Mike Ashley has given a rare interview with Sky News and he says that he will not sell up at Newcastle, even if we are relegated to the Championship for the second time in seven years – and the second time in his nine-year tenure as the owner of the club.
And in response to whether he would sell up he said “We’re stuck with each other.”
Mike Ashley – not selling Newcastle United
Seen praying we will not go down
Mike was asked if he thought Newcastle would remain in the Premier League for next season and he was a little non-committal:
“Oh, now you are really asking me some questions now.” “How confident? I am going to say we have the right man in the job.”
“If there’s any chance of us staying up, let’s hope Rafa can do the business and keep us up there.”
“It’s disappointing because I personally want to win every game for Newcastle United. It doesn’t matter who they are playing.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a friendly, but yesterday I wanted us to win, so I am a little disappointed. But it’s not a disaster.”
And then Ashley was asked if he was staying on as the owner of Newcastle United even if we are relegated in May – and this is how he responded:
“I’ve got no choice. I am wedded to Newcastle just like Sports Direct. They’ve got me and I’ve got them, that’s just the way it is.” “We’re stuck with each other.”
In the last year, since he gave that interview with Sky Sports News just before our final game of the season against West Ham, he said we would make our own luck from now on.
He took himself off the Newcastle Board in the summer and went into the background and let Lee Charnley run the club, including picking the next head coach after the John Carver episode, but we all know that was a disaster from start to finish after Steve McClaren was appointed.
Ashley has shelled out £82M of the clubs’ money for new players since that interview last May, and he stepped in a couple of weeks ago and saved Lee Charnley from himself.
The owner told Charnley to fire Steve McClaren and go after Rafa Benitez, who was rumored to be interested in the Newcastle job and at the beginning of the year had been fired from Real Madrid.
Lee did a good job of negotiating for and finally hiring the former Liverpool manager, and that shocked Newcastle fans that we could attract such a tip-top manager.
So at least in the last year by shelling out big money for players and going after a top manager, Ashley seems to have a lot more ambition for Newcastle these days.
But he has to full responsibility for the mess we are in now – because he was the one who gave Lee Charnley the job of trying to run Newcastle on a day-to-day basis for him.
Ashley is the head person at the club as the owner – and the responsibility stops at his door.
As you go up the corporate ladder you are responsible for the performance of the managers who report to you.
So Mike Ashley is totally responsible for the latest mess we are in, as he admitted he was the one responsible for the mess almost a year ago when we were almost relegated on the very last day of the season.
Since we never seem to learn from our mistakes – maybe history will repeat itself when we play Tottenham at home in the final game of this season?
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
36 comments so far
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:40 PM
Comment #1What a blimp.
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:41 PM
Comment #2Ashley Out!
Munster Mag
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:41 PM
Comment #3Jail will be thrilled. If i was ashley i wud be putting a contingency plan in place. Nigel pearson wud be very good if we go down. Sack carr and charnley
jayphoto
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:42 PM
Comment #4@jib mañana empezamos could be anything out of context
jayphoto
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:43 PM
Comment #5Have to wonder if theres any free agent left backs out there that could do a job?
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:43 PM
Comment #6He’s not all that bad for a pus filled undulating globular mass.
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:44 PM
Comment #7We’ll just have to see then Jayphoto, won’t we?
🙂
hibbitt
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:45 PM
Comment #8Tsunki
i dare because its true 8 games to go and you lot are beat defeatist loesers sound right to me so many on here just come on to moan sad but true
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:46 PM
Comment #9Oh and Mike – ta very much for getting us in to the position we are now. Good job.
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:47 PM
Comment #10Hibbit I don’t just come on here to moan, I do a bit of complaining, whining, bitching and chuck in a few insults well.
The cheek. 🙂
Jib
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:48 PM
Comment #11Jay
It was said with some emphasis with both fists clenched (that’s why it was easy to lip read ) and was definitely in the context of what had just transpired at SJP.
