Ashley owns up to United blunders
BILLIONAIRE ADMITS TO ‘NAIVETY’
I WAS WRONG...
MIKE Ashley has conceded he has been naive and made a series of massive mistakes since taking over Newcastle United.
The Magpies owner made a number of shock revelations about the way he has run the club in an interview with Sky Sports.
Having previously admitted he hasn’t given manager Rafa Benitez enough money to spend, Toon tycoon Ashley also confessed:
He sacked ex-Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce too hastily back in 2008;
He should never have changed the name of St James’ Park to the Sports Direct Arena in 2011; and,
The “wheels came off” at the club in 2014 after finally achieving some stability.
The full interview was aired last night and when asked about his experiences in charge of the club, he said: “Very naive in the beginning.
“In the middle I thought I was just about beginning to get my arms around it a little bit, we had a manager on an eight-year contract [Alan Pardew].
“We had the finance right, talked about investing in the training ground and the academy, we had a strategy, buying young talent and developing.”
And reflecting on his decision to axe Allardyce after just eight months, Ashley said: “I probably rushed in too early. The first thing, letting Sam Allardyce go, I was probably too keen to get going and make a difference, and I was a bit naive about how football worked.”
Ashley was then asked about his