Manager in Newcastle talks has started putting plans together for upcoming fixtures – report

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Newcastle United are searching for a new manager after Steve Bruce left the club by mutual consent.

The 60-year-old, who took charge of his 1,000th game as a manager last Sunday, leaves St James’ Park after 15 months in charge.

Bruce was appointed Magpies manager in July 2019 and achieved finishes of 13th and 12th in his two full seasons in charge.

However, he leaves with Newcastle 19th in the table and winless this season.

A multitude of managers have been linked with the Magpies job in recent weeks, but now one frontrunner appears to have emerged – Paulo Fonseca.

According to the Daily Mail, the 48-year-old held a Zoom call with members of the club’s new hierarchy, including Amanda Staveley and Lee Charnley, on Wednesday afternoon.

The outlet adds that, while discussions did not end with a definitive answer over whether Newcastle will look to proceed with appointing Fonseca, they were positive. 

Indeed, Fonseca has apparently started to put together strategies for the team’s forthcoming fixtures, suggesting he might already have one foot in the door.

However, the outlet claims Newcastle are still keeping their options open, with Lucien Favre, Eddie Howe and Frank Lampard also in the running.

Newcastle manager search – who is Paulo Fonseca?

Fonseca boasts plenty of managerial experience with the likes of Roma, Shakhtar Donetsk and Porto.

The Portuguese won the Ukrainian league and cup double in all three seasons with Shakhtar, plus a Ukrainian Super Cup.

He has nine trophies to his name – seven with Shakhtar, a Portuguese Cup with Braga, and a Portuguese Super Cup with Porto.

Fonseca’s last job was with Roma, leaving at the end of last season.

When the Giallorossi appointed Fonseca in 2019, they published an article featuring a number of quotes about his style of play and inspirations.

“My coaching philosophy? Well, I have very clear ideas – ideas I think you can see in my teams,” he told a UEFA summit.

“That involves having the ball, taking the initiative and being an offensive team. These are the aspects that define my game and my aim in matches.”