Newcastle-Online.com reader Hugo W, writes in to bemoan the small town mentality at Newcastle United, within the walls of St. James’ Park, the local media and even fans themselves.

The management vacancy at Newcastle United has demonstrated several issues that reveal our club to be a very well supported team with a ’small town’ club mentality deeply ingrained into it.

At club level this has manifested itself in the appointment of managers that are far below the standard that would facilitate a top six finish. With the exception of Sir Bobby Robson, all subsequent managers since the fabled Keegan/Hall era have been sub standard.

They have all spent millions and delivered relatively little. The most unpopular signing of all, Souness, was nothing more than a modern day ‘confidence man’ whose ‘cheque book’ style management could not hide his inadequacies on the training pitch.

His signings have been very much hit and miss, on one hand there is Emre, Parker, Owen, Solano on the other there is Boumsong, Babayaro and Luque.

One of Newcastle’s most unpopular managers should not be judged on his expensive signings, he must be judged on his poor management skills. It was a well publicised fact that he was loved by many of the quality players and those that did not were shipped out - JJ, Robert, Bellamy and Ambrose for example.

Souness’ failing comes in the fact that his inability to convey the genius of his own football talent on to the training pitch and into the players. This is for the simple fact that it came naturally to him, a gifted player. How can you teach what you have never been taught?

I am sure that the likes of Boumsong and Luque are good quality players but Souness and his team had no real idea how to get the best out of these players.

The small town club mentality is apparent also in the local media, spearheaded by Alan Oliver, we have an almost absurd situation where many fans have gone to war with a journalist who favours a manager that, outside the Scottish league, has two league cups to his name over a manger that has two European cups.

Only by shear force has the local media been forced into reporting the views of thousands of fans. If reports and rumours are to be believed the ‘Trainer’ himself (Hitzfeld) has been approached - and the board received a moderate degree of interest from him. Deterred by this instead of sell the club to the Bavarian Master, the board favours a manager who allegedly has more ‘charisma’.

Whilst everyone likes a charismatic leader is this really a prerequisite for success? Souness, for all his charisma, was completely out of his depth, a confidence man who fooled those around him into thinking success was simply around the corner. Charisma will only carry a man so far, until he is exposed to an event that a bit of luck and charm cannot get him out of.

In Hitzfeld the fans see a manger of world class standing. A man that has taken a second rate German club, Dortmund, and turned them into the Champions of Europe. Yet the local media appear ‘mystified’ that a manager of this standing and achievement, is campaigned so fervently for that their email systems have been shut down and there office flooded with letters.

They are mystified that fans of the club that has a culture of underachievement, should want a manger that has overachieved at every club he has managed. There are, allegedly, concerns from the board and Hitzfeld that a German manager would not be accepted at a club such as Newcastle.

Again this ’small town’ mentality serves only to hold back a club that is being left behind by other clubs with French, Dutch, Portuguese, and Spanish managers. All the fans want is success for their club, we love Newcastle and we would love them to win.

Would the fans turn their back on a manger with two European cups, countless league titles, and two managers of the world titles under his belt - I think not. When our very own ‘confidence man’ fooled one of Europe’s top strikers, we pulled off a coup that shocked the football world.

It wasn’t easy, we had to sell him the club, we rolled out the red carpet, even offered him the hallowed no. 9. Did he want to come, no not at first, but where is he now I ask? This club is a sleeping giant, a super tanker drifting aimlessly in a great ocean, 52, 000 fans turn up fortnightly to a club that has not seen silver in 50 years.

The question we have to ask ourselves is do we want our club to be awoken by a manger with moderate success in the English leagues and considerable success is the far lesser SPL, or do we want a man that is proven at a far higher level, and as respected in the game as Sir Bobby Robson.

It will not happen overnight, it may take seasons, but Hitzfeld has pedigree far beyond even our great club. Like Owen, lets sell him a dream, lets shock the football world once more. Bring us Her Trainer.

By Hugo W