John Welsh
So much has been written in the past week about the return of Joe Kinnear to Newcastle that it is difficult to interpret what is actually true and what can be construed as pure speculation or misrepresentation of the facts. Rarely has an appointment of this nature drawn such a flurry of negative reaction, most of which followed a rather controversial interview with Kinnear on the radio station Talksport. The former Wimbledon manager has since been vilified for many of his answers and while his choice of words at times may have earned him some ridicule, a closer study does reveal their intended meaning.
For example, Kinnear has been derided for suggesting that he had 'signed' goalkeeper Tim Krul for Newcastle when his actual words were 'I brought Krul there'. The Dutchman was actually 'brought back' from Carlisle by Kinnear, from an extended loan period, to act as cover for Steve Harper following the departure of Shay Given from the club.
Aside from the Kinnear interview debate, there can be little doubt that an end of season summit between Newcastle hierarchy, which included Mike Ashley and manager Alan Pardew, arrived at more far-reaching decisions than appeared at the time. There was clearly a degree of determination to avoid the perils of another relegation battle for the next campaign and changes required to prevent a repeat performance were evidently enacted.
Kinnear mentioned in his memorable interview that the situation had been ongoing for the previous three weeks and that Derek Llambias had resigned from his role as director of football ten days previously, and was to return to being in charge of finances. Hence the reason he had been approached to replace the departing Llambias.
Whatever position Llambias had assumed at Newcastle whether that be as director of football, chief executive or managing director, it is clear that he did adopt several roles during his tenure at the club. Not only was he involved in any transfer negotiations, but he was also the public voice behind any corporate decisions at St .James' Park.
The director of football job became rather a tainted position at Newcastle following the ill-fated attempts of Dennis Wise in the role, which partially prompted the resignation of Kevin Keegan as manager in September 2008. When Wise left the club in April 2009, a true replacement was never appointed, especially when there was a need to cut costs following relegation to the Championship.
Kinnear became manager during the tenure of Wise and his record of 23 points from 19 matches was not particularly impressive, but far better than the seven points derived from the final 13 games following his heart attack and subsequent relinquishing of duties during the 2008/09 season.
Besides being a popular among the players, he also became embroiled in a fairly heated press conference during his brief spell at Newcastle in which he swore repeatedly at startled journalists, and it appears that this event has not been forgotten by either party. Never a man to mince his words and sometimes guilty of the odd exaggeration, Kinnear has since allowed himself the opportunity to bait the press once more following news of his return to the North East.
It may have been an ill-advised beginning to his new role. Some of his factual statements have been deemed as arguably incorrect prompting many to question the memory and sanity of Kinnear plus the business judgement of owner Mike Ashley.
Ashley and Kinnear are old acquaintances and the owner remains convinced that the Magpies would not have been relegated but for the unfortunate health issues surrounding the former Tottenham player. Indeed, it is conceivable that Kinnear may have returned to the club earlier in some capacity, but for the untimely death of his only son Elliott from cancer in 2011 and the ensuing distress.
Why Kinnear actually wishes to return to the pressures of Premier League football remains a mystery, but if allowed to remain in the background and conduct his role alongside Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr, there is no reason as to why the partnership cannot work. The Newcastle manager is believed to have spoken about the need to attract more personnel with English football experience into his squad and Kinnear may be able to provide some input for that, with Carr concentrating on European scouting.
The overriding concern is that Kinnear is not the most qualified person in a PR role and Ashley should now be aware that he needs such a figure representing the club. Every word uttered by Kinnear will be dissected in minute detail and a figurehead in the mould of Chris Mort, the predecessor of Llambias, would be broadly welcomed.
Mort acted as chairman during the early days of Ashley's stewardship and was very eloquent in dealing with the media and the Geordie public. He established a good rapport with all relevant parties before leaving the club to renew his work as a London lawyer.
If the Newcastle owner were to appoint such a person, not only would it re-establish the director/management structure so favoured by Ashley, but it may also counter the recent unwelcome publicity following the Kinnear appointment. With a lack of clarity currently emanating from St. James' Park, it is little wonder that there is so much speculation and alleged hearsay circling amongst the media.
Fortunately, the restructuring at Newcastle has occurred at a quiet time on the pitch with a two-month gap between now and the start of the Premier League season. By the third weekend in August, the Toon faithful will be hoping that off the pitch events will no longer be claiming the headlines in both the local and national press.
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