Soccer: Joe Kinnear has been chosen as Newcastle's interim manager until the end of October. The former Wimbledon, Luton and Nottingham Forest boss replaces Kevin Keegan and comes in after Terry Venables turned down the role.

The Magpies turned to the 61-year-old Kinnear after former England boss Venables turned down the job following Keegan's departure earlier this month.

"I am very excited about the challenge in front of me at Newcastle United," said Kinnear. "Results have not been great of late, but there is a lot of quality in the squad and I am very confident the players are capable of climbing the league table.

"Newcastle United is a great club. When I was in charge of Wimbledon, I always remember the passion of the fans up there and how great a stadium St James' Park is.

"It is a big challenge, but one I am really looking forward to."

Kinnear said he will be in charge for six games, and then his understanding was that new owners would bring back Keegan along with Alan Shearer.

He explained: "I think the club's going to be sold at the beginning of October and Chris Hughton needs all the help he can get."

He said he had been told by Mike Ashley that the new owners then intended to bring in Keegan and Shearer, adding: "I have the utmost respect for them."

Former Newcastle striker Mick Quinn claims Magpies supporters will be "underwhelmed" by the appointment of Kinnear as interim manager.

"Joe Kinnear has a lot of experience. I hope he does well because the club deserve a change of luck but at the moment it doesn't look too healthy," said Quinn, who joined the Magpies in 1989 and scored 59 goals in 115 games and claims the club "are in a bigger mess than the American economy".

"He's been out of the game for a while, and he has been ill as well. There are a lot of foreign players in the game now - it's changed a little bit.

"Short-term he may do a job but ask any Geordie about the appointment and they will be underwhelmed as well.

"Newcastle are in a bigger mess than the American economy at the moment - I've heard 17 managers have turned the job down.

"They need to get their house in order very quickly because the Premier League is very unforgiving.

"If you haven't got your players up for it you get trampled all over...Newcastle at the moment is a shambles."

"Mike Ashley has to sell the club as soon as he can," added the 46-year-old.

"He went there with good intentions but I think he under-estimated the club and the last manager (Keegan).

"It's time to go. It's getting messy. If he doesn't sell as soon as he can it's only going to devalue the club.

"The club has to move forward very, very quickly - and that is without Mike Ashley."