It looked as though Mort and Newcastle owner Mike Ashley had their man lined up when they decided to sack Sam Allardyce, but amazingly, that is far from the case.
Why the hell ANYONE would sack a manager just for the sake of it ... without any idea who is going to step in ... defies belief!
And now, while Ashley is in Hong Kong (of all places), Mort says he has no intention of rushing the job of finding a new boss.
Redknapp's decision to stay at Portsmouth after holding talks with Mort on Friday sent the Magpies back to the drawing board, although the chairman insists the 60-year-old was only one of a series of potential candidates.
Mort: "In the process of appointing a new manager at Newcastle United, we have identified and spoken to a number of potential candidates.
"This is a very important appointment - our first since taking control of the club - and we will take as long as required to make sure we bring the right person.
"That person will be someone we believe will be able to deliver successful results and performances to accompany that.
"We can confirm that Harry Redknapp is one of the people the club has spoken to.
"However, Harry made it clear he is happy with life on the South Coast and we wish him well for the future.
"We will continue to devote our time to the very important task of selecting the right person to manage Newcastle United and we will make a further announcement when appropriate."
But the 6-0 thrashing at Old Trafford has the players and stand-in boss Nigel Pearson saying "we have to get this sorted out very qickly".