Former Sunderland midfielder Don Hutchinson is not sure if Steve McClaren is the right man to take Newcastle United forward.
Despite spending over £50million in the transfer market over the summer, Newcastle have endured a very difficult season so far and following the 3-0 home defeat against Leicester City, the Magpies are currently languishing in 17th place in the Premier League table.
Hutchison has not been impressed by what he has seen of Newcastle so far this term and has questioned if McClaren, who took the reins at St James' Park in the summer, is the right man for the Magpies.
In his column for the Chronicle, Hutchison said: "Mike Ashley has escaped a lot of the criticism this season because the club spent money in the summer and I will give him credit for that. But was it a case of too little, too late? And by allowing the club to appoint Steve McClaren, what was it saying about his ambition for the club?
"I'm not saying that I necessarily think the club should dispense with McClaren's services, although there have to be some concerns there about whether he is the right man to lead Newcastle.
"On occasion this season I've thought, 'They're getting somewhere' and there have been moments of progress when they have looked like a proper team. But every time you think Newcastle are moving forward you have a performance like Saturday's: utterly devoid of effort, purpose and threat to the opposition. Sooner or later, you have to ask whether the manager is getting it right.
"But look at the results going back a year or longer. In the run up to the game on Saturday we'll hear a lot about Alan Pardew and how he was the best thing since sliced bread for Newcastle but really, his record for the last year was shocking barring that mini-run up to Christmas. John Carver couldn't get it right and now McClaren's struggling too – despite a £50million investment in the summer."
