Steve McClaren suggested on the Premier League Daily show on Sky Sports Main Event on Tuesday morning (10:43am, January 2, 2018) that Newcastle United will not get relegated to the Championship at the end of the season.
The former Newcastle head coach also underlined the advantage that current manager Rafael Benitez has - the backing of the fans.
McClaren said on Sky Sports Main Event on Tuesday morning (10:43am, January 2, 2018): “I think they are okay. I think he knows what he is doing. I know at Newcastle you have always got a battle behind the scenes.
"I think what Rafa has done very well is he has got the fans, the 52,000 of them, the travelling supporters, they think he is the Messiah, so he has got a great advantage at that football club.”
Newcastle won automatic promotion from the Championship at the end of last season without too much of a problem.
The Magpies are struggling for survival in the Premier League at the moment, and there is a danger that they could go back down to the second tier of English football.
Benitez is a very good manager, and the Spaniard is doing a decent job with the quality of players at his disposal.
However, it is clear that for Newcastle to enhance their chances of avoiding the drop to the Championship at the end of the season, they need to make signings in the January transfer window.