A revealing interview with Ronald de Boer has disclosed that he had an offer to manage Newcastle in 2015.
Unfortunately for the Toon Army Steve McLaren got the job with the wheels in motion set in place for relegation.
At the time de Boer was manager of Ajax with four successive Dutch titles in the bag. After a further season at the Amsterdam ArenA he left for a short lived stint with Inter Milan and is looking for a new club, preferably in England.
The Daily Mail interview reads like an advert to employ de Boer who has extensive experience of two of the greatest football hubs in the game, Ajax and Barcelona.
During the interview it is claimed ‘A Rangers fan interrupts to ask if De Boer – who played alongside his brother for the Glasgow club in 2004 – wants to return as manager. It isn’t the only request he has fielded from these shores in recent months. Hull and Swansea have made contact, while there were offers from Liverpool in 2012 and Newcastle in 2015.’
Although there are no direct quotes for the Newcastle link the nature of the sit down interview in a London hotel leaves little doubt that the approach was genuine.
After avoiding relegation at the end of the 14/15 season John Carver left the club with the expectation that the club wouldn’t risk being in that position again.
The underwhelming reaction to McLaren’s appointment was followed by the descent towards the Championship which Rafa Benitez couldn’t avert.
Had de Boer and not McLaren been appointed in 2015 Newcastle would be in a very different position to the one they are in today, chasing a return to the Premier League.