Newcastle v Derby - Match Preview

Newcastle play host to former head coach Steve McClaren’s Derby County this weekend. His return would normally have been the story in the build up to the game, but with the plethora of other events at the club this week, very little has been mentioned about it.

Compared to the goings on at NE1 this week, his return is seen as insignificant.

The biggest concern for fans is the future of McClaren’s successor, Rafa Benitez. During a season where the Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, and his sidekick Lee Charnley, seem to have got so much right, it beggars belief that there is any talk of doubt over the manager’s position.

After years of controversy, where Newcastle have got a lot wrong, it seemed that the powers-that-be had finally learned from their mistakes, and – in ensuring Benitez remained as manager in the Championship – had pointed the future of the club in the right direction.

Giving an experienced, trophy-winning manager more of a free reign in the running of the club was logical and necessary. His summer of transfer activity – both incoming and outgoing – was a further sign that a corner may have been turned, and Ashley and Charnley had finally realised that football people know how to build winning football clubs.

For once, Ashley no longer seemed to be at loggerheads with his paying customers. For once, the failed business model seemed to have been put aside with a realisation that the club comes first. For once, football was the focal point at St James’ Park – and winning football at that.

Fast forward to the end of the January transfer window – which is disliked by not only me, but managers and owners throughout the country – and once again, we seem to have a power struggle between the owner, the manager and the fans.

Failure to land Andros Townsend was a blow on the footballing side, but one we should be able to cope with, and revisit again in the summer.

However, the comments from Rafa since have led to rumours of an impending departure for the Spaniard.

Firstly, I think it is worth pointing out that I think there is a bit of mischief-making being done. I do not think his position is under scrutiny by either the owner or the manager himself. I think a lot of people are reading a lot more into the situation than actually exists.

By all accounts, Rafa identified Townsend, and the deal was virtually in place, only for Sam Allardyce to change the terms of the deal at the eleventh hour. If that really was the case, then personally, I think the club were right not to go ahead.

If I went to buy a new car that was a £1,000 deposit and instalments of £250 a month, but then when I went to pay it the deposit was now £1,500 and instalments were £300 a month, I would walk away and stick to the bus.

A manager can only have so much input into a deal. In any walk of life, it is other people who do the finances.

Don’t get me wrong. I am as worried that there is more to this than we are hearing, but until I hear from Rafa himself that he is not happy, then I will remain calm.

I think what I saw during the week was a manager that was expressing disappointment and frustration at not getting the deal done, but not anger.

Now, why it was allowed to go to deadline day is another story.

What compounded the situation of course, was a lacklustre performance on Wednesday against what was a pretty ordinary Queens Park Rangers side.

Had we won that game, we would have seen a much more upbeat post match press conference. The fans would have been happier, and everything would have looked rosier than it had on Tuesday night.

But we didn’t win, and with that disappointment came the blame game.

Of course, fast forward another 24 hours, and with the Brighton defeat at Huddersfield, the dropped two points do not appear quite as bad as they did previously.

What would help to clear the grey clouds that seem to be residing above Gallowgate at the minute, would be three points against Derby.

A win would see Newcastle go back to the top of the table with Brighton having a potentially tricky game on Sunday against a Brentford side that were very unlucky to have lost to Newcastle, and put Aston Villa to the sword last weekend.

It will not be an easy game against the Rams, particularly as – whether he says so or not – it will be one that McClaren will really want to win.

Derby had a purple patch of results following McClaren’s arrival, but then they seemed to lost their way again – sound familiar – with a run of poor results, during which they went 436 minutes without scoring a league goal.

However, they seem to have found their feet again, winning their last two league games. Sandwiched in between those victories was a draw against Premier League champions Leicester City, in a game that they really should have won.

Make no mistake about it, this is a game that Newcastle need to win. Failure to do so will have the script-writers readying their pens for another plot-twist to the unfinished novel that is Newcastle United Football Club.