22 years and counting...

By Chris O'Brien
January 12 2008

Newcastle United travel to Old Trafford on Saturday without a manager. The Toon Army have parted company with Sam Allarydce this week; with the former Bolton chief occupying the hot seat for just eight months. Allardyce was the tenth Newcastle boss to leave the Magpies since Sir Alex Ferguson took charge of Manchester United in 1986. ManUtdWeb looks back at the Geordies' dismal managerial record.

Willie McFaul

McFaul was at the helm when Sir Alex took charge at United. The club were struggling at the wrong end of the league table but he helped them steer clear of relegation and finish the 86/87 campaign five points above the drop zone. They did well and finished 8th the next season but McFaul was sacked after getting off to a very poor start in the 88/89 season with optimistic fans soon fearing relegation.

Jim Smith

"The Bald Eagle" took over from Ulsterman McFaul but failed to keep a struggling Newcastle side in the top-flight as they finished 20th and were relegated. Smith kept his job but it was his failure to reverse the clubs fortunes that saw him sacked. He led Newcastle to third place in the old Second Division but they missed out on the play-offs and the pressure was on Smith to take them up the following season. However, they struggled and he was shown the exit door in March 1991 with the club sitting 11th in the division.

Osvaldo Ardiles

Argentinean legend Ardiles took the job after Smith's departure but couldn't push his new club into a late play-off charge and they ended the 90/91 season in 11th spot. The South American had a disastrous 11 months on Tyneside and won just ten of his 47 matches with the club. He was sacked in February 1992 with the club sitting 23rd in the Second Division and facing relegation to the third tier of English football. His final game in charge was a horrendous 5-2 away reverse at Oxford.

Kevin Keegan

In stepped King Keegan. Adored by the supporters during a short playing spell with the club, the England man was a popular choice for the managerial position. He made himself an instant hero by keeping Newcastle in the second flight thanks to wins against Portsmouth and high-flying Leicester in the final two games of the season. Keegan had stopped Newcastle dropping into the third-flight for the first time in their long history. The following season, he transformed the team's fortunes and Newcastle stormed to the newly-named First Division title. They played an impressive brand of football which saw them net 92 goals and notch up 96 points - eight points clear of nearest rivals West Ham.

Keegan's transformation continued in the Premier League. In 1994, he signed a 10-year contract with the Toon and their performances on the pitch clearly warranted such commitment from the Newcastle board. They finished 3rd with a 77-point haul and followed this with a 6th-placed finish in 1995 after going unbeaten in the first eleven league games. However, it was the 95/96 season that Keegan will be most fondly remembered for - as Newcastle United blew a whopping 12-point lead at the top of the tree as the Red Devils mounted a late charge to eventually win the title comfortably.

Sir Alex Ferguson's mind-games almost pushed Keegan over the edge. After suggesting that teams try harder against the Red Devils than against Newcastle, Keegan blew his top. Newcastle were still very much in the race after a hard-fought win over Leeds but you sensed he lacked belief as he delivered one of the most famous rants in footballing history live on Sky Sports. He said:

"When you do that with footballers like he said about Leeds; and when you do things like that about a man like Stuart Pearce. I'm I, I, I've kept really quiet, but I'll tell you something: he went down in my estimation when he said that - we have not resorted to that. But I'll tell ya - you can tell him now, he'll be watching it - we're still fighting for this title, and he's got to go to Middlesbrough and get something, and... and I'll tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them - LOVE IT!."

United duly obliged with a 3-0 win at 'Boro - although in the end it proved to be academic as the Reds won the league by a healthy four-point margin. Fergie's psychological tactics troubled Keegan throughout that run-in and he offered his resignation over the summer despite leading the club to their best league finish since 1927. The board persuaded him to stay but he eventually resigned in January 1997 with the Toon sitting fourth in the table. Despite his successes, he failed to lead the club to any major silverware. He was out of work for nine months before taking the reigns at Fulham.

Kenny Dalglish

Newcastle were keen to appoint a manager who could maintain the rapport that Keegan had built with the supporters. The fans wanted silverware and Dalglish was brought to the club with the objective of finishing the job his predecessor had started. He finished the 96/97 season well and the Barcodes again occupied the runners-up spot - this time seven points behind Fergie's conquerors. However, the following season they failed to challenge at the right end of the table and Newcastle finished 13th, winning just eleven league games in the process. Dalglish started the 98/99 season with draws against Charlton and Chelsea and the board decided to sack him. Cheerio!

