Cool Steve McClaren still in charge at troubled Newcastle

Head coach Steve McClaren will take Newcastle training today having spoken to managing director Lee Charnley last night about his future.

The pair discussed the situation over the telephone before McClaren, who had earlier taking training for the second successive day, left the club’s Darsley Park training headquarters.

Earlier reports had suggested McClaren and Charnley were to hold showdown talks at St James’ Park. What was said between the two men remains unclear and the club were not commenting, but 54-year-old McClaren was wearing a broad smile as cameras captured him walking towards his car. As a result, the saga surrounding his position seems set to extend into a fifth day since a 3-1 home defeat by Bournemouth left the club in desperate Barclays Premier League relegation trouble and saw fans turn on him for the first time in concerted fashion.