Ha ha, I thought Newcastle's Manager search would go differently

Nearly a month ago, I wrote an article saying that a new manager could be Mike Ashley's way of starting over with the fan base. Free of Alan Pardew and his eight year contract, Ashley could find a proven winner, bring in someone with loftier ambitions than tenth, and really turn the page.

And instead, we've got this. No new permanent manager. John Carver, who hasn't done anything to earn the position once taking over as caretaker,is the new front-runner to be named manager. And while Frank de Boer is still a possibility over the summer, there hasn't been any sort of urgency from the club to get anything done.

Once again, Mike Ashley is doing what he does best: counting money and letting bygones be bygones at Newcastle United.

Crystal Palace paid Ashley money for Alan Pardew, and in what the cynical fan in me is going to call a cost-saving move, the club simply won't replace him. At least not yet. Let another season role by, make sure the club gets it's Premier League money, and then go after somebody. But, at this point, do we expect Ashley to bring in a big name manager? One with lofty ambitions? One that will turn Newcastle into a consistent winner? Someone who actually knows tactics?

Unlikely.

This will be like Newcastle's typical transfer windows. Oh sure, the club will land somebody. But, color me shocked if it's someone with a track record of success.

At any rate, we'll be waiting until summer before we get a chance to weigh in on a permanent hire. Unless Ashley wants to give Carver the position and a lengthy contract to boot. Then, well, we've seen where that's gotten us.

If you were like me and thought that this hire could be something significant for Newcastle, it's now looking like we should prepare to be underwhelmed.