Pundit Richard Keys believes an out of work manager heavily linked with West Ham is no-brainer to join Newcastle United.
Rightly or wrongly the future of the current managers of West Ham and Newcastle has been the subject of much debate and speculation.
David Moyes and Eddie Howe have done remarkable jobs at West Ham and Newcastle.
Moyes has led West Ham into Europe in three successive seasons.
And he delivered the club’s first major trophy for 43 years too with that Europa Conference League triumph last summer.
The Hammers are also on course to qualify for Europe once again and have set up a Europa League quarter-final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Moyes and Howe widely regarded to have done brilliant jobs
Newcastle qualified for the Champions League under Howe and – along with West Ham – are in the mix for the European places again this season.
But there has been plenty of speculation that both Moyes and Howe will depart the Hammers and Magpies respectively this summer.
A host of managers have been linked as potential replacements.
And one of those is serial winner Jose Mourinho.
West Ham’s owners were allegedly eyeing up Mourinho to replace Moyes last season.
The Portuguese was linked with the Hammers again earlier this season.
Speculation rife over Newcastle and Hammers bosses
Roma sacked the 60-year-old in January. And he has been linked with the mega rich Saudi-owned Geordies again this week, as reported by the likes of The Mirror.
But now Richard Keys says the out of work manager linked with West Ham must join Newcastle instead.
“I’m genuinely sorry that all the hard work Eddie Howe and his staff have put in has come to nothing,” Keys said on his own website.
“Another year has passed without silverware. How many more campaigns can they waste?
“I really don’t think Howe can take them to the next level…
Newcastle should go after West Ham-linked Mourinho claims Keys
“My answer? Jose Mourinho. Few people know more about winning than he does. He’s done it everywhere he’s been – including ‘half a trophy’, as he puts it, at Spurs. What madness that was – sacking him in the week of a final.
“I know there’s a view that Mourinho is finished. That the game has moved on. (Rubbish). The game will never move on from winning. There are no guarantees in football – except that Mourinho will win you a trophy.
“He would be perfect in the North East. He’d energise the place again. Set it alight. Eddie Howe is a good man, but everyone has fallen asleep on his watch. If Newcastle want to sign top players they need a top coach to attract them. Geography plays a huge part these days when players are making decisions about which club to join. London is always favourite.
“Newcastle is a big ask. I’m sorry, but it is. Keegan’s magnetism drew players. Mourinho would have the same effect.
“It’s ridiculous to think that Mourinho still needs to prove himself after all he’s done, but for some, it seems he does. Where better than with Newcastle? When he started winning – and bloodying the noses of United, Chelsea, City and the rest again, Newcastle fans would love him. When he delivered a trophy they’d adore him.
“One last thing – with Klopp leaving us, our league needs Mourinho back.”
The pros and cons of Mourinho
On the face of it, there would undoubtedly be concerns about the drama and circus Mourinho brings were he to rock up at Newcastle or West Ham.
And some would argue his style of football is no better than that of Moyes.
On the other hand Mourinho is a serial winner, a record he continued with Roma – lifting the Europa Conference League before then leading them to the Europa League final.
And there is simply no comparison between the CVs of Moyes and Howe and that of Mourinho.
As Keys mentions, the Portuguese can also be box office and brings strong connections and pull in the transfer market.