WITH Tyneside in a state of frenzy, Newcastle United in the throes of crisis and Graeme Souness widely reported to be on the verge of dismissal, the manager was duly summoned to St James’ Park yesterday afternoon. After a ten-minute conversation with his chairman, Souness emerged still in his position and, contrary to all expectations, claiming to possess the full backing of Freddy Shepherd.
In the circumstances, it was a bizarre development. Newcastle fans had called for Souness to depart in the aftermath of the 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers on Saturday and while given his outright refusal to resign, the club’s difficult financial position and Shepherd’s reluctance to spend £5 million on compensating Souness’s coaching staff, the matter was never that straightforward, but events seemed to be coming to a head.
Souness’s comments would appear to contradict that, although Shepherd is yet to make any positive public statement regarding his employee. “I popped into the stadium for a cup of coffee and a brief chat with the chairman,” Souness said. “It was all very amicable. We spoke about the match on Saturday and he told me he was supportive of me and behind me. It was all very positive and upbeat. I’m absolutely fine.”
With a tricky FA Cup tie away to Cheltenham Town to prepare for — defeat at Whaddon Road would surely bring an end to a traumatic 16-month tenure at Newcastle — Souness, in tandem with Dean Saunders, his first-team coach, attended last night’s reserve-team fixture against Everton.
Media outlets close to Shepherd have not held back from criticising Souness and the Scot’s fractured relationship with the Evening Chronicle has had obvious political connotations. With pressure mounting after a sequence of two wins in ten league matches, television cameras yesterday focused on the ground and when Souness stepped from his car at 4.20pm, a resolution felt imminent.
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Little definitive followed and the backdrop may be of a stand-off between Shepherd and Souness. If the latter is not prepared to offer his resignation under any circumstance — which he is not — and Shepherd refuses to dismiss him, the pair may limp on temporarily in an uneasy truce, although the suggestion that Sam Allardyce is out of the running for the succession at Newcastle is also intriguing. A fortnight ago, Allardyce, the Bolton Wanderers manager, was the favourite to replace Souness, but the pursuit, for unknown reasons, has now gone cool. There are a lack of available alternatives and while in Glenn Roeder and Peter Beardsley, Shepherd employs potential candidates for caretakers, the appeal of immediate change is dubious.
No new appointment would have funds to spend and with the first-team squad riven by injury, an impact could only be made in terms of self-confidence and morale. It may not be enough. Yet with supporters close to mutiny after months of mediocre results and constant excuses, the present situation remains intolerable. Until Shepherd speaks — or acts — yesterday was only a temporary stay of execution.