Quinn, who joined the Magpies in 1989 and scored 59 goals in 115 games, claims Joe Kinnear is not the answer to the problem.
Quinn: "Joe Kinnear has a lot of experience. I hope he does well because the club deserve a change of luck but at the moment it doesn't look too healthy.
"He's been out of the game for a while, and he has been ill as well. There are a lot of foreign players in the game now - it's changed a little bit.
"Short-term he may do a job but ask any Geordie about the appointment and they will be underwhelmed as well."Newcastle are in a bigger mess than the American economy at the moment - I've heard 17 managers have turned the job down.
"They need to get their house in order very quickly because the Premier League is very unforgiving.
"If you haven't got your players up for it you get trampled all over ... Newcastle at the moment are a shambles.
"Newcastle are second bottom at the moment.
"Mike Ashley has to sell the club as soon as he can.
"He went there with good intentions but I think he under-estimated the club and the last manager (Keegan).
"It's time to go. It's getting messy. If he doesn't sell as soon as he can it's only going to devalue the club.
"The club has to move forward very, very quickly - and that is without Mike Ashley."