Newcastle United's imminent appointment of Eddie Howe is "pretty underwhelming for fans", according to journalist Paul Brown.
It appears as though the Magpies' search for a new boss is nearing its end, having been on the lookout since Steve Bruce mutually agreed to leave the St James' Park hotseat last month.
What's the latest news involving Newcastle's managerial hunt?
Howe is on the brink of being unveiled as Newcastle's new boss after reportedly agreeing a deal in principle with the club.
However, it is clear that the former Bournemouth chief was not the first choice of the club's new owners, who completed a takeover worth £305million last month.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein revealed earlier this week that Villarreal boss Unai Emery was the leading contender to be appointed as Bruce's successor, with Howe only seen as an alternative option.
However, Newcastle suffered a huge blow when Emery took to social media to confirm he would not be heading to Tyneside and, instead, opted to remain with his current La Liga employers.
That led to criticism, with Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards labelling the Spaniard's snub as 'embarrassing' for the Magpies' consortium.
What has Paul Brown said about Howe?
Howe is set to take charge of Newcastle with the club in huge trouble as the Magpies are still searching for their first win of the season.
That woeful form means the Tynesiders find themselves in the relegation zone, six points adrift of safety.
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Newcastle have become the richest club in world football following the Public Investment Fund-led takeover.
But Brown believes Howe's expected appointment does not show ambition.
He told GIVEMESPORT: "Let's face it, Newcastle could have got Eddie Howe before this takeover, so to get him now would be pretty underwhelming for fans hoping for the high profile Champions League-type manager that they wanted."
How has Howe performed elsewhere?
Howe, 43, has bossed Bournemouth on two occasions, with a spell at Burnley in between.
His overall managerial record stands at 230 wins from 544 matches and, although he departed Bournemouth by mutual consent after failing to stave off relegation from the Premier League last year, he has been credited with leading the Cherries from the precarious position of being on -17 points at the bottom of the Football League to the top flight.
While he has been out of work for more than 12 months, he has still been linked with a number of clubs and came close to taking charge of Scottish giants Celtic in May, only for talks to break down.