Graeme Jones reportedly will use this entire week to prepare the squad for Chelsea. There’ll be no days off with the league leaders coming to St. James’ Park on Saturday.
The lads picked up a good point last weekend at Selhurst Park, though the performance was lacking. We’ll see what Graeme has up his sleeve after a full week of preparation. Though Saturday will be more about improving the performance than picking up an unlikely result.
While Jones handles the squad, the board continues its search to fill two key roles – the next manager and a new director. On Monday, Fabrizio Romano claimed that former Roma manager Paulo Fonseca would take the job but the board was taking a few extra days to make the offer.
A claim emerged last night that the Newcastle hierarchy wanted a Director of Football in place before bringing a manager in. That report, from Ian Murtagh in The Daily Star, claimed that Ajax’s Marc Overmars had held talks for the position but Manchester City Academy Manager Jason Wilcox was the front-runner.
Overmars has excelled since becoming Ajax’s Technical Director in 2011. He could be looking for a new challenge and reportedly would like to bring Ajax boss Erik ten Hag with him should he join Newcastle.
The Chronicle has published some recent comments from ten Hag about the reports linking him to Newcastle. He doesn’t seem interested at all in leaving Ajax saying:
“When I extended my contract with Ajax, I said: ‘I think we have a team that we can develop’.
“We want to annoy the European top teams. We’re on our way, let me put it this way.
“We have to move on. In October, November, and December you win nothing. We must keep the pressure up.”
Unless the 51-year-old is playing coy, he’s likely ruled himself out of the running. Though he hasn’t been considered a top candidate with Fonseca, Lucien Favre, Eddie Howe, and Roberto Martinez, among others, garnering much of the headlines.
German outlet Bild reported on Monday night that the 63-year-old Favre had leaped Fonseca as the front-runner. Sport Witness has written a piece on the claim which states negotiations are in the ‘decisive phase.’ But it relays little more information than that.
Another report from Sport Witness has former AC Milan and Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso keen on the role. The report cites Italian journalist Fabio Santini, who said the following:
“Attention: there is a sensational twist for what concerns Gennaro Gattuso. The coach could land in the Premier League, at Newcastle.
“The Calabrian coach would also accept a fixed-term contract until the end of the current football season.”
Gattuso has been linked with Newcastle in the recent past but there haven’t been any reports we could find linking him under our new owners. This week could be a monumental one with two important hires, or it could another one of speculation. We’ll soon find out.
171 comments so far
WLtoon
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:29 PM
Comment #81Does anyone know how long those damned signs are up for at the ground?
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:33 PM
Comment #82@Jail
I think it just comes down to bare minimum FC again?
Anyone would have known Willock kept us up last season Bruce couldn’t have went into a new season without him?
Then the inevitable happened Willock isn’t fit Bruce doesn’t play him in the same position etc etc
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:33 PM
Comment #83testing
DubaiMicky
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:36 PM
Comment #84Mandy, do us a favour and get in Favre.
Best I could come up with I’m afraid. I’ll get me coat.
Mund
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:37 PM
Comment #85Mike who….?
GB NEWS
@GBNEWS_UK
“We saw the fans. They were angry. The knives were out for Mr Bruce and we had to let him go. This club has been through choppy waters but we’re now bringing a much needed stability.”
EXCLUSIVE: our interview with new Newcastle Utd chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, 6pm today.
#nufc
We have a new king on the throne
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:37 PM
Comment #86Right, I am back on. Ref Adverts and Chrome. My AVG anti-virus keeps picking up a malware “closemike.com” when I access this blog. May be coincidence but people who are having a problem may want to look at it. AVG blocked this blog because of repeated infections.
I have no advert problems. using AVG and ad-block plus
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:38 PM
Comment #87testing #2
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:39 PM
Comment #88testing AVG anti-virus
Raj of Hailsley
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:40 PM
Comment #89LCBP,
My point is though that if he’d washed his hands completely as he’d been guaranteed a sale regardless then why buy Willock. There’d have been no need to, so he hadn’t completely washed his hands after all and got Willock to try and avoid relegation but using the clubs money on tick. If he’d gone that far in trying to save the drop then why not go a little bit further and get Bruce the players he wanted. On tick.
