The new director of football wants to build some bridges at St James’ Park.
Newly appointed Newcastle United director of football Joe Kinnear is attempting to win over Magpies fans after a turbulent first week in the job.
Toon owner Mike Ashley was furious with the club’s relegation scrap in 2012/13, following a fifth place finish in the previous season and brought in Kinnear to deal with transfer dealings.
This appointment did not please manager Alan Pardew and chief scout Graham Carr, who were both linked with leaving the north east club and Newcastle fans were hardly overjoyed after Kinnear’s fateful spell as manager in 2008/09 – the season the club were relegated.
To make matters worse the 66-year-old then conducted a cringe-worthy interview on talkSPORT in which he pronounced star players Yohan Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa’s second names as ‘Kebab’ and ‘Ben Afro.’
The gaffe by the former boss has reportedly angered Cabaye, with the midfielder now reviewing his options – a carbon copy case of four years ago when Charles N’Zogbia left after being called ‘Insomnia’ by Kinnear.
Yet despite all of these disruptions to the Irishman’s return to Newcastle, including Derek Llambias quitting as managing director, the new appointment is trying to patch things up with Magpies supporters.
“They are like me up there. They appreciate hard work,” Kinnear told the Chronicle.
“I am from a council estate and I have been taught the values of hard work. A lot of the fans up there have that attitude.
“It is part of the culture up there and you have to take the criticism when you do not do well.
“At the end of the day I love the fans up there. I fell in love with them. None of the media liked what I said to them.”
Whether the comments from Kinnear will be seen as disillusioned is currently unknown, but one thing is for sure his reappointment by Ashley has already caused endless amounts of controversy.
COMMENTS