Back of the Net!

As speculated on this very blog just one month ago , Mike Ashley has about-turned and declared that Newcastle United is not for sale.

As if it ever was.

There’s now no reason to assume it was anything other than an expensive publicity stunt for Ashley to get the fans back on side following the departure of Kevin Keegan.

Mike Ashley is a businessman, and he played the long game here - and it looks like it has paid off, with opinion split.

One more insane plot twist in the life of the most ridiculously run football club in the world, Mike Ashley has decided that he is the man to take the club forward, no doubt buoyed by the fortunate appointment of Joe Kinnear.

“I am happy to end the uncertainty fans may have had about the [club’s] future direction,” he said. “I know just how important that is to you.”

He’s played the faithful Geordie fans big time, first by appointing their hero as manager, then insulting him, then pretending to sell the club as the fans turned on him.  Now the fuss has died down and Kinnear’s appointment has proved a calming factor on and off the pitch, the very clever, shrewd, billionaire businessman running Newcastle United has executed a winning PR strategy.

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