Forget Signing Coutinho And Cavani, Newcastle United Must First Get Their House In Order

One of the most commonly held beliefs among sceptics surrounding the Newcastle United takeover was that hearing about it ahead of time would ultimately lead to its downfall. Given that there have been numerous attempts to prize the club from from the cold, tight grasp of Mike Ashley circulated throughout the media over the last 13 years, it became easy to believe it would never happen. Ashley himself, something of a walking paradox who simultaneously loves press exposure but usually refuses to give interviews, was quoted last year as saying he could own the club “forever”.

The manner of this latest bid, from Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and a consortium involving the mega-rich Reuben Brothers and the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, has proveen plenty of people wrong. Staveley’s name has been consistently linked with Newcastle since 2017; her dream of obtaining the keys to St James’ Park has been played out in public from start to finish. And yet, it is closer than ever to becoming reality; the Premier League are close to clearing the deal after weeks of checks, despite opposition from various directions on moral grounds, as a result of Mohammed bin Salman’s involvement, and Qatari-based broadcaster beIN Sport writing to all 20 clubs amid accusations of piracy of their coverage in Saudi Arabia.

The prospective buyers have remained confident throughout, and as of Tuesday morning, activity on Companies House was another indication of that. Chief Operating Officer of PIF, Banden bin Mogren has been added as a director to NCUK Investment LTD, a shell company set up by the man expected to be named Newcastle chairman once the deal is completed, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, which will be used to transfer funds to Ashley. Newspaper reports of a second bid, from an American TV mogul, are believed to be backed by little substance.

With everything moving forward so swiftly, Newcastle’s name has featured prominently in numerous gossip columns recently. It is natural that wealth reported to be worth over three quarters of the Premier League and ten times that of Manchester City would lead to a huge increase in speculation. But the suggestion, as has been made, that Newcastle have been active in negotiating deals for Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani, who is out of contract this summer, Barcelona cast-off Philippe Coutinho and Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly, is premature at best.

For supporters, seeing their club’s name linked with these players is a thrill and all part of the ride; but even when ignoring the fact that the new owners are not yet through the door, it is important for everybody to keep their feet on the ground. Big plans will be put in place, and provided the appetite and patience for this project is there, some success feels all but guaranteed. For all the talk of Champions League qualification, world class players and a seat alongside the elite, Newcastle are still a midtable side, who have been neglected beyond belief for over a decade now. A city is waiting to worship again, the stadium is ready, the support is unique and incomparable, but basic housekeeping remains a priority. The sooner that is done, the sooner the glamour can become part of the conversation.

Looking within themselves, supporters will understand that. They are well aware of what is about to be inherited. The training ground, developed over 15 years ago when the club last performed and displayed ambition at the level they will be looking to reach, is in desperate need of renovation; it is currently the hub of what makes the club so cold and uncaring towards the most important members of its staff, the players and coaches, and typifies just how far standards have fallen.

The reality is, on that score, much “smaller” sides such as Brighton and Hove Albion and Bournemouth have overtaken Newcastle, and it is difficult to imagine such an instant external expectation of their success, even with investment on the incoming scale, were they to be taken over. In one sense, Newcastle are a breath away from something special; everything is in place from a historical and geographical standpoint, but that only translates to potential and opportunity, rather than anything more concrete. They have survived on the bare minimum interest and forethought, and the full picture needs to be realised before signing Cavani, Coutinho or anyone like that can be considered.

What the takeover does allow is the belief that negligence is a thing of the past. Time is the only true obstacle, and though Financial Fair Play rules could impact on signings, there are no regulations for improving infrastructure. Something that needs to be considered is the mood on the ground at Newcastle; born out of relegation in 2016, in spite of Ashley, was a great togetherness, a feeling of pride in the shirt that comes from an understanding that the club is bigger than any player. It can be very easy to derail that even without trying, and because of that, progress needs to be slow.

Hiring a new coach is something else that can happen straight away; Rafael Benitez, who left under a cloud last summer and was closely tied to Staveley’s first bid, has been linked with a return but finds himself tied to an expensive contract in China, while Mauricio Pochettino and former Juventus boss Max Allegri are said to be in the frame too. For the time being, Steve Bruce is expected to stay in charge and, theoretically at least, finish the season. He certainly deserves the chance to complete the job in the FA Cup, having taken Newcastle further than anyone in the Ashley era, and keeping him in place would suggest the correct approach to continuity and progress from Staveley and co.

Ashley has reportedly neglected to inform Bruce of any developments, and he has been left to find out through the media. Unpopular with some supporters and perhaps unsuited to the job in the long run, his days are likely numbered, but nobody deserves that level of disrespect. Unfortunately, it is very much the norm at Newcastle under current ownership; Ashley last act is typical of his entire reign: callous and tone deaf.

Hope is back, and it feels great. Newcastle United could well be in a position to exceed anything seen before on Tyneside, but talk of a Champions League return should be tempered by the realisation of what state the club is in. Romantically, this is the ultimate opportunity for everyone involved, but the aftermath of Ashley will take a toll. The big clean up should be the focus straight away, and only then can everything else fall into place.