Big changes are on the way at Newcastle United as Steve McClaren not only takes over as head coach, but also fills owner Mike Ashley's spot on the club's Board of Directors. Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren will now be the only coach in the Premier League who is also a board member-a fact that the football club hopes will enhance communication and understanding throughout the entire organization.

The State of Affairs

McClaren comes to St. James' Park following one of the most tumultuous seasons in Newcastle United history. After the Magpies underperformed during the first half of the 2014 2015 season, manager Alan Pardew (who had been with Newcastle since 2010) resigned his post at the beginning of 2015, taking a job with Crystal Palace.

When Pardew left, Newcastle was in 10th place on the 2014 2015 Premier League table. Assistant coach John Carver took over as caretaker, but fortunes only declined under his command, with the Magpies only winning a single match-their last-between the end of February and the end of the season. The soccer team ultimately ended up in 15th place, dodging relegation by just a few points.

A Difficult Job 

Now, Carver is out, Pardew is enjoying an uptick of success at Crystal Palace (who finished 10th on the 2014 2015 Premier League table), and Ashley is stepping down from the board. Needless to say, everything is in a state of flux at St. James' Park, and it's into this chaotic atmosphere that Steve McClaren has now stepped.

McClaren has a difficult job ahead of him as manager at Newcastle. The football club hasn't had a strong season since 2011 2012, when they finished fifth in the Premier League. Meanwhile, they haven't participated in the Champions League since 2003 2004. McClaren has the task of molding the wearers of the Newcastle United home shirt 2015 2016 into winners once more.

But while the job will definitely be difficult, Magpie football fans are largely excited to see what McClaren does at the club. Newcastle United have been trying to bring the coach aboard for more than a decade now, but McClaren has previously turned down offers to coach the club because the timing wasn't right. Now, following a sacking from second tier team Derby County, Steve was ready and able to take the position.

A Quest for Trophies

McClaren also knew exactly what to say to get fans excited about his appointment as manager. In his first speech as Newcastle's head coach, he pledged to turn the club into a trophy-winning force once again.

"This club has waited far too long to win a trophy," McClaren said. "We owe it to the supporters to do everything we can to reward them with success. I am determined to give the supporters a team they can be proud of. I have already won trophies as a manager and a club the size of Newcastle should be winning cups and finishing in the top eight of the Premier League."

Of course, any new coach is going to want to promise trophies, and only time will tell if Steve McClaren is a manager who can actually back up his lofty claims. He does have a solid resume: he was assistant manager with Manchester United in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and was a part of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and Intercontinental Cup wins. He also led Middlesbrough to an FA Cup victory in 2003 2004, and took Dutch soccer club Twente to the top of the Eredivisie in 2009 2010.

However, McClaren has also had a number of failures in his career-most recently at Derby County, where his team completely fell apart in the last third of the 2014 2015 season. Lukewarm stints as the head coach of Wolfsburg, Nottingham Forest, and even the English national team also give reason to doubt McClaren's trophy promises.

What do you think? Is Steven McClaren a strong choice to manage Newcastle United and help the club escape its current funk? Or will his reign continue the football club's long draught without a notable victory? Root for the Magpies today with a new Newcastle United football shirt 2015 2016 from Soccer Box! You can also connect with Soccer Box on social media to watch for breaking updates about Newcastle transfers. We can be found on Facebook, Tumblr, or LinkedIn amongst other popular networks.