Tuesday 8 March 2016 08:20, UK
Newcastle's defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday heaped more pressure on boss Steve McClaren. But who at Newcastle is responsible for making a decision on his future?
Owner Mike Ashley remains an important figure, however, when McClaren was appointed last June, he stepped down from the board along with former financial director John Irving.
The former England manager was added to the board in a surprise move - the first time a Premier League manager had ever been named on a board.
At that point, Newcastle formed a four-man board of McClaren, managing director Lee Charnley, former captain Bob Moncur and chief scout Graham Carr.
Here, with the help of Sky Sports News HQ reporter Keith Downie, we answer some key questions around those Newcastle decision makers…
What's the role of those four board members?
Lee Charnley is the main decision maker on the board. Charnley was the one who brought McClaren to Newcastle - and it would be his call to sack him. Owner Ashley could say 'it's not working' and task Charnley with firing McClaren and bringing someone else in, but Ashley doesn't do that himself. Ashley's PR man Keith Bishop is often in Newcastle and attended the game on Saturday. He would have been having meetings with members of the board.
Graham Carr is the chief scout. He's not based at Newcastle but is responsible for identifying talent and bringing the club's signings in. Most of the transfers into Newcastle are down to him and then it is up to the manager to get the most out of them and fit them into his team. However, in January, McClaren was able to identify two players he wanted to bring in himself: Andros Townsend and Jonjo Shelvey.
Bob Moncur is a club ambassador. He played for Newcastle in the 1960s and '70s and captained them to the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1969. Moncur has been involved with the club for a long time and is a familiar face at St James' Park. He's also a favourite of the fans.
McClaren is the final name on the board. He was given the role, according to Charnley, to "gain a full understanding and appreciation for the club and its operations as a whole, not just the football side".
Are the board discussing McClaren's future?
The latest news is that, on Monday, those board members are holding talks on McClaren's future. Charnley was at St James' Park earlier - but the discussion may well be taking place away from Newcastle or by conference call, rather than all three members needing to be at the stadium.
What would happen to McClaren's role on the board should he be sacked?
McClaren being on the board could prove a sticking point as he would have to resign from his position, but that would probably be written into his contract in the case of him being sacked as head coach.
