WE NEED A LOCAL HERO
Beresford tells new Toon owners: Stop looking at star names... Wilder is the man for right now
JOHN BERESFORD says Newcastle should forget the Hollywood names if they are to beat the drop and appoint Chris Wilder as their new manager.
The ex-Magpies defender thinks the former Sheffield United boss (above, right) would even be willing to accept a short-term deal to prove his credentials to the club’s Saudi-backed bosses.
While Newcastle’s megarich owners have been linked with some of the continent’s biggest names, Beresford (above, left) claims they could be making a big mistake by ignoring a candidate on their own doorstep.
“Whoever comes in needs to hit the ground running because right now Newcastle are in a spot of bother,” said Beresford, a key figure in Kevin Keegan’s Entertainers in the 1990s.
“If someone from abroad is given the job, whatever his reputation, it’s going to take him time to get to know everything.
“And in their current situation, time is something Newcastle haven’t got if they want to avoid relegation. That’s why I’ve been singing the praises of Chris Wilder.
“I know Sheffield United went down last season and it didn’t end well for him. But that was in a pandemic with a team which didn’t have any proven forwards and that’s the one thing Newcastle do have.
Chris did an unbelievable job for several years and he’d be the perfect fit at my old club.” Former Roma chief Paulo Fonseca (left) is bookies’ favourite to succeed Steve Bruce and Beresford knows with the PIF’s billions, Newcastle will have the spending power to bring in the biggest names in the game. But he is adamant Wilder – and not the likes of Lucien Favre (left, centre) or Erik ten Hag (left, bottom) – is the man they need to start their journey. “I think Chris would be prepared to go even if he was only offered an 18-month contract for example,” added childhood Blades fan Beresford. “It would give him the chance to showcase how good he is by managing a group of players who arguably have more talent than any he’s previously worked with.
“When he left Sheffield United, it left a bit of a sour taste the way he fell out with the owners but he learned so much and has much to offer.
“Even if he was regarded as a stop-gap at St James’ Park, I don’t think he’d mind that.
“He would be happy to put his credentials on the table then if and when the club moves to another level, he’d say “OK, fair enough” and move on to another challenge.
“Chris may not be the dream appointment fans want but back him and Newcastle will be a top-flight club next season.”