The next manager of NUFC a temporary appointment?
So, Sam Allardyce has turned down the chance to return to St.James’s Park - and this, alongside our move for Steve Bruce, is a clear indication of the future direction of this club under Mike Ashley.
Steve Bruce is now firmly in the frame, with the Telegraph claiming his arrival is set to be announced by the weekend, and whilst he is a decent guy and a Geordie to boot, he is in the same mould as Big Sam.
The manager's being recently linked are those in their twilight years of management, sort by clubs in the Championship.
Dare I say they are managers who possibly couldn’t even dream of being offered a job at such a big club at this stage of their career - although the fact Allardyce rejected us shows just how far we've fallen under Ashley.
I can’t believe ambitious new owners would seek such a leader, so it begs the question - Is the takeover talk merely a pipe-dream? At this stage, it feels like it's time to forget it, for now.
We do need a manager as our China trip approaches, with us just over a month away from the start of the new season, so the next question is 'how long a contract is the next manager being offered?'.
This may tell us if this is a stand-in appointment or a return to the days of disgruntled fans, a regular change of manager and club in turmoil heading in one direction - The Championship - again!
If it is a stand-in appointment, it is more easy to swallow. But if this is the long term, the future looks very bleak and I think we all know how this story ends.
