwaukee, and we look forward to showing you a good time. Unless you're boycotting. Which we totally understand!