Newcastle United’s takeover by a consortium backed by the Saudi Public Investment Fund undoubtedly signals the start of a new era. After 14 unambitious years under Mike Ashley, they now have by far the richest owners in world football.
The Magpies looked set for a third relegation since 2009, but the mood at St. James’ Park has undoubtedly changed.
Newcastle’s takeover has not been welcomed by all in the football community, with the Saudi regime linked to human rights abuses. However, thousands of Newcastle fans still celebrated with a party outside their home stadium, while the move was welcomed on Twitter by star player Allan Saint-Maximin.
The reason why this development has been welcomed by many on Tyneside is simple: after a decade in the wilderness, they are now all but certain that success is around the corner. However, history suggests it will not come immediately.
Repeating Roman Abramovich No Small Task
Arguably, the takeover which set the tone for the involvement of politically influential billionaires from across the globe in the Premier League was Roman Abramovich’s purchase of Chelsea.
Success was almost instant in this case. He bought the Blues in 2003 and they were champions by 2005 for the first time in 50 years. They strolled to the title once again the following season, but the consortium led by Amanda Staveley faces a more challenging task.
Abramovich’s timely intervention at Stamford Bridge saved Chelsea from an off-field crisis similar to that suffered by Leeds United at the time, but on the field of play, he inherited an already well-oiled machine and simply added the final touches.
It has been widely reported that Chelsea pipping Liverpool into fourth place in 2002/03, thus securing UEFA Champions League football, convinced Abramovich to buy the club.
From there, a makeover was needed to turn them into England’s dominant force, but the services of star players John Terry and Frank Lampard were retained, while the likes of William Gallas, Eidur Gudjohnsen and Carlo Cudicini also stayed on, playing key roles in the success during José Mourinho’s first spell as manager, albeit to varying degrees.
In Newcastle’s current squad, it is highly unlikely that anyone will go on to be as influential in a dominant Premier League side as Terry, Lampard and co. were at Chelsea. Therefore, the new owners will virtually have to start from scratch.
Can The Magpies Match Manchester City?
In fairness, few could have predicted before Sheikh Mansour’s Manchester City takeover in 2008 that Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart, Pablo Zabaleta and Micah Richards would form an essential part of a title-winning unit under Roberto Mancini by 2012.
Captain Fantastic Kompany would lead the team to more glory under Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola, but he was signed in the dying days of Thaksin Shinawatra’s ownership. For all that could be said about Shinawatra, City were far more ambitious even under him than Newcastle under Ashley. Even City’s current owners, therefore, did not start entirely from scratch.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations were introduced by UEFA in 2010 and pose another obstacle to Newcastle’s plans. However, City were not the finished article by then but have since been able to exploit loopholes in order to continue their almost unfettered spending, as have French counterparts Paris Saint-Germain.
Furthermore, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has revealed that they are considering a new set of rules, which means that Newcastle could possibly be in the clear.
According to The Guardian, a “restructure by stealth” is more likely at Newcastle than an “instant splurge” under the current conditions. This seems reasonable not only due to FFP, but also the fact that we are in October with the British summer transfer window well behind us. Furthermore, as City discovered when they finished 10th in 2008/09, big-name signings do not immediately guarantee success.
It does not seem unreasonable to speculate that Newcastle will take action in the January transfer window to arrest the club’s slide, which may be largely curtailed simply by the sense of optimism the controversial takeover has brought to the club.
However, for now, they are still very much in a regulation dogfight, and perhaps more so than ever, manager Steve Bruce should be fearing for his job.
While it is likely that the Magpies will survive the drop at the very least, winning the Premier League within two years like Chelsea — or four as Manchester City did — will be more difficult now than it was in decades past.
Bundesliga
10 Matches To Bet On This Weekend
F1 News & Updates
Belgian Grand Prix Review
F1 News & Updates
F1: Hungarian Grand Prix Preview And Predictions
F1 News & Updates
Austrian Grand Prix Review – Verstappen and Perez Shine in Spielberg
International And Local Golf News And Tournaments
Podcast: US Open Golf Betting Preview
