Ashley: Who next?

Candidates: Skybet odds

Gustavo Poyet: 5/2
Dennis Wise: 9/2
Alan Shearer: 11/2
Didier Deschamps: 8/1
David Moyes: 8/1

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News

• Kinnear pledges maximum effort
• Magpies sale draws closer
• Given - This is a low
• Shepherd's Toon price warning
• Francis considers Toon offer
• Jimenez leaves Magpies
• Magpies wait on bidders
• New deadline for Magpies
• Clifford in Keegan talks
• Rupert denies Toon talks
• Keegan in talks over Toon return
• Kinnear hits back at criticism
• Secret seven target Toon
• Nigerians confirm Toon offer
• Shepherd out of Magpies race
• Given unsure of Kinnear move
• Kinnear - I am last resort
• Hughton hails Kinnear 'direction'
• Magpies turn to Kinnear
• El Tel explains Toon snub
• El Tel 'rejects Toon offer'
• Woodgate feels for Magpies
• Nigerians hopeful of Magpies deal
• Venables in Toon talks
• Dalglish rejects Toon talk
• Owen still 'feeling' KK exit
• Nigerians eye Toon takeover
• Geremi - Let's stick together
• Hughton wants swift decision
• Hughton focused on form
• Hughton aware of challenge
• Whelan - Ashley deserves flak
• Wigan expect Bruce to stay
• DIG rejects Toon reports
• Xisco distracted by Toon turmoil
• Report - Ashley sets Toon price
• Toon deny Shearer sacking
• Ashley - End Toon madness
• Ashley's statement
• Ashley seeks Newcastle sale
• Robson reveals Wise worry
• Keegan talks unsuccessful
• Keegan 'holds Ashley talks'
• Zico open to Magpies post
• Lotina rejects Toon talk
• Hughton handed Magpies reins
• Gullit tips Shearer for Toon
• KK calls Tyne on Toon
• Xisco gutted at KK exit
• Magpies saddened by Keegan exit
• Keegan finally quits Toon
• Keegan absent from training
• Keegan talks fail

Feature

• NUFC merry-go-round
• KK ups and downs

Teams

• Newcastle United

On Thursday evening, Kevin Keegan sensationally resigned as manager of Newcastle United and the hunt is now on to find his successor; here skysports.com takes a look at the possible candidates.

The Premier League feels as though it has been on the receiving end of a Kevin Pietersen dance down the wicket over the past seven days following one of the most turbulent weeks in the history of English football's top tier.

With that in mind, I strolled into the skysports.com office on Friday morning hoping for a slightly more relaxed day at the coalface with transfer windows done and dusted and surely no more managerial departures. However, my football editor had other ideas.

Upon my arrival, said superior requested I construct an overview of the possible men to fill the boots of Keegan at St James' Park, and to suggest who is likely get the job. Thanks boss. Predicting the activities of Newcastle is about as easy as explaining the modern offside rule to your Grandma, but here we go.

Newcastle reinforced their reputation as the cream of the crop when it comes to creating stunning headlines as Keegan resigned after only eight months of his second managerial stint with the Magpies.

Keegan - who made 78 appearances for the club as a player - was, and is, a legend and was often labelled as the man most in touch with the Newcastle public, the Geordie Messiah, and the manager capable of supplying the eye-catching football craved in the North East.

The former England boss' January return following a successful five-year spell in the mid-nineties was one of the greatest football stories of recent years, but his decision to walk away after less than one season eclipses any Second Coming and has left fans outraged, distraught and heartbroken.

Keegan was hailed as the man to put Newcastle back on the straight and narrow when he replaced Sam Allardyce at the turn of the year, but a disagreement over transfer policy with the club's technical director Dennis Wise, vice president Tony Jimenez and owner Mike Ashley saw him head for the exit.

Ashley has been cast as the villain of the piece, with Wise as his henchman, and now the man who bought Newcastle in May 2007 is charged with the task of finding a successor to King Kev to appease the restless natives of the Gallowgate End.

