Newcastle United’s would-be owners have been left frustrated at the delay which is eating into the time they have to prepare and put plans in place for next season.
With the Premier League’s owners and directors tests still ongoing, it means further delays in the process. Even after approval is granted, it could be a few days before a money transfer is completed and the change in ownership is made official – raising the possibility of the whole saga moving towards the end of July or even August.
And that is clearly impacting future plans.
It has always been a long-term project but the consortium had hoped for time and breathing space to make decisions on the future of the head coach, recruitment calls and other things that will be required to address Newcastle’s immediate priorities.
The would-be owners have always been steadfast in their insistence that no contact has been made with possible candidates to replace Steve Bruce and that they would want to speak to him as soon as the process moves to the stage where they get the green light to do that.
Indeed with next season due to begin on September 12 pending Premier League approval, much of the groundwork for next year and is being laid by the existing hierarchy and some crucial decisions need resolving.
United have still not announced a main sponsor for next year, with FUN88’s deal expiring in the coming weeks. A decision appears to have been mothballed with suggestions the new owners may want to use that space for branding with a Saudi Arabia connection
Welcome to our Newcastle United live blog for Sunday, July 12.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is calling for “clarity” as the takeover continues to drag on. Newcastle have been in limbo for months as a bid by the Saudi Public Investment Fund, brokered by Amanda Staveley and her PCP Capital Partners group.
United were defeated at Watford on Saturday after a desperate second half performance delivered a second defeat in the space of a week.
But thoughts at United have been on the takeover since news broke in April of an agreement between Mike Ashley and the buyers.
Richard Masters promised that there would be a decision “shortly” but there has been no update since then.
Follow live updates below or get the latest NUFC news and takeover updates straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter.
That’s all from us tonight. Here’s a look at today’s top stories:
Steve Bruce forced to add Allan Saint-Maximin to his growing list of injury concerns
Newcastle fan claims he wanted Magpies to get relegated when Steve Bruce was appointed
Newcastle United’s takeover: 11 burning questions that need to be answered
Newcastle United’s takeover: 11 burning questions that need to be answered
Inside Steve Bruce’s Press conference: The Toon manager’s fresh demand after Watford capitulation
Newcastle notes: The takeover row threatening to boil over
The failing experiment which shows Newcastle United defender is fighting for his future
Swansea City’s boss Neil Cooper has not ruled Freddie Woodman out of the Swans’ remaining three matches after the on-loan goalkeeper was forced off against Leeds with injury.
Cooper told Swansea’s club website: “It’s a hip injury, but I’m not sure of the extent of it because the game has only just finished.
“We will check it out and see how it is, hopefully it is not too bad.”
Siem de Jong has been on quite the journey since leaving Newcastle United in 2017.
The Dutch midfielder returned to Ajax, helped mould a team of young stars who almost reached the Champions League final last season, and spent a spell on loan in Sydney and won an A-League title.
Now his journey has taken him stateside and last night de Jong lined up for new side FC Cincinnati in their MLS return against Columbus Crew.
But instead of making his debut in front of the 33,000 capacity Nippert Stadium, de Jong made his Cincinnati bow at Disney World, Florida.
In keeping with the unprecedented times the coronavirus pandemic has thrown us into, MLS decided to return with the ‘MLS Is Back Cup’ in Orlando with sides split into six groups and playing down to a winner.
The group games also count as league games, but de Jong’s FC Cincinnati’s lost 4-0 to Columbus Crew at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, located in Walt Disney World.
And although the idea of all teams playing in the same location feels strange, de Jong explained why it has all been necessary.
You can read the full story here.
This from the Independent.
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The families of human rights campaigners held in Saudi jails have written to Premier League chief executive Richard Masters with a personal plea that the takeover of Newcastle United is not allowed to go ahead while their loved ones remain imprisoned. The letter, organised by human rights charity Grant Liberty, “begs” the competition to “do the right thing” and use its “unique opportunity to demand change”.
The Premier League has spent the past four months assessing the controversial £300m takeover, which is led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The letter points out how the state is an absolute monarchy, so PIF’s “leadership is therefore indivisible from the actions of the Crown Prince and the Saudi state”, offering “clear moral case for refusal”.
