Ian Wright has claimed that there is a ‘massive problem’ if Michael Emenalo isn’t ‘very high up’ on Newcastle’s wishlist in bringing in a new sporting director, as he told the Kelly and Wrighty show.
The former Premier League striker claimed that Emenalo is what Newcastle ‘need’ in the St James’ Park boardroom.
Newcastle have many areas of their now-very expensive jigsaw that they need to cover during these coming weeks, with the most important one being a new manager.
But adding in personnel to run the ship from the top is also needed, because without those footballing people high up, you have to question whether those part of the Saudi-led consortium actually know what they are doing.
Emenalo has a vast amount of experience, with the former defender being a Nigeria international, before sitting in the boardrooms of Chelsea and Monaco.
It’s not going to be the first area the club fill in, but Wright was pretty clear in who they should look towards when they do go down that road.
“You mention the name there, Michael Emanelo,” said Wright. “If they’ve got a list, and he’s not very high up on that list, then you know they have a massive problem.
“For that man to still not be in some form of football employment, at the level of football management, is still, for me, incredible. It really is.
“Only because it’s what they need. He’s the calibre of person of what they need.”
The issue facing the Magpies here is how quick the ownership changed hands, after fears that it was going to be delayed well into next year.
It didn’t provide the club any time to plan, but they only have themselves to blame, because it was in their own hands.
But that’s where the owners could have put themselves a few steps ahead. If they waited to deal with the piracy issues, got their key footballing people in place in the boardroom first, then opened that door for themselves by dealing with the issues with Qatar.
Then, when the announcement was made about the changing of hands, then the sporting director/technical director, whatever fancy name you want to give, would have already been in place and already looking for that new manager.
Instead, they don’t even have that individual in place, as well as no manager to replace the recently-sacked Steve Bruce.
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