Is there anybody out there?
As difficult as it is to look forward for Newcastle United fans at the moment - talk of Kevin Keegan's replacement as boss for fans has done nothing to ease tensions on an angry Tyneside.
I mean just try looking down the list of candidates so far.
Alan Shearer was a non-starter for reasons which we all understand.
Gus Poyet doesn't want it - but did you ever want him?
Gianfranco Zola prefers West Ham, Didier Deschamps has an eye on the French national team boss while Slaven Bilic seems committed to his country and seeing out his contract.
A new name was thrown into the boiling pot today in the shape of Paul Ince.
Ince - booed about as much as Dennis Wise as a visiting player at St James's Park in his playing days - obviously has just taken the job at Blackburn after cutting his teeth with MK Dons (FC Franchise to Wimbledon fans) and Macclesfield Town.
He's hardly Sir Bobby Robson or Kevin Keegan but may well have the guts to handle the job at Newcastle and probably won't have a problem working with Wise.
After winning trophies at the lower level with MK and his glittering trophy cabinet from his Man United days he is a winner but would probably be as popular as the last man who exchanged Ewood Park for Gallowgate in Graeme Souness before it turned so, so sour.
Sadly, the job search so far suggests that nobody is throwing themselves at Newcastle and to suggest that the job is now turning into football's poisoned chalice doesn't seem far from the truth.
The reality is that Newcastle are still a big club with great resources and a great set of fans.
But with the likes of Dalglish, Gullit, Robson, Allardyce and Keegan a second time all leaving Tyneside with great ambitions of silverware and dreams of success in tatters, it's almost like United have tried everything in their hunt for glory.
Glory right now though seems a long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
48 Comments
Profile
Lee Ryder - Proudly born and bred on Tyneside, the Chronicle's chief sports writer has followed the fortunes of the club over the last three decades as a Toon fan and football writer.
Latest Premier League video
Email alerts
In association with
Follow my RSS feed
Follow me on
i think paul ince would also be a poor choice. Can you imagine Ince training players like Owen, Viduka.etc, it would be a joke. If we were to get another manager in from 'the list' it would have to be someone experienced. Both Zico and Fatih Terim play 'our' attacking brand of football and both are experienced and international and domestic levels. possibly would be a good shot?
nobody throwing themselves is not quite right, zico is shouting from the roof tops, but then he aint a mate of dennis wise
To be fair, one lad has thrown himself into the ring and that's Zico.
He was a hell of a player and his coaching record while limited is still strong and full of success. He speaks Spannish which is an advantage at our place now but I'm not sure if he can feign a cockney accent.
Of all the names in the frame, if I can't have Kev, I'd like to have the brazillian.
Ince can stay at Blackburn. We've got one poisonous southern toospot too may already.
Hang on a minute... Gus Poyet, Dennis Wise, Paul Ince, Michael Owen, Gianfranco Zola?
Ken Dodd hasn't made a secret bid for the club has he?
Check the team coach and see whether there's a sunstrip on it saying "Here Come the Diddy Men" will you Lee?
What about Zico?
We seem to be in stasis at the moment. Everyone is walking around in a daze when it comes to discussing NUFC. The sad thing is most people I know really don't care who takes over and that is the most worrying thing.
Lee, I think I have the answer. Before any criticism is levelled my way, I am the last person that wanted to see Kevin Keegan leave, however I am also extremely worried that we will be left with Poyet or Ince or any else that calls Dennis wise a friend.
