Pundits and ‘experts’ alike love to drone on about managers needing ‘time’ to succeed at football clubs. This noble notion was almost always supported with evidence of ‘look at Ferguson at United’ and ‘Wenger at Arsenal’. The telling difference there though is that those particular examples happen to be two of the finest managers of the modern footballing era.

Those men demanded time because they epitomised forward thinking and footballing progress. Bobby Robson didn’t need time, neither did Keegan. Newcastle gave Pardew loads of time, look what that did…game after game of uninspiring, unimaginative unsuccessful football. Something Palace fans are just getting used to.

There is a ridiculous assumption that Newcastle fans demand a team that plays exciting football and is challenging for the top honours every season.

No, Newcastle fans only ask for a team to be proud of. A team whose players sweat and bleed for the black and white. A club that shows ambitions of being better than what they have become. A club that is forward thinking and strives to progress. A club that is at least heading in the right direction.

Following the abysmal capitulation at Stamford Bridge, McClaren had 18 days to prepare for Stoke and Bournemouth.

He took them for warm weather training and plotted his game plan. And what masterful design did Steve come up with? Play for a nil-nil draw. They failed. They failed in every which way a team could fail. Failed to Score, failed to keep a clean sheet, failed to secure a single point. Under McClaren, Newcastle are headed in one direction, and we all know which way that is.

McClaren cannot be afforded any more time. We simply don’t have it. Ashley should be aware of this. The last time we were relegated Ashley hired Shearer with just eight games remaining to rescue our side…he was powerless to do so. Newcastle need new direction, new impetus, new belief…but they need it now. With plenty of good managers in need of a fresh challenge available, Ashley would be foolish to stick with Steve.