No shock here if PNE boss joins Toon longlist 

WHAT’S the connection between Roberto ‘The Thunderbolt’ Carlos, Sky TV pundit Iain Dowie, self-opinionated nobody Joey Barton and the legend that was Diego Maradona?

Yeah, you’ve got it; it’s the runners and riders in a next manager market, in this case for the Newcastle job. Regardless of where your cash is, it’s always a treat to see who the bookies have dreamed up as possible contenders, and better still where they stand in the betting.

Jurgen Klinsmann, for example. The man who guided the United States of America to the last 16 of the World Cup, Germany to the semis in 2006 and himself a former European Championship and World Cup winner. The same price as Rochdale gaffer Keith Hill.

With all due respect to everyone involved, I think I know which of those two the Toon Army would rather see sat in the home dug-out for the remainder of the campaign, though remembering that Ashley famously appointed Joe Kinnear in some role or other that no one quite understood, I wouldn’t be putting a red line through the Dale boss just yet.

Interestingly, Walsall boss Dean Smith, who has guided his team to the northern final of the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy and consistently keeps them out of the clutches of a relegation scrap, isn’t quoted though victory at Preston ought to get him a mention among 100-1 management gods like Avram Grant, Claudio Ranieri and Paul Tisdale.

Problem is, North End are going well and having seen off Norwich in the FA Cup on Saturday, I’d take them to be taking a giant stride to Wembley. Or, in Simon Grayson’s case, Newcastle.

Well, this is Mike Ashley we’re talking about, and Leeds’ appointment of Dave Hockaday tells me you can never rule anything in or anything out in this crazy old game.