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:49 PM
Comment #12Sorry Hibbit, but I reserve the Hoo-rah ing for the actual games. I reserve the right to comment on our reasons for downfall (and what should be done about it) in the interim. it’s also what the blog is for.
bettyswallocks
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:49 PM
Comment #13If the worst happens and we do go down, I’m fairly sure Rafa will stay. Money talks in all walks of life and Ashley will chuck enough at him to convince him to stay.
hibbitt
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:50 PM
Comment #14Tsunki
if the cap fits wear it ??
but my comments were not aimed at you
Jib
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:54 PM
Comment #15Jay we allegedly contacted Ashley Cole but he had committed to LA Galaxy
Ian Toon
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:54 PM
Comment #16Munster- The word in the media is that Remy Garde is to be sacked within the next 48 hours. Nigel Pearson is thought favourite to be his successor.
firebug666
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:56 PM
Comment #17Mike were NOT stuck with each other, you could just Fcuk off.
On another note: I’m not ready to give up on our premier league survival just yet, we still have 8 games to go, and our run in is not as bad as some of the others.
I have faith that Benitez will get more from this team of dead beats, and grind out some wins starting with Norwich.
I think that our confidence will start to show, especially after coming from behind yesterday, and although we only got a draw, we showed some spirit to keep fighting and get that goal.
We can now take that into the Norwich game, and if we get the points, the rest will follow.
Hope springs eternal!
Mag52
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:59 PM
Comment #18‘We’re stuck with each other’ – not the most enthusiastic expression of his relationship with NUFC is it ?
Glad to think he’s about as fed up with the situation as we are. Some consolation I suppose.
Ashley out ! (if only).
lesh
Mar 21, 2016 at 2:59 PM
Comment #19You readers are soooo lucky. My last post disappeared into the ether.
firebug666
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:01 PM
Comment #20lesh
PMSL: Happens to me a LOT!
bettyswallocks
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Comment #21Rafa’s daughter is an aspiring show-jumping rider and trains with her horses on the Wirral which is why she and her mother stayed in England.
Rafa obviously supports his daughter financially and top show-jumping horses do not come cheap , the cost can run into several million. So for those that think he has earned enough and is not driven by money then think again as horse sports are a huge drain on finances.
lesh
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Comment #22Munster
There’s a report in The Guardian about Remy Garde Villa
Didn’t realise his record is so bad.
lesh
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:03 PM
Comment #23* ….. Garde leaving Villa…
Silly billy me!
Ron Knee
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:04 PM
Comment #24firebug
Isn’t there an expression: Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel (not a horse in this instance!)?
It’s better to have equalised than to have conceded the lead, I suppose. A little crumb of comfort.
hibbitt
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:04 PM
Comment #25Tsunki
i agree but the fools having a go at Rafe after 10 days at the club are idiots the man has no choice but to work with the players he’s been given a lot of which are just not good enough…… it was a derby there never easy anyway …… he is trying to fix a broken team its not going to happen overnight we have 8 games to go rafa and the players need our support ………there will be weeks and weeks in the summer for the postmortem
lesh
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:05 PM
Comment #26Firebug
Maybe Ed’s got some tripe-spotting firewall in play!
Ron Knee
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:07 PM
Comment #27lesh
That’s a strange report about Garde. I thought the Villa management had thrown in the towel weeks ago. Why sack him?
firebug666
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:10 PM
Comment #28Ron
This morning I posted a comment:- Basically, if we had started the game with the same 11 (10) that finished the game (LB excluded) using that 4-4-2 formation, we would have been more likely to have taken the points.
My guess is that some of the subs were not quite fit enough for 90 minutes.
The 4-2-3-1 formation just doesn’t work for us as our striker becomes obsolete and we play the game with ten men, we should be using 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 especially at home, and attacking from the start pressing the opposition all over the pitch.
