Dithering Ashley is sitting on a self-made timebomb

MIKE ASHLEY is anything but a fool.

His personal wealth increased by a cool £277million during the past 12 months, according to a wellrespected rich list.

It now stands just shy of £2,500,000,000, I believe.

It’s difficult enough counting the zeros, let alone getting your head around the staggering sum of money that actually is.

But for a man who clearly knows how to run a sportswear business, it remains a mystery as to why he causes such outright anger over his stewardship of Newcastle United.

The Toon Army, frankly, deserve better. They deserve clarity. They deserve focused leadership.

And so does club manager – for the time being – Rafa Benitez.

There has always been speculation swirling around this giant monument to North East pride.

It is just one of those clubs where something always seems to happen. However, ironically, it is inertia that is currently causing a problem. The confusion which surrounds the club – just one week after the glorious finale against Chelsea – beggars belief. Everything appeared to be set fair on Tyneside. The manager is right on top of his game. The players have worked their socks off to push a newly-promoted club into mid-table. The supporters, whose expectations have been lowered through relegation, are grateful for the efforts of both and have been rewarded for not losing patience through a sticky winter period. Now, with £125m from broadcasting rights to play with and the huge commercial revenue the club enjoys, the stage is set fair for further growth. It is understood that Benitez (above) wants to put pen to paper, nailing his black-andwhite credentials to the mast. But he also wants guarantees. Apparently, the conversations have been going along these lines.. “Can you sign a new deal, Rafa?” “We’d really like you to sign a new deal, Rafa.”

And so on. Why on earth would the Spaniard, who by the way has done nothing but good, commit himself for a few more years without knowing what cash he has to play with?

He doesn’t want to let the supporters down.

It’s not been much fun for Benitez, a man who has proved himself at some of the best clubs in Europe, swallowing defeat against those where he could conceivably be in charge.

He doesn’t have to prove his loyalty – that’s not in question after he stayed put during a season in the Championship.

And he doesn’t have to prove his ability, either.

There are a string of clubs – West Ham among them – looking towards Benitez if he is discarded by Newcastle. And they aren’t the only ones.

Of course, all this has been played out against the backdrop of a television interview on the 10th anniversary of Ashley’s tenure in which he claimed he would step aside if a suitable buyer could be found. Billionaire financier Amanda Staveley appears credible and, as we have reported today, that deal is now in jeopardy. It all seems so pointless and self-defeating. Just what is Ashley’s game? The end could come sooner than Newcastle United’s fans think. The transfer window closes on August 9 and there is the small matter of the World Cup being played between now and then. Most managers want to work on their targets long before a ball is kicked in Russia. To buy out Benitez’s contract will cost £6m. A trifling amount, given the inflated transfers being paid for players. Ashley (left) is sitting on a timebomb – but he can do something about it. However, if it ticks down to zero, it doesn’t matter how much cash he has got in his bank account, the results won’t be pretty.