There IS a hero in fallen fortress

Jun 21 2009 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

For any United fan interpreting those as the actions of a man preparing to sever his ties with the club, that may seem good news.

Yet you can be sure Llambias’s absence will mean only more work for the bloke he left minding the shop.

For a start, journalists seeking purely football-related news of Newcastle now have their questions diverted by a hopelessly overstretched Press office to Charnley.

Would that his role ended there . . .

No, Newcastle’s “football secretary” is covering several more holes than that left by former Head of Media, Gary Oliver.

A club never top-heavy with high-level administrative staff has parted company with at least six key figures during Ashley’s two-year era.

Sure-handed chief operating officer Russell Cushing and equally well-schooled financial controller Ken Slater left soon after the new regime took charge.

Chief executive Steve Walton had barely started work before he too was on his way.

Director of corporate affairs Darren Venn departed more recently.

Then highly-regarded operations director David Williamson, despite having been headhunted by Ashley and co, departed alongside Oliver. Along with much more besides, Cushing handled the minutiae of transfer dealings. The dotted ‘i’s, crossed ‘t’s and ‘sign here, here and here’.

Charnley does that now.

Slater and later Venn, then Williamson headed up the corporate side of the business so vital in football’s modern age.

In the apparent absence of others, I assume Charnley does that now.

Walton would have been expected, like men such as Freddie Fletcher before him, to handle transfer negotiations with rival clubs and targeted players.

Charnley does that now.

Oh, and stuff like pre-season friendlies was once decided between team manager, chairman and chief executive.

In the absence of ANY of those - AND the managing director - Charnley does that now.

Little wonder I don’t know exactly what Llambias was brought on board to do.

It’s all too clear what he hasn’t done these last 12 months.

Things having been run into the ground, he has run to ground.

Woe betide if Charnley takes to the lifeboats any time soon.