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Temuri Ketsbaia is ready to send shockwaves through the Premier League by taking on the Newcastle United job.

After a week of bosses like Tony Pulis, Steve Bruce and Christophe Galtier distancing themselves from the role – and talk that no-one would want to work under owner Mike Ashley barring John Carver – the Magpies cult hero has blasted away the negativity and insisted: I can make it a success.

Ketsbaia’s optimism is something to be welcomed after a depressing end to a tumultuous week at St James’ Park. Newcastle crashed out of the FA Cup in the third round for the third year running on a day Ashley was jeered and the club’s season effectively ended in the first week of January.

Ketsbaia is adamant that Newcastle deserve better – and he says a return to the glory days CAN be achieved within the constraints of a head coach role.

“I am watching what’s going on at Newcastle with a lot of interest and of course I am interested in the head coach role,” he told the Sunday Sun in an exclusive interview.

“There are not many managers in the world who would say no to that club. Any time that the job becomes available, it’s exciting and I am available to speak to Newcastle about it.

“I’d love to manage in England, I always said that and I think I could do a good job. I worked at a club for many years that won championships, I managed in the Champions League and I worked with the national team for five years, so I don’t think the level is a problem. It wouldn’t be a problem and I know all about Newcastle.”

Ketsbaia’s credentials are spells in Cyprus, where he shocked Europe by leading Anorthosis into the Champions League, and five years as head coach of Georgia, where he again upset the odds by beating Croatia in a very credible Euro 2012 qualifying campaign.

The accusation is that United have become a boring club content to stay in the Premier League and do nothing more. There would certainly be fizz if Ketsbaia, who says he is keen to get back into club management as soon as possible, takes over.

“Newcastle is a big, big club with fantastic supporters that should always want to do better,” he said.

“It is a club that is very close to my heart and I loved my time there. My four years were the best experience ever. I would love to go back, and I think it is a club that can be near the top of the Premier League and challenging. It is a club that can challenge, for cups and for Europe.

“It deserves to do well. Whoever gets that job, it is a brilliant opportunity. I would think that there will be many managers who want it.”

But what of Ashley’s decision to turn the job into a head coach role, effectively formalising what had become apparent under Alan Pardew – that the boss has limited say in recruitment and other matters?

“I don’t think any manager has 100% control any more. The game isn’t like that,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a big problem. There are good players at Newcastle, so if that is the policy it is OK. As long as everyone at the club is working hard and trying to do well it is OK.”

Ketsbaia wants it but knows it would not be easy. “One of the problems at Newcastle is that if they’re doing well, players get other opportunities and you can’t always keep your best players. So you have to work harder than you did before.

“That happened to me with other clubs. I am used to fighting against the odds and there is a way to do it. Newcastle have to fight to compete and that is what I think they could do.”

For all of that, he would not be a yes man.

Ketsbaia left the Georgian national team after becoming frustrated with the federation and also the lack of day-to-day coaching and contact with his players – but over five years he did a good job.

“I left Georgia a month ago, there was no future there any more,” he said.

“There were lots of things changing and none for the better. There was no point in me staying there because things were happening that I did not agree with and that I did not like. And I wanted to get back to coaching week in and week out again.

“In the year there would be maybe five or six competitive games. I want to be back like I was before, every day working with players and coaching to improve them.”

poll loading Who would you like to see out of the left-field NUFC managerial 11? 2000+ VOTES SO FAR Slaven Bilic Temuri Ketsbaia Gary Neville Eddie Howe Philip Cocu Dennis Bergkamp Thomas Tuchel Zinedine Zidane Sinisa Mihajlovic Francis Gillot Jorge Jesus

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