Ryder: Rio and Keys are making fools of themselves
Anger as Ashley praised:
MIKE Ashley continues to assure those around him at St James’ Park that Newcastle United remains for sale.
The only problem is that – whether Ashley and those on the executive floor like it or not – most people on Tyneside don’t believe it.
Ashley made his return to the stands for Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat against Chelsea on Saturday night, but he did not speak to Rafa Benitez before or after the game.
There was no reassurance on his position, no update on a club sale and no word on a transfer kitty.
His return to watching the club he owns has coincided with Rio Ferdinand and Richard Keys laying out staunch defences of the Sports Direct magnate.
Ferdinand, who sounds like a man who has been briefed by somebody, feels that Newcastle fans should be grateful for Ashley at St James’ Park while Keys is, incredibly, suggesting Benitez should buy his own players or buy the club himself!
Both men are making fools of themselves by standing in Ashley’s corner and are in danger of damaging their own credibility in the football-mad North East. Neither are regulars at St James’ Park and are giving a viewpoint from afar. Not only are they disconnected but their arguments don’t stand up. So Rio, what exactly should Newcastle be grateful for?
The two relegations and multiple relegation battles that have taken place under Ashley’s watch? Or what about the ridiculous appointments of Joe Kinnear and Dennis Wise? The scandalous treatment of the likes of Alan Shearer and Kevin Keegan? Treating Benitez with contempt in the transfer window and running the club down to the bare bones?
I could go on.
Keys feels that Newcastle are in the bottom three because of Benitez, but the truth is the club would be rooted to the bottom and virtually relegated already without him. Of course, Benitez must take some responsibility for the position Newcastle are in.
But he can only work with the resources he’s got. He was sent into battle without the signing of a permanent and proven striker this season.
The team lacks back-up in key areas and without the goals of a borrowed centre-forward from West Brom (whom Newcastle chiefs didn’t want him to sign) the club would be getting ready for the Championship already.
It feels very much like if Newcastle can find a way to save money or avoid splashing out on transfers, they will.
That said, they still have time to prove us wrong in the last couple of weeks of the window.
Misguided pundits don’t help matters.
Ferdinand and Keys aren’t the main problem here, though. They
Another meltdown is around the corner – even if Newcastle stay up. If Benitez goes, the hope goes
are merely unwanted guests in a debate that no Newcastle fan invited them to take part in to begin with. Ashley selling up would solve the main issue on Tyneside. In the meantime he could come out and explain exactly what is going on with the club sale.
Even then he will find it difficult to convince fans he is serious about selling up. They don’t believe it because we’ve been here before. Ashley said he was going to sell in 2008 when Keegan walked out of the club for the sake of his own sanity. Then the club was taken off the market when Ashley felt the storm had passed.
Fast forward to 2009 after relega-
tion and instead of giving Shearer the package he felt he required to lead the club back up, he dusted down the For Sale signs and planted them outside Barrack Road again.
Things calmed down in 2010 after promotion under Chris Hughton. Six years later, Benitez restored some much-needed tranquillity at United and Ashley wasn’t in a position to not give him the job because a huge number of fans were ready to walk away if the Spaniard went.
With Newcastle struggling to keep pace with the rest of the Premier League the club finds itself on the market again.
But supporters aren’t buying that line as history indicates it may not be for real.
Another meltdown is around the corner though – even if Newcastle stay up. Failure to give Benitez the contract he wants is a huge gamble. If Benitez goes, the hope goes. The trust has pretty much gone anyway, but Benitez is at least giving the fans dignity as he is on their side. Ashley doesn’t need to be told how unhappy the fans are, he could hear it loud and clear at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
The anti-Ashley chants started within 60 seconds of the game kicking off and they grew even louder as Newcastle struggled in the first few minutes against an expensively assembled Chelsea side.
There is no positive way of dressing up a season that is rapidly turning into a complete farce. It’s abject to watch and it doesn’t matter how much certain illinformed pundits try to paint some type of hard-done-by story for Ashley, Geordies won’t buy it.
Never mind the absurd suggestion that Newcastle fans are demanding Champions League football and cups which we’ve heard before by other pundits who don’t do their homework before opening their trap. Winning cups! You’re having a laugh. We’re talking about a different generation of supporters who have watched more relegation battles than anything else.
The youngest ones haven’t even tasted an FA Cup run under Ashley, never mind tasting a final like their parents did in 1998 or 1999.
The Entertainers are a distant memory now but the reality is that it was a different club back then. It was a club for the people of Newcastle – this just feels like a money-making operation for a tycoon.
Newcastle’s travelling army headed to the capital with slim hope, not expectation, and it’s a fair bet that each and every fan who paid for the “privilege” to be there will find the viewpoints of Keys and Ferdinand completely risible.
Welcome to 2019, eh? The year which could see Newcastle stumble from one disaster to the next.
One fan I heard in London at the weekend said he would accept relegation this season if it resulted in a new owner.
That’s how far Newcastle have fallen from a club that once dared to dine at Europe’s top table.
It’s one of football’s saddest stories and pundits need to start reflecting on that before they decide to speak about Newcastle United.