Wallace

You would hope that they do actually know the man they want to appoint and are not just dithering over a decision and that the only reason, they cannot appoint him now is because he is not currently available. If it is one of Garde or Tuchel, I don't see why they cannot announce it and say they will be starting in June but if the guy is presently employed, I understand why an announcement could not be made. However, I am concerned that they will just go through the process all over again in June on the basis of new options becoming available and then take a further few weeks to decide. Surely the new manager has to be ready to take over a soon as the season ends.

Would be typical of us. Not buying what we need now but rather buying someone we think we can make a big profit on.

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/sport/columnists/scottwilson/scottwilson/11742670._/?ref=mac Wilson's World: The Communist Manifesto - or at least Newcastle United's version of it STAGE MANAGED: Managing director Lee Charnley delivered a message this week that was reminiscent of those produced by communist regimes in the past READING Lee Charnley’s message to the Geordie nation earlier this week, it was tempting to conjure up images of a communist apparatchik dutifully relaying a pre-agreed diktat on behalf of the supreme leader. ‘We know you’re not very happy with the way things are going, but we’ve got a five-year plan and we’re sticking to it. And, anyway, you’re just simple members of the proletariat, why on earth should we listen to you?’ ‘I know some of you look at other, more decadent, regimes and wonder why we aren’t spending lavishly like they are? Well, we’re all about self-sufficiency here, and never mind that our ruling elite enjoy wealth beyond your comprehension’. ‘Yes, there was a rather unfortunate defection last month. But rest assured, it won’t happen again. Our next choice of head of state will definitely be toeing the line. We don’t much like dissent here, especially when it’s directed at the workings of the grand plan’. It was all very stilted and stage managed, right down to the method of dissemination, which involved one hand-picked, compliant media organisation rather than a free invitation for discussion, which might have resulted in some open and unwanted debate. All that was missing was the sight of tanks and rocket launchers being paraded down Barrack Road in front of a beaming Mike Ashley. Or maybe Alan Pardew turning up with an ice pick in his head. The era of European dictatorship is clearly not dead, but if the Newcastle hierarchy are going to adopt communist-style methodology, perhaps they’d be advised to look at some of the reasons why the over-arching political doctrine ultimately failed. A few of them might well resonate with the fans who were the intended recipients of Charnley’s message. One of the main reasons why communism collapsed is that it proved a catastrophically inflexible economic and political model. There’s nothing wrong with developing a long-term plan or strategy, but you have to be able to amend it to reflect changes in circumstance or the external environment in which you’re operating. Communist regimes didn’t do that, sticking rigidly to policies that had already been seriously undermined by developing events. Newcastle’s leaders are doing similar, stubbornly refusing to change tack when circumstances dictate a shift in course. Hence, we got Charnley’s pronouncement that there almost certainly wouldn’t be any investment into the playing squad this month because “the January window is not one we ever envisaged being particularly active in”. So no matter that Steven Taylor’s absence until the end of the season means Newcastle will have to manage with just two centre-halves (Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson), both of whom are struggling for form, and a full-back (Paul Dummett) who is capable of deputising in one of the central positions. Never mind that after failing to adequately strengthen their attacking positions in the summer, Newcastle find themselves with Ayoze Perez leading the line by himself with a 17-year-old (Adam Armstrong) who is still to score his first Premier League goal providing the main support. Signing someone this month wasn’t part of the plan, so it won’t be happening. I criticised Sunderland for a lack of long-term planning in last week’s column, but at least their decision to recruit Jermain Defoe exhibits ambition and an acknowledgement of major failings that have become apparent in recent months. The response of the Newcastle hierarchy to a run of two wins from the last 12 matches is to bury their head in the sand and pretend that their cherished model remains infallible. Another reason why communist regimes throughout Europe collapsed is that the populace grew tired of watching others become successful while their own standards of living remained unacceptably low. They knew how much money was washing around the regime’s coffers, yet they saw no tangible improvements because of it. The annual Deloitte Money List was published yesterday and revealed that Newcastle United are the 19th richest club in the world. Their annual revenue, which is calculated for 2013-14, is £129.7m, with only six English clubs raking in more. In the last 12 months, they have received around £20m for Yohan Cabaye and around £12m for Mathieu Debuchy, so why, you might well ask, does that financial strength not transfer across to success on the field? Why is so little money reinvested into the squad in comparison to the likes of Southampton, Everton, West Ham United and even Stoke City, clubs whose annual income falls well short of their own? Why is there such a paucity of ambition, especially in relation to the cup competitions, when other clubs manage to juggle assaults on a variety of fronts despite much more limited resources? If survival is the extent of a club’s ambition, how long will supporters be prepared to tolerate it? Then there is the issue of expansionist ambitions. An accusation often levelled at former communist leaders is that they took their eye off the ball at home because they became fixated on what they could potentially achieve abroad. One of the main disappointments about this week’s interview with Charnley is that he was not pushed further on Ashley’s ongoing interest in Rangers. His only comment on the subject was to refer to a previous statement in September, which stated that Ashley would not be selling Newcastle “at least until the end of next season”. That’s fine, but there are still a host of unresolved questions about Ashley’s investment into Rangers, from the issue of whether UEFA would allow Newcastle and Rangers to take up a European place at the same time given his involvement in both clubs to the debate over which club will take primacy when it comes to making investment decisions. If Ashley is preparing the groundwork for a possible sale in the second half of 2016, does that mean Newcastle will effectively be treading water between now and then? And if he continues to increase his influence at Ibrox, does that mean his input into issues at St James’ Park will decrease accordingly? Some big questions relating to the future of Newcastle United, but sadly an absence of answers. Glasnost, in Communist days, was a policy calling for increased transparency and openness. Whatever his intentions were, Charnley’s attempt to reach out this week fell a fair way short of that.

