Mackanin is not media savvy, and you have to be if you want to succeed managing a team with high expectations in a big market in 2016.
Fortunately he is only managing in a big market.
The fact that he's a kind of a middle manager/glorified temp is literally the reason why he got the job. If his public comments or his behind-the-scenes handling of the Phillies' talent was truly poisonous, he woudn't be here. This GM didn't hire him. There's no Monty or Giles protecting an organizational lifer (and the organization wasn't that jazzed to have Bowa back originally either). He is literally there to weather this storm, and take the slings and arrows, so fire away.
I have a hard time believing he doesn't understand that, or that he and Klentak haven't been on the same page regarding expectations for the team (and that includes telling the press they could win 81 games as a motivational/PR ploy, which MacPhail has already walked back). You can't hold him personally responsible for individual performances. And if you do you have to recognize the good ones, and/or hold Stairs accountable as much as people want to hold McLure accountable.
I also don't believe Mackanin he ever thought this job was going to springboard him into another one at 66 or 67 years old. His only shot was to overachieve with this team and hang around, and that shot may or may not be over. He'll finish his career as a bench or a 3B coach somewhere.
It comes back to the placeholder/treading water thing. Klentak has been setting up this blank slate for two years. He's about to start writing in ink.