5 managers Newcastle United should target after Saudi takeover

#3 Paulo Fonseca

AS Roma v FC Crotone - Serie A

Newcastle United need a man capable of handling the club in tough times as well, unlike Steve Bruce who has crumbled. There are two things that we know for sure about Paulo Fonseca. One, that he is a great cosplay artist (dressed as Zorro in a press conference!). Two, he knows how to manage a football club and perform with limited restrictions.

He's not going to need that limited restrictions exercise at Newcastle United but managing the club while cosplaying could be fun. Jokes apart, Fonseca was very close to sealing a deal with Tottenham Hotspur in the summer before the start of the 2021-22 campaign but the move broke down.

Clearly, if he can be good for a Spurs side, he is going to be a big upgrade for Newcastle United fans who are tired at the sight of poor Bruce. But Newcastle United shouldn't be targeting Fonseca just because a better Premier League side wanted his signature too.

The Portuguese comes with proven credentials, especially with teams that aren't the most dominant sides. In 2018, as manager of Shakhtar Donetsk, he laid out a plan which saw his team shockingly proceed to Round of 16 of the Champions League. In the group stages, they earned impressive victories against Manchester City and Napoli. He managed Shakhtar for 139 games and won 104 of them, losing only 18.

If it wasn't for AS Roma's injury-laden squad last year, he could have helped them finish higher in Serie A as well. Newcastle United will be getting a manager who isn't all about buying big offensive players and going on all out attack. He assesses the situation quite carefully, and lays out tactics that will be best for a given day.

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#2 Steven Gerrard

Gerrard has enjoyed an excellent time at Rangers

After Rangers were crowned the invincible champions of the Scottish top-flight, many Liverpool fans started dreaming of the day when Steven Gerrard would take charge at Anfield. That day might just have shifted a little bit further on the scheduling chart as Newcastle United hunt for their next manager.

Gerrard, unlike his contemporary Frank Lampard, did not jump at the first opportunity to take charge at a big top-4 club. He went the route that the disciple, a man trying to learn a trade takes.

In a comparatively low-profile league, he took charge of Rangers who were trying to end the dominance of arch-rivals Celtic. That learning curve which ended in Rangers becoming champions could make all the difference for Newcastle United. At the Scottish club, 'Stevie G' has so far overseen 185 games, winning 120, sharing the spoils 38 times and losing on 27 instances.

The former Liverpool man built a side that was capable of playing an attacking game in a 4-3-3 setup, which the Newcastle United faithful are crying for. Under his management, Rangers have recently been contesting in Europe and have put up a hard fight while trying to punch above their weight.

This is quite far fetched for Newcastle United right now. However, under Saudi Arabian ownership they are looking to the promise of a bright future and Europe will be a part of it. Under Steve Bruce the Magpies have leaked goals like anything, and Gerrard fixed that problem very effectively at Rangers, maybe this is a match made in heaven.

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#1 Antonio Conte

FC Internazionale Milano v Udinese Calcio - Serie A

If a Newcastle United fan is currently reading this, you, my friend, must have a wide, wide smile on your face reading that name. He is demanding, he does not bow down to the hierarchies, he has his own way, but Antonio Conte is a serial winner and that cannot be disputed.

It will be a big coup should Newcastle United really manage to pull this one off but Conte will be right at the top of their target list. His CV is as fancy and envious as they come. Starting with making Bari the champions of Serie B, he later guided Juventus to four consecutive Serie A titles from 2011-14.

The Italian added the latest Scudetto to his cabinet last season with Inter Milan, a team that was a true reflection of his identity. Newcastle United would be really lucky to have someone like Conte, who could give them an identity and an aggressive nature.

His winning pedigree with Chelsea was on display and only added to his boastful credentials when he won the Premier League and FA Cup with them. In his 102 matches in charge of Inter Milan, he won 64, drew 23 and lost 15.

Conte is a man with a temper and the Saudi Arabians aren't known to be the easiest people to put up with themselves. Will Newcastle United be taking a risk by appointing the most successful manager on this list? That is, of course, if he agrees to take up the reigns at St James' Park in the first place.