Jaap Stam claims that Newcastle United wanted to hire him before Steve Bruce took over the Premier League strugglers – now he’s at Feyenoord in Holland.
There’s something a little strange going on at St James’ Park.
Speaking to Voetbal International on Tuesday morning, Jaap Stam has claimed that Newcastle United offered him the manager’s job before they turned to Steve Bruce as Rafa Benitez’s successor. But, given that the legendary Dutch defender had already agreed to take over at Feyenoord, he was not about to go back on his word.
Though it seems that Stam’s comments are news to everyone, including the decision makers on Tyneside. According to The Chronicle, Newcastle neither offered Stam a contract, nor had any interest in bringing the former Reading boss back to English football.
Something doesn’t quite add up here and it’s no stretch to suggest that one of the parties isn’t being entirely truthful.
Either way, its not as if these poor Newcastle fans are pining for Stam even with Bruce’s charges slipping immediately into a relegation battle.
Yes, the former Manchester United centre-back guided Reading to the play-off final in 2017 but the fact that Stam still wasn’t popular with the Royals fans, thanks largely to a style of football that would cure insomnia, speaks volumes. Reading sacked Stam less than a year after their Wembley loss to Huddersfield Town after one win in 18 games.
And his Feyenoord team are hardly flying either, sitting tenth in the Eredivisie with the 2017 Champions looking more vulnerable and erratic by the week.
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