2. Ashley Is Deliberately Sabotaging The Club
Ashley started so well. Initially buoyed by replacing the unpopular Freddie Shepherd, his popularity sky-rocketed when he freely drank amongst the fans at away games and then when he replaced Allardyce with Keegan. But then it started to go bad. Quickly. Dennis Wise was a bizarre choice as Director of Football and bizarre transfers followed (£5.7m Xisco). Keegan walked out. The club was warned by the LMA. 'Cockney Mafia' banners were unfurled. Ashley put the club up for sale. Kinnear was appointed. Several potential buyers came and went. The club were taken off the market. Kinnear suffered a heart attack. Shearer was appointed. Newcastle were relegated. Ashley tried to sell Newcastle again. Failed. The stadium rights were put up for sale, with St James' Park was renamed to an email address in the meantime. After getting promoted and making a good start in the Premier League, Chris Hughton was sacked. Alan Pardew was appointed. Controversial company Wonga were announced as the new sponsor. And now Kinnear. Again. Ashley hasn't been popular since his treatment of Keegan and has been forced to take a more behind-the-scenes role since. This is a man who has put in over £100m of his own personal fortune to wipe out debts, gone from hero to zero with a few admitted mistakes and now is almost forced to continue with a club he can't sell. Maybe he just simply doesn't care anymore and wants to ruin it? And he can ruin it safely; Newcastle won't get relegated. Pardew and the squad finished as low as possible last season and know only improvement will do this campaign. Their pride is at stake. Additionally, with the high potential profits made on selling on players brought in cheap, Ashley stands to make money from the club. Is it completely unreasonable to suggest he is happy to drop anchor with a model in place now to stay in the most lucrative league in the world, selling players for profit all the while sticking two fingers up at the fans that still want him out?