It’s time to start a new era at United, say fans
MIKE Ashley’s popularity has plunged to an all-time low in our Big Toon Survey as 96% of Newcastle fans are calling for him to go.
It is a stark contrast to last January – when 44% were happy for him to stay – or even this summer, when fans were prepared for him to stay if it meant keeping Rafa Benitez.
Now that Benitez and Ashley are on a collision course, and the possibility of an Amanda Staveley-led buy-out continues to bubble away in the background, that has plummeted.
Ashley restricted Benitez’s transfer budget despite a positive initial meeting that seemed to confirm the Spaniard would be given a healthy transfer budget to upgrade a team that had won the Championship.
And after speaking to Sky Sports in August when Benitez had signalled his discontent, he appeared to seal his fate by admitting that the amount of money he could provide for recruitment would “never be enough”.
But it is the takeover saga that has convinced many that it is time for Ashley to sell up, with many of the comments left by Big Toon Survey respondents centring on the fact that he has taken United as far as he can and that the club cannot move forward with him in charge.
Supporters are MUCH more enthused by the prospect of Staveley taking over. There is little known about her at the moment – she is understood to be ready to bankroll Benitez’s transfer budget through her PCP Capital Partners group and has already met supporters groups – but fans are convinced she can help them to a brighter future.
The common theme of the comments was that Mike Ashley had lost interest and no longer had the vision or desire to turn the club into a credible Premier League force.
Time and time again the phrase “lost interest” was mentioned, while many said that this was – finally – the time that he simply had to accept the offer that was in front of him for the good of the club. Fresh ideas, new ways of working and a change of direction were required.
John Fenn wrote: “From a business point of view he has been a steady influence on the balance sheet but in terms of ambition and hope he has been a big disappointment. His pockets aren’t deep enough for what you need to spend these days to compete in the top half, never mind the top four.”
Many suggested that he is “out of his depth” in the Premier League. “We need an owner willing to invest. Ashley is not willing. Please let him leave ASAP, ideally before January because we desperately need reinforcements if we are going to survive with any degree of comfort,” Steven from Belfast said.
The priorities for a new owner
We asked that if Mike Ashley was to sell, rate the importance of these things in a new owner from one to seven. Here were the results:
1. Transfer funds
Having watched the team struggle after an attempt to recruit in the bargain bin in the summer, 42.12% of respondents identified the need for fresh transfer funds as the key priority for any new owner. It’s understandable: you have to fix the roof before improving the interiors and United are in desperate need for reinforcements to a team that Alan Shearer believes is a Championship side playing in the Premier League.
A bigger budget would be the key to that.
2. Keeping Rafa
For 32.74% of you, the next biggest priority was to make sure that Rafa Benitez’s future is secured. At the moment the manager has a contract that expires at the end of NEXT season but the prospective owners PCP Capital Partners are understood to want Benitez to stay long-term, believing that his expertise would be a big help in shaping the club’s future.
3. Improving the Academy
A continual bugbear. For 24% of you, boosting the club’s youth system is the third of our seven priorities. There’s no doubt that the club need to be better at this.
4. New training ground
The club mothballed plans for a new training complex when Joe Kinnear was director of football, explaining the decision as Benitez wanting funds to be put into player purchases instead. Surely new owners would find the budget required to do both.
5. Fan representation
With Staveley having talked to fan groups, this is a possibility. But supporters don’t seem to see it as the most important issue facing new owners.
6. Social conscience
United have done excellent work supporting the Foodbank and other projects. Supporters are keen to see that continue.
7. Improving the stadium
The stadium is an impressive one but there has been little work done to it recently. Fans clearly don’t see it as a priority.