TOMKINS: DON’T BLAME SAK

more points than Newcastle United.

How can a great club, with 50,000 loyal fans rolling up every week and £123million of TV revenue last season, have such impoverished ambition?

Ashley has just rescued one failing institution – and safeguarding 3,500 jobs in 20 House of Fraser stores is a commendable feat – but another one at St James’ Park is in danger of withering on the vine without meaningful investment.

Only Huddersfield and Cardiff, the two sides below them in the table, JAMES TOMKINS absolved Mamadou Sakho of blame after his miss cost Crystal Palace their first goal and win at home this season.

Sakho (right) headed wide of an empty net 10 minutes from the end, but Tomkins said: “He is kicking himself in there a little bit, but we had numerous other chances as well. We dominated the game but it didn’t quite happen for us.”

The FA will await referee Andre Marriner’s report before deciding whether to take disciplinary action after Aaron Wan-Bissaka was hit by a bottle thrown from the enclosure containing travelling Newcastle fans.