What we need is a strong character, someone who can take charge yet put out a team to entertain. Step forward a man first recommended by the great Sir Bobby Robson....Fatih Terim, for any doubters out there I urge you to read this.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatih_Terim
Clearly a man who will put out a team to attack, and as we all know from watching the Euros, clearly has passion for the job he does, with a wealth of European knowledge as well as a track record of success. Forget the drivel, appoint a big name foreigner, things cant get any worse! I HATE Mike Ashley and I HATE Dennis Wise, they are ruining our club, but with no buyer in sight some action needs to be taken
Hi lee if i hear one more c rap name being linked to this club im ganna puke. As for Saturday full boycot sorry i disagree with everyone but its time to take a stand and the time is now. If we dont there will be no money for good new players. Good players will not come because the wages will be c rap. We will end up with a yes man as manager. The only long term plan MA has is to line his pockets with our money. Then when we get relagated MA wise and co will do a runner. An empty stadium on Sat is the only way anyone will take notice. If we let this continue with no action it will give MA the OK to do what the h ell he wants to with our club. look for god sake MA wise and co are not going to be there anyway.
No reason for Ince to be linked with the toon job.
Just more speculation to fill newspaper pages on a quiet Wednesday during an International break.
I'm not interested in Keegan's successor.
Whoever gets the job won't be half the man Keegan is and will be Ashley and Wise's puppet.
Anyone taking the job will not be made welcome.
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegan!!!
Ashley Out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lee, most fans dread to think what muppet will be given the job, i dread switching on sky sports, in case i see someone like ince or poyet is the new manager.
the club is in disaray and seen as a joke, the question is, who would want to manage newcastle? my bet is some johnny foreigner.
just seen this posted on a website, remember it well, can we spot the liar
"I'm not here to be involved in the first team. I'm not here to manage. I'm here to help Kevin as much as possible with bringing young players through and also recommending certain players to him. He'll say yes or no. He has the final word, no one else. I'm not going to do things like bring players in behind his back, I'm not into that. Quote from Dennis Wise, NUFC official web site, 1st Feb 2008 - enough said!"
You are right anyway. The Newcastle Utd job looks probably like the worst one in the UK except the England job.
Has to be Frankie Rykjard. He is:
- Available
- Coached one of the Biggest Clubs in the World and thus used to pressure and handling superstars
- Successful as a player (instant respect)
- Dutch so plays good football
- No doubt speaks spanish, which is handy given our spanish speaking contingent
- Used to operating under present structure
- Has experience but still young/ambitious
- Willing to play youngsters i.e. Messi/Bojan
- No clear connection to Wise
- Next best after KK
Go and get him....now!
Why stop with Ince? I say go for Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin and Pol Pot. Throw in the Crazy Frog ringtone and you complete a full house of reasons for Newcastle to become the most hated club in the World.
Any doubts I had about boycotting are fading, fading, fading away.....
There is only one manager for newcastle job and thats keegan.no one else will be welcomed here.ashley and his idiots need to ship out,their not wanted,its all gone quiet whats happening anybody know????
bring back our kevin keegan.
Business as usual...
Not for me. I won't forget this one in a hurry.
Exactly right!... The only person who said they are interested in the job is Zico, but do we really want him?... If Didier Deschamps doesn't get the french job, then I think he should be first choice to take over. But who knows, Mike Ashley might be sitting in the dugout against Hull on Saturday!
Hi Lee -dont really care who gets the job now -one thing for sure -they have to be a freind of Dennis Wise -thats the new criteria for getting a job at Newcastle-and they think they are managing a business and professional football club /Having a laugh are they not. Kevin has gone and with his departure went all my enthusiasm for my club -I am totally disgusted by the way he has been treated -The bunch still ruling our club could not be capable of cleaning Kevins boots. I tell you this if Ashley and Wise think this will die down and be soon forgotten-they have another think coming. We have had some sad things at our club to overcome over the years -this is worse than anything I can remember.
I do not understand why we are looking for a manager when we already have one? Wise is the manager of NUFC he has full control of players,who to bring in, and who to sell, all without interference from anyone but Ashley. I would like to bet he even helps negotiate their contracts! So why are we sold this managers hype there will be no manager as such! The fall guy will have no power other than pick the team, Wise would never be under any threat whatsoever, but the underling would, thats why KK walked, he realised too late that they were using him as a stooge.
