Newcastle United

Newcastle United: Chris Waugh discusses Mike Ashley

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Image for Newcastle United: Chris Waugh discusses Mike Ashley

Chris Waugh has been speaking on the latest episode of The Athletic’s Pod On The Tyne and he has been discussing the failed takeover of Newcastle United.

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To get things started a rather easy one. Who scored Newcastle's first league goal of the season?

This was a special episode in which Waugh answered Newcastle fans’ questions, and many of them were about the failed takeover by Amanda Staveley’s Saudi-backed consortium.

One of the points that he talked about was what Mike Ashley could do to help this takeover situation be resolved.

This is what Waugh had to say about Ashley and his role while discussing the pressure that has been applied to the Premier League.

“The issue is that one of their own 20 member clubs is now significantly at a detriment because of this, because they have an owner who wants to sell, and so I think that’s where the main pressure that will be applied [to] the Premier League [will come from].

“We’ve got all this external pressure, and really, that isn’t good for their reputation, but if Mike Ashley is pushing as hard as [we’ve] been led to believe from certain reports and from my information, he has had that dialogue.

“If Mike Ashley himself is pushing internally, well, that is one of the actual owners of the 20 member clubs, and it is a member organisation at the end of the day, so I think that is where the pressure may come [from].”

So, it seems as if Waugh believes that if Ashley is pushing as hard as he has been reported to be, then that is from where the Premier League will feel the most pressure.

Do you think Ashley can make a difference?

Yes, he could force the PL to do something

Yes, he could force the PL to do something

No, he is happy to keep the club

No, he is happy to keep the club

TIF Thoughts…

It has been reported that Ashley is ‘100% committed’ to finding a solution to this takeover situation, and he is ready to launch legal action.

So, if Waugh is to be believed, then it could well be Ashley and not MPs, the PM or fans who make a significant difference, though, all will have helped build pressure.

It seems then that Ashley wants out, and, according to Waugh, he must now try and pressure the Premier League internally to get the sale that he wants.

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