The 4-2-3-1 formation lends to players being lazy, unsure of their role, or just plain caught out of position.
firebug666
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:14 PM
Comment #29lesh @26
You may have something their mate, an auto monitor that gobbles up post not worthy or suitable for public consumption. 😀
Munster Mag
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:15 PM
Comment #30Lesh and Ian – guess who wanted Remi Garde originally ? Newcastle . Guess who would have known him and being promoting his name – Carr of course. Useless git. If Villa get Pearson they will win the championship next season, irrespective of us being there and Rafa being with us or not. Personally I think we are going down. Rafa doesnt inspire me as a man who can lift a team in a crisis ( why were we so flat in first half ) and had us 6 mins from pretty certain relegation. He has lost Sissoko’s threat ( such as it was ) , and is playing Wigi too deep. We will get lots of draws , and i think that will include Norwich away. Hope I’m wrong. This shower of pussy cats will get mauled in the championship. Pearson would be a superb choice by Villa.
Tsunki
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:17 PM
Comment #31Hibbit @14 oh. I’m disappointed now I thought I’d earned them ha ha
No I can’t see how a guy who comes in at the last minute can be blamed for anything. A bit like blaming somebody who jumps into a raging sea to save someone from drowning but fails.
sparky55
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:17 PM
Comment #32It’s a simple matter of too little too late…Rafa is light years ahead of Maclaren and IMO even better than SBR in his latter days….but the simple truth of the matter is Fat boy reacted far too late to the disaster that was unfolding in front of him…he should have moved at xmas when it was more than obvious Maclaren was well out his depth…but he gambled and this time he lost.
The team are playing better….they’re improving all the time under Rafa’s stewardship but we’ve not got anywhere near enough time or games to get out the mess we’re in.
Can you just imagine the situation should Spurs need to beat newcastle on the last day of the season to win the league and newcastle need to win to stay up.
We’re down and it’s no-ones fault but Charnley’s and Ashleys.
Munster Mag
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:23 PM
Comment #33Firebug, I totally agree re 442. But apparently Rafa invented 4231 so he may stick with it. As you can see from my commenst last night, I’m eally disappointed that he and the team could not produce more chances given what was at stake and that a win was needed. We were 6 mins away from relegation essentially. Did Sissoko produce one cross of note from the left? If Towmsend is good off either foot, why not get Sissoko on the right, at least now and again?Our build up play is too slow too, but move will often slow down with Mitro who needs someone beside him. Goodness knows what condition Doumbia must be in. He looks about 40 though. Still not fit . WTF ??
lesh
Mar 21, 2016 at 3:39 PM
Comment #34Ron
It seems that there’s no dialogue between Garde and Lerner and the guy who recruited him (Garde that is) resigned from Villa a few weeks ago.
Since then, Lerner’s initiated a full review of Villa and it appears that they see no point in keeping Garde.
toonluvva
Mar 21, 2016 at 4:07 PM
Comment #35You have to take Mr Ashley’s comments about “we are stuck with him” with a very large dose of salt.
The man is merely establishing a negotiating position just in case we are relegated.
If he said upfront that he would do a runner following relegation it would create the image of a “Fire sale” and drive the price for NUFC down sharply. No, he will be carefully consider his options should we be relegated, (largely due to his mismanagement of the club IMHO).
First he will need to know whether Rafa will hang around for a stint in the Championship. The next will be can he trust Mr Charnley to appoint a manager capable of returning us quickly to the PL. Do you really believe that to be possible?
Add on things like how much will he gain from selling our few decent players and replacing them with more of Mr Carr’s bargain basement buys.
Yes we are stuck with each other, but only for as long as it makes financial sense to SportsDirect. As soon as we become a liablity, expect a “For Sale” to appear on Barrack Road PDQ!
scout
Mar 21, 2016 at 11:27 PM
Comment #36I believe the club were certain Bournemouth and Watford would go down so it basically left one space. Anyone can avoid that space yeah……