ASHLEY FINALLY SEES HOW TOOTHLESS TOON ARE AS RAFA PLEADS FOR HELP

RAFA BENITEZ raised the stakes in his game of poker with Mike Ashley by calling on Newcastle’s owner to be “more sensible” about transfer investment.

Ashley turned up on Saturday (right) to watch his team for the first time since May 2017, when the Magpies were still in the Championship. And Newcastle’s impoverished firepower in the deadlock at Selhurst Park strengthened Benitez’s hand after the Toon’s £20million net profit in the summer window.

Asked if Ashley’s appearance in the stands was a sign that he is ready to re-engage or invest, after last season’s aborted takeover brokered by tycoon Amanda Staveley, the Spaniard said: “I have to take this as a positive. We have to be sure everyone supports the team, starting with the owner, and then we will be stronger.

“If he comes to see the team, he can see what we have, and hopefully he can be more sensible – and then he will be ready to do something if we need to do it.

“I have no idea why he chose today to come but it is a positive.

“I knew he was coming. I don’t know if the players knew but, to be honest, I think they were more worried about (Wilfried) Zaha and things like that.” Newcastle managed to keep Zaha quiet after the Palace match-winner suffered a back spasm in the warm-up.

But two points from the opening six games has left them in the Premier League’s bottom three and playing catch-up.

Benitez will have to keep his team afloat with limited options up front – ineffective onloan striker Salomon Rondon was withdrawn at half-time against Palace complaining of tightness in his calf – for at least three months.

The Newcastle boss warned: “We have to wait until January – but in the meantime we have to give everything.”

Around 2,900 Geordie emissaries bellowed their support for Benitez, renewed their call for Ashley to “get out of our club” and unfurled a banner for the retail magnate’s attention reading: “Sports Redirect.com” - a campaign against his empire of stores.