Football: bumpy start for new-era Newcastle
Newcastle’s game against Tottenham on Sunday was the club’s first since its controversial takeover by a “mega-rich” Saudi-led consortium, said Martin Hardy in The Times. And the atmosphere at St James’ Park in the build-up could hardly have been more joyful. There was a rapturous welcome for new chairman Yasir al-Rumayyan, who took his seat next to new director Amanda Staveley. And when Callum Wilson scored in the second minute, joy was unconfined. Yet there is a reason why Newcastle are second from bottom in the Premier League: their defence is appallingly rickety. It didn’t take long for Spurs to capitalise. Within 22 minutes they were 2-1 ahead, and they ended the match 3-2 winners. The glum expressions worn by Rumayyan and Staveley spoke volumes: reality had gatecrashed their party.
The scoreline hugely flattered Newcastle, whose performance was an utter embarrassment, said Henry Winter in the same paper.
The club’s new owners will have been left in no doubt as to the scale of the rebuild required: they’ve begun by getting rid of Steve Bruce, with Graeme Jones taking charge in the interim. Front runners to replace Bruce include ex-Chelsea manager Frank Lampard and current Rangers boss Steven Gerrard.
Whoever succeeds Bruce will have vast resources behind him, said Jamie Carragher in The Daily Telegraph – but that won’t guarantee success. The Premier League is stronger than it has ever been and rules about Financial Fair Play limit spending on new talent, so it’s no longer possible (if it ever was) for money to buy a title. The club’s best bet, initially, will be to “target young, hungry players from outside the top four”. Then, once a Champions League place looks realistic, they’ll be able to start attracting the game’s biggest stars. The club’s new owners have set a target of winning the Premier League by 2030. To reach it would be an “amazing feat”.