Jay Barton
The announcement that Joe Kinnear will be at the helm until the end of the season denotes a period of relative stability for Newcastle – something that the long suffering Toon army will surely welcome after the turbulent tide they have endured since the start of the season. When Nigerian striker Obafemi Martins put Newcastle ahead against the new European Champions at Old Trafford back in August, the Toon army were in dreamland, with Keegan’s stock higher than it had ever been. A creditable draw was achieved in Manchester, followed by a victory over Bolton and the ever-optimistic Geordie faithful were convinced that the club was at last sailing in the right direction.
On the Tyne, the people eat, sleep and drink football – it’s a one club city, a local obsession.
Indeed, a phone interview, broadcast on TV last week with one of the Britons taken hostage on the hijacked oil tanker the Sirius Star revealed that he was a Geordie. Describing conditions as a hostage on board the ship in a composed manner, nearly the first thing he asked after was “how did the Toon get on against Chelsea?” Indeed, it is this fanaticism and devotion of the Newcastle fans that make it a colossal club; but titanic is how many experts would have described them this season – sinking fast!
With ongoing off-field problems in the shape of a hugely unpopular owner who desperately wanted out of the club, sparking a mutiny by the fans, coupled with extensive injuries to the playing squad, it has tested the loyalty and resolve of the hardened, black-and-white-blooded Geordies who expect a club of their size to be challenging at the right end of the table. Many called for their hero – Alan Shearer – to return them to the promised land.
Initially, Kinnear was brought in to steady the ship; an interim manager, his appointment was greeted with scepticism, many questioning the ambition of the club by bringing in a man who was a ‘long-ball merchant’; someone incapable of providing the entertainment the fans craved – entertainment that the ‘messiah’ Keegan provided at the expense of results.
Kinnear’s brief reign thus far has by no means been spectacular (his press outburst aside) with the team taking only 11 points out of a possible 27. but Newcastle have been steadily picking up points and improving as a team – the game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge being a perfect example; would Kevin Keegan’s leaky defence have kept a clean sheet against Scolari’s men? And then a consecutive clean sheet the following week at the Riverside?
Although currently lying towards the bottom of the Premier League, Newcastle are seemingly being steered in the right direction by Joe Kinnear. He is exactly what the club need at this time – a down to earth, man manager in the mould of Harry Redknapp; the fans are finally starting to appreciate his honesty and commitment to their shared cause.
But just how committed the board really are to Kinnear remains to be seen. The news that he will be in the hot seat until the end of the season means he will want to mould his own team, rather than work with Keegan’s players. The former Wimbledon boss has already hinted that he has identified players that he wants to bring in when the transfer window opens in January and these names have been passed to Dennis Wise. Wise and Kinnear have of course worked together successfully before, however, how much will he be allowed to spend? What if the club is finally sold – will he be moved on too? Will the players he brings in be wanted by the next manager? All of these questions surely fill the air of the pubs and working mens’ clubs on Tyneside.
There can be no quick patch-up job for the Toon though – and the fans have to recognise that first and foremost. Stability is the key to success at the highest level, with managers being backed by chairmen and fans alike. In order to challenge at the very highest level in the long term, the club needs a complete overhaul – starting with the boardroom. For now though, Newcastle United must focus on keeping their head above water and staying afloat in the richest domestic football competition in the world. With key games against Stoke City and Tottenham on the horizon, nothing is certain in the Premier League.
