3 Managers Newcastle should avoid as replacement options
By Durim Halimi
Rafa Benitez’s contract expires in seven days and Newcastle United will need to find a replacement for the Spaniard if he walks.
The majority of us want to see Rafa Benitez in charge on July 1st, however, recent reports from Tyneside are not encouraging. Then again, those reports could also be wrong seeing that Newcastle United and Benitez have been silent during the entire process.
Regardless, the fact that Benitez has refused to agree to the terms offered by Mike Ashley with only one week left on his contract is not a good sign. As a result, several managers will be linked with the managerial role at Newcastle United over the next few days, but here are three managers the Magpies should avoid.
David Moyes
David Moyes began his career as a manager in 1998 with Preston North End. He then spent 11 seasons with Everton before moving on to coach Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham. Aside from his time at Everton, Moyes’ career as a manager was far from impressive.
He only lasted ten months at Old Trafford after only winning a Community Shield trophy and getting eliminated from the FA Cup in the third round. His stint in Spain was also short-lived after claiming a winning percentage of 28% through 42 games in charge. He then moved on to Sunderland and West Ham where he had a combined performance record of 17-17-40. The Magpies should definitely pass on Moyes due to his poor track record. Also, as the former manager of Sunderland he has no business being at St. James’ Park.
Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes has extensive experience as a manager with seven teams in his portfolio since 1999. Hughes’ most successful stint as a manager was at Manchester City in 2008, where he managed the team for 18 months. Manchester City had a performance record of 36-16-25 with Hughes in charge. Aside from that decent record, the rest of Hughes’ portfolio consists of losing seasons.
His two most recent Premier League spells were with Stoke City (2013-2018) and Southampton (2018). When combining his records at both clubs, Hughes’ only had a winning percentage of 27%. If Rafa Benitez leaves, Newcastle United need a notable manager who is at his level and not someone like Hughes who is a mediocre manager at best.
Gennaro Gattuso
Last, but not least, is former Italian midfielder Gennaro Gattuso. Shortly after retiring from football as a player, Gattuso quickly obtained hisUEFA license to become a trainer. At the age of 41, Gattuso has already managed five teams, but his track record is not worth praising. Before accepting the role as manager of AC Milan in 2017, Gattuso had an overall performance record of 40-44-41, which equates to a winning percentage of 32%, with teams in Switzerland, Greece and Italy.
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His most successful tenure as manager was at AC Milan, a stint which lasted from December of 2017 through May of this year. Gattuso only lost 20 of the 83 games he was in charge for at AC Milan and he led the Italian giants to a 5th place finish this past season and a 6th place finish the season before that. His good work in Milan has attracted the attention of several clubs, but the Magpies need a manager with a consistent winning record and extensive Premier League experience. Now is not the time to experiment and hope that managers can adapt to English football.