It is somewhat astonishing that with Newcastle United facing an uphill struggle to stay in the Premier League, Mike Ashley should start talking to the media about the club he owns.
To publicly admit he regrets ever buying the club at this point in the season when we all need to be fully behind the manager and his players is simply crass. To further follow that up with a statement about the club’s financial state and future prospects is completely ill-judged and will rightly cause anger and consternation amongst supporters.
It would appear Ashley is attempting to put some distance between himself and the 
failures of Newcastle United, claiming no knowledge of players being signed, teams being selected and all the rest of it. This is part of the fundamental problem of the club in a nutshell – that the man with the power is so disengaged and those he has appointed so utterly inadequate in their ability to be able to carry out the job required of them. If he is so aloof from the club’s operation, where is the strategy, the target setting and the burning ambition needed to focus everyone and keep them moving forward?
Ashley is responsible. He is the man who has made every strategic decision in the last nine years and they include the appointments of Mort, Llambias, Wise, Jimenez, Kinnear (x2), Carr, Charnley, Pardew and McClaren.
Ashley appears to be washing his hands of responsibility but it is his people working to his supervision who have made one bad call after another.
Somehow however, he may have at last made the right call in appointing Rafa Benitez but the Spaniard has to have the right environment around him. That will mean Mike Ashley intervening to dismiss both Graeme Carr and Lee Charnley in the summer. Those two have been responsible for squandering tens of millions of Newcastle United’s money and have to be held accountable. Their days should be numbered.
What Benitez requires is total control of every element of the club’s playing operation from the first team down to every part of an academy which is widely held in disregard. Benitez needs people on the executive side of United who are competent and with some status in the game. Mike Ashley has to make those moves to make that happen.
A PR exercise for a tarnished Sports Direct isn’t what United needs now. It is Mike Ashley committing 100% to Newcastle United or selling up and leaving.
Everything Ashley should be doing now should be to help Benitez. This latest stage-managed foray into the media doesn’t do that.
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A horrible, self-pitying troll.
Also, I think he’s bluffing: 2-3 years without Sky/BT money, and he’ll be out.
I agree Anton. He might stay to pocket the early parachute payments but he’s lying (as usual) when he’s says he’ll stay. NUFC is no use to him outside of the premier league. Just wish parliament could jail him for contempt.
It was the ‘don’t come crying to me for money’ quote that done my nappa in like!
Can anyone really believe this dictator delegates anything of any consequence.? He only employs lackeys or sycophants, especially those lacking in backbone or talent – certainly in his early period acquaintances he knew from his favourite casino – Llambias et al. I wonder what Benitez makes of all this? It’s a real rallying call I don’t think. If you look at the list he imposed on us Dennis Wise Director of Football, Kinnear, Jiminez etc you couldn’t make it up. It’s almost as if this interview was intended to rub our noses in it. I always believed him to be a nasty vindictive character. Is he out to get revenge for the criticism (and worse) he’s had from the clubs supporters? I certainly wouldn’t put it past him, a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
He’ll be even less popular with the Sports Direct shareholders today following his latest announcement and the consequent impact on the share price. Long may it continue.
Well I was supposed to be keeping quiet, but he started it! Does he really think anyone believes a word of what he says? He alone has led this club to where we are today. The people he appointed have been his choices working under his instructions. He cannot even be consistent with his lies! I hope Benitez stays, because I cannot believe that he will put up with Ashley and that will be a further catalyst for the final revolution!
There is nothing more Ashley can do to the club in my eyes, as the club that I want to support is in a coma until he goes. He can waffle away as much as he likes, but our only future will be an Ashley-free one! If he really was bothered -he would sell. So what he means is either the hassle is still worth the profit and publicity, or he cannot find anyone to pay what he wants for the club.
Get out of our club! Hope the Politicians keep up the pressure to on Sports Direct.
“They proper had a go at it this season I think everyone would agree and the result has not been ideal.”
“There is virtually nothing in the bank account, they have emptied it.”
“They” being Charnley, Carr and possibly McClaren, all of whom Ashley appointed. Any owner who appoints someone with as limited experience as Charnley to run a business with an annual turnover of c£125 million deserves what they get. Sadly it was football club money, not Ashley’s that they wasted. It’s therefore the supporters and the city who suffer as a result of his poor judgement in appointing them.
“I have had tonnes of fun in it but I haven’t been able to make the difference I wanted to in football like I have at Sports Direct.”
I’m pleased you’ve had fun Mike, because we haven’t and trust me, you’ve made a huge difference.