February 2009 Archives

Derek Llambias has confirmed Joe Kinnear will be returning to Newcastle United as soon as his health allows it. But I still wonder whether it will be as manager or in some other role.

Llambias could not have been more unequivocal in his backing for Kinnear this week, although I still don't know whether a return to the stress and strain of frontline management will be for him given his heart problems.

I've heard Sunderland are keen to raise Ricky Sbragia's profile as manager, which sounds a bit like the Labour party saying they want to renovate public perception of Gordon Brown and convince us he is a good time guy, the life and soul of any House of Commons bash.

It is, in other words, a public relations exercise, spin doctoring, a deliberately designed media strategy conjured up at a meeting with flip charts, note pads, fancy high-lighter pens and a steady supply of black coffee.

Having lost one of the highest profile managers in Premier League history when Roy Keane stomped off back to Cheshire, the Black Cats are obviously conscious of the fact Sbragia pales in comparison when it comes to grabbing national - and perhaps even - regional attention.

Whatever you may or may not think about Joe Kinnear as a football manager I'm sure everyone hopes he makes a full recovery from heart surgery - if you don't you are sick, sick puppy who should perhaps think about putting yourself down.

However, whether Kinnear ever returns to St James's Park as manager is doubtful. By my reckoning, he will not be able to return to the dugout this season, which raises the prospect of Chris Hughton being caretaker boss for more than three months. Not an entirely convincing situation, nice guy that Hughton is.

I had never heard Derek Llambias speak before, but once he started he didn't stop as Newcastle managing director and the man in charge of the day-to-day running of the club attempted to relaunch Mike Ashley's regime.

Whatever you think about his answers - and I'm sure there will be some of you who are annoyed by some of them - you cannot accuse him of ducking any questions or any of the key issues.

There was only one question he did not answer in a two hour interview: "If Mike Ashley cares so much about the club why didn't he sack Wise and re-appoint Kevin Keegan?" The excuse? The impending industrial tribunal between the club and Keegan over his dismissal.

It's Friday, at last, and finally time for The Journal and Chronicle to march on St James's Park armed with your questions for the Newcastle United board.

Lee Ryder and myself have selected 50 from a list of more than 800 which sum up the general worries and concerns you have regarding the running of the club and the direction it is heading.

To sum up in broad terms these are the lack of communication from the board, a lack of investment in the transfer market, concern about the club's management structure, what is the board's vision/plan for the future, questions about the renewal of season tickets and the future of Joe Kinnear. Answers next week in both papers over a number of days....

We have come to expect very little from the transfer window as far as Newcastle United are concerned, but we certainly didn't expect Mike Ashley to make a profit this month.

In fact, the best bit of business the Magpies have done this season is persuade Wigan Athletic Charles N'Zogbia was worth £6m of their money plus Ryan Taylor! Good luck with that sulky, arrogant little so and so Brucie!

However, when you consider the size of that fee and the £6m Manchester City ended up paying for Shay Given, Newcastle raised £12m from player sales and spent just £4.5m of it on Kevin Nolan.

There will be an opportunity for everyone to get their derby related issues off their chest on Monday when I will be joined by The Chronicle's Lee Ryder and the Sunday Sun's Neil Farrington for an hour long question answering session.

Just follow the live web chat link on the Journal Live website...