Newcastle's prospective new owners have an expensive and lengthy task on their hands if they are to return to the club to the top of English football again.
Not since the early 2000s under the late Sir Bobby Robson have Newcastle finished in the top four, with Kevin Keegan's title-challenging team of the mid-90s now a distant memory after 13 years of mediocrity under Mike Ashley.
It is little wonder then that the Saudi-backed consortium fronted by Amanda Staveley - who expect to complete their £300million takeover imminently - feel that they need a world class manager to replace Steve Bruce right away.