In Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have appointed a manager who appears intelligent and has the respect of the players around him. Now the club needs to appoint a CEO to match.
Since the previous chief executive Lee Charnley left last year, minority owner Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi have fulfilled that role. However, speaking at a Financial Times event earlier this month, Staveley said candidates have been spoken to which suggests an appointment is imminent.
Though the appointment of a new CEO does not stir the heart like a new centre-forward, it is a vital role for a modern football club. The example of Ed Woodward, who stepped down last month after a decade of overseeing the decline of Manchester United, should serve as a warning to anyone who thinks otherwise.
