A report in the Daily Star claims Lee Charnley has whittled down the contenders for the manager’s job to just four names, but only two of them look like stand out candidates.
Mikel Arteta and Patrick Vieira are two former players who could take the club forward with a new approach and new outlook.
Chelsea have taken a step like that with the announcement of their former star, yet still managerial novice, Frank Lampard as head coach.
Newcastle must take a similar leap of faith.
The other two names mentioned – Roberto Martinez and Sean Dyche – do not have the ‘wow’ factor that the two younger men have.
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Newcastle must get next manager appointment right
The next appointment is so crucial for the club, with someone needing to come in who can revitalise fans, who they can rally behind, the way they did with Rafa Benitez.
Lee Charnley may see a Martinez or Dyche as a safer option, but it is not a time to play it safe. It is a time to make a statement of intent.
People may point to a lack of management experience at the top level for both Arteta and Vieira, but when Kevin Keegan first arrived as manager in his first spell, he had never done the job before – and we all know what happened then.
While expecting another Keegan-esque era may be too much, it is a sign that appointing a fairly new, young, progressive manager can work, and could transform the club to where the fans deserve it to be.