Newcastle United are reportedly considering Steven Gerrard, Mikel Arteta, Eddie Howe and Patrick Vieira as Rafa Benitez’s replacement.
You can understand why Newcastle United fans would be asking questions of the club’s ambition under Mike Ashley.
After all, Ashley’s reluctance to invest in proven, top level footballers is legendary on Tyneside and the failure to keep hold of Rafael Benitez, the club’s most talented manager since Sir Bobby Robson, reflected very badly on a club which appears once again to be in danger of sleepwalking into a relegation battle.
But, with the Northern Echo providing a list of managers who are under ‘serious consideration’ to replace Benitez at St James’ Park, there appears to be a trend developing – one that even the chairman of the ‘Ashley Out’ bridge might struggle to be a little excited by.
The report names Steven Gerrard, Eddie Howe, Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira as those in line for the job.
And the fact that Vieira is the oldest, at just 43, speaks volumes. The likes of Claudio Ranieri and David Moyes might have thrown their hat into the ring, as reported by the Echo, but it seems that Newcastle have no interest in hiring ‘yesterday’s man’.
The North East giants are clearly looking at young, up-and-coming coaches capable of breathing fresh life into a club who have stagnated badly over the last decade or so.
So Newcastle fans can at least rest easy knowing that Moyes or another mid-2000 favourite replacing the much-loved Rafa the Gaffer.
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