It is signed by the families of: Logan al-Hathloul, a 30-year-old women’s rights activist under arrest since 2018; Abdulrahman al-Sadhan, a 36-year-old Saudi humanitarian worker and employee of Red Crescent, held since 2018; Aida al-Ghamidi and her sons Sultan and Adil, held since March 2018 because her son is a prominent opposition leader; Dr Salman Alodah, a 63-year-old scholar and campaigner for democracy potentially facing the death penalty after calling for peace on Twitter in 2017.
The fortunes of Fabian Schar is proof that a year can be a long time in football.
Rewind 12 months, and the Newcastle United defender was revelling in the praise of an impressive debut campaign in English football.
The bargain buy from Deportivo La Coruna shone in a tactical system seemingly designed to highlight the strengths of the Swiss international and Florian Lejeune in possession.
Schar’s vision and composure saw the 28-year-old almost assume a quarterback role, carrying the ball forward and launching attacks with sweeping long-range passes.
The defender also netted four times to quickly become a fans’ favourite, including a brace against Cardiff City and a 30-yard thunderbolt against Burnley which was named the Premier League’s Goal of the Month for February.
Schar was unsurprisingly named the North East Football Writers’ Association’s player of the year for 2019, and expressed his pride in following the footsteps of legendary previous winners such as Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer.
However, just 12 months’ later the Swiss defender has become a bit-part player and faces an uncertain future with one year left on his deal at St James’ Park.
You can read the full story here.
Steve Bruce has revealed how Allan Saint-Maximin suffered a fresh knock during the 2-1 capitulation against Watford.
The Magpies switched off in the second half and handed Watford two penalties as Bruce’s side failed to add to their 43-point haul for the season.
Saint-Maximin – who enjoyed a sparkling first half – will now be assessed for the encounter with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
You can read the full story here.
Yesterday brought us all the sad news of Jack Charlton’s passing.
Tributes have poured in for the World Cup winner, and this is a snippet of Gibbo’s brilliant tribute to North East hero.
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It was my privilege to know Jack Charlton from his Leeds playing days through to his final years with his devoted wife Pat seeing out retirement at his Stamfordham home.
He was a man’s man, a country man who liked nought better than, flat cap pulled over his head and waders on, going off river fishing for the afternoon.
He bought a house for his mam and dad back in Ashington after winning the World Cup and called it Jules Rimet. It was a typical act of kindness.
Cissie was a wonderful lady who was mom to the most famous brothers in world football. She told me that Jack was “a rascal going bird nesting and kidding on with the lasses” while Bobby “was nicknamed Little Lord Fauntleroy.”
Of course Bobby was the elegant show pony of a player who won everything with Manchester United while Jack was the nobbly kneed centre-half destroyer who won the ball at Leeds and gave it to others to play.
The way Newcastle United conceded a second penalty against Watford has been labelled ‘crazy defending’ by Alan Shearer.
With the score at 1-1 – Watford levelling through an earlier penalty – Javier Manquillo was penalised for bringing down Ismaila Sarr.
While Steve Bruce claimed in his post-game interview that the decision for penalties was ‘soft’, Shearer disagreed.
Read the full transcript from his post-match analysis on Amazon Prime here.
This from the Sun.
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FOOTBALL-loving MPs have mounted a campaign to halt the £300million sale of Newcastle United to oil-rich Saudis.
They want the Premier League to block it over human rights abuses, and what they see as “blatant piracy” of our national game.
Footie chiefs are considering whether to let the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman, buy an 80 per cent stake in the Toon.
A furious Newcastle United fan has claimed on BBC 5 Live Sport he wanted the Magpies to get relegated when Steve Bruce was appointed.
United suffered a disappointing defeat at Watford on Saturday which all but ended their slim hopes of a top-10 finish, days after being thrashed by Manchester City.
Despite these two defeats the Magpies are safely sat in mid-table, prompting some pundits to question whether Bruce should be named manager of the year after a testing debut campaign in the hotseat.
Newcastle fan Peter rang the 606 Podcast on Saturday night and immediately went on the offensive with a few facts to compare the current United head coach with his predecessor Rafa Benitez.
Comparing their two spends and the decision to make Joelinton the club’s record signing, Peter suggested the praise for Bruce in comparison to the former manager was unjust.
You can read the full story here.
Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has sent a classy message to Newcastle United – five years after he joined the club.
Wijnaldum has spent four successful seasons at Liverpool and has won the Champions League, World Club Cup and the Premier League inside the last 13 months.
But his journey in England started at Newcastle after he joined the club in the summer of 2015 from PSV Eindhoven.
