We’re Just Like Everyone Else – Wondering Who Might Manage The Club Next
By Nick Robbins – LA Soccer Press
Newcastle United recently hit the footballing lottery following a $300 million take over. While it was the news the Toon army wanted to hear, the team continues to struggle on the pitch.
Newcastle find itself second bottom in the table, stuck on four points, and as a result of poor performances and a changing of the guard, the club decided to mutually part ways with manager Steve Bruce.
Bruce wasn’t a flashy hire in 2019 but he kept Newcastle in the status quo that Raffa Benitez had set before him. Bruce finished a respectable 13th and 12th during his two seasons in change.
Following Bruce’s sacking, right hand man Graeme Jones has taken over as caretaker boss.
The list below looks at the five betting favorites for the full-time job:
- Paulo Fonseca – The man who is most tipped to get the job is former the Roma boss. Fonseca led Roma to fifth in the table during his first season, then finished seventh in his second season but also reached the Europa League semi-finals. Following the disappointing seventh-place finish Fonseca was let go by Roma. Prior to the Roma job the Portuguese manager was the manager of Ukraine side Shakhtar Donetsk. Fonseca won the Turkish double twice and reached the Champions League Round of 16. He would be a flashy hire and show some serious intent from the new owners.
- Frank Lampard – Lampard is second among bettors as the Chelsea legend continues to look to get back into management. One of the best midfielders of his generation, Lampard stepped into management in 2018 with Derby County, taking over a stale championship side and leading them to the playoff in his only season in charge. Following that sixth-place finish Lampard was hired by Chelsea, where he only lasted two seasons and looked out of his depth. The Chelsea job may have come too early for Lampard. Are clubs beginning to regret hiring legends with minimal experience? Lampard is looking to get back into the technical area, and project like Newcastle, with supportive owners, could work.
- Lucien Favre – The man with the best management CV of those linked with the job, Favre has found success home and abroad most recently coaching Borussia Dortmund. The Swiss manager won his first 15 matches in charge of the German club, and also had sustained success at Borussia Monchengladbach with multiple Champions League appearances. Favre has name recognition, has never coached on English shores and could be a gamble.
- Eddie Howe – Unemployed since 2020, Howe is mostly well known for the job he did with Bournemouth, where he led the club during two spells over 12 years. During more than a decade, Howe guided Bournemouth from English League Two to the Premier League, and is a success story by any standard. His lack of employment may lead Newcastle to be cautious, but Howe would be a slam-dunk hire.
- Graeme Jones – Last on the list is the man currently in charge as caretaker manager. Jones has the least glamorous CV out of those on this list, but Newcastle may look to stay in-house as it transitions under new owners. Outside of his current role, Jones has mostly been an assistant coach Swansea City, Everton and Bournemouth and also worked as an assistant with the English and Belgian national teams. His lone head coaching gig was with Luton Town, and the club was relegated under his watch.
Robbins is a native of New York City and a student at University of Alabama. Follow him @nickrobbins12 on Twitter.
