Newcastle United set to decide Peter Beardsley’s future next week

Peter Beardsley will almost certainly have to wait until the middle of next week before learning if he is to lose his job coaching Newcastle United’s under‑23 side.

Yasin Ben El-Mhanni, a 22-year-old reserve winger, has accused the former England international of bullying and racism and on Thursday had a meeting with Lee Charnley, the club’s managing director, to discuss his allegations.

Charnley, who spoke to Beardsley on Monday before placing him on gardening leave the following day, has spent the week speaking to assorted witnesses – El‑Mhanni’s claims were supported by written submissions from five team-mates – and hopes to conclude a wide-ranging internal investigation by the weekend. It is then understood Charnley will allow himself time to reflect on all the evidence before making a decision which could potentially involve sacking Beardsley.

READ MORE: Newcastle coach Beardsley on leave amid allegations

There is a sense at the club it will be difficult for the 56-year-old to return to his old role and it would be little surprise were a mutual parting of the ways or, possibly, resignation to be announced next week.

Beardsley has issued a strong denial of the allegations through his solicitor and is understood to believe he has done nothing wrong. During discussions with Charnley he strongly rebutted all accusations. Given the nature of the grievances and Beardsley’s status as one of Newcastle’s greatest players, the situation is delicate.

Potentially the most damaging claim involves an allegation centred on a squad outing to Go Ape, a Tyneside adventure playground. Spotting two young African players struggling on the climbing apparatus, Beardsley is alleged to have told one of them: “You lot should be good at this.”

While it is believed the Under-23 coach does not dispute making the remark, Beardsley is understood to adamantly maintain this was a general reference to the wider group of fit, young, supposedly agile, footballers and had nothing to do with ethnicity.

Given both the support for El-Mhanni -(a Londoner of Moroccan heritage) - within the Under-23 squad and the fact that the winger and his representatives declined an offer to undergo a form of arbitration involving Charnley mediating a meeting between the player and Beardsley, an amicable resolution of the situation seems unlikely.

The lack of Under-23s graduating to Rafael Benitez’s first team is thought to have led Charnley to consider moving the reserve team coach to another role last summer before, ultimately, deciding against a switch.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, several club insiders feel the time may now be right to refresh, and modernise, the junior‑team management structure. Beardsley, who was supported by a PFA representative during Monday’s meeting with Charnley, is in the second of two coaching stints with Newcastle’s juniors. The first ran from 2001-2006 and involved him being cleared of bullying complaints from three academy players by a Premier League investigation in 2003.

In 2006 the then first team manager, Glenn Roeder, instigated his switch into an ambassadorial role but Beardsley returned to coaching duties at the academy three years later, subsequently being promoted to take charge of the Under-23s.

El-Mhanni has regularly been flown around the world by private jet in order to teach other players his trademark ball skills and tricks. A left-winger who has doubled for Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar in adverts for football boots, he has undeniable, if raw, talent but is struggling to make the grade in the professional game. His contract expires in June.

Although the former Barnet player made two cup appearances for Rafael Benitez’s first team last season, he failed to make a positive impact. At the time Beardsley said: “Yasin’s got unbelievable ability but I would say, without being negative, he needs to learn the game. He needs to know when to defend, when to help, when to get himself organised but he’s a great kid.”