Why have we still not heard a word from the club since Keegan left? Only two short statements on the offical website shows exactly what they think of the fans. I am defintely not going to the game and will stand out of the stadium chanting Ashley out!! The players and more importantly the fans want Keegan! Bring back KK!! It's time Ashley realises who exactly the toon belongs to!!!
What about Barton as player manager?
What's the point? As long as Morcambe and Wise are yanking the strings you might as well call whoever it is not the manager but senior coach.
And is that what we want? No! Why would they treat anyone else any different to the disgraceful way they treated KK? Unless we are happy with a 'yes' man, then Ashley must either reinstate Keegan or leave himself. There's no middle ground.
Roberto Martinez the Swansea Manager.
Plays good passing football.
Speaks English.
Knows more about football then Wise ever will.
Knows English football and how to overcome the long ball teams with good football having played over here pretty much his whole career.
Got Swansea into the championship and they look a good bet for the play offs.
Paul Ince and Dennis Wise the dream ticket?
Are they about to sign David Speedy as kit man?
Jeez - I thought Ashley has the sense to try to put a lid on it but he seems intent on making things as bad as he can.
I said on this blog months ago that Ashley was either very clever or very lucky to amass such wealth. Well we all know which one now and it's up to us to tell him his lucks just run out.
Back the boycott.
Keegan is gone for good so I think everyone should move on and dry there eye's and start to get behind the players again. To be honest he never (Keegan) won anything with Newcastle and then had a hissy fit and done the bolt. I agree that Ashley & Co are no good for the club and should sell if the opportunitiy arises but until then it's his club. Boycotting the game is only going to affect the players and the way they play. Do you really want to be beaten by Hull?
I just want us to win games and do well so when the club appoints a manager and he is winning games, I'll be happy. I support and will continue to support Newcastle not the person managing them, who ever that may be.
It is a FACT that any real credible Managerial candidate with genuine ability and integrity wont go anywhere near this job right now.
It is a FACT that whoever the Ashley regime appoints, will be someone who will have to accept interference into team affairs.
It is a FACT that whoever is taken on will have no control over which players come & go.
It is a FACT that the NUFC team composition will be dictated by Denis Wise, someone who will never be able to set foot into SJP again!
It is a FACT that whoever takes the job will therefore be of sub-standard calibre, taking the job merely for the money and to enhance their CV and not in the real interests of the Fans.
It is a FACT that the Ashley regime is an absolute disgrace, as will be any puppet appointments they make.
Great post Lee but I'm not sure if the job is actually a 'poisoned chalice', I just don't think any self respecting manager and I mean manager would take it!
I can just see their interviews with prospective candidates.
"look (insert name), I know you are a good manager which is why we want you."
"At Newcastle though, we run things a bit differently to what you are used to"
"Forget what you have done in the past, at the toon you must do what wise says" "you are after all, in effect his number two".
" he will decide which players you can have and if he wants to sell any, he won't have to tell you." " You just have to get on with it as we know you can"
"Mr wise is a great guy though and is my hero so you must also be prepared to take the flack if lack of signings or poor signings make you lose games"
"I know you have a preferred system of play and the fans like attractive football up north in Newcastle, but as you have no input on who we sign you will have to devise a system to go around this".
"whatever you do, don't be like the last guy and ask for a left back, we will get you a striker because we only have 6 at the club".
"so then, do you wish to sign now or later?"
My personal choice would be Zico but will he really be happy as a 'first team coach'.
He says hes used to working with technical directors, not like this I would suggest.
Maybe we should employ someone who has experience like that so that they can teach wise his job.
I'd go for Mowbray.
Not bothered who comes in, wont make the slightest difference, the squad was poor and paper thin to start with, jonas was the only bright spot now he's out for a while.The best manager in the world could not pick a half decent team with the players available. Think we are in for a long hard relagation struggle
Hi Lee, please to see that you did not ask who will be the next manager, as we are looking for a coach.
