Though it might not strike recent memories, Newcastle once found themselves in the greats of English football and arguably still are. There is however no doubt about their significance in English football history as the Magpies have just spent 3 seasons out of the top flight. In all, the 'Toons' have participate in English topflight football 89 times amassing a total of 14 trophies in their very coveted history; only 8 British teams have a more impressive count.
The club’s most successful era came in the early 90's where they won three out of their four premiership titles and a league cup. The turn of the new century clearly brought good omen to the club but undoubtedly Andy Aitken and his boys served the Toons well.
The next turn of major events for the magpies would come ironically at the end of the century as they signed the most prolific English man to ever grace the game. Alan Shearer signed for Newcastle in 1996 in a world record deal which summed up to fifteen million euros after which he led the team to two consecutive FA cup finals in 1998 and 1999. Shearer would continue to become the all time leading scorer for Newcastle scoring 206 goals for the Magpies; 49 with his head. He currently has the highest tally in Premiership history with 260 goals but for St James, the image of
the late Garry Speed delivering a cross for an Alan Shearer header would long
stay in their minds.
It's 2021 and the Newcastle faithfuls can't help but feel ecstatic about what the future
holds for them. The Saudi Arabian Public Investment fund just splashed $409
million to purchase what is a very prestigious club in English football with even bigger plans of making it an elite club by 2030. Glares of hope,
spectacles of promises, ambitions loom large after Eddie Howe is brought in to
steady the ship before what might be the biggest investment in recent times
arrives in the summer. In all the deal seems like a fresh start, but is it all that it seems to be?
A little over a year ago the first attempt by the Saudi Investment group to take over the Premiership club was immediately rejected by the Premiership. Back then the prospects were also tantalizing similar to now but the one thing the premiership wouldn't compromise on was morality. Newcastle confirmed in a statement released by the club that the bid was rejected because of piracy of matches which included Premiership matches in the said country and the states human rights record. It is for similar reason that Abramovic can not enter the UK even though he owns a club in its capital, "STANDARDS". Now that the deal has gone through however the biggest elephant in the room remains “what exactly changed a year afterwards”?
It would appear as if the biggest driver for this deal is money. Not only does this deal make the Magpies the club with the richest owners, it gives them the wealthiest owner by a mile. The net worth of the closest person (Sheikh Mansour) is $31 billion which means that the Saudi Public Investment Fund is more than a 100 times richer with a net worth of $434 billion.
Now enough money talk, exactly why are the Saudi's unqualified for the takeover? The Saudi's have an infamous record of unsubstantiated crimes which make them a little unpopular in European parts. Coupling that with the overuse of the death penalty it would seem that they aren't what we'll say an exact match for ownership in England.This is well summarized by the banner in the Allianz arena in Bayern's home game against Freiburg; "FOR MONEY WE WASH EVERYTHING CLEAN". Just how long will football continue to compromise?
That aside the new owners have a hearty job to do in order to achieve their target of driving the Magpies to greatness. The best examples to thread their ways are the stories of Chelsea and Manchester City; fellow English clubs who have achieved what they hope to pursue. In Chelsea's system after the takeover one could not help but notice how important their academy has been to their success both on the field and economically. Currently in the premiership Trevoh Challobah, Tino Livramento, Hudson Odoi and Conor Gallagher prove how pivotal it would be for the Magpie's to look into their academy.
With City we've seen how fine sporting structures; the Etihad sports complex, their sporting director(Txiki Begirstain) and other key football personnel steered the club's money into outmost productivity. Hiring of world class coaches from Roberto Mancini to Pep Guardiola the Cityzens kept adding on to quality. The signing of Carlos Tevez from rivals Manchester United as a statement of intent and a host of other deals that took them from the noisy neighbors to a respectable club. In every footballing decision City's hierarchy pulled through and this should guide Newcastle.
It is also inevitable for the new owners to look at a different manager assuming Eddie Howe succeeds in calming the storms. A number of managers would be eligible for this very essential job. Paulo Fonseca, Frank Lampard, Brendan Rodgers, Lucien Favre and Unai Emery. The last time we saw Howe in the Premiership his Bournemouth ship sank with all its key performers; Nathan Ake, Josh King and Callum Wilson who now reunites with his boss. With that being said it might be time for "Good Ebening" to dust his boards from the ceramic parts of Spain and prepare for a Premiership comeback as he is the forerunner for the job. In Emery's opening years in Seville which was marked by 3 consecutive Europa league wins, we saw a blend of economic sensibility and youth systems which were championed by Emery himself and the very famous Monchi. Without a doubt Unai is the best choice amongst those available.
In the mean time Newcastle would need reinforcement if they are to avoid relegation. You can't help but notice Eden Hazard's absence in Ancelotti's Los Blancos side. As the record Spanish champions have made clear intentions of offloading the Belgian from their wage bill, the Magpies might just be in luck. Phillipe Coutinho is also unhappy reportedly as the Spanish giants rebuild under Xavi. Surely these two superstars with tremendous Premiership experience can hold down the fort till summer.
The eyes of the whole world would be on the Magpies next summer. As to whether or not this would be a successful endeavor, one can definitely not tell. But with a superabundance of funds, possibility aligns with the magpies in every passing window. For sure the next step would be interesting.
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