Alan Pardew is not a popular figure in Newcastle.
Despite an incredible fifth-placed finish followed by a strong Europa League run, Pardew was never liked on Tyneside.
And rightfully so, he didn’t do too much to endear himself with some shocking football under his watch.
Somehow unsackable, even when he headbutted David Meyler, he left the St James’ Park dugout in December 2014 to take the Crystal Palace job.
Since then his career has fallen off a cliff, with his most recent job at West Brom proving to be an absolute shambles. He didn’t even get a new manager bounce like he did at Palace!
But in an interview with the Telegraph, Pardew has thrown his hat back into the managerial ring.
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“I did almost take a job in China because I thought it might be good for me to go abroad and experience what I think the best coaches in the Premier League have had,” he said.
“It helps you learn. You have to evolve.
“I needed to take a big step back and go: ‘Ok, right, what do I really want to do?’ And I want to go back into managing.”
Please don’t come back Pardew!
All the talk at Newcastle right now is the future of current manager Rafa Benitez.
His contract is set to expire at the end of the season and fans are obviously worried that Mike Ashley won’t give Benitez what he wants and allow him to walk away.
If Benitez does leave, the we’ll need a new manager for next season. The names that have been linked so far are hardly inspiring.
Then you’ve got the usual crop of managers who are just waiting for a job based on their reputation. David Moyes, Sam Allardyce and Mark Hughes, they’re always sniffing around as soon as a job becomes available.
And you can now add Alan Pardew to that list.
Please Rafa, sign a new contract. The thought of Newcastle without you is hard enough before you consider who the alternatives are…