Former Newcastle United striker Mickey Quinn has blasted the club's decision to hand caretaker manager John Carver the role on a permanent basis.
Carver will manage the club until the end of the season, despite failing to win any of his four games in charge so far.
Quinn told talkSPORT: "There is no improvement in the team since John took over. He might just show people what he is made of, but the jury is out as far as I am concerned.
"Is he good enough for Newcastle? Based on the last five games, no, he is not good enough. It smacks very much of a lack of ambition. It is an insult to the fans.
"There is just no ambition and while Ashley is there the soul of the club is rotting away slowly. He is only interested in making money. Business-wise, [owner] Mike Ashley is a genius. Football-wise, he hasn't got a clue."
Carver took over from Alan Pardew, who moved to Crystal Palace earlier this month.