Newcastle should delay manager decision until after Chelsea at the earliest

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Newcastle United are yet to make a decision regarding their next manager.

Almost a week has passed since Steve Bruce was relieved of his duties, and a plethora of names have been linked with replacing him.

Paulo Fonseca and Lucien Favre are just two names who are reportedly in contention to get the Newcastle job.

In the meantime, Graeme Jones is taking interim charge of the side.

He got off to an alright start on Saturday, drawing 1-1 with Crystal Palace. The Magpies were far from impressive, but managed to cling on for a somewhat undeserved point.

A lot of the usual problems remained, but Jones’ side appeared to be a bit more solid than they were under Bruce. That was largely down to the shift in formation that saw Newcastle return to a 3-5-2.

While fans await news regarding their new manager, the players are preparing for a tough game against Chelsea at St James’ Park.

Even if Amanda Staveley and co make a decision by then, they should stick with Jones for Saturday’s clash with the European champions.

Newcastle manager decision can wait

Any opponent is a difficult game for Newcastle right now. They still haven’t won a single game all season.

But facing a Chelsea side who decimated Norwich 7-0 last time out is certainly a terrifying prospect.

Jones’ planning will need to be meticulous to nullify the Blues. We will need to be organised and rigid. It might not be pretty, but it’s likely to be the only way we’ll get anything from the game.

Would a new manager change anything? Probably not.

Jones will already have a plan on how to deal with Chelsea, and will be putting it into practice on the training ground.

Bringing in a new manager can create a bounce. The first performance is normally positive, with players desperate to make a good first impression.

But will that matter against Chelsea? Thomas Tuchel’s side are one of the best in Europe. They have an embarrassment of riches in attack whilst remaining solid at the back. Even a new manager might not help us against Chelsea.

But it might the following week away to Brighton. If, and it’s a big if, Newcastle are close to a decision, they should hold fire until after the Chelsea game.

It might not be a popular decision by the owners, but it is one that makes sense.