Newcastle United Are Right to Wait to Appoint New Manager

Newcastle United managing director Lee Charnley caused uproar among fans when he announced on Tuesday night that the club may wait until the summer to appoint Alan Pardew's replacement—but it's a sensible decision.

Newcastle are currently 11th in the Premier League and have had a disappointing season, save only for a strong spell around November.

In a rare interview with the Evening Chronicle's Mark Douglas, Charnley opened up on why the club is yet to replace Pardew, who departed St James' Park for Crystal Palace on 2 January.

Charnley admitted the club was caught off guard by Pardew's exit but has had more than 80 applications for the managerial vacancy. He said:

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We've got a number of options: clearly my preference is to try and find someone to bring in now. However, because it will be a long-term commitment, if I have to wait until the summer for what I believe is the right individual then I would rather wait than actually take someone now who I think isn't the best fit.

I'm not going to take someone who is free and available now if we have a better option and options by waiting until the end of the season. I know that won't be an entirely popular point of view but for me that is the most sensible thing to do. It is about the medium to long term and ensuring we get the 'right one.'

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A number of fans took to Twitter to vent their frustration at the announcement. Even former Magpies striker Mick Quinn described the interview as "the final insult:"

Luke Edwards of The Telegraph wasn't too impressed either:

But for once, the Newcastle board are right.

To clarify, the interview contained very little for fans to get excited about, and the fact remains that Mike Ashley has very little ambition for the club beyond raking in the TV money until he moves on to Rangers.

Charnley's confirmation that the club does not expect to be active in January is a worry. The club is desperate for a new striker at the very least, and given that Charnley confirmed the new man won't have the final say on new signings, there's no reason why Newcastle can't dip into the market.

Charnley described January as an unattractive window, and yet the Magpies have made a higher percentage of January signings in the last five years than any other Premier League club, per the Evening Chronicle (via infogr.am):

Infogr.am

Nevertheless, on the issue of the club waiting to ensure they get the right manager, it's the right thing to do.

For a whole host of reasons, Pardew was deeply unpopular with the majority of the Toon Army.

Newcastle, not that they have a good track record of appeasing the fans' concerns, need to make sure they appoint the right man who can give fans a reason to get excited about the team again.

Unfortunately, little seems to have changed for the club under John Carver. The team have lost two of his three league games in charge—admittedly against Chelsea and Southampton—but also drew at home to Burnley and lost to Leicester City in the FA Cup.

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Yet again, it seems as though Newcastle fans could be in for a disappointing end to the season.

However, if the club is able to bring in a quality coach come the end of the season, it will have been worth it.

Ashley has shown patience in sticking with Pardew throughout his many low points at the club, so his replacement will be at the club for the foreseeable future.

Would fans rather the club act now and bring in someone inexperienced like Tim Sherwood? Or would they rather wait until the summer and secure one of the higher-profile names they've been linked with?

The higher-profile names are encouraging besides.

Louise Taylor of the Guardian reports Newcastle have held talks with Remi Garde. The former Olympique Lyonnais boss has only three years of management under his belt.

However, he guided his side to two third-place finishes and a fifth-place finish in that time, while working on a limited budget in a league containing mega-rich Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco. He also took Lyon to three cup finals, winning one of them.

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

The Toon have also been linked with Ajax's Frank de Boer, per Lee Ryder of the Evening Chronicle.

De Boer became the first manager to win the Eredivisie four years running and has made good use of Ajax's academy while his best players are routinely sold to bigger clubs. Not only would he be a good fit, he recently spoke of his admiration for the north-east outfit:

"Newcastle are a sleeping giant, with a great stadium and most loyal fans, but what else can I say? I'll be with Ajax for the remainder of the season anyway."

The Press Association, via the Guardian, add several other candidates for the job.

Christophe Galtier, who guided Saint-Etienne to fourth last year. Thomas Tuchel, the former Mainz manager who had five exciting years in the Bundesliga. Steve McClaren, who won the League Cup and reached a UEFA Cup final with Middlesbrough, as well as winning an Eredivisie title with FC Twente.

With the quality of manager available to Newcastle in the summer (Garde and De Boer in particular), a few more difficult months is nothing the fans can't handle.

The fans deserve far better than what they've been given during Ashley's tenure, but if they can secure De Boer or Garde this summer, then the right decision may finally have been made.

Contrary to popular belief, Newcastle fans don't expect the world from their team. Not title challenges, not top-four finishes. But what they do desire is a passionate manager who can get the team playing attractive, attacking football.

A good cup run and a team that can challenge for a UEFA Europa League place is also on the wishlist. For a club the size of Newcastle, with 52,000 fans cheering their team on week in, week out, these aren't unrealistic expectations.

There are several managers who can get the fans excited and optimistic about the team again, after some very disappointing years following 2012's miraculous fifth-place finish. Now it's down to the club to take their time and bring in the one who's right for the club, the team and the supporters.

And who knows, if the new man is around for as long as Pardew was, he might just outlast Ashley and his lack of ambition.