When it came, the end was swift, brutal, but most of all, unexpected. Ruud Gullit's dismissal from Chelsea on February 12th of this year was the most stunning managerial event of last season, with Gullit's genuine bewilderment and anger being the most absorbing aspects of the drama. Presumably, Gullit, therefore, must have been aware of the emotions Kenny Dalglish experienced yesterday. By any standards two games is a short measure to judge any season.
The board of Newcastle United may have thought that by issuing aterse statement saying Dalglish was out and Gullit was in, that they had opened a corridor of certainty through the previous 24 hours' smoke and mirrors - they were wrong. It is obvious Dalglish does not agree with a key sentence in the statement, the one that reads: "The Chairman of Newcastle United FC was advised on August 18th by Kenny Dalglish that he wished to resign as quickly as possible." Dalglish and Newcastle United plc are involved in a legal dispute over the nature of Dalglish's departure - the difference between being pushed and leaving voluntarily has significant financial implications, said to be as much as £2.5 million - and refused to go into detail about the money situation, but last night, sitting in the back room of a quiet County Durham pub with a portrait of the Duke of Wellington above him, Dalglish described how he heard the news of the end of his time as manager of Newcastle.
"I heard late last night (Wednesday)," Dalglish said. "But I thought someone was winding me up. I got up early to go to training this morning when the Chairman (Freddie Shepherd) phoned me and told me." On Wednesday, Dalglish had been playing golf in the north west, where he still has a house in Southport, and having received Shepherd's call, he returned home. Later yesterday, he made his way to his new house in Durham. Its recent purchase was taken as a sign of Dalglish's long term commitment to the Newcastle job and he said that he may stay in the region. One reason is his promising 20year-old son Paul, yesterday named in the Scotland Under-21 squad, and on the fringe of Newcastle's first team. Yesterday lunchtime, when not even Alan Shearer knew what was happening, Paul Dalglish looked more perplexed than anyone and Gullit's evaluation of Dalglish's son will be one of the most interesting developments of the new regime.
Dalglish, who went out of his way to support Shepherd during the Chairman's brothel-creeping scandal, going as far as to dedicate last season's FA Cup semi-final victory over Sheffield United to Shepherd, said he bore no animosity to the man on the other end of the line, adding that he hoped to keep Shepherd as a friend. Similarly Dalglish said he wished Gullit all the best. "I don't know him, but I'll not be getting a Ruud Gullit doll and sticking pins in it. It would be nice if he was successful because that means the people here would be successful." "I have spoken to some of the players. I don't know what they are going to think, but Sunday's game against Liverpool is the future of the club now."
While he said he had no regrets about succeeding Kevin Keegan 19 months ago - "my only regret is that I'm not here now" - Dalglish admitted: "Of course I've made mistakes." But when asked what his legacy at Newcastle United would be, he said: "I'd like to think in many respects the club is stronger now.
"On the playing staff side the club now has much greater strength in depth and has got a reasonable quantity and quality of young players," he added. "I hope the club's on the right course. They certainly deserve success and they've got enough quality players to have a successful season.
Having sold David Ginola, Faustino Asprilla, Les Ferdinand and Peter Beardsley all of Dalglish's critics would disagree, but it is undeniable that he has rejuvenated the youth and reserve team set-up neglected by Keegan. In the near future Gullit may come to appreciate that. Then again, maybe not. The Dutchman will be revealed to the Geordie public this afternoon. He takes over Newcastle's largest ever first team squad - 41 players at the last count - but he, like many in the streets, may regard only about a dozen of them fit to wear the famous black and white stripes.
There can be little doubt that Gullit will already have an opinion on the likes of Stephane Guivarc'h, Dietmar Hamann and Nolberto Solano - Dalglish's three major summer signings - despite the fact that the three have less than 200 minutes in a Newcastle jersey between them. They at least should receive some patience and sympathy, although when Gullit was offering his services around Everton and Liverpool this summer, one of his demands was that he had £20 million to spend on new players. Newcastle's directors, who once again emerge as unimpressive, may have agreed to that in their panic. They may also have agreed to another of Gullit's stipulations - that he has London as his base. But if they did, Tyneside will not approve. A lot of jobs have gone from there in the last month and while Dalglish losing his is probably the least lamented, regional pride would not tolerate another snub. Should Gullit say today that he is not intending to live in the area, then no matter how rapturous the welcome he receives before the Liverpool game on Sunday, he will be up against it. But, if early results go against him, he has a ready made excuse - another transitional first season at St James's Park.
