Newcastle United: Klopp or flop? Only Ashley knows...

Article by Ben Smith

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So Alan Pardew has gone.

It was obvious that he wouldn’t last 8 years and Mike Ashley would not have had a better opportunity than this to be rid of the 53 year-old. Compensation would be too costly to sack him and it is unlikely another team would approach him for similar reasons.

My biggest gripe with Pardew is that while he built a fantastic team at Newcastle, he never seemed to get the best out of the majority of his players consistently enough, whether through playing them out of position, like Sissoko, or through poor management, like Ben Arfa.

I would argue that he could have done wonders if he had bought players that are less talented than the group he built at Newcastle, yet were more adapted to his own style of football.

On paper, we almost have a complete unit that should be challenging for Europe. We have internationally recognised players all over the park, in almost every position. But these players need a manager who knows how to get the best out of them, on and off the field.

To move forward, and to avoid a backlash from unhappy fans, Mike Ashley must look abroad to replace Pardew.

Not only are we priced out of the market for British managers, there simply aren’t any that are suited, or want the Newcastle job. Eddie Howe is the only one that springs to mind, but I feel that he would be too big of a gamble considering his age and experience at the top level. However, his style of football is good and he would certainly help us bring in Danny Ings.

There are plenty of managers in Europe that would jump at the chance to manage in the Premier League, and would certainly see Newcastle as a good place to start, just like several players have done over past seasons. Managers that would bring with them a reputation to attract players, tame the big heads in the dressing room and introduce a style of football that the players are confident and comfortable with.

Amongst the wave of stereotypical managers that have been speculated (Steve McClaren and Alan Curbishley are prime suspects at most bookmakers), there are some interesting candidates from further afield.

Jurgen Klopp is a candidate that would exceed expectation, and probably the wildest dreams of most Newcastle fans. Klopp is currently under pressure at Dortmund after losing the most games so far in the Bundesliga and dragging them into the relegation zone over the winter break. But this is a manager that guided Borussia Dortmund to the Champions League Final on a shoestring budget that surely only the likes of Arsenal could tempt to England. Also, he is on a higher salary than Manuel Pellegrini, so lets just rule him out.

More down to earth yet still promising candidates abroad include former Real Sociadad and current Rennes manager, Philippe Montanier. Montanier has a decent track record so far in his 10-year management career, but he only joined Rennes in 2013 so you would expect a compensation package to be relatively hefty.

This makes former Arsenal player and ex-Lyon boss Remi Garde a more likely candidate. Garde worked alongside Gerard Houlier for a number of years as assistant at Lyon before taking the job full time in 2011. Garde stepped down in the summer citing personal reasons, and could be seen as a good choice considering the French affiliation the club has.

Another Arsenal related candidate is Yugoslavia legend Dragan Stojković, who left Japanese A-League side Nagoya Grampus in 2013. Arsene Wenger's preferred successor to his Arsenal throne, Stojković has had an exceptional career after retiring from the game in 2001. He was the Yugoslav Football President for 4 years before becoming the President of Serbian football club Red Star Belgrade, where he developed the careers of the likes of former Birmingham and Valencia striker Nicola Zigic. Stojković played under Arsene Wenger at Nagoya Grampus before managing them for five years, and has stated that he has learned a lot from the Arsenal manager over the years.

Currently without work, he could see Newcastle as a good start to a career in England, although I'm sure Wenger doesn't have much positive to say about Newcastle.

A manager is one thing that Mike Ashley shouldn’t replace on the cheap. A good manager doesn’t need financial backing if they have a good player and transfer knowledge. A good manager can push a team beyond its current capabilities through better preparation and man management. A poor manager only brings one set of skills with him that only work with the right formula.

So Mike Ashley has two options. Take the easy option and replace Pardew with a cheap manager who can do a job and fill the gap, or find someone who can bring the best out of the players build a team capable of moving forward.

Only time will tell.

Comments welcome.

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