Newcastle hope to have new manager in place at the weekend

Posted Wednesday, December 08, 2010 by theguardian.com

Newcastle hope to have new manager in place at the weekend
Martin Jol resigned as manager of Ajax on Monday night.

Newcastle United are hoping to install Chris Hughton's successor in time for Saturday's game against Liverpool, although it looks unlikely to be Martin Jol.

With Mike Ashley, Newcastle's owner, said to be wary of making an instant appointment the club intend to talk to two or three potential managers this week. The aim is to secure an experienced man on a long-term and heavily incentivised contract. Sources close to Alan Pardew, the current favourite, have said that the former West Ham United and Southampton manager would be "strongly interested" in the vacancy and he is thought to loom large on Newcastle's shortlist. Martin Jol, who left Ajax on Monday night, however was reported last night to have told Dutch television that he was not interested in the job due to the harsh treatment of his good friend Hughton.

After a bad run at Ajax Jol also appears to be exhausted, with many believing he is in need of a break from football. Paul Kemsley, a former Tottenham Hotspur vice-chairman and a close friend of Ashley, was said to be heavily influential in Jol's sacking at White Hart Lane. Then there is Jol's long-standing friendship with Hughton, his old assistant at Spurs.

Peter Beardsley, the reserve-team coach, took training today . Should a successor not be found by Saturday, Beardsley will manage the club against Liverpool, another of his former teams. While Beardsley – appointed to the reserves against Hughton's wishes – is close to Ashley and Derek Llambias, Newcastle's managing director, he is not a contender for the top job. Alan Shearer, who has not spoken to Ashley for around 18 months, can be discounted, along with Martin O'Neill and Alan Curbishley. Glenn Hoddle and Ray Wilkins have also been mentioned as outsiders, with Hoddle a potential dark horse.

Hughton said his goodbyes today . "You could see Chris was gutted about what had happened," said Kevin Nolan, Newcastle's captain. "But it said so much about him that even though he was obviously disappointed he was still telling me and Joey [Barton] that we had to make sure we had a good season.

" There was such a dignity about the way he left which is how he conducted himself as a manager. It goes without saying we were shocked by the announcement."