Garth Crooks has suggested that Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley should “let someone else do it” if he is not willing to invest more into the club.
The Magpies picked up another positive result on Sunday as they won 1-0 away at Swansea, with defender Jamaal Lascelles scoring the decisive goal.
They have now won two consecutive league games and now turn their attention to a home clash with Stoke next weekend.
However, BBC pundit Crooks teared into Ashley following the Swansea win and believes that the current Newcastle squad will struggle to stay in the top flight despite a decent start.
Manager Rafael Benitez has let his frustration be known over the lack of transfer activity in the summer window and Crooks states the North East club deserve more.
“Does owner Mike Ashley really expect a young side, giving everything at the moment, to survive the season in the Premier League with the resources he has given them?” Crooks told BBC Sport. “If he does then he is living in cloud cuckoo land.
“Ashley needs to get his hand in his pocket and invest properly in a team the city of Newcastle deserve. Players like Matt Ritchie and Lascelles have developed brilliantly under the watchful eye of the Spaniard and they deserve more support and their manager the finances to enable him to give the team a real chance of survival.
“It’s the least Ashley can do. If not, he should sell the club and let someone else do it.”
Newcastle are expected to be fighting for relegation this season, but have proved some doubters wrong with back-to-back victories over West Ham and Swansea.
They had a number of their summer arrivals in their team against Swansea as the likes of Jacob Murphy (£12million) and Joselu (£5million) started.
Ashley publicly revealed that the Magpies can’t compete with the top clubs in the Premier League for players and fans have grown frustrated over the lack of ambition.
OPINION
Newcastle have most things in place to establish themselves back in the top half of the Premier League, but it does seem unlikely they can reach that stage under Ashley. They have a world-class manager in Benitez who is getting the best out of his players and could well keep them in the top flight this year. However, he is going to be unable to take the club forward without some heavy financial backing and Newcastle are in risk of losing their manager.