Toon - the candidates (update)

25 February 2006   1:13 AM

Well, press speculation seems to be that Newcastle's new manager is set to be appointed sooner rather than later. And the bookies have slashed their odds over the last day or so on it being Martin O'Neill, so much that he's odds-on favourite with virtually everyone. Do they know something we don't?

Probably not. I don't seem to recall Graeme Souness being favourite with the bookies last time round (or with the fans, but that's another story). Maybe we need to stick to the facts. What we do know is that Freddie Shepherd has been playing golf with Wigan's chairman. This does not necessarily mean that we'll be having Paul Jewell as the next manager though. I mean, I once spoke to Rob Lee in a bar on Newcastle's Quayside but I never lined up alongside him in midfield.

In case you're wondering, my conversation with Rob Lee consisted of me saying the following: "scuse me mate, can I just get past there.". I bet he still thinks back to that conversation even now.

Martin O'Neill actually seems a good candidate and one that's entirely plausible. He's well liked with the fans, he's got charisma and passion and he's always entertaining. Hopefully his wife Geraldine is continuing her recovery from her illness and we all wish her all the best. Some things are more important than football, after all. While his every utterance on the subject of Newcastle United would be scrutinised in the local press, his private life would hopefully be kept private in a way that would probably be unlikely to happen if he was England manager. After all, I still don't know the name of Graeme Souness's wife — although I do know her birthday clashed with one of our reserve team fixtures.

Also, a bloke at work told me that he reckoned Martin O'Neill would take over as Newcastle manager next week, and as we all know, the 'bloke at work' is second only to 'a man in the pub' for being in the know. As I've said before, O'Neill would be one of my two top choices for the Newcastle job, and if Freddie can deliver him — and back him — then he will have given the fans someone they want.

Of course, if O'Neill doesn't want the job, then the music starts again, and all the candidates go round and round - and round again until the music stops. Then Sam Allardyce decides against the Newcastle job again, 'cos he wants the England job, and we'll appoint some idiot nobody really wanted (like Terry Venables, Steve Bruce or please please no - David O'Dreary), and Big Sam won't get the England job, and he'll complain about it going to a non-Englishman, despite the fact that no Englishmen appear to have the bottle to take on any of the big club jobs.

Shepherd, if O'Neill is your first choice, and you can bring him in, do so. If you can't get him, do not settle for second best. Don't just look at 'what's left'. Start again. Scour the continent if necessary, take as much time as is necessary but don't bring in another no-hoper who thinks they coulda been a contender. I like Hitzfeld, but he might not want the job either. No matter. Keep looking. Don't panic just because your first (or first two, or three, or four) choices turn you down.

Bring in the right man, however long it takes.

And now for Everton. Goodness me. I'm expecting it to be dull, blowy and a little dingy tomorrow. And (cue drum roll) the weather will probably be much the same. But you've got to be able to grind out some sort of a result under these circumstances - it's another big test for Roeder and what's left of the playing squad.