TOON OWNERSHIP NOT IN QUESTION ... BUT IT SHOULD STAY IN SPOTLIGHT

WELL done, Eddie Howe, on being named the Premier League’s Manager of the Month for February.

If his Newcastle United team beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this afternoon, there is every chance he will double up in March.

Howe is a class act. He was this column’s suggestion as the new Everton manager when the Goodison Park board instead decided to go for Rafa Benitez. That worked out well.

Howe is a fine operator, he has clearly inspired this squad and has a decent tactical brain.

But, let’s be honest, it helps when you have the best part of £90million in a mid-season transfer window.

No other English club has ever spent that much in January, never mind a club that was in the bottom three.

Talking of January, Newcastle were scheduled to play at Southampton on the 2nd of that month. But they managed to get it postponed because they had too many Covid cases and injuries. Since then, they

Newcastle supporters would probably hope success might dilute misgivings about ownership. But that would be the definition of sportswashing

have signed five players, four of whom played in the 2-1 win in the rearranged fixture at St Mary’s on Thursday.

There were goals for two new boys Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes, whose effort came after new boy Dan Burn had flicked on a corner from new boy Matt Targett.

You cannot say money does not make a difference, as today’s opposition knows only too well.

And one ramification of the situation Chelsea find themselves in is that it shines another light on the question of club ownership by fit and proper persons. First things first, the Premier League – although they have now disqualified him as a director – did not sanction Roman Abramovich, the Government did. If the Government had not taken action, the Premier League’s loving clinch with the oligarch would still have been as tight as it had been for almost two decades.

So, unless the Government sanctions Saudi Arabia for some reason – and considering their relationship, that is never going to happen – the ownership of Newcastle United is not in question. But it should remain in the spotlight. If nothing else, that should be one of the spin-offs of the whole Abramovich saga. We should remind ourselves of the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen or of their continuing human rights issues.

There was a story only last week of a Saudi teenager being re-sentenced to beheading after having his first death sentence – when he was aged just FOURTEEN – quashed.

That comes from a state whose sovereign wealth fund owns most of Newcastle United.

With their current form, Newcastle United supporters would probably like to think this sort of debate has come and gone.

They would probably hope that a run of eight Premier League games without defeat (six wins and two draws) – not to mention Howe’s Manager of the Month award – might dilute misgivings about the ownership.

But that would be the definition of sportswashing.

And, while it took a hell of a long time at Chelsea, the dirt will eventually come to the surface.