John O'Shea is adamant the key for footballing success is the one thing Newcastle lack - stability.
The Manchester United star is set to replace suspended defender Wes Brown for Saturday evening's Barclays Premier League clash with the managerless Magpies at Old Trafford.
Like his boss Sir Alex Ferguson, O'Shea cannot understand the decision to dump Sam Allardyce just 24 matches into his reign at St James' Park.
The move means Newcastle have now gone through 10 managers during Ferguson's 21-year stint with the Red Devils - including the likes of Sir Bobby Robson, Kenny Dalglish and Ruud Gullit.
It hardly seems like the ideal recipe for success, and O'Shea is sure the constant chopping and changing is having a damaging effect.
"Newcastle are a team that seem to need stability, but it is the one thing they keep forgetting about," he said.
"You have to let a manager build a squad, get some confidence into his players and get to know all the players he has.
"'Big Sam' has not had chance to do that. Damien Duff has only just come back from six months out injured, so he could hardly have seen him play.
"When you look around, the key seems to be stability and giving managers three or four years."
O'Shea actually believes the circumstances of Allardyce's departure could work to the benefit of his successor.
In giving one man such a limited amount of time to prove his worth, the Republic of Ireland international feels it will trigger an element of patience with the next - likely to be Harry Redknapp if the bookmakers are correct.
"Newcastle fans must be thinking the next man should get some time," he said.
"He could be lucky in a way because he might get a season-and-a-half, or two seasons to see where he can take it - because there is not much you can do in a few months.
"It must be so frustrating for the players up there - because having the same manager for a long period of time makes such a difference to the stability of the whole club, not just the players. Everything runs so smoothly."
Redknapp has been installed as the odds-on favourite to replace Allardyce - and by cancelling his press conference to preview Portsmouth's visit to Sunderland, the Pompey chief has only fuelled rumours of an impending departure from Fratton Park.
As someone who knows Redknapp well, Ferguson is ideally placed to judge whether he would be willing to leave his beloved family home on the south coast to take up what many now feel is the poisoned chalice of resurrecting the fortunes of the Tyneside outfit.
The Scot feels it will be a difficult call for his old friend. But ultimately, the disappointment of not being asked to replace Steve McClaren as England boss may just swing the verdict Newcastle's way.
"Harry is intelligent enough to know what to do," said Ferguson.
"It is a bit of a difficult choice for him, because he has a wonderful set-up down on the south coast. He has a lovely house, and his wife is settled there - so there is a decision to make.
"Certainly, there was a lot of support for him to get the England job - so it may have disappointed him when he did not get in the frame for that.
"The Newcastle job has come along straight after that disappointment, so he may think he must take this one. I don't know that for certain, but this is the dilemma that will face him."
More news from SportingLife.com
