The list of candidates to replace Kevin Keegan ranges from the very popular - Alan Shearer - to the hugely unpopular - Dennis Wise. Right now though, it’s Tottenham assistant Gus Poyet who is favourite to get the job.
Here’s a rundown of the current contenders, courtesy of the handsome devils at chickendinner:
Gus Poyet
Can someone really go from being assistant manager of Leeds in League One to manager of Newcastle in less than a year? The bookies seem to think so. Poyet worked with Dennis Wise at Elland Road and many believed that his departure had a greater impact on the club’s promotion bid.
Alan Shearer
The former Newcastle striker would probably be the most popular choice with the fans but Shearer is thought to be reluctant to take charge at this point in time. While it would take some of the heat off Mike Ashley in terms of his relationship with the fans, this appointment would be a huge risk.
Dennis Wise
If Shearer would win a popularity contest between the candidates then there is no doubting that Ratboy would lose it. The highlight of his managerial career so far was taking Millwall to the 2004 FA Cup Final. Last year he got Leeds off to a great start in League One but it is argued that Poyet was really pulling the strings. Observe:
Wise with Poyet: P13 W11 D2 L0
Points per Game: 2.69
Wise without Poyet: P15 W7 D3 L5
Points per Game: 1.6
KK looks set to leave after 21 games back at the Toon
In a development that has made Berbatov, Robinho and Arab billionaires look like old news, it appears that the Geordie Messiah is going to have very little to do on Saturday afternoons in the near future.
The Toon hotseat is a huge seat to fill, so who would you like to see in it, should the inevitable Keegan departure materialise? Would you like Match of the Day’s worst pundit put in charge? How about the man Vinnie Jones dubbed ‘Ratboy’, known by many as Dennis Wise? Or perhaps someone competent?
Sky Sports News are reporting that Kevin Keegan has left Newcastle but the bad news doesn’t stop there: Alan Shearer is the 9/4 favourite with Paddy Power to take charge.
If the club don’t follow their appointment of King Kev by going for another returning hero in the guise of the bland Match of the Day pundit, it looks like Dennis Wise could be the new boss, with the current executive director 3/1 to take over.
Sum of human knowledge greater than it was yesterday
With television rights to the weekend football highlights package up for discussion again shortly, this may be the penultimate season viewers of Match of the Day get to enjoy Alan Shearer and Mark Lawrenson yawning back at them from a BBC sofa each Saturday night.
But the prospect of unemployment hasn’t blunted Alan “good at discussing strikers” Shearer’s quest to unravel the mysteries of football for the ignorant millions at home.
Last night, following Wigan’s 5-0 education of Hull, the great pundit felt moved to peer into Wigan manager Steve Bruce’s future. “He’ll (Steve Bruce) do really well. He’ll continue to carry on.” Got it.
Owen declares “I’m better than you” via the medium of clothes
While his old England buddy, Alan Shearer, actually begins to impress the nation with his ability to repeat exactly what Alan Hansen has just said and still get paid for it, Michael Owen was caught up in a similarly absurd expression of nonchalant wealth.
Striding into Ascot to enjoy a fine day of horse racing, the dinky little striker thought it wise to avoid being spotted by wearing the world’s most snooty outfit. All that was missing was a sharp nosed wife and a concierge. Whatever that is.
The Spoiler assesses the favoured candidates in the race for power at Ewood Park
The Chelsea vacancy has seen the biggest names in football linked with a move to the Premier League, while the Blackburn job has seen some less glamorous hats thrown into the ring. According to their chairman, there have been over 40 applications, although most of them were probably cocky twenty-somethings who fancy themselves on Championship Manager.
After the appointments of Graeme Souness and Mark Hughes proved big successes, the Blackburn board have gained a reputation for making savvy appointments. Surely they’re not going to risk all that on Alan Shearer?
