Steve McClaren to Newcastle: Magpies approached McClaren in January - and hope to revive bid this summer
Newcastle faced paying £2m if they had firmed up their interest
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Your support makes all the difference.Steve McClaren has admitted for the first time that he was approached by Newcastle officials in January to take over as manager.
The Derby County manager, speaking at a club event on Thursday night at the iPro Stadium, revealed there had been an approach after Alan Pardew had resigned from his position at St James’ Park to take over at Crystal Palace.
The former England manager signed a new three-year contract at Derby last summer and it is believed the timing of the approach and the compensation levels meant the move was unsuccessful.
Newcastle faced paying £2m if they had firmed up their interest, although they received almost twice that amount from Palace themselves when Pardew ended his turbulent four-year tenure as manager. However, the move for McClaren was put on hold until this summer, even though they also spoke to Rémi Garde in London. Those talks did not progress well and McClaren was, and has remained, their No 1 target to take over in the summer.
Another approach is expected as soon as the current season, with Newcastle flirting with relegation and Derby challenging for the Championship play-offs, has finished.
McClaren was asked on Thursday at a press conference to confirm his position and the meeting with supporters was one of three he was contracted to attend. Again he was requested in front of the supporters to say where he expected to be next season. He revealed he had “turned Newcastle down” when they made their approach in January.
Newcastle back then took the decision to give John Carver, Pardew’s former assistant, the position of temporary head coach for the remainder of the season. The controversial decision has backfired and the side has won just twice in the 15 games Carver has been in charge. They have lost six on the trot to equal their worst run in the Premier League, which was set under Pardew, this time last season.
Newcastle similarly took the decision that their squad did not need strengthening in January, and indeed sold first-choice left-back Davide Santon to Internazionale. That gamble has also been unsuccessful and the club is now facing a second successive boycott from angry supporters when they play Swansea at St James’ Park this afternoon.
For last Sunday’s home game with Tottenham, which Newcastle lost 3-1, around 500 supporters stayed outside the ground to protest against Mike Ashley’s ownership and the attendance, while listed at 47,427, appeared nearer the 40,000 mark.
It is not known how many will boycott today, but there are a series of protests planned outside Ashley’s Sports Direct shops within a 20-mile radius of the stadium, and some fans of Rangers, where Ashley also has a stake, are believed to be in the North-east.
Carver has again insisted he has been privy to the recruitment meetings that have taken place in recent weeks. Newcastle maintain they will sign quality rather than quantity in the transfer market this time, but the chasm between the club and its supporters is as wide as it has been for years.
Carver believes he has a chance of the permanent position, despite the high regard in which McClaren is held by the Newcastle board.
McClaren’s work bringing through young players during his time at Middlesbrough impressed those in charge at St James’, who are eager to increase the number of homegrown youngsters.
All that, however, will be forgotten in the maelstrom of anger with those running the club and the oversight in writing off another half-season.
The club captain Fabricio Coloccini has again spoken of his desire to play in his native Argentina again. “Some day I would go back and be able to play in San Lorenzo and retire there,” he said. “Last year we had arranged the return to San Lorenzo. It is clear they [Newcastle] must defend their right because I had a contract.”
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