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:41 PM
Comment #90when i type a certain website on here my message gets blocked. I repeatedly get said website blocked by my antivirus
catchy in norway
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:42 PM
Comment #91Jail, I DID NOT BRING HIM UP:
“I think if it was possible that Rafa would be the perfect fit on a three year deal. For starters he’d keep us up. He knows exactly what we need in terms of infrastructure and we wouldn’t need a DoF. We’re not going to win the league in the next three years anyway. Who better than him to guide the new owners through their first tricky footsteps. If he’s not doing well after two and a half years then you bring in a super DoF/manager with the academy etc all nice in place. I hope this happens.”
He will never be given any position at NUFC. and thank got for that. you could give the guy 20 year and he will not win anything with us.
you take his time with us as a positive and would develop the team if given money, where as in reality, it was a dreadful. i have ran through his stats at all the other clubs before us, which suggested his football was terrible, his time with us was terrible, he almost relegated his Chinese team, where he was given money to spend and 12 million a year pay. hi time at Everton, he has a squad that has had nearly 600 million spent on it over the last 3 years, he had the new manager bounce, but then Rafa football has taken root at Everton, currently sliding down the table very fast, current form (6) 1 point better off than us scoring less goals conceding more.
Possession stats for the season so far, NUFC 2nd bottom with 39,8% Everton 3rd bottom with 41%. 1.2% difference.
Passing stats. NUFC 5th bottom, 76,9%. Everton 3rd bottom 73,9%. NUFC 3% better than Everton and we have had a crap manager.
DOF, i would argue that under the same owner, Rafa had a terrible record in comparison to G Carr.
catchy in norway
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:43 PM
Comment #92Jail
just for you
https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/Seasons/8618/Stages/19793/TeamStatistics/England-Premier-League-2021-2022
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:45 PM
Comment #93blocked again think of adding Close
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:45 PM
Comment #94to mike
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:46 PM
Comment #95.com
Australian Pie
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:46 PM
Comment #96Good to see some posters making good sense of whats needed against Chelsea
Agree 5 at the back and to play a very compact 11.
Darlow
Fede Lascelles Schar
Manquillo Hayden Longstaff Ritchie
Willock Almiron
Joelinton
I stick with Ritchie as without Dummett fit I don’t think we have any better option.
Ritchie is in 4th I believe for premier league chances created this season so can hope one gets through for a 1-0 win
Raj of Hailsley
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:47 PM
Comment #97catchy,
I don’t care to be honest.
Australian Pie
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:47 PM
Comment #98Wilson and ASM getting some reduced minutes can be a good thing and both come on with 20/25 to go to try get a result
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:48 PM
Comment #99I use AVG and ad-block plus. AVG picks up the website above every time I access this blog. I have no adverts. the website is a malware avert generator for chrome
DaraghL
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:56 PM
Comment #100Australian,
I don’t suspect that Graeme will take that risk. If a long term manager was in place your idea is a sound one. Run them ragged and frustrate them, then bring on the two lads to take advantage. Logic is sound but a huge gamble.
Graeme will be less likely to take that risk. Interesting to see what he does though. If we get a point it will be a fantastic result.
Munster Mag
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:56 PM
Comment #101You dont care Jail?
Bullsh1t, you cared enough to slag the crap out of people who didnt go with your Rafa cant be criticised love in. He needs wins soon or he’s in trouble. My neighbour is an Everton fan and he’s saying what Catchy is saying, without the stats. I’d have him till the end of the season, to help us survive, but his football philosophy is 100% not what I want for NUFC into the future. Id also have Mourinho, but wud want him out for the same reason. Thankfully the blog is no longer star struck by Rafa .
catchy in norway
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:57 PM
Comment #102Jail
just for reference,, i have picked 2 clubs with average managers.
