Strange move leaves fans dazed and confused
Newcastle
United today announced Joe Kinnear is to return to St. James’ Park as
director of football on a three-year contract. It comes several days after the
much-maligned Kinnear publicly stated that club owner Mike Ashley had agreed a
deal to bring him back to the north-east, where he is remembered less than
fondly by the majority of Magpies fans.
The
move has already sparked a feeling of discontent and anger amongst supporters,
whilst manager Alan Pardew must feel severely undermined, despite keeping his
counsel on the matter so far. Recent reports suggest that Pardew is privately
upset at the remarks attributed to Kinnear since the weekend when the story
first broke and is set to issue the former Wimbledon man with a no-holds-barred
dressing down when they next meet to show him who is boss.
The
66-year-old incoming director set about ranting on television and radio during
the last few days, claiming that he’ll have the final decision on transfer
policy and the style of football at Newcastle United will have to change. His new
role at the club appears to make manager Pardew a mere bystander, who has little
or no control over anything. The PR disaster of the Ashley era has stooped to a
new low with it having taken days for the club to officially confirm Kinnear in
his new position, while he’s been off making outlandish comments to the media.
The
conspiracy theorists have gone into overdrive trying to get to the truth behind
Ashley’s appointment of one of the most hated men on Tyneside. Is it an effort
to rile the paying public once again due to their unified stance against Ashley’s
ownership of the club since his dismissal of Kevin Keegan in 2008 and decision
to install Kinnear in his place as manager at the time? Or, could it be to give
Alan Pardew a hefty push in the direction of resignation from his job?
What
it absolutely cannot be is an effort to improve the team, because Kinnear has a
history of heart problems, confrontational issues with the press and a
reputation for giving bizarre interviews, including calling his own players by
the wrong names. He makes United appear a laughing stock, which isn’t an impression
any club owner worth his salt would want for their organisation.
Mike
Ashley believes the fans to be against him and would seem intent on getting
their backs up at every opportunity. He even tried to get under their skins by appointing
Alan Pardew as part of his entourage in December 2010, but it backfired
somewhat when the former West Ham manager led the Magpies to fifth place in the
Premier League the season before last, making him at least a tolerated figure
in the eyes of most supporters.
Now,
after a disappointing campaign just gone, Ashley has pounced to add fuel to the
fire by appointing a man who only managed relative success in charge of the ‘Crazy
Gang’ in the 90s; a football has-been from a bygone era.
Where
Newcastle go from here in anyone’s guess, but it isn’t going to be pretty.
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Twitter @davewh1980
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