FOOTBALL

EXCLUSIVE: FINALLY A WISE MOVE BY ASHLEY

WANTED: Bruce has impressed Newcastle owner Ashley

Tuesday February 3,2009

By Niall Hickman

DENNIS WISE is poised to be axed from Mike Ashley’s Newcastle boardoom staff, clearing the way for Alan Shearer or Steve Bruce to take over as manager in the summer.

Wise, the club’s executive director of football, was a controversial appointment by Magpies owner Ashley last year. And his arrival was widely pinpointed as the main reason behind Kevin Keegan’s decision to walk out of St James’ Park in September.

Shearer and Bruce have been unofficially sounded out, and both hinted a move would be a non-starter if Wise was still pocketing his extraordinary wages of £1.2million per year.

Wise, who is based in London, was employed as a football ‘wheeler and dealer’. But he was an unlikely choice, having little experience.

I don’t think Joe Kinnear is the right man.

Frank Gilmour, chairman of the Independent Newcastle United Supporters’ Association

It is understood neither Wigan manager Bruce nor former Magpies favourite Shearer would even consider a move with Wise in situ.

Shearer, especially, would be a hugely popular choice on Tyneside.

Newcastle legend Shearer has hinted he would have no problem working with Ashley, despite the chequered record since he bought the club

19 months ago from Freddy Shepherd for £134m. But the same cannot be said for Wise.

Similarly Bruce would not even consider the job with Wise in place.

Ashley has been impressed with the way Geordie-born Bruce, the former Manchester United defender, has steered Wigan into the upper echelons of the Premier League on a limited budget.

Bruce was willing to take over from Sir Bobby Robson at St James’ five years ago but a compensation agreement between Newcastle and his then-club Birmingham could not be reached.

However, Bruce has always expressed a desire to boss the Magpies one day, to fulfil a boyhood dream.

Wise played no part in last week’s deal to secure keeper Steve Harper on a new long-term contract.

Football secretary Lee Charnley was in charge of discussions. But that posed this obvious question: What exactly does Wise do to earn such lavish pay?

Wise has not been seen at a Newcastle game since the FA Youth Cup match against QPR several weeks ago, and he played no significant role in yesterday’s last-ditch transfer deadline business.

He was instrumental in buying Spanish flop Xisco, a £5.8million purchase from Deportivo La Coruna who has started just three league games since his arrival last summer.

Wise has had successes in the transfer market, though, such as Jonas Gutierrez and Sebastien Bassong. But his popularity on Tyneside remains zero as fans believe his presence, at the head of the so-called ‘Cockney mafia’, was the over-riding reason behind Keegan’s departure.

Owner Ashley has also been impressed with the way that Joe Kinnear has taken on the manager’s role even though the Magpies have won just four out of 20 games under his tenure.

Ashley is simply hoping Kinnear, who has a proven track record in relegation battles, can steer the club free of the drop zone even though they have been hampered by one injury after another.

Frank Gilmour, who is the chairman of the Independent Newcastle United Supporters’ Association, said: “I’d be delighted if Mike Ashley cut Dennis Wise adrift and I’m sure all Newcastle fans would feel the same as well.

“He is a problem. He’s the reason Kevin Keegan left.

“Ashley stuck by Wise and lost Kevin Keegan, and I can guarantee that Newcastle would not be in the situation we are now had Keegan not left.

“I don’t think Joe Kinnear is the right man.

“He has done a good job in terms of holding things together. But if we are going to be ambitious he is not the guy who will take us to the very top where we want to be.”