Leeds possession 3rd 58,9% passing 81,6%
Brighton possession 5th 56% passing 82%
Everton possession 18th 41% passing 73,9%
Adamn_92
Oct 26, 2021 at 12:59 PM
Comment #103To be honest I hope Rafa doesn’t come back. I want to see us go in an exciting new direction, free flowing attack minded manager with a top DOF in place.
Also Rafa get’s talked about pretty much every day on here despite him leaving about 3 years ago. If he came back there’d somehow be even more it which would be unbearable.
Mund
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:01 PM
Comment #104That was a fake GBnews link
Loads of us falling for these fake accounts of SSN and the rest don’t know why they do it
🙁
Wor B
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:01 PM
Comment #105Loch #70
“Maybe we get Fawkes as Manager, he’s the Guy for me”
There’s Halloween to consider first folks, all those ghosties and goulies.
I answered the door last year to trick or treaters and got grabbled by the ghosties!
Coulda been a lot worse.
😆
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:02 PM
Comment #106adamn, I agree with you…plus never go back
JP...from The Rock
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:03 PM
Comment #107Adamn – my thoughts exactly. I’d only have him back to steady the ship to save us from relegation this season. New attacking manager and exciting signings in the summer with exciting matches ahead.
JP...from The Rock
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:04 PM
Comment #108Mund – damn was looking forward to hear what he had to say, wiuld have been interesting.
DaraghL
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:05 PM
Comment #109Rafa did well while here with limited resources. His style of football bores me and not one I wish to support.
If it’s Rafa or Pardew/Carver/McClaren/Bruce then it’s a no brainer. Now that we seem to be in the market for Favre and Foncesca, I’d stay well away.
peter5199 (Counter Coup)
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:06 PM
Comment #110Perhaps when SB takes over Man U we could get OSG.He knows how to defend. Only let 5 in at home vs Pool.
catchy in norway
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:06 PM
Comment #111jail.
so then as Munster pointed out, your star struck, and dont really care about the football, as long as you have a trophy manager.
if Rafa continues with that football, which he will, Everton will be around the bottom 5 for most of the season.
Raj of Hailsley
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:07 PM
Comment #112He needs wins or he’s in trouble?
He’s sitting sixth in the league with his three best players out 😮
DaraghL
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:08 PM
Comment #113Catchy, I’d be willing to put a large sum of money on Everton finishing Top 15 with you.
WLtoon
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:09 PM
Comment #114Like iv`e said on a previous thread, things have been that bad under Ashley that some posters still go on about a man who got us to mid table 3 years ago as if it was some sort of miraculous achievement.
If mid table is a bench mark of what we class as success then god help us going forward
RB is a nice chap, he got the club and the fans but lets be honest, he has won bugger all for years and his brand of football is boring most of the time.
With these new owners in place we should be looking to make attack minded coaches a must and make us everyone s 2nd favourite team again, though tbh i doubt that will ever happen considering the amount of abuse the club gets.
catchy in norway
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:10 PM
Comment #115Jail
I do care, and as adam has pointed out, with all the options of good footballing coaches out there, why would you want to go backwards.
and if he did come back,you would end up hating him because he would let you down. that wouldnt be good
Munster Mag
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:14 PM
Comment #116Jail , knocked out of cup by a lower level team. Last few games have been very poor apparently, with dull football and possession. He needs to get them back firing or the groundswell will be strong. Conceding 5 to Watford was not in the script, but I agree, missing some good players, especially the big striker.
Munster Mag
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:14 PM
Comment #117Daragh, top 15 would have him sacked i think.
Raj of Hailsley
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:14 PM
Comment #118We may very well get relegated this year and bringing in a manager with no PL experience is no guarantee we’ll stay up. I do not give a foot what the football is like this season. Bringing in Rafa on a three year deal would see us avoid relegation while he advises the new owners on how to rebuild the club from top to bottom. Which was the original an was it not.
Raj of Hailsley
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:15 PM
Comment #119I hope he’s sacked this week then bringing him home is a no brainer.
cleveleysbob
Oct 26, 2021 at 1:16 PM
Comment #120Jesus h christos, we’re back to this again. 🙁