Is Ex-Sunderland Boss Ricky Sbragia About To Join The Newcastle Coaching Team? August 16, 2011 4:33 pm The Football InsiderSport5 comments News has just reached us that ex-Sunderland manager Ricky Sbragia is potentially being lined up to join the coaching set-up at Newcastle United. Alongside ex-Everton defender and current Wigan youth team coach Dave Watson and Ipswich Town legend and former Newcastle coach Dave Geddis (who was unceremoniously, and unfairly ousted by Graeme Sounness in 2004), Sbragia is said to make up a short-list of candidates to take-up a place on Joe Joyceâs youth team coaching set-up, and he has already made at least one appearance at the clubâs training ground. While certain sections of the Newcastle crowd may see the move as sacrilegious, Sbragia is highly thought of as a coach, and is said to be very keen to get back into a coaching role after being removed from his Chief Scout role at Sunderland back in March. We know he has already impressed the hierarchy at Newcastle with his knowledge and coaching techniques, and he certainly has fans within the club. It just remains to be seen whether the clubâs fans would take to him quite so well.
He seems like a very decent bloke who is arguably to nice to be a manager (I'm quite sure that Cestria would agree with this). However, he does have a good reputation within the game regarding his coaching credentials and the Mags could probably do a lot worse..I don't think the fact that he has spent time at Sunderland will make that much difference with it not being a high profile role he will be taking on.
Surely this is a non-issue. The role is within the youth team structure, and even if it wasnt the bloke has to work!! A superb coach and I am sure he would do a good job there. All the best to him. I will always appreciate him stepping in at an extremely difficult time for us when it clearly wasn't a role he particularly wanted! I still remember having a tear in my eye that final interview alongside Quinny just after we stayed up on the last day.