Its a bit like taking on a 'turn-around project' in business. Get the profits up, or sack the staff one by one, or you (yourself) are out of the door. Unfortuntely, there will be several mercanaries out there who will take on the job. I sincerely hope the lads boycott all homes until Mickey and Minne have gone back to Disneyland.
What is with you lot? Haven't you realised by now that poaching our personnel doesn't turn you into a club that's as well run as ours?
Now you want Ince, 3 months into the job and on a four-year deal!!! The sheer arrogance of your club far outweighs your stature in the game. Since you gave us ã2m for Souness (RFLMAO!!!) how much for Ince? It would have to be far more than the paltry and insulting amount that you offered us for our England international left-back, who by all accounts you were "nailed on" to get.
Such delusion was concluded with 11th hour desperation on deadline day with part-ex offers of the forever-crocked Duff, ASBO-magnet Barton or wages-drain Owen.
The only thing "big" about your club is the sheer volume of disappointed, disallusioned and deluded boycott-dodgers that trudge into your topsy turvy stadium.
On a visit to St James in '95 one of your "fantastic" fans drunkenly shouted in my face "without tha geordie yaz be sheight". Oh the irony. We even got the better of that deal - Shearer's best years, the Premiership and ã15m. As for managing your risible outfit, there's about as much chance of Hansen managing Liverpool or Lineker managing Tottenham.
Admittedly, there's more chance of Ince coming, which would also help cement to Wise's place. However, although the notion of a poisoned chalice is only just dawning up on Tyneside, can you really expect Ince, or anybody else for that matter, be rushing to make use of a transfer budget not much bigger than ours but with the weight of twice the expectation?
There's many more cheque-book managers other than Keegan out there, and they won't be breaking your door down.
Get over yourselves.
Will see the fans with brain cells outside st james on saturday A NO PIE PROTEST will NOT be good enough but if your happy to back ashley go in and have your don't buy a pie protest / sing shoes off if you love keegan songs as heavily featured on ssn that is YOUR choice, im sure ashley will be bricking it, the players are big boys they will back the protest they dont want wise's man in charge of them either an empty ground is the only way to show these business men US FANS wont be dictated to this should be a president for all fans of the premier league this is a fans game not a billionaires play thing.
Wake up back the Boycott!
I believe supporters should turn up early and voice their views loud and clear Wise out, we hate Wise,etc The media will be there.When the match starts shout for the team they need all your help.at halftime Wise you are a coward hiding in London you little cockney squirt picking your mates. We know you hate Shearer, you whispered in in Ashleys ears That is why he has not been given the job He was a good a good captain and his heart is in NEWCASTLE
How can a man be called Wise yet be so stupid
Why would anyone want this job? I've lost a lot of passion for the club now. I can't see how we can progress without Keegan. I don't think my passion will return until Ashley's out. Happened to me when Gullit was in charge. The spark has just gone.
well, what happened to the indian gadgie who was to be our knight in shining armour,and slay the dreaded dragon,oops sorry(nest of vipers).More pie in the sky me thinks,at this rate i think i would rather stomach peter risdale or ken bates running the club than m a,and his cockney wide boys.So Kev if you are reading this get in touch with your marra from bruni and ask him to kick chubbys ass out so we can all live happily ever after.long live the king the king is dead.
Howard from the HALIFAX adverts?
The Blyth Spartans Manager may be tempted!
What a complete shambles.
Well there is always next year.
Or the year after.
Or even the year after that.
It realy is time for the FANS to stand up and be counted, The only thing Ashley and his clan understand is Money so as much as it pains me to say we must stop feeding the club money.
I am down and nearly out.
I don't want Ince. Keep him.
See the Chronicle's going with the march over the boycott. Can't see it making much difference, I'm afraid. We're a fickle lot. The whole situation should've been looked into long before Keegan left and we should've boycotted the Hull game - and, frankly, the players should've made their feelings known.
