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Karren Brady calls Kevin Keegan ‘bitter’ and she says ‘Hard to understand’ Newcastle fans feelings for Mike Ashley

5 years ago
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Karren Brady has been making her mouth go about events at Newcastle United, again.

Very difficult to understand why anybody would think it is a good thing have a high up official of a Premier League club (Vice-Chairman of West Ham), commenting on what is going on at rival clubs in a national newspaper column.

Also, you would think she would have her hands full dealing with the shambles and circus that has been West Ham in recent times.

The trouble is as well, Karren Brady seems to forget what she has said in the past (see below), which is always a danger when you are writing for The Sun and just constantly trying to get attention.

In her latest column she has written ‘Former boss and Toon hero Kevin Keegan goes further. He says Ashley has created an “empire of harm” but, hey, sometimes when you lose your job, you can be bitter.’

What a pathetic line to take. Kevin Keegan is the shining light for Newcastle United, both as a player and manager, somebody who obviously cares deeply about the club and fans. Somebody who gave it yet another go in 2008, only to be lied to and forced to take legal action against Mike Ashley, winning his constructive dismissal case and awarded £2m. Kevin Keegan knows the score and Mike Ashley has indeed created an ’empire of harm’, Newcastle now very likely heading for a third relegation under the owner in these last nine PL seasons.

As for Mike Ashley, Karren Brady says ‘Feelings for owner Mike Ashley are close to unprintable, though it is hard to understand why? The man has invested £250million into the club for goodness’ sake and still most Magpie fans regard him as an outsider…’

When she says ‘invested £250million’, most of that is money he spent buying the club, whilst the disaster he is making of Newcastle United is increasingly shocking.

Indeed, Karren Brady herself wrote (see below) back in 2015:

“How different from Mike Ashley, who appears to be going through the motions like a marriage with Newcastle, that both bores and irritates him.

“Owning a club is a business but, more than that, it is a responsibility to the community, fans and the game itself.

“Only Mike Ashley knows how many of those tests he thinks he passes.”

After Rafa Benitez won promotion in May 2017, Karren Brady wrote ‘In Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, he has the west (ED: ‘vast’?) financial means to give the Premier League a real go next year.’

Instead we are at a point now whereby Newcastle United have made a significant profit on transfers under Rafa Benitez and yesterday the club confirmed on Friday that Mike Ashley has taken money OUT of the club in recent months, rather than it being spent on players in the summer.

In the summer Karren Brady’s West Ham backed their manager with around £100m in the transfer market, a net spend of around £80m+, at the same time Mike Ashley insisted on a profit of £20m+ on transfer dealings, then has taken an unspecified amount of cash OUT.

Yes, difficult to see why Newcastle fans aren’t too happy with Mike Ashley…

Karren Brady writing in The Sun today (Saturday 6 October 2018):

‘THIS PAIR REALLY ARE MOAN UNITED Manchester United’s Jose Mourinho and Newcastle’s Rafa Benitez are the two biggest moaners in the Premier League

They are both spectacular managers but when things aren’t going their way, the pair make sure everyone knows about it

Yet the ghastly choir of discontent at Manchester United has a daily target in Mourinho, while there are stirrings of anxiety around Newcastle chief Benitez.

The best news on Tyneside is that Newcastle are not bottom of the league. But they are 18th, winless, with just four goals from seven games.

The affection for “Rafa” is as strong as for any manager in the country.

Feelings for owner Mike Ashley are close to unprintable, though it is hard to understand why?

The man has invested £250million into the club for goodness’ sake and still most Magpie fans regard him as an outsider, a Home Counties product with no interest in their club other than to sell it at a profit (he wishes I’m sure!).

Former boss and Toon hero Kevin Keegan goes further. He says Ashley has created an “empire of harm” but, hey, sometimes when you lose your job, you can be bitter.

Like Mourinho, Benitez is a bit of a moaner. He grumbled consistently that Liverpool’s Tom Hicks/George Gillett ownership was mean with transfer cash, a practice he has loud-hailed in the North East.

Ashley seems immune to his appeals and it is fair to say that a man who can bargain down the administrators of the House of Fraser to £90m is not going to pay that much for a striker.’

Karren Brady – 28 October 2017:

“Rafa Benitez went to St James Park understanding far more clearly than his employer that the Toon are a tiger waiting to be unleashed.

“Mike Ashley the gambler was initially tempted by the huge potential of the club.

“But Ashley the businessman admits he has not been able to work out how to operate the intricate internal machinery that makes one up.

“Rafa’s management skills are responsible for Ashley’s windfall and he now has a fair chance of transforming Newcastle into one of the few clubs with the support and profile to challenge the very best.

“A guaranteed 52,000 home crowd will be a warming prospect to potential buyers with sound ideas and an even sounder wallet….only billionaires need apply.”

Karren Brady – 12 May 2017:

“Championship champions Newcastle are lucky to have Rafa Benitez as manager and the 57-year-old is lucky to have Newcastle with their huge and deeply loyal following.

“I sense Benitez is happy at a club with a similar working-class character to Liverpool where he is still regarded with much affection, not least for winning the Champions League.

“In Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley, he has the west (ED: ‘vast’?) financial means to give the Premier League a real go next year.

“Mike talked about ‘making your own luck’ but in football you also need a good manager and great players.

“He has at least one of these ingredients. And in my experience the rest follows – as long as you have a big cheque book, which Mike certainly has.”

Karren Brady – April 2015:

“David Gold says that there’s no chance of he and co-owner David Sullivan selling West Ham.

“How different from Mike Ashley, who appears to be going through the motions like a marriage with Newcastle, that both bores and irritates him.

“Owning a club is a business but, more than that, it is a responsibility to the community, fans and the game itself.

“Only Mike Ashley knows how many of those tests he thinks he passes.”

Karren Brady – May 2015:

“Rarely is it thought necessary for a club captain, in this case centre-back Fabricio Coloccini, to issue a letter apologising for the way the team have been playing, pleading with fans to unite behind them for the last three matches.

“I think someone at the top must have had a brainwave and whistled up the club captain to do it, and probably wrote it for him.”

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