Many of the names in the running for the Newcastle United manager’s job are fuelled by agent talk rather than being actual candidates the club are looking at, according to Saj Chowdhury.
The BBC Sport journalist writes on his personal Twitter account that the Magpies have got the ball rolling on seeking a replacement for Rafael Benitez, having confirmed the Spaniard’s departure from St James’ Park in a statement on Monday.
Wheels are in motion regarding #NUFC manager search. The names on the bookies' list are just that (courtesy of some agents). Not to say a few of them won't be under consideration.
— Saj Chowdhury (@SajChowdhury) June 25, 2019
However, he says that a number of candidates said to be in the running are nothing more than agents trying to drum up interest for the individuals they represent.
Opinion
Newcastle United supporters best get ready for weeks of speculation over who might take over in the St James’ Park dugout. Chowdhury’s update comes just over 24 hours after Benitez’s exit was confirmed and already the Toon Army have seen plenty of names linked with taking charge. You can be sure that after having Benitez as their manager for three years, a lot of the speculation will be doing very little to inspire those on Tyneside. It remains to be seen whether Mike Ashley has dug himself a hole too deep to get out of by letting Benitez depart but the initial reaction is one of complete and utter disdain. Perhaps a takeover deal will satiate the Newcastle fans’ desires. Still, losing Benitez has been a bitter pill for the supporters to swallow and you cannot imagine there is any chance of Ashley coming back from this – not that he was anybody’s favourite beforehand.
