The collapse of the Saudi-led £300m bid may bring an end to uncertainty for Steve Bruce but also stirs up uncomfortable memories for their long-suffering supportersThe past four months have provided Newcastle United supporters with a crash course in geopolitics and left Mike Ashley clutching a £17m non-refundable deposit.Right now neither offers much consolation for the crushing loss of hope and opportunity stemming from the collapse of the club’s proposed Saudi Arabian-led takeover. Related: Newcastle have had a narrow escape and may realise that in the fullness of time | Jonathan Liew Related: Saudi Arabia appeals against WTO ruling in twist to Newcastle takeover bid Continue reading...
Only when a new owner buys out the hated Mike Ashley will the club’s fans appreciate the Saudi Arabia deal was not the one they needed to hitch themselves toPut the cans back in the fridge. Take down the Kylian Mbappé poster from your bedroom wall. Quietly delete the Saudi Arabia flag from your Twitter handle. Yes, the end is nigh for one of English football’s most unlikely summer romances. Boy meets sovereign wealth fund. Boy loses sovereign wealth fund over television piracy issues. Boy pockets £17m deposit. A tale as old as time itself.Of course, you don’t need to be a professional satirist to spot the heavy irony in Saudi Arabia’s bid for Newcastle United being thwarted by due...
Neither the Newcastle forward nor Burnley goalkeeper will want pity but their crises in confidence have made them shadows of their former selvesSeventeen minutes into Newcastle’s win over Sheffield United, Joelinton ran on to a through ball from Miguel Almirón. As he reached the box, three options were open: to use his left foot; to jab a finish with the outside of his right, probably in at the near post or through the keeper’s legs; or to open his body in the style of Thierry Henry and bend it right-footed in at the far post.In the end his attempt appeared some horrible amalgam of the latter two and he scuffed a shot that reached Dean Henderson – just – on...
After a three-month hiatus, some players are in desperate need of a successful end to the seasonEven before a lockdown during which he received a stern talking to from Arsenal for standing too close to his valet and then appearing to inhale nitrous oxide from a balloon, this has been a challenging campaign for Lacazette. After entering it as Arsenal’s player of the season, an early ankle injury stripped his confidence bare. His struggles in front of goal led to a nine-game drought until February, made worse by the fact that his presence shifted Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to the flank. This seems like an important opportunity for him to return with a clean slate and provide Mikel Arteta with some enthusiasm...
Hope of a ticket was fading when I was spirited into Anfield pretending to be a TV technician to watch a thrillerI have never been one for obsessing about what view I have of a match. Just being able to see the pitch is enough. If I cared deeply enough I would not have chosen to have a season ticket miles from the action at the back of the Kop but for me atmosphere and who I want to be with has always been more important than the vantage point.So perhaps it’s strange that I should choose this game as my favourite as I was not on the Kop next to my dad or with any other official Liverpool fans...