Unai Emery is now among the leading contenders to get the Newcastle United job, The Times report.
Leading the queue?
Newcastle are said to be preparing to gear up their search for a new manager this week, as Steve Bruce’s time at the club comes to an end.
There were loud chants against Bruce at St. James’ Park yesterday, as Newcastle fell to a 3-2 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.
It now seems that Newcastle want a change in approach, and Emery is said to be on their radar.
Emery’s only other spell in English football was with Arsenal, where he had mixed success.
However, the Spaniard has since led Villarreal to Europa League triumph and has generally outperformed expectations in La Liga.
Indeed, after Villarreal’s European success, Emery earned a lot of credit, including from Jamie Carragher on CBS.
He said: “That is what the great coaches do,” said Carragher. “They give players the belief they can achieve things they haven’t achieved before, and he is the greatest manager of all time in this competition.”
Upgrade on Bruce?
If Emery was to arrive at Newcastle, he would still have some work to do to win over a few doubters, after his stint with Arsenal.
But his performance in Spain certainly suggests that he could be an upgrade on Bruce.
Emery has now won the Europa League four times, which is a record no other manager in world football can match.
Emery is not the only leading candidate for the Newcastle job, though.
Steven Gerrard and Roberto Martinez are also said to be right at the top of Newcastle’s wishlist.
And if the Times’ report is correct, it seems Newcastle fans may not have to wait too much longer to find out who their new manager will be.
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