Despite the Magpies suffering relegation in his only season at the club, the Dutch international scored 11 goals, all of them coming at St James’ Park and despite criticism of his form away from St James’ Park, he largely emerged from his time at Newcastle with credit.
You can read the full story here.
Jamaal Lascelles admits that Newcastle United’s untimely errors cost them dearly during the 2-1 loss at Watford.
The returning skipper put in an effective personal display and made a sensational clearance off the line to deny the Hornets in the first half.
But after coming off with a knock on his return game, the day ended in disappointment for the ex-Nottingham Forest man.
You can read the full story here.
It is almost 100 days since Newcastle’s takeover entered the Owners and Directors tests and there is no resolution yet.
Richard Masters said he was hopeful of a decision “shortly” but that was more than a week ago, and Steve Bruce has called for clarity since.
So here are the burning questions surrounding a decision that may well be the biggest in the club’s history.
This is what the NUFC head coach had to say about that second-half showing.
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“The second half performance gave them a huge lifeline.
“Whether it was a penalty – with VAR and it (decisions) supposed to be clear and obvious – I will let other people make their mind up.
“They looked remarkably soft to me.
“There is contact all over the pitch so I think they were soft.
“Whether we were naive or not? It was just the thing that Watford needed.
“I don’t know why he can’t come to a monitor and he has to go to VAR in a studio where somebody else is just going to back him up.
“What is the point of that?
“This is the fourth decision in a few days.
“Look we don’t want to make excuses but to lose games the way we did with decisions like that is difficult to expect.”
Steve Bruce has urged his Newcastle United players to dust themselves down after their disappointing defeat at Watford and end the season on a high.
A sloppy second half effectively handed the Hornets three gift-wrapped points at Vicarage Road thanks to two penalty blunders from Matt Ritchie and Javier Manquillo.
United have another quick turnaround for their next game as they face Spurs at St James’ Park.
Bruce was not entirely dissatisfied with his side’s performance and said at his Press conference: “It is important we finish the season off now.
You can read the full story here.
Here’s Ciaran Kelly’s verdict on yesterday’s collapse at Watford – and why the Magpies need clarity over the takeover.
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With three league games to go, Newcastle United lie in 13th place. Given what a chaotic summer it was a year ago – Steve Bruce was only appointed three-and-a-half weeks before the season opener against Arsenal – most Magpies’ fans would have taken that. Surely? But that does not make it a successful season.
As much as Bruce intends to take the club forward, how much further can the Magpies truly go in this state of limbo this summer? Richard Masters, the Premier League’s chief executive, said last month he would ‘like the process to conclude shortly’ but, at this rate, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that this incredibly complex saga could yet rumble on after the season finishes later this month.
Of course, coronavirus has affected every club’s budget but if Newcastle are to move forward, the Magpies need to know who their owner(s) is/are going to be in the medium term.
The staff and players have done well not to let the uncertainty affect their performances since football restarted behind closed doors but if this strange state lingers on, it could yet have an adverse effect that goes far beyond a 2-1 defeat against Watford.
From yesterday’s notebook:
Newcastle United’s would-be owners have been left frustrated at the delay which is eating into the time they have to prepare and put plans in place for next season.
With the Premier League’s owners and directors tests still ongoing, it means further delays in the process. Even after approval is granted, it could be a few days before a money transfer is completed and the change in ownership is made official – raising the possibility of the whole saga moving towards the end of July or even August.
And that is clearly impacting future plans.
It has always been a long-term project but the consortium had hoped for time and breathing space to make decisions on the future of the head coach, recruitment calls and other things that will be required to address Newcastle’s immediate priorities.
The would-be owners have always been steadfast in their insistence that no contact has been made with possible candidates to replace Steve Bruce and that they would want to speak to him as soon as the process moves to the stage where they get the green light to do that.
Indeed with next season due to begin on September 12 pending Premier League approval, much of the groundwork for next year and is being laid by the existing hierarchy and some crucial decisions need resolving.
United have still not announced a main sponsor for next year, with FUN88’s deal expiring in the coming weeks. A decision appears to have been mothballed with suggestions the new owners may want to use that space for branding with a Saudi Arabia connection
Our top stories from Saturday’s defeat….
Newcastle’s second defeat in the space of a week leaves most United fans looking to the end of the campaign and towards some much-needed clarity on the takeover.
It’s been nearly four months and while there is some hope a resolution is close, nothing has been said by either party or the Premier League.