Steve Bruce has been sacked as Newcastle manager – at long last – following the club’s takeover by new Saudi Arabian owners, and a number of hats have been thrown into the ring to replace him.
The 60-year-old has departed the Magpies as they sit 19th in the Premier League without a victory in seven Premier League games so far.
Pressure has built on his shoulders ever since his arrival at his hometown club, with fans distinctly underwhelmed by his appointment in the first place in the wake of Rafa Benitez’s departure.
Bruce recorded 44 and 45 points in his two seasons on Tyneside, the exact same totals as Benitez managed in the previous two campaigns, but the Newcastle locals demand more, and with new owners replacing Mike Ashley at the helm, they will expect more.
The Magpies appear to be aiming higher than simply standing in line at the managerial merry-go-round and accepting whoever is flung into their path, but who will they select to lead the club into a new era?
RadioTimes.com has rounded up the top candidates to replace Steve Bruce as the next Newcastle manager.
Paulo Fonseca
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The everlasting Tottenham managerial hunt passed by ex-Roma boss Fonseca in the summer despite him looking like a dead-cert to take over in north London.
His appointment was canned due to concerns over his uber-attacking style, with the contrasting Nuno Espirito Santo preferred by Spurs.
Fonseca has also been eyed up by Everton and West Ham at times in the past, but they too opted for more pragmatic selections in Rafa Benitez and David Moyes.
Fonseca himself didn’t hold back when describing his style while in charge of Ajax: “No, I don’t like playing deep and waiting for the counter-attack. It is not my style of play.
“I think [when we’ve had problems] many times, it hasn’t been because other teams created situations against us. It’s because we made mistakes, losing balls in the first phase of play.
“And I think we paid more dearly for those mistakes than is normal, and that has been our biggest problem.
“Because yes, this type of game that we play can be risky, but in the long run I believe it is successful.”
If Fonseca arrives on Tyneside, fans may need to take their sofas to St James’ Park for them to watch from behind…
Eddie Howe
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It’s fair to say the list of main candidates all boast a high degree of attacking intent. Howe is no exception.
The former Bournemouth boss oversaw a Premier League season where his men bagged 56 goals in just 38 games. Only the top six teams found the net more often in 2018/19.
Howe likes to play on the front-foot, and would no doubt be a popular choice with former Cherries currently playing for Newcastle: Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Matt Ritchie.
However, massive question marks remain over his defensive credibility.
Bournemouth conceded 330 goals in 190 games across five Premier League seasons under Howe’s leadership, an average of around 1.75 goals per game. In one season alone, they leaked 70 goals.
Lucien Favre
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Probably the least-known manager on this list is former Dortmund boss Favre, who is currently without a club.
The former Swiss national team manager has forged a successful career in his native Switzerland and across the border in Germany.
He became the first manager in Bundesliga history to go undefeated in his first 15 games with a club after taking over Dortmund.
Favre defeated RB Leipzig 4-1 and Atletico Madrid 4-0 in the Champions League during his early fruitful spell, as well as a 7-0 crushing of Nurnberg, though his reign fell apart in his second second as Dortmund fell away from title contention and suffered a string of damaging defeats to minnows.
He is credited with developing young talents throughout his club and international managerial career with Gokhan Inler, Marco Reus, Granit Xhaka and Marc Andre ter Stegen among his finest works.
Favre plays an attacking style of football that revolves around high possession.
Frank Lampard
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The biggest name on the list, who boasts the biggest job on his CV, though the least accomplished manager of the pack, Lampard could be tempted to dip his toes back in the water with Newcastle should the opportunity arise.
The Chelsea legend remains out of work since being relieved of his duties by Roman Abramovich, a move that led to Thomas Tuchel being appointed and winning the Champions League with roughly the same squad.
For such an icon, Lampard actually remains a relatively unknown quantity on the managerial stage. He performed well at Derby though was helped by elite loanees in the shape of Mason Mount, Fikayo Tomori and Harry Wilson.
He built a firm foundation at Chelsea, offered plenty of time and space for Mount and Tammy Abraham to flourish, but perhaps lacked the cut-throat tactical nous to win trophies.
Lampard is still a developing manager and has probably done enough to warrant a Premier League job, but with stakes as high as they are in Newcastle right now – with multi-billionaire owners aiming for the Champions League with a squad worthy of the Championship – he may not have the experience to guide the Magpies into calmer waters.
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