Frank Lampard had a hard time turning down a job at Newcastle.
But think about it the other way around — if he's in Steve Bruce's position right now, it's hard to imagine him holding on.
Imagine if Lampard had been in charge of St. James' Park when the Saudi acquisition was completed last week.
Will he be seen as the one who fulfills his ambition to suddenly become the richest club in the world? An elite manager who can draw the most recognizable player on the planet to Tyneside?
Or will he be like Claudio Ranieri and Mark Hughes, just another "walking dead man" when Chelsea and Manchester City are in the same position, respectively?
It's easy to see the appeal of someone like Lampard – he's a charming name. But when Newcastle start taking the win seriously, he also looks like he's easily replaced — and maybe next summer when they make their first real comeback in the transfer market, the world's elite coaches may be more prepared to write their names on a program that has successfully made their infancy.
By the time he was ruthlessly fired by Roman Abramovich earlier this year, Lampard had already taken a hit for failing to meet the expectations of the billionaire boss. When results slipped, even his status as the most legendary of Chelsea's legends could not save him.
Newcastle are not yet in the top four is the bare minimum stage, but they are unlikely to embrace the long-term, youth-led approach that Lampard is trying to instill at Stamford Bridge.
In their moments of getting rich quickly, they want to succeed quickly.
The appeal of someone like Lampard at this time is that he's famous enough to be seen as an influential appointment by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund — but not enough to fend off a reputationally risky role.
From a football perspective, it's reputational, not intrinsic.
Newcastle finished 19th in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's game against Tottenham Hotspur and have so far gone without a win.
Evaluating their team, it's hard to say they haven't reached where they deserve it – and it's debatable whether any manager can boost their performance significantly based on the resources they currently have at their disposal.
It's not that no one can do better than Bruce – managing change isn't any guarantee of improvement.
Bruce may have lost the Magpie, but his 23-year work ethic deserves respect.
He's still a very competent manager and in Newcastle's toughest moments he kept them in the top flight – a lot more than some of his predecessors could do.
While it's understandable that PIF's gaze has looked beyond Bruce — firing him will allow them to win quickly among supporters — his successor will face exactly the same problems.
By the time they can bring in new players in January, there's a good chance it will get worse. Coupled with the traditional difficulties of doing business during the mid-season window, Newcastle's expectations for next year remain elusive.
That's why big-name coaches of all stripes — those with more shiny names might step back before sneaking in, like Conte — have reportedly made it clear that he refuses. According to Sky Sports, Rodgers also has no intention of succeeding Bruce, who is happier in Leicester and believes his current players still have a lot to achieve.
So at this point, Newcastle is not the most attractive option for a manager at a certain level.
If the new Newcastle United follow the rulebook of the new money, they will first spend a lot of money before finding their way.
But in their position, they can't afford to make a mistake in January — shopping in a limited market with an atmosphere of desperation that can't be escaped, especially when they're circling in the relegation zone.
Lampard has been good enough in his limited time in derby and Chelsea to show that he is a coach with real potential – even if he fails at Newcastle, it is easy to advertise that he is the kind of person who has reinvigorated Newcastle.
But whatever the initial voice from Newcastle, patience can give way to the illusion of a one-shot victory, as evidenced by Bruce's imminent departure.
Perhaps both Newcastle and Lampard need to try to lower their expectations – and see how they react to any bumps in the road.
It is worth noting that in the Premier League era, they were the only clubs to splurge without winning a trophy.
Jack Walker's millions of dollars won Blackburn the title. Chelsea and Manchester City dominated – even on a more modest level, with Dave Whelan providing Wigan with an FA Cup victory.
Newcastle was a big deal in the 1990s – signing Alain Shearer, Les Ferdinand, Tino Asprila and David Barty for a record £15 million – but their wait for major honours continues.
If Lampard had the chance, he would have supported himself to end that drought, just as he had the confidence to coach at Chelsea after a year in charge.
It gave him a taste of what he expected from clubs with huge fortunes. In Newcastle, however, he will have fewer quality resources to meet it.