Joe-rassic bark

Holt: sympathy for Kinnear

I think by behaving the way he has done he's made himself look like something out of the 1980's and a guy who's out of date and out-moded - and I think that's the shame about it.

Oliver Holt
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Oliver Holt believes Joe Kinnear has been his own worst enemy in launching a four-letter tirade at the press this week.

Newcastle's temporary manager hit the headlines on Friday with a stunning string of abuse at journalists he felt had ridiculed his appointment.

Kinnear has labelled his treatment as "sickening" and is threatening legal action on the back of his outburst - in which the f-word was apparently used 52 times.

But Holt, who's Daily Mirror colleague Simon Bird bore the brunt of Kinnear's rage, believes the reaction has done the Toon chief far more harm than good.

And to make matters worse he says, it has strengthened the belief that after four years out of the game, Kinnear is indeed out of touch with football today.

"I do have some sympathy with him. I think he was ridiculed and he did have the micky taken out of him by a selection of our papers," Holt told the Sunday Supplement.

"Having said that I think that he should have anticipated that his appointment at Newcastle would be greeted with dismay and disbelief.

"He's been out of football for four years and this is supposedly one of our biggest clubs. I know he had a great track record at Wimbledon but I think he should have anticipated that there would be some cynicism about his appointment.

Dinosaur

"The big thing for Joe Kinnear is presumably he took this job because he's desperate to get back into football but behaving the way he has done, he's made himself look like a bit of a dinosaur.

"I think by behaving the way he has done he's made himself look like something out of the 1980's and a guy who's out of date and out-moded - and I think that's the shame about it.

"The idea, sadly, that he can exert his authority by swearing at people just made him a laughing stock. I always liked him instinctively and thought he had a lot to offer but I think he's misjudged this one.

"Whether it's out of pure rage or not, he's made himself look foolish. The worse thing for him in terms of the people he was abusing, he's made them come out of this well because they acted with restraint - they were just asking grown-up questions to be honest."

Naive

Holt believes that Kinnear was more a victim of circumstance, guilty by his surprise association with Newcastle.

The club has dominated the headlines for the wrong reasons this season following Kevin Keegan's resignation and Mike Ashley's attempts to sell the club in the face of a fans backlash.

And, he says, that is the main reason why Kinnear's appointment generated the reaction it did.

"I think the crucial thing is a lot of the abuse is being aimed at him in the context of a club that's been made to look a laughing stock and if he's so taken aback, he's a bit naive to be honest," he said.

"Maybe it's a sign that he's been out of the game for four years and Newcastle have been the story of the season so far in terms of their mis-management and he just fits into that context.

"That must be incredibly hard to understand when your family are looking at these headlines, but you've got to take that if you're a manager these days.

"When Kevin Keegan was appointed there was massive support for him in the north east, but plenty of ridicule in the press. And Keegan, who's not known for taking stuff on the chin, did take it on the chin, got on with it and was very dignified about it."