While we have yet to see the first real move from Newcastle United’s new owners since their buying out of Mike Ashley, expectations remain high.
Steve Bruce is likely to be sacked and replaced, while some investment is expected in January, even if it is just strengthening the squad to ensure the club avoids relegation this season.
The heavy recruitment will start once the current campaign is over, giving the new owners and board time to assess the situation and plan accordingly, but there will be huge pressure on them to deliver, and do so quickly.
One man pushing that notion is Newcastle fan favourite Philippe Albert, who had a brief chat with Le Soir about the takeover.
He kicked off by saying: “It’s a club I still love, obviously, but I’ve lost the habit of watching games for the past 10-12 years. The atmosphere was no as explosive anymore and the club were constantly struggling to survive”.
However, he fully expects that to change under the new ownership, and while he wants those in charge to balance the club’s values with their new-found wealth, he still sees the whole thing as a positive.
He said: “Either way, the situation couldn’t be worse than with Mike Ashley, a Londoner who wasn’t planning on pumping money into the club. In the end, what matters is trophies.
“When Liverpool, Manchester United and City were bought, there were the same criticisms, but with headlines, everyone forgets. It’s been 15 years since Newcastle were in the top four, where the club should be”.
As for the idea of strongly investing in the academy, Albert understood where they were coming from, but that’s not what the fans will want to see, at least at first, from all this.
He concluded: “When the club is bought for €300m, fans have a right to expect results quickly. Training young players is good, but it will take longer, at least 10 years”.
