Owen urges Toon to remain focused amid off-field trauma
Supporters groups have organised a series of protests ahead of and during today’s Barclays Premier League clash with promoted Hull after the departure of manager Kevin Keegan last week.
Owner Mike Ashley and executive director of football Dennis Wise have borne the brunt of the anger which has engulfed Tyneside since Keegan’s resignation last week.
Today’s match will provide the first real focal point for a mass demonstration of their feelings, and the city’s police chiefs are preparing for a large-scale operation.
However, Owen insists he and his teammates cannot afford to be distracted by events off the pitch as they attempt to collect three vital points.
“Whatever the events of the past couple of weeks off the field, all the players here are proper professionals, we are all paid to do a job, and we have to go out and continue to do that job,” he said.
“The only thing the players can do is play to their best and get good results for the club, and we have to focus on doing that.”
Owen added in his programme notes: “We are all in it together, we all have to pull together and we all want the best for this football club.”
Whether Ashley will be at St James’ to take his usual seat in the directors’ box remains to be seen as he presides over his second search for a new manager in eight months.
The indications are an appointment is not imminent — indeed, caretaker boss Chris Hughton seems likely to be at the helm for as many as three matches — but it is understood a list of potential candidates has been whittled down to a handful of serious contenders.
More than a week of speculation has seen a host of names put forward but three — those of Tottenham number two Gus Poyet, Blackburn boss Paul Ince and former France captain Didier Deschamps — have emerged at the top of the pile.
Both Poyet and Ince, whose links to Wise are well-known, have distanced themselves from the vacancy, although that may not be the end of the matter.
In the meantime, Hughton has been asked to pick up the pieces of another tumultuous period in the club’s history.
Hughton, who performed a similar role at White Hart Lane in the wake of Christian Gross’ departure in 1998, took up the reins with injuries making life as difficult on the pitch as the Keegan saga has done off it.
With Obafemi Martins having joined Mark Viduka on the casualty list, he may have little choice but to hand deadline day signing Xisco a debut, while midfielder Ignacio Gonzalez could also be involved.
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