The Mail is reporting today that Mike Ashley told senior players and staff last night that he doesn’t expect to sell Newcastle United this season.
Mike Ashley hosted Rafa Benitez and his first-team staff and squad for an Italian meal in Ponteland last night, and this report is the first of what was talked about last night.
It was also the first time Ashley has spoken to Rafa Benitez face-to-face since the end of last season.
The club has been up for sale for a year now, but apart from Amanda Staveley and her PCP Partners group, nobody bid for the club.
Mike Ashley leaving the Rialto restaurant last night
Ms. Staveley is said to have submitted two bids late last year, but both were rejected by Ashley before he pulled out of negotiating with Staveley last January.
And we have wondered for a while whether he really wants to sell Newcastle.
Ashley told the senior players and staff that they should not be distracted this season by any sale and one will not take place at least until next summer.
We hate to say this, but we think (hope) Ashley may have had a change of mind and that he could fund Rafa to build a top team so the owner can sell the club for a big profit in a couple of years time.
But we should see in January, and if he really is to change his approach at the Newcastle club, he should be working closely to endure the squad is significantly strengthened in January.
But this is only wishful thinking on our part.
Mike Ashley has also said he will pay for a holiday for the players and staff if they manage to avoid relegation this season.
So it looks like the message from Ashley is he will be around this season and as ever – he is keen to avoid relegation.
Ashley also reiterated last night he is determined to keep Rafa Benitez as the manager at Newcastle.
Currently, Rafa is the crown jewels for Mike Ashley.
Whether he will now fund the manager in the upcoming transfer market in January is not yet known.
But if he wants to sign Rafa to a new deal, he must loosen the purse strings for Mr. Benitez.
Newcastle made a profit over £20M in the summer, and Ashley has not supported Rafa over the last four transfer windows.
It’s one reason we have struggled with relegation last season and are already struggling this season.
Comments welcome.
21 comments so far
Rob1971
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:14 PM
Comment #1Hibbit it just seems strange Craih Hope was the first to break the news where they were last night and now he is the first to release what may have been said, a lot of fans on twitter were saying Craig was in cahoots with Ashley & Co, everything was set up last night to divert the attention from the fans meeting
DubaiMicky
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:15 PM
Comment #2Don’t believe it necessarily, the statement (if it happened and wasn’t “spun”), is to talk up a price.
Remember the twat told loyal fans to foxtrot oscar with his actions and laughed at us when he was at SJP. The protests must continue and get worse.
Vask
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:17 PM
Comment #3Quelle surprise!
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:20 PM
Comment #4So now Ashley doesn’t want to sell the club. So Ashley knocking down the price of the club from £400m to closer to £300m was nonsense then?
As for taking the players on holiday, don’t think Whitby counts!
But yeah, players I don’t want to give you bonuses but here’s a holiday. Despite not backing Rafa and shafting him numerous times, he wants to keep him.
So many mixed messages it is just laughable that he’s the owner of the club and a big sports retail company. Guy doesn’t know if he’s coming or going.
RobLeenio
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:20 PM
Comment #5Binney and Rob1971 from previous, I posted this Twitter link earlier. TomBenBow is the guy responsible for some really interesting blog posts around January this year about Staveley and her setting up Cantervale Group as a purchasing vehicle for NUFC
http://tombenbow.blogspot.com/
He’s no fly-by-night new Twitter account, he’s been very active for months now.
I’m not sure why that photo has been ridiculed – to me it looks like he’s wearing the same clothes, looks the same weight and has the same hairstyle as he does in the video footage of him leaving the restaurant.
Just because the photo could be genuine doesn’t mean the claims are too, but it’s something to keep in the back of our minds.
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:21 PM
Comment #6I said as much last night. The fact yesterday night was the meal, same night as the magpie group event just stunk of pr exercise to take attention and media attention away from what the real story was.
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:23 PM
Comment #7Rob
That tweet from tom benbow was tongue in cheek to me. Same photo used by many twitter users since last year. That photo was 100% not from last night.
Tosun A. Wobbler
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:24 PM
Comment #8The Next Mike Williamson, from way back. Re Toon22, you’re absolutely right, I didn’t mean to suggest that in his lucid moments T22 (Terminator22 ?) suddenly became an intellectual force, just that he suddenly out of the blue writes a rare post clearly and with decent grammar. Good grief no, the content is consistently whalesh1te.
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:26 PM
Comment #9I’ve always been of the case that Ashley doesn’t want to sell anyway, regardless if there was a genuine buyer. Last year for example. He doesn’t want to sell. His primary reason to buy the club was to promote sports direct. As long as this remains, he’s here to stay.
G
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:27 PM
Comment #10Rolando Aarons, don’t knock Whitby mate. I was down there at the beginning of the Summer for a mates wedding. It was bloody brilliant.
Binney
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:31 PM
Comment #11RobLee, thanks for the insight. I remember reading his blogs when we were linked with Staveley.
Have to say, my hopes are definitely dashed. I think some statement from Kenyon would be a nice way of letting us know whether it’s all BS or not.
Belfast
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:34 PM
Comment #12Aye that Craig Hope seems to be de facto mouthpiece nowadays.
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:36 PM
Comment #13Keith Downie disappointingly playing down the Ashley V sign. Saying it wasn’t exactly aimed at or towards the fans and just the cameras.
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:43 PM
Comment #14G
Not knocking it, Whitby is great but for a day out or possibly a weekend. Just the first place quite local that popped in my head that Ashley could take the players on holiday. Cheap and nearby being the criteria lol.
Munster Mag
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:43 PM
Comment #15Happy if Rafa stays (please note jail, you plank) but he needs to start taking the brake off against the lesser teams. As for Ashley, awful news.
Moonraker15
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:48 PM
Comment #16Binney
Regardless of your comments, your banner (or whatever they’re called), cracks me up! Haha brilliant man!
ronaldo aarons
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM
Comment #17Munster
Is the handbrake applied on the players against these so called lesser teams or is it the players not performing like second half of last season? Or is it confidence thing? Or off field issues?
I didn’t see the Leicester game but on the highlights, when Perez had a shot blocked in the box, there were 6 Newcastle players in the box. Not what you would expect of a team where the manager supposedly has the handbrakes on.
Rob1971
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM
Comment #18Robleenio is was proven last night the tweet was a hoax, the photo in it was an ancient photo which was used by newcastle goals previously in the summer, read all the responses the lad got pelters for sending out a hoax tweet
Belfast
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:51 PM
Comment #19He didn’t even have the bollox to give the fingers properly haha
It was a wee crafty one you’d expect from a ten year old kid. He’s definitely a few sandwiches short of a picnic.
Moonraker15
Oct 4, 2018 at 2:56 PM
Comment #20If Craig Hope’s report about Ashley’s promise of a holiday for the players if they avoid relegation is true, they must be wetting themselves with excitement and volunteering for extra training by now!
Earning 30 or 40 grand a week you have to save hard for a fortnight in Tenerife in July! Life is tough for these guys!
WTF !
toon22
Oct 4, 2018 at 3:50 PM
Comment #21What shop do you think he will buy with next seasons tv money ?