CAN TOON TURN THE CORNER?
ON WEDNESDAY afternoon, for once, all was well in the world of Newcastle United.
The club had unveiled three signings alongside Steve Bruce and they had not long finished telling reporters about the lure of their new surrounds when Mike Ashley’s helicopter swept into view.
For a few hours more all remained good, the owner’s rare visit perhaps a signal of renewed interest and welcome dialogue with his manager. But then Ashley booked a table at the Tomahawk Steakhouse on Newcastle’s Quayside for him and the squad and, with the meat still pink, he released an incendiary statement to turn Premier League chiefs red, reigniting the row over the club’s failed Saudi-led takeover.
What was he hoping to achieve by accusing the Premier League of not acting ‘appropriately’ during the takeover process? Was it an attempt to revive the £300million deal?
Was the threat of legal action a precursor to a claim for compensation? Or was it just Ashley (below) sounding off at those he blames for him still owning a club he wants to sell? Whichever it was, the fallout has distracted from what had felt like an atypical week of positivity on Tyneside, the thought of which seemed unimaginable when the takeover collapsed in late July. Drained of enthusiasm for the club and drained of energy from a ridiculous four-month saga played out in public, many fans had given up. But here we were on Wednesday, Bruce flanked by Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser and Jamal Lewis, the negativity lifted and fans momentarily re-engaged, excited by the side that was being put together.
But history tells us that off-field disruption invariably affects the rhythm of the team on it. Just look at the close to last season — amid talk of the buyout — when they took just two points from 18.
The majority of supporters — as well as Bruce and his players — want to move on from Saudi speculation and Amanda Staveley, who has been on the scene since 2017. Bruce says the deal is ‘dead in the water’ and wants to forget about it. Staveley’s camp say, ‘This isn’t over’.