Managerless Newcastle United crushed by merciless Manchester United.

They ought to write a university paper on football management. It would probably make for fascinating reading. When it comes to hiring and firing, Newcastle United have got both the novel and second volume.

When big Sam Allardyce was given the bullet, a lot of Magpies fans shrugged their shoulders. Allardyce, they believed, was all hot air and rash promises. He was one of those belt-and-braces bosses who sneered at flair.
The Toon Army demand success and trophies, and when everything goes pear-shaped they also sack their managers. Poor Sam will most likely take his golf clubs to Spain or top up his tan on a sun-kissed Caribbean beach.

'Alan Shearer is splashing about in Barbados and the Toon Army would give their last Guinness for Tyneside's favourite son'


There used to be a time when you could whistle down the pits for Newcastle centre forwards. Now their managers are just shouted at if the results aren’t good enough. Chairmen of football clubs are notoriously impatient and when the going got tough, Newcastle’s moneybags owner Mike Ashley pulled the trigger.

In the days of Joe Harvey, football management almost guaranteed job security. When Harvey pulled off his tracksuit and boots he knew he’d have his pipe and slippers to come home to.

Nowadays football managers hop on and off the managerial merry-go-round like over-excited kids at the fairground. Tommy Docherty once boasted that he’d had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus.

Rumour has it that Newcastle are begging for their old boys to come back. Alan Shearer is brazenly splashing about in Barbados and the Toon Army would give their last Guinness for Tyneside’s favourite son.

Kevin Keegan has also been mentioned to partner Shearer, but is that the kind of combo to rescue the club?

The reality is that managerless and quite possibly clueless Newcastle are hungry for stability. Ruud Gullit, Sir Bobby Robson, Glenn Roeder and Uncle Tom Cobleigh have all had their day in the sun. Shearer and Keegan are raring to go.