It is good to see Ashley attend – but how much is he speaking to Rafa?
I WANT Mike Ashley to sell Newcastle United as soon as possible – but I was actually pleased to see him back watching Magpies games.
We will see if it lasts and whether this was just a fleeting visit from an owner we rarely see - but at least he has fronted up to an extent for once.
Newcastle fans in the away end at Selhurst Park made their feelings about Ashley clear to the owner – I think I heard every one of the antiAshley chants – and he has now seen at first hand how unpopular his current methods are.
At the end of the day, Newcastle is still his club in the sense he owns it.
I don’t mind if he turns up at matches – in fact I want to see him there.
For me, there is nothing worse than a disengaged owner.
That just is not healthy for the potential success of a club.
It seems Ashley and Rafa Benitez did not speak at the weekend but that needs to be the next step from the owner. Communication is key in football – and it is essential those at the very top level of Newcastle are clear with Benitez.
At the moment, we have no idea what Ashley is thinking. We don’t know what his plans are for the club and whether he really has lowered his price for Newcastle - or indeed if he does really want to sell.
Ashley needs to be clear with Benitez on these matters first and foremost.
Then hopefully we, as fans, will be provided with some clarity too.
It does not look like a sale is going to go through any time soon.
Which is a real shame - because the sooner Ashley goes the better for everyone associated with the club.
Until that happens, Ashley must find a way for him and Benitez to work together.
It is the only way the club can avoid current protests progressing into total off-field anarchy – which is what could happen if the Spaniard leaves at the end of the season.
Surely Ashley recognises that and he knows he needs to start giving Benitez reasons to stay.
We have seen with all the revelations in Kevin Keegan’s book this week that Ashley has made ridiculous mistakes before.
While the likes of Keegan, Sir John Hall, Sir Bobby Robson, Alan Shearer and Benitez have given Newcastle a positive global reputation, Ashley’s actions at times have risked tarnishing that.
He must have learned from those mistakes and he surely wants to avoid things ending in the way they did with Keegan a decade ago.
Ashley is disrespecting a worldclass manager at the moment and he risks losing the club’s biggest asset.
His reappearance at matches is a positive but that needs to merely be the start of things.
If the club is not being sold any time soon he needs to start giving Benitez what he wants.