Ruud Gullit

Newcastle fans had cause for optimism when Gullit was appointed. He had become the first foreign manager to win the F.A Cup as he led Chelsea to success before leaving Stamford Bridge after a disagreement with the board. He could only muster another 13th-placed finish in the league but an F.A Cup final appearance won over many fans - although the Toon were beaten by us at Wembley, naturally! His 12-month tenure came to an end in August 1999. Stormy relations with Alan Shearer and Robert Lee hadn't helped his cause, but a truly woeful start to the 99/00 season sealed his fate. Only goal difference separated Newcastle with the foot of the Premier League table as Gullit resigned following defeat to bitter rivals Sunderland.

Bobby Robson

Arise, Sir Bobby! Steve Clarke was caretaker boss for Newcastle's 5-1 away loss at Old Trafford before Robson took over at St.James' Park. In his first home match, Newcastle stunned Sheffield Wednesday with a phenomenal 8-0 win that remains the club's record league victory. That was their first win of the season and Robson eventually led the club to an 11th-placed finish. They finished 11th again the next season before Robson started to really turn things around. They ended the 2001/2002 campaign in fourth and ensured qualification for the Champions League.

They finished 3rd the following season and reached the second knock-out stage of the Champions League. The next year they crashed out of the Champions League qualifiers but ended up Uefa Cup semi-finalists and finished 5th in the league. However, Robson's time in charge was soon to come to an end and a poor start to the 2004/2005 season alongside apparent discontent in the dressing room saw him sacked. His final game was a poor 4-2 away defeat at Aston Villla.

Graeme Souness

Scotsman Souness survived only seventeen months with Newcastle. He fell-out with a number of players and could only secure a 14th-placed finish - their lowest since getting promoted in 1993. He was under pressure from the Toon fans but reaching the semi-finals of the Uefa Cup and F.A Cup seemingly saved his skin. The signing of Michael Owen boosted hopes for the new season but the striker was soon crocked and Souness' lack of cover saw the club struggle. Despite spending over £50million on players, he was sacked in February 2006 with the Barcodes sitting 15th in the table -  hovering nervously above the bottom three.

Glenn Roeder

Initially appointed on a temporary basis, Roeder turned Newcastle's season around. He banished all relegation fears and secured a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League and qualification for the Intertoto Cup. Despite previously denying any long-term interest in the post, Roeder signed a long-term deal but he failed to build on a highly promising start. They won the 2006 Intertoto Cup by virtue of being the furthest placed team to advance from the competition into the Uefa Cup. However, he never achieved any further success and eventually resigned with one game left of the 2006/2007 season as furious supporters' barracked the team's 13th-place standing.

Sam Allardyce

So in came Big Sam. He survived just eight months and never really won over an expectant Toon Army. A series of disappointing results over the festive period saw the former Bolton man sacked. He left the North East having lost more games than he won.

And there we have it! The painfully long history of Newcastle managers since Ferguson started life at Old Trafford. Nigel Pearson will take temporary charge of the team on the weekend as Chris Mort and Mike Ashley search for their next main man. Harry Redknapp, Alan Shearer, Mark Hughes, Steve McClaren and Steve Bruce have all been linked - but will any of them dare take up the poisoned chalice?

Newcastle United's grim managerial record

Discussion started by manutdweb.com , 12/01/2008 03:45

manutdweb.com
12/01/2008 03:45

Newcastle United's grim managerial record

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Rogero
12/01/2008 20:26

Brilliant memories Chris.

Today just made it all even better!!!!

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Rogero
13/01/2008 08:57

Have you thought about posting this on the Toon Message Board?

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emptyred
13/01/2008 11:49

i am afraid that they couldn't cope with a dash of reality.

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Rogero
13/01/2008 14:39

Not with Sunderalnd winning as I write as well!!!

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emptyred
13/01/2008 15:54

2-0 win to Sunderland, Boro draw and the Magpies get battered not a good day for them.

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Scotty - mackem
13/01/2008 22:00

I WOULD LOVE IT IF WE BEAT THEM! classic!

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Irish Red
14/01/2008 13:47

I dont understand the club, i really dont.

50 years without a domestic trophy and they sack their manager midway through his first season because its not going brilliantly.

50 years of waiting and they are not prepared to give Sam a couple of years at least????

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