What's the problem? Ashley has bought NUFC quite legally and with his own money paid off millions of pounds of debt that was threatening to bankrupt the club. Allardyce wasn't his man. Keegan looked a good appointment at first but it was purely fan-driven. KK could not have been a rational choice - would Arsenal or Man Utd even consider a manager who has confessed live on TV to being tactically weak and has a history of walking out on people? Like all new owners of a business, Ashley took a while to decide on a strategy. Fair enough. He decided on the so-called continental model, Keegan didn't like it, and did what Keegan does - cleared off. Wise never addresses the media or the fans. It's just a ten-year old reputation. He could be a man who knows very well what a modern football club needs and is just trying to do his job as guided by Ashley. The only thing we should really criticise him for is his non-existent communication with the supporters. If he had come out months ago, openly talking about his role and keeping the level of communication up, he would not be the figure of irrational hate he now is. The whole group do seem to be absolutely rubbish at communicating anything. When they say nothing, the perception is that they don't know what they're doing. I suspect that is far from the case.
As a supporter since 1967 (1-1 v Stoke, Davies scored) and still a season ticket holder I have seen it all before. Newcastle is a club run on emotion - never a brain in sight. Fat lot of good that has done us. Ashley has claimed a long-term commitment to the club; let's hope he now puts in place a long-term plan which, for once in NUFC history, we stick with. Whether it's right or wrong, it does seem that the model he won't budge from is the way ahead - there will be plenty of "managers" who could live happily with it. If they are chosen with Wise's involvement, there will be no conflict, although we would be left with the uncomfortable thought that Denis Wise would in fact be the manager of Newcastle United. Despite what I say above, I'm not sure I care for that ...
I'd be lynched for this next bit if you could be lynched on-line. For me Keegan stands alongside Macdonald and Beardsley - i.e untouchable. However, as a manager in the 21st century he is yesterday's man. It was a romantic appointment and KK, great man though he is, would not have taken us very far. Ashley has had his fingers burnt by a decision that was probably one of the only he's ever made that was heart rather than head. He'll stick with his model, appoint someone he can work with and ... who knows? Personally after 41 years I don't care if NUFC is managed by a pack of nuns on motorbikes as long as we win something - anything - before I die (I'm only 50 by the way). The League Cup would do ...
Deliberately provocative, Lee, but do I or do I not have a point ...?
I agree with the guy who mentioned the boycott - demonstrations are a waste of space and the club will still say look we filled tthe ground. I won't be there despite the fact that I have paid for my season ticket and I have no inclination to go in the medium term after this fiasco. I'm not interested in who comes in as manager as it perpetuates the Ashley disaster area. I have actively followed the team for over 40 years even though I have moved around the UK but after all the years of disappointment this is the last straw. I really can't be bothered anymore and I don't think I'm alone.
After all the doom and gloom at toon at last a bit of good news, Ameobe has declared himself fit and raring to go against hull tomorrow. Ho-hum, just gets better and better at toon dont it
why not just give it to wise!
deschamps, poyet or ince are just going to be his puppet so might as well give it to him!
personally i would like to see ant and dec given the job....they are always 500-1 with the bookies every year when we replace our manager so why not give them a punt...theyd be loved more than the poison dwarf.
I totally agree with Chris Gray's comments,KK is something from the heart but how many times can 1 person throw there dummy out and be forgiven.
We need to appoint a coach who has won things in the last 5 years and the only 2 that stand out are Riykard or Dechamps.
I really hope we get behind the Toon against Hull get 3 points and move on.
There is alot of life after KK how ever dissapointed we are,he's gone lets all look to a bright future.
The very fact that the selection policy for the job is based around whether the candidate is a friend of Dennis Wise first and his managerial experience & qualities second shows what an absolute joke this club has become.
I don't want any of the names mentioned in the comments above with the exception of Frank Rijkaard. But I don't think he's really in the frame, given that he doesn't know Wise and hasn't ever lived in London as far as I'm aware.
