Giving Newcastle boss two games to prove himself is unfair
Published:
If the papers are to believed, Steve McClaren only has two games left to save his job at Newcastle United.
Unfortunately for him, the Magpies’ next two fixtures see them host Liverpool before heading to White Hart Lane to face Tottenham Hotspur.
Facing two top-six teams in a row would be a difficult prospect for any side, but the added pressure and location of the two matches will make it extra tough for the Newcastle boss.
Only Manchester City are better at home than Spurs in the league, who are unbeaten at the Lane, while the Reds have only lost once on their travels.
The timing also couldn’t be worse for the former-England manager, with both of the upcoming opponents in imperious form.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have won four in a row across all competitions since the loss to Crystal Palace, scoring 13 times and only conceding three.
Furthermore, since the German manager’s arrival, the Reds have only lost once and have beaten Man City and Chelsea on the road.
Similarly, Spurs are performing well and broke their record Premier League unbeaten run by going 13 matches without a loss when drawing with the Blues last time out.
The results against these two aren’t going to be truly reflective of the Toon’s chances of survival and judging McClaren on this wouldn’t be a true reflection of his ability.
It’s very unlikely that any manager could get a result with Newcastle in their next two fixtures, so Mike Ashley needs to cut his employee some slack before rushing him out the door.
A more realistic match to mark as do or die would be home game against Aston Villa after the clashes with Liverpool and Spurs.
The Villans haven’t picked up any points on the road since their opening win over Bournemouth and haven’t triumphed in any games since then.
Failing to beat the club cut adrift at the bottom of the Premier League would be the clearest indication that McClaren doesn’t have what it to takes to keep the Magpies up and he should have until then to prove himself.
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