The Blackburn Managerial Candidates
Sam Allardyce - 7/4
The Blackburn board like to emphasise the buzzword ’stability’, and this is something that Allardyce has proven he can deliver at Bolton, where he exceeded this with European qualification and a League Cup Final appearance. His reputation for drab, hoof-it-up football is the main deterrent to appointing him. Verdict: Appears a perfect match
Alan Shearer - 15/8
Was the star player of the greatest season in Blackburn’s history when they won the Premier League in 1995, and has made it clear he would be interested in becoming a manager. His dream job is clearly Newcastle though and Blackburn may not appreciate being used as a stepping stone once more. Shearer has apparently expressed doubts that Blackburn is the right starting point for him. Verdict: Would be risky business
Paul Ince -9/2
He engineered a great escape with Macclesfield in his first season as a manager before moving to Franchise FC and winning them the title and Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. The only problem is that these achievements occurred with an (immoral, soulless) League Two side - his success may not translate if he mixed it up with the big boys.
Game: Fancy driving a mini into Alan Shearer’s face? Or anyone else for that matter? Take out your road rage on the world’s worst pundit without using any precious petrol right here.
Stupid offer: A Dutch shop offered €100 off the price of a €400 computer screen for each goal the Netherlands scored against Italy. Oops
[Lion In Oil]
Much less costly offer: A Vienna brewery has offered free beer for life to any Austria player to score in Euro 2008
[The Offside]
Shameless self promotion: Have you seen the Euro 2008 WAG XI? It’s dead good
[The Spoiler]
BMW’s new conecept car can change shape, a bit like Optimus Prime
[Grid Crasher]
The hottest fans of Euro 2008 so far, except for the last one who’s a bit fug
[Pies]
Big Phil is odds on for the Chelsea job
[chickendinner]
Blackburn not good enough for inexperienced MOTD pundit
The Daily Telegraph are today reporting that Alan Shearer may turn down the chance to succeed Mark Hughes because he “is not convinced that Blackburn would be the right place for him.”
Yes that’s right, a man whose post-retirement career has relied on professionally stating the bleedin’ obvious (and making Mark Lawrenson’s analysis seem groundbreaking in comparison) on Match of the Day could turn down the seventh-best team in the Premier League because they aren’t ‘right’ for him.
In comparison, the candidates who could miss out because of Shearer’s apparent God-given right to a top job are Sam Allardyce, who took Bolton to a League Cup Final and into Europe, and Paul Ince, who since retiring has knuckled down and spent 18 months overachieving with Franchise FC in League Two, winning two trophies.
Shearer also appears ignorant of the opportunities afforded to Blackburn managers - the last two
Today’s transfer rumours, written down one after the other
One of the more surprising transfer rumours to surface during this year’s European Championships doesn’t involve a journalist-hating Barcelona star or a strange looking Frenchman, but rather a member of the BBC’s intrepid pundit squad. If the loud whispers are to be believed, Blackburn are planning to choose Alan Shearer over, well, a manager with a shred of experience and tactical nous. Hey, remember that season where he scored all those goals? Yeah! Whoo! Goals! Sign him up…
Alan Shearer to Blackburn
Shearer’s emergence as favourite for the Blackburn job is bringing delight to millions across the country - could he finally vacate his Match of the Day seat to the vastly superior Lee Dixon?
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Shearer is waiting for them to call, rather than actually applying for the job. With this approach, he could be waiting a while.
Samuel Eto’o to Chelsea
Whoever is in charge at the Bridge has identified everyone’s favourite journalist-headbutting striker as the ideal replacement for Didier Drogba, the striker everyone wants to headbutt. Mourinho and Inter could stand in the way.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: More likely than a move to Spurs
Franck Ribery to Chelsea
The one-time Arsenal target is said to be another at the top of Chelsea’s wish list, and it’s unlikely the £31 million price tag Bayern have slapped on will scare them off.
The Spoiler Truth-o-meter: Would Chelsea dare break their ‘one flair player’ quota?
Patrick Vieira to Portsmouth
Harry Redknapp is optimistic that Vieira would
