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Opinion

No comfort in Mike Ashley’s ‘Plan C’

9 years ago
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Across the media Steve McClaren to Newcastle is seen as a done deal if Derby County fail to get promoted.

If you believe the bookies then McClaren is on his way to St. James’ Park having been made long odds on to be the next Newcastle manager/head coach.

Whether the former Middlesbrough boss would be a success at NUFC is open to doubt in terms of ability and the scale of the job he’d be taking on, his track record suggesting he is an ok/decent manager with an ok/decent track record.

However, surely much more dubious is the fact that this story is being put forward as a supposed credible plan by Mike Ashley to turn Newacstle United around.

All of the reports/stories I have read all agree on one thing, if Derby County are promoted then there is no way Steve McClaren will leave the Rams.

So if you really believe that this is who Ashley wants to take over at United, how can it be a credible plan when you are at the mercy of another club’s results?

Derby are four points clear of seventh with two games to go, so look nailed on to make the play-offs.

You are then looking at a one in four chance of them being promoted and that becoming a toss of the coin if they make the Championship play-off final on 25 May.

The Premier League kicks off early next season because of the 2016 Euros, on 8 August only 75 days after that play-off final.

I would believe anything at Newcastle these days but imagine if that really is the plan, waiting until the end of May to see if Steve McClaren is available and then having to move to plan B at such a late stage, especially considering just how massive the job is of turning NUFC around.

That could then potentially confirm plan C(arver) as Mike Ashley’s fallback position and I don’t think any of us will find comfort in that.

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