Apparently there've been 38 serious applications and two of the -alledged- best three for a shortlist are Ince & Poyet. I find that hard to believe. I'd sooner have the tea lady in charge.
An absolute joke.
The very fact that the selection policy for the job is based around whether the candidate is a friend of Dennis Wise first and his managerial experience & qualities second shows what an absolute joke this club has become.
I don't want any of the names mentioned in the comments above with the exception of Frank Rijkaard. But I don't think he's really in the frame, given that he doesn't know Wise and hasn't ever lived in London as far as I'm aware.
Apparently there've been 38 serious applications and two of the -alledged- best three for a shortlist are Ince & Poyet. I find that hard to believe. I'd sooner have the tea lady in charge.
An absolute joke.
In my own opinion, I don't think Ashley is to blame on this; yes he brought in Wise and Llambias, but it was their job to run the club, not Ashley's; and it was them who've alienated the fans and the manager.
Just read the apparent shortlist; Ince, Poyet and Deschamps. The thing that sticks out is the question they're obviously asking at SJP; 'Who can we get in to work with Dennis Wise?' WHICH IS THE WRONG QUESTION TO START OFF WITH!!! It should be 'Who can we get who'll work with a Director of Football?' In which case the list should be: Zico, Terim and Deschamps (the only person on the proper shortlist out of merit, in my eyes).
Don't let Wise and Llambias turn SJP into an old boys club, Mr. Ashley, put your foot down. Otherwise, you'll never regain any of the confidence you've lost because of your subordinates!!!
To Chris Gray.
Please do not delude yourself - Ashley bought the club and paid off the debt because he is a smart businessman, NOT because he loves NUFC or itâÂÂs supporters. He may have bought a few of us beers in the Bigg Market, but all I would say is âÂÅ beware of Greeks bearing gifts. By sorting out the books, he is now able to sell his asset (NUFC) at profit. Some reports say 400 million quid is the asking price for the club, which he is currently touting at his 100k champagne parties â 100% profit in 12 months if he gets it â as I said Ashley is a smart businessman. What if he does not get his 400 million pound asking price? AshleyâÂÂs backup plan â Plan B (all the smart businessman have one) is to turn NUFC into a modern Burnley. Being 50+, like me, you must remember Burnley! Anyway, this is what is meant by as you say, âÂÂAshley has claimed a long-term commitment to the clubâÂ?. Basically, what this means is groom young talent and selling at profit. The âÂÂlong-term commitmentâÂ? policy is illustrated by (i) the sale of James Milner and (ii) putting the whole team up for sale on the day of the transfer deadline, while at the same time completing the purchase of two players from the Spanish League without informing KK, and lastly, trying to offload Michael (Owen) to Spurs at 10 pm on the same day. Strangely enough, KK found all of this rather hard to stomach, especially as Ashley had a week or so earlier written that KK would have the final word on all transfers relating to the first team.
Regarding modern football and KKâÂÅ first of all, I donâÂÂt buy the idea there is such a thing as âÂÂmodern footballâÂ? â this is marketing hype. FootballâÂÅ .is football â itâÂÂs the same game now that I played as a boy and young man in the 60âÂÂs, 70âÂÂs and 80âÂÂs. And, if KK is past it at 57, what hope is there for the world with a president of the USA aged 72? Ageist hogwash.
The recent announcement that Chris H. could be in charge for up to 4 weeks has passed without any real comment from the club or the press.
Could it just be that Ashley HAS AGREED A SALE and therefore it would be inappropriate to appoint a manager whom the new owners would not want. Plus of course any new buyer would need time to carry out due diligence tests over the clubs finances and this would take some time. Just a thought.
To Michael Oneil
I called Keegan "yesterday's man" not because he is 57 but because his approach is out of date. Age, as you say, has nothing to do with it.
Chris Gray