Firstly, let me just say, that Harry Redknapp’s decision to stay at Portsmouth rather than become Newcastle United’s new manager is a blessing in disguise for the club.
Secondly, let me just say, the decision to sack Sam Allardyce without making sure who his replacement would be, other than the vague suggestion from ‘arry’s camp that he was interested, is the first major blunder of the Mike Ashley/Chris Mort era.
However, let’s us draw a line under that now. Yes, the new people at the top have made a bit of a mess of the process of replacing Allardyce. Yes, their first choice to replace him was a dubious one to say the least, but the point is, Redknapp isn’t coming and someone else is.
Who that person is remains to be seen. I’ve already nailed my colours, trousers, shirt, tie and underpants to the Jose Mourinho mast. However, I’m willing to unnail them if I have to. I’m a pragmatist, not a romantic.
My desire to see the Portuguese at St James’s Park is based on the simple fact that he is the outstanding candidate for the job. His appointment, however, is, if I’m being honest to myself and you, an unrealistic one considering he can have the pick of the top jobs in European football and that he is, we believe, prevented from managing another English club this season as part of his severance package from Chelsea.
Nevertheless, if I was Mike Ashley - and obviously I’m not as the only millions I have are bacteria in my stomach - I would have been straight on the phone to Jose, offered to make him the highest paid manager in Europe, a massive transfer kitty and sold him the job as the toughest he could take in world football. Even then, he might not take it, but at least I’d have asked.
Where Ashley and Mort are going now is unclear. It seems to be there are three main options:
1) Go for someone like Mark Hughes. Decent track record, an up and coming manager who is believed to want the job - mind you sources close to Redknapp said the same thing until Saturday morning. He is also a strong character. Problem will be, if he is successful, he will be one of the favourites to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, a job he wouldn’t be able to turn down.
2) Appease the romantics and appoint the “dream ticket� of Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan, even if it is far from certain the two men would work together and shared jobs rarely work. It would be a wonderful story and it might just give the club some momentum and the city it’s feel good factor again.
3) Look at the best candidates based on experience and CV and give them an offer they can’t refuse. AZ Alkmaar’s Louis van Gaal is my new favourite in this category, as Marcello Lippi is too defensive and cautious for me.
Martin Jol is another possibility but if the former Tottenham director Paul Kemsley has as much influence on Ashley as we are led to believe, this would be unlikely. It was Kemsley who is credited with starting the anti-Jol movement at White Hart Lane last season when they finished fifth.
In the meantime, while we all want to know who is going to be Newcastle’s next manager, there is the small matter of an FA Cup replay against Stoke this week to consider. A tie which is worth an estimated £1.4m, as that is the amount the Magpies will receive in gate receipts if they play Arsenal in the next round.
And it is up to the players - and nobody else - to make sure Newcastle do not suffer another humiliation to be sniggered and laughed at by the rest of the nation. Too many of them went through the motions against Manchester United, too many didn’t want to know when the going got tough and too many decided they were playing for themselves.
No manager or not, Newcastle’s collection of international “stars� should have enough about them to beat a Championship side at home, no matter how awkward they maybe. They desperately need to restore some semblance of professional pride after the mauling at Manchester United and Wednesday night is the chance to do it.
The rest of the country will be waiting to see them fail. For once, let’s make sure they are left disappointed because I’ve had enough of having to listen to friends telling me Newcastle are a joke.
I should also add here that, while Newcastle fans were left smarting at their 6-0 thumping at Old Trafford, Orient lost 4-0 at promotion rivals Nottingham Forest. Not a good weekend.
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