Joe Kinnear set to make shock return to Newcastle United as director of football in management shake-up
Newcastle United are set to appoint Joe Kinnear as a director of football in a startling shake up of the club’s management structure after last season’s brush with relegation.
Kinnear spent just over six months as Newcastle’s manager between September 2008 and April 2009, a volatile period in the middle of a campaign that ended with Newcastle suffering the humiliation of relegation to the Championship.
In that short period, Kinnear earned plenty of eye-catching headlines with his press conferences while putting out a series of fires in the dressing room for owner Mike Ashley caused by Kevin Keegan’s resignation.
It was memorable stint from one of football’s most colourful characters, but few fans remember it fondly and he won just five of his 26 games in charge.
However, Newcastle were not in the relegation zone when he left the club because of heart trouble and both Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias have remained close to him. Both were adamant the team would not have gone down if he had remained as manager.
Having already suffered a heart attack while manager of Wimbledon, Kinnear – whose appointment has now bewildered fans for a second time – will come back to the North-East without the pressure of front line management.
The idea has almost certainly to have come from Ashley, who still maintains Kinnear is the best manager he has worked with during his six years in charge of the club.
Ashley was far from impressed with the way the team performed last season – they finished fifth from bottom just 12 months after finishing fifth from top – and while he resisted the temptation to make manager Alan Pardew pay for it with his job, he has wanted to change the way the club is run.
Kinnear, who has been out of work since he quit as Newcastle’s manager, will take overall responsibility for the Academy and much of the football administration work currently done by Llambias.
He is also expected to work closely with manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr to help shape the first team squad, despite his apparent lack of involvement in the game over the last four years.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...ector-of-football-in-management-shake-up.html
Newcastle United are set to appoint Joe Kinnear as a director of football in a startling shake up of the club’s management structure after last season’s brush with relegation.
Kinnear spent just over six months as Newcastle’s manager between September 2008 and April 2009, a volatile period in the middle of a campaign that ended with Newcastle suffering the humiliation of relegation to the Championship.
In that short period, Kinnear earned plenty of eye-catching headlines with his press conferences while putting out a series of fires in the dressing room for owner Mike Ashley caused by Kevin Keegan’s resignation.
It was memorable stint from one of football’s most colourful characters, but few fans remember it fondly and he won just five of his 26 games in charge.
However, Newcastle were not in the relegation zone when he left the club because of heart trouble and both Ashley and managing director Derek Llambias have remained close to him. Both were adamant the team would not have gone down if he had remained as manager.
Having already suffered a heart attack while manager of Wimbledon, Kinnear – whose appointment has now bewildered fans for a second time – will come back to the North-East without the pressure of front line management.
The idea has almost certainly to have come from Ashley, who still maintains Kinnear is the best manager he has worked with during his six years in charge of the club.
Ashley was far from impressed with the way the team performed last season – they finished fifth from bottom just 12 months after finishing fifth from top – and while he resisted the temptation to make manager Alan Pardew pay for it with his job, he has wanted to change the way the club is run.
Kinnear, who has been out of work since he quit as Newcastle’s manager, will take overall responsibility for the Academy and much of the football administration work currently done by Llambias.
He is also expected to work closely with manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr to help shape the first team squad, despite his apparent lack of involvement in the game over the last four years.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...ector-of-football-in-management-shake-up.html
