By Adam Beckett
January 15 2008

12 months on and he faces one of the hardest task in British sports – he has to please the ‘goldfish’ bowl that is Newcastle United and its fans.There is no doubt that in terms of passion and commitment, the Geordies are #1. However, I’m sure that Chris Mort didn’t have a great understanding of exactly what all that meant.

Mr. Mort was appointed as Newcastle’s new chairman after billionaire Mike Ashley completed his takeover of one of England’s most famous football team.

As the world looks on Mort and his cronies are busy at work trying to find a suitable replacement for Sam Allardyce who was sacked almost a week ago. As time moves the fans are becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of movement on the issue. Not only that, but the fans are concerned by the fact that the only period of time that clubs can improve their current squads is slipping away day by day. The magnifying glass of the English media is getting ever closer to embarrassing Newcastle United football club. But I ask who is more embarrassed? Newcastle fans or Newcastle owners? The fact that Ashley couldn’t have picked a worse time than now to fire the manager, or the fans for having to endure another national embarrassment – and a terrible run of form to go with it, multiplied by the 6-0 hammering at Old Trafford this past weekend. With any luck this week will bring an announcement that will shape all of our lives, and our futures as Newcastle fans.

 

 

Mike Ashley and Chris Mort have an incredibly important week ahead of them in their new jobs. If Chris Mort doesn’t deliver a new manager this week and the team on the field doesn’t win against Stoke and Bolton at St. James Park in the next 5 days then all hell could really break loose on tyneside. The fans are going to have to pull the team through another rough spell. If the ground doesn’t pull this Newcastle team through the rain and mud toward two victories this month then who will? A new manager won’t have an impact this week. There will be no new signings this week while other teams continue to re-shape and mold late season runs toward Europe – Newcastle players will have to fight for their jobs and the Newcastle faithful have to deal with the fact that our team is only six points off the relegation zone. This weekend’s premiership game against Bolton will literally be a relegation six-pointer.