Joe Kinnear Is Gone, But Does It Really Matter?

Well, that went about as well as you'd expect. Joe Kinnear stumbled back into the picture, did as close to nothing as one can reasonably do while being employed, and then disappeared as suddenly as he'd resurfaced at Newcastle United.

Turns out a belligerent, out-of-touch 67-year-old doesn't make an effective director of football. Who'd have thought?

Let's review Kinnear's performance: In eight months, he didn't manage to get a single permanent transfer "over the line," oversaw the sale of the club's best player for an underwhelming fee, and signed two players on loan — both of whom Newcastle had extensively scouted and negotiated with long before Kinnear's return.

So, yes, Newcastle United is a better club now that Kinnear has resigned. But it remains to be seen what exactly his exit means in the bigger picture. Will owner Mike Ashley bring back Derek Llambias to lead the front office? Will he hand over some or all transfer control to manager Alan Pardew? Will he elevate chief scout Graham Carr to lead all things player recruitment? Is this a prelude to selling the club?

More importantly, did Ashley even make this move — and there's no chance Ashley didn't play a role, because Kinnear wouldn't have jumped off the gravy train of his own volition — out of dissatisfaction with Kinnear's performance? Or did Ashley's old drinking buddy do his job by taking the blame for the sale of Yohan Cabaye and two empty transfer windows? Is this merely a hollow move to quell fan unrest in the wake of Saturday's derby disaster? With early reports suggesting Ashley won't replace Kinnear this season, might the owner be setting the club up for another dormant summer?

That we have to seriously consider such conspiracy theories is an indictment of Ashley's reign in and of itself.

The bottom line: Good riddance, JFK. But unless this move is the first in a series of meaningful decisions that results in a new course for Ashley's vision of Newcastle, it's not a game changer.

Comments

[@LeeSibbald]

Ashley won't quit himself, too expensive to sack pardew but too much negativity to do nowt so JFK takes the bullet / gets the chop. Too little, far too late.

And creates as many questions as it answers.

Standard NUFC policy under Ashley.

[Fatash]

20 Sunderland (R) 38 3 6 29 26 69 −43 15
Source: Barclays Premier League

I bet no one at Sunderland saw that record coming, I am not saying we are anywhere near relegation or that bad but their 29 loses out of 38 means we are not yet safe either, but Pardew is No1 at creating new records, I will not rest easy until we are mathmaticaly certain of avoiding relegation Sunderland that season won 0.4 per game mind it would take another Pardew record to achieve that.

Only kidding I hope as I expect to finish on 53 points

[@Lavanglish]

Tom hit it right on the head there when he says Kinnear did exactly what he was suppose to do. Ashley gave him a high paying job (for reasons I can only assume were to pay off some sort of debt Kinnear had) to take all the abuse of the Toon Army. That was his #1 directive and for that.. Kinnear did exactly what he was suppose to do.

What finally made him quit? Well, I would like to think it was fan pressure.. but Im pretty certain it was just that his debts were paid off.

[rob]

Great article, Tom. I think this topic about Kinnear, Ashley, and the club could lead to a healthy podcast.

[Jaeger]

i think that there should be no replacement as a Director of Football. just leave the decisions on who to bid for between Graham Carr and Pardew. They can communicate with Ashley to get the funds that way.

i think we are 6 points off of 6th.. ? shoot for that and should make it to europa league(yes, id rather the club be in europe to increase the brand value and get our name out there to european talent). the derby is over, can't do anything about it now. just have to play the next game the best we can.

HTL!

[@Lavanglish]

The original intention was to bring in a arbiter between Carr & Pardew, the scout wanting French players, the manager.. PL players. The role and the responsibilities of the role are just.. the person was where this went off kilter