Source: Telegraph
Joe Kinnear vows to make Newcastle comeback
Kinnear, 62, made it clear that despite the growing uncertainty over his future, he aimed to return to St James' Park when he said: "JK will be back." [LNB]Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood will remain in temporary charge of first-team affairs in Kinnear's absence, but former Tottenham and Leeds assistant manager Gus Poyet is understood to be under consideration as a possible long-term replacement. [LNB]Kinnear, who had a heart attack 10 years ago while managing Wimbledon and is facing a convalescence period of at least two months, is on a short-term deal that expires this summer. He has been offered a three-year deal by his paymasters but has so far declined to sign the contract. [LNB]Earlier, in a club statement Kinnear, who has been in hospital since last Saturday, said: "I've really appreciated all the get-well messages I've received from people over the last week and I'd like to thank everyone who has been in touch." [LNB]Newcastle managing director Derek Llambias, who yesterday visited Kinnear in hospital with club owner Mike Ashley, added: "I'm sure the whole football community will join Newcastle United in wishing Joe a speedy recovery."[LNB]Steve Harper, the Newcastle goalkeeper, added: "It's not the same not having Joe about the place. Hopefully we'll see him back soon. [LNB]"I spoke to him on Monday and he's in really good spirits. He's frustrated, being in hospital, because he's the sort of person who's at the training ground before everybody else and the last one off it." [LNB]Former Middlesbrough manager Bryan Robson, who now works in an ambassadorial role at Manchester United, has been tipped to take the helm but that seems unlikely, according to former Newcastle striker Malcolm Macdonald. "Bryan was delighted to take on his Old Trafford job and I really can't see him giving that up to take the job only until the end of this season," he said. [LNB]He added: "If they could get Terry Venables in that would be brilliant." [LNB]