And who are the candidates to fill the boots of Keegan? Who possesses the necessary characteristics to fill the void? The mission to find the ideal replacement appears daunting and Ashley is likely to be knocking back something a little stronger than the pint of (non-alcoholic) lager he was spotted demolishing last weekend as he considers the options.

The model successor would appear to possess a mixture of Keegan's attacking flair, Alan Shearer's hero status, the charm of Bobby Robson and the no-nonsense approach of an Allardyce or Graeme Souness. Answers on a postcard.

Gustavo Poyet

A surprise name is the current leading light. Poyet's connections to Wise make him favourite to be the next on the Newcastle merry-go-round.

Poyet is currently assistant manager to Juande Ramos at Tottenham, but the Uruguayan's connections to Wise - who he played with at Chelsea and then served as a coaching No.2 at Swindon and Leeds United - make him a likely choice.

How this would sit with the Newcastle public is, to put it mildly, unclear.

Despite a lack of managerial experience, Poyet is believed to be viewed as the perfect man. However, there could be further backlash if Wise secures his old friend.

Skybet odds: 5/2

Dennis Wise

As technical director at Newcastle, Wise is already well aware of the way the club works and appears to enjoy a good relationship with Mike Ashley.

Unfortunately for Wise, he is not exactly top of the pops in the popularity stakes with Magpies supporters.

As with Poyet, it could be said that it is a little murky as to how London-based Wise's appointment would go down in Newcastle.

However, previous managerial experience at Millwall, Southampton, Swindon Town and Leeds makes Wise a possible candidate and second favourite with the bookmakers.

Skybet odds: 9/2

Alan Shearer

Perhaps the only man who can rival Keegan's popularity and the red-hot first choice of the Newcastle faithful.

Former captain Shearer is a Geordie and as the club's all-time leading goalscorer secured idol status.

Shearer's name is never far away from Newcastle and it appears inevitable he will fill the club's hot-seat at some point in his life.

Whether that will be as successor to Keegan remains uncertain as Shearer is rumoured to be unwilling to take the job at this moment in time.

If Ashley is keen to heal wounds, Shearer is his man. But a lack of managerial experience and other commitments may work against the 38-year-old.

Skybet odds: 11/2

Didier Deschamps

Deschamps could be seen as the thinking man's choice as he would arrive with managerial experience and, perhaps more importantly, no previous connection to Newcastle.

The 39-year-old earned admiring glances as he guided Monaco to the UEFA Champions League final in 2004 and he has also spent time in charge of Juventus.

Over 100 international caps for France have provided a reservoir of creative football knowledge and Deschamps captained his country to glory at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000.

Add to the mix previous Premier League experience during his playing days with Chelsea and Deschamps' stock continues to rise.

Skybet odds: 8/1

David Moyes

An abundance of Premier League experience with Everton makes Moyes another popular selection.

The Scot has been linked with Newcastle in the past and Ashley and company may attempt to lure him away from Goodison Park.

It has been rumoured that Moyes has become disheartened on Merseyside following a frustrating summer in the transfer market and an uninspiring start to the season.

After six-years at Everton, Moyes may be looking for a fresh challenge and could be tempted by a change of scenery.

Whether Everton would be willing to allow their boss to leave would be another matter and it is debatable whether Moyes would want to involve himself with another club which has endured problems in the transfer market.

Skybet odds: 8/1

The Best of the Rest

Motherwell boss Mark McGhee is a surprise contender at 10/1 and could offer the blank canvas qualities of Deschamps.

Marcelino Garcia Toral (10/1) possesses the unknown quality and it would be difficult to criticise the Real Zaragoza manager as his reputation continues to climb in Spain.

Former Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier could prove a shrewd choice at 12/1 after improving fortunes at Anfield at the turn of the Millennium, while ex-Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard, also at twelves, would bring European pedigree.

The Outsiders

If you fancy an adventurous flutter then look no further than Keegan's predecessor Allardyce at 100/1, while Mr Popular at St James' Park, Ruud Gullit, is out of a job after leaving LA Galaxy and available at 50/1.

Other managers who have Newcastle on their Curriculum Vitae, Kenny Dalglish and Souness, are valued at 66/1 and 33/1 respectively.