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Steve Bruce’s long, unhappy marriage with Newcastle United is finally over. The protracted takeover by a consortium involving Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has gone through at long last – and Bruce was the first casualty.
With untold wealth filling the coffers up at St James’ Park, who could be the next man trusted to spend the cash as the Next Newcastle Manager?
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Eddie Howe
Our traders don’t think former Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe will be out of work for much longer. The 43-year-old has been priced up for a number of jobs and the one up at St James’ is no different. His last action in the dugout was to watch the Cherries get relegated and he’ll be hoping to bounce back in style.
Unai Emery was thought to be within hours of taking the Newcastle job at one point but he’s since come out and pledged his loyalty to current employers Villarreal. He still features prominently on the list but would he really consider swapping the Yellow Submarine for a sinking ship?
Paulo Fonseca
The former Roma manager nearly ended up at Spurs during the Summer but didn’t quite like the cut of Daniel Levy’s jib. He won three domestic doubles at Shakhtar Donetsk before pitching up in the Italian capital where he guided the club to a seventh place finish in Serie A last season.
Unfortunately for the Portuguese, his star didn’t shine quite as brightly as compatriot Jose Mourinho who took over his Italian gig this season after getting his marching orders at Spurs. Fonseca is currently scouting the job centres for a new role, so can start in the morning with no pesky compensation clauses if Newcastle decide he’s the man they want to lead the Toon revival. Not that compo payments should worry the Magpies’ new owners too much.
Roberto Martinez
Former Everton boss Roberto Martinez was widely expected to be leaving Belgium after Euro 2021 but he’s still there. Perhaps the right job didn’t come up, perhaps he never had any intention of leaving? Maybe the Newcastle job just became a few billion times more appealing?
Nuno Espirito Santo
Recently-axed former Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo features highly on Paddy’s list but given the way that job ended he would be a huge gamble for the Toon. With the threat of relegation looming Newcastle might look for someone with a sunnier outlook.
Rafa Benitez
Could Newcastle look to rekindle an old fame in the shape of Rafa Benitez? The former Liverpool boss had an inferior record to Steve Bruce at Newcastle but still holds hero status up at St James’ Park. Currently at Everton, most Toffees’ fans would be happy to see him depart.
Steven Gerrard
This could be the dream appointment for Steven Gerrard if he’s looking to dip his toe into management in the Premier League. The Rangers boss has done a great job north of the border but a blank cheque could be hard to turn down.
Graeme Jones
Graeme Jones arrived at Newcastle as their third assistant manager during the 2020/21 season. As soon as it was confirmed that the Geordie had moved north from Bournemouth, rumours started swirling about a succession plan and his odds for the big job tumbled. He has experience in the hot seat having managed Luton.
Chris Wilder
Chris Wilder has shown he can work miracles with minuscule budgets, but that isn’t the job requirement anymore. The former Sheffield United boss was the toast of the Premier League in their first season back in the big time but it all went wrong in 2020/21. Wilder was a top contender for this role at one stage but his chance might have gone.
Andre Villas-Boas
If gravelly voices and short tempers are your thing then Andre Villas-Boas is your man. The Portuguese is a bit fiery and would certainly not be a ‘yes man’ up on the Toon. Has experience in some big roles but it’s never really worked out since Porto.
Frank Lampard
Former Chelsea boss Frank Lampard was appointed at Stamford Bridge on his playing reputation rather than managerial nous and he paid the price after failing to get the best out of his expensively-assembled squad. Normally that wouldn’t be a problem at Newcastle but these aren’t normal times.
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