Buzzin Football Blog

This time last it was the shock exit of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea after a disappointing 1-1 home draw with lowly Rosenberg in the Champions League that was grabbing the headlines.  This year its the continuing plight of Newcastle United as they head towards the Coca-Cola Championship like a sinking ship.

The club is in utter chaos with owner Mike Ashley being hounded out by the fans, after his falling out with former manager Kevin Keegan (which led to Keegan resigning), and the most unwanted man by the fans, crafty cockney Dennis Wise, pulling some strings as the Director of Football.

Further turmoil this week as Terry Venables publicly turned down the chance to become the Newcastle United Caretaker Manager.  The ‘Venables Survival Plan’ wouldn’t have been cheap, so I’m assuming Ashley and Wise (that sounds like an Estate Agents!) were offering a reasonable amount of gold to entice Terry Venables to steady the Geordie Ship.  But his refusal was only the start.

Newcastle must have approached other high profile managers who are currently out of work.  Glenn Hoddle’s name was mentioned though not confirmed.  But I would assume Dennis Wise was privately contacting anyone and everyone; and then, probably the last name on the list, he contacted Joe Kinnear, the 61-year-old who has been out of football management since leaving Nottingham Forest in 2004.  Dennis Wise would have known Joe Kinnear from his Wimbledon days; and Kinnear accepted the offer.

All credit to Joe Kinnear.  He told reporters that he was fully aware that Newcastle must have offered the job to alot of others before contacting him, but how does that affect the Newcastle players?

The morale of the team must has just hit rock bottom.  They have been slapped in the face with a kipper by knowing that no-one worth mentioning wants to manage them, well certainly not until the club is sold and some kind of normality returns to St. James Park.

In the meantime, Newcastle are at home to Blackburn Rovers, and I believe Paul Ince will lbe telling his players to get an early goal and then watch Newcastle fall apart.

I’m going for a two or three nil away win for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle to be booed off the pitch.