Newcastle takeover delayed slightly

Newcastle United are massive in a one football club city. The Toon Army are crazy about their club. Even when things have not gone well for the Magpies in recent years scores have shown up to watch the team.

The fans come rain or shine to watch let’s face it a mediocre team, imagine what would happen if they had success on the pitch? That is a scenario that prospective new owners the Saudi Public Investment Fund are envisioning for the team, as they look to complete a £300million takeover of the north east giants.

Takeover delayed slightly

According to the Chronicle, the much-talked-about takeover of Newcastle is suffering a slight delay. The club has decided not to comment on the proposed takeover, which is now reportedly in the hands of the Premier League. There have been doubts over the completion of the takeover.

However, the Chronicle reports claims that the major figures involved in the deal are highly confident of completing the takeover. Any deal that will rid the club of the unpopular owner Mike Ashley will certainly be music to the ears of the long-suffering Newcastle fans.

Lack of investment has led to a lack of success

The Ashley era at Newcastle has provided nothing but austerity. He will claim that the Magpies have broken their transfer record on numerous occasions during his reign. However, the fees that Newcastle have paid for players pale into insignificance compared to most of the teams at the same level.

Chronic underinvestment in the team in the last decade has left the Magpies in a sort of football limbo. If the team were not standing still, they were suffering relegation. This is not the fault of the coaches or the fans, this the fault of an owner who as the businessman he is treats Newcastle as simply another business, which it is certainly not.

It is naïve to think football is not business, but surely a bit of decent investment in the team would not have seen the club sold by now? A better team, winning games would have made the Magpies more high-profile and more attractive to bidders.

The likes of head coaches Rafa Benitez and Steve Bruce deserve credit for stabilising the ship, while the captain had jump ship. The latter is not my favourite football boss, and despite being a local was not a popular appointment.

The experienced boss is unlikely to be able to shake off the Ashley connection. With talk of former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino being the new owners first choice as head coach, Bruce’s days as Magpies boss may be ending. The Argentinian is now favourite at odds of 5/6 to be Newcastle’s next boss.

Success may not come easily

If the takeover goes through as expected, Newcastle will reportedly have the richest owners in the Premier League by some way. Fans will expect big-money investment in improving the team, and so they should. They have given their loyalty and support to a team that has given them very little to shoot about in the last few decades.

Newcastle fans will be realistic, though, despite the old stereotypes of Geordies being daft, they are certainly not that. They will know that the club will not be instantly transformed into title contenders. They just want excitement and the entertainment they pay their money to see.

Success may not come easily, especially if FFP remains in tactic in the post-COVID-19 world. If it does, then they will need time to build a team. As Everton have found out in recent years, having a billionaire owner is not a guarantee for success.

Hopefully, for the loyal fans, Newcastle are successful and they finally get the team they deserve. The takeover could be the start of a new era for their team.

Will the prospective takeover lead to success for Newcastle?