The Pros and Cons of Potential Newcastle Managers

By: Daryl | January 14th, 2008

Seems like Newcastle superfan and chairman Mike Ashley (pictured) had a perfectly reasonable plan. Step one: Sam Allardyce out. Step two: Harry Redknapp in. Very solid, especially given Redknapp’s reputation for changing jobs at the drop of a hat. But Harry’s unexpected bout of loyalty to Portsmouth means step two has gone up in smoke and left Ashley hunting around for a suitable replacement. There’s no shortage of men willing to do the job, it’s just a question of who’d be capable of succeeding in what Alex Ferguson calls “the toughest job in the game.” Assuming Fergie’s not willing to give it a go himself, here are the pros and cons of the candidates Ashley has to choose from.

Alan Shearer
Pros: The Geordie Messiah, beloved by fans etc. Fans would have a lot of patience with Shearer (until they don’t.)
Cons: Zero managerial experience. Zero.

Steve McClaren
Pros: Familiar with the North East, has international experience. Was a respected English coach before Sven got hold of him.
Cons: He’s Steve McClaren. Would be the single worst PR move Mike Ashley could make.

Kevin Keegan
Pros: Plays the type of attractive attacking football that Newcastle fans demand, and is in part responsible for creating that demane with his Newcastle team of he 90s. Has boldly stepped forward to declare “I’m not ruling myself in or out.”
Cons: Has never won anything as a manager (Second Division play-offs with Fulham don’t count) but more importantly is not a long term solution. If Newcastle need stability, they don’t need the type of man who resigns in the toilets after a game.

Graeme Souness
Pros: Has thrown his hat in the ring and said he’d take the job “in a heartbeat” now Freddy Shepherd is gone.
Cons: Was a disaster first time around, and it wasn’t Shepherd’s fault that Souness fell out with his star striker.

Mark Hughes
Pros: Doing good work at Blackburn, and already has international experience with Wales. Probably the hottest young British managerial talent in the Premier League right now, and has made Blackburn defensively strong.
Cons: Given that Newcastle has become a bit of a managerial graveyard, would Hughes want to risk casting a promising career on the rocks of St. James’s Park

Gerard Houllier
Pros: Experienced title success with Lyon.
Cons: Didn’t experience title success with Liverpool.

Martin Jol
Pros: Turned Spurs around and led a formerly struggling team to the brink of Champions League qualification.
Cons: Turned them back around again at the start of this season and got himself fired. Plus do Newcastle really want Tottenham’s cast offs?

Steve Coppell
Pros: Has done a lot with a little at Reading, and after Redknapp he’s probably the most respected English manager around.
Cons: In his own quiet way, Coppell handles pressure even worse than Kevin Keegan, meaning Newcastle is probably the last job in the world he should take right now.

Jose Mourinho
Pros: Has already built a Premiership winning team once at Chelsea, knows the English game inside out. Has the personality to handle the pressure of this job. If he could really bring success to Newcastle he really would be the Special One.
Cons: The terms of his Chelsea departure stipulate Mourinho can’t take a Premier League job this season.