Talksport were saying that The Sun article said that Garde had interviewed badly.

It would be such a let down to end up with McLaren after the names we have been linked with. After having been a "manager", I am not sure how he would adapt to just being a "head coach". He walked out of Forest because of difficulties with the board after a few weeks didn't he? What's happened to Will Hughes who was meant to be the next big thing? I haven't heard mention of him for ages. Has he pushed on with McLaren as his coach?

Charnley was talking long-term which Laudrup definitely isn't and Swansea were glad to get rid in the end. I am not sure that he is one for developing a whole new structure within a club - he certainly doesn't hang around to see it through. To me he would be a panic appointment going against everything Charnley has said and the whole due diligence stuff he was keen to emphasise in the interview would be shown up as nonsense.

I can't see it myself, he probably won't get a job anywhere else apart from the Northern division. Probably not but he did say after the Southampton game that he would have to think about it if only offered the job until the Summer. Obviously trying to pressure the board but they don't normally react well to being challenged in public. I can imagine him joining Pardew at Palace in the Summer along with Woodman.

I think I read in the last week that it was about 12 days and we were already at 18 days at that point.

If Garde is their man, then there will be no reason for the club not to make an announcement to say that he will be taking over in the Summer. If we wait for the better options in the Summer, then they better be good. Imagine waiting 6 months and we end up appointing McLaren.

Didn't Dummett go off with an injury on Saturday? He went straight down the tunnel holding his leg but I've not heard it mentioned since.

I hope they are going to make an actual decision on who the manager will be rather than just wait until the Summer. If they defer the decision, then I would expect the better names will get better offers in the meantime or will end up being unimpressed with our approach and end up declining any offer. They always seem to want to set themselves apart from everyone else and do things differently but unfortunately it never ends up with us doing any better than anyone else. But I guess this is the way they do things at Sports Direct and after all we are only a department within that company.

What is there in that interview that would encourage you to buy a season ticket?

As if no other club gets at least 80 applications. None of them seem to have a problem appointing a manager fairly promptly. You would expect at this stage that they would have a preferred candidate so really they should be focussing on that one person but they are giving the impression that they can't make their minds up so keep looking for new ways to assess the candidates.

I think the club need to start offering half-year season tickets for the first part of the season only seeing as they stop playing after Christmas.

Exactly. Many are too quick to write protests off as a failure unless there is 100% take up. The protest was discussed for days prior to the match and then again post-match. At the very least, that gets the frustrations and dissatisfaction out in the open and into the national conscious. It was the same with Villa last week with the media quick to condemn their protest as a failure but it was one of the main topics of discussion all the week. If everyone stays quiet and says nothing, then the general assumption is that everything is fine and the fans are content with their lot. One of the great successes of the SackPardew campaign was that it got the facts out to the wider public and especially the media and it became a reference point. Suddenly, people could see that the fans were justified in their discontent where previously they just noted the position in the tables and bought Pardew's excuses in post-match interviews.

I can imagine the club knowing exactly who they want but as always with them, it will have to be on their terms only and no compromise entertained meaning they will end up moving further down the list of candidates. They probably would prefer to wait until the Summer but maybe now have doubts about Carver seeing them through safely to the end of the season.

I had wondered whether Pardew had expected Ashley to try harder to keep him and was perhaps using the job offer to gain some leverage. WTF

With our luck, I just feel that we won't make the best choice and one of the other names mentioned will go to somewhere like Villa and be amazing.

To me he is a write off for this season. It will take time for him to get match fit and they will need to bring him back carefully so he doesn't break down again and also he needs to "adapt" to the League as he has scarcely played.

I think he might refuse to take it till the summer if he was told he had no job after that. So if Garde or whoever brings their own staff he might not like that arrangement. If he has a cushy assistant job guaranteed though there's no way he'll say no. He is on an 8 year contract. He is not going to quit if he doesn't get the job as he won't want to lose his compo.

It would be just our luck that all of those candidates mentioned in that article actually do want the job but want to wait until the Summer and because we decide we need someone now, we end up with yet another Mr Average who will just be passing time until he is inevitably sacked.

I hadn't realised how big most of the Southampton players were - quite cynical as well.

The elephant in the room as always is Ashley's intentions for NUFC especially with the Rangers' stuff going on at the moment. And it is conceivable that neither Charnley or Carr have any real idea on that score as the picture seems to be constantly changing. Maybe this could be having an impact on any appointment.

Think Cabaye is the reason Kinnear lost his job as he sold him for less than the minimum price Ashley wanted.

If they are not playing him to avoid triggering a clause in his contract, something will have to give because they can't keep him on the bench for the rest of the season and Ashley won't like another club playing him at his own game.