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Mike Ashley left Newcastle United owners with desperate future situation – Today’s Derby hammering another reminder

1 year ago
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Today is a a very definite serious reminder of the absolute mess that Mike Ashley left behind him, for the new Newcastle United owners to inherit.

Mike Ashley over a near decade and a half refused to allow anything close to the minimum needed when it came to spending on the infrastructure, as well as of course ‘staffing’, whether that be on the playing side or business side of Newcastle United.

So that has meant St James Park, the first team training facility, as well as the younger age groups’ facilities, all falling way behind what is needed.

Mike Ashley and minions such as Charnley, Llambias, Bruce and others, all wanted fans to believe that so long as you have some grass and cones, you aren’t at any disadvantage to your rival clubs. Lee Charnley even embarrassingly claiming that there had never been a potential signing negatively influenced in his decision, by the way below par NUFC training facilities.

Numerous times, Mike Ashley, either directly or through one of his minions (Charnley, Llambias etc), would state that the Academy was the way in which Newcastle United could compete, bring local talent through etc etc, as well as the best young players from elsewhere.

Sadly / predictably, this was never ever backed up with proper investment in infrastructure / facilities and the overall coaching set-up.

This isn’t about individual coaches or young players, when it comes to the situation the new Newcastle United owners inherited, it is a total failure from Mike Ashley to in any way allow the club to properly invest in its future.

Well, to sum up just how desperate the youth side is at Newcastle United due to that Mike Ashley neglect…

After yet another horrendous Saturday, the Newcastle United Under 18s will be so grateful that their season is almost over.

The young NUFC side hammered 7-2 at home by of all clubs…Sunderland.

The Newcastle United Under 18s at Little Benton seriously second best, trailing 2-0 and getting some faint hope just before the break with a surprise goal.

Then in the very final seconds of the match, scoring a second, which wasn’t much / any consolation as Sunderland had scored five goals of their own after the break.

This isn’t a one-off either, just the continuation of a season of struggle as it will be a very long process for the new Newcastle United owners to build a proper professional top level set-up, to support the younger age groups.

This is how the Academy (Under 18s) league table (North) now looks this Saturday afternoon:

As you can see, it doesn’t paint a pretty picture. Only off rock bottom on goal difference.

Again, if only a one-off then fair enough, but it has been struggle after struggle thanks to Mike Ashley, last season the Under 18s finished rock bottom of the table, five points adrift, conceding more goals than any other team and scoring less than all others.

When it comes to the Academy, the new Newcastle United owners, they were quite literally having to start off from rock bottom…

This isn’t a one-off either, as most years under Mike Ashley you saw a similar struggle towards the bottom end. All the more galling when you see lower league clubs with clearly better quality youth set ups season after season.

Patience has to be shown and a massive shake up and upgrade will be increasingly put in place for the Academy, essential investment to repair the damage of 14+ years of Mike Ashley.

No surprise to see a very similar position with the Newcastle United Under 21s, they last won a league match on 23 October 2022 and this is how their league table looks on Saturday afternoon.

Just to make clear as well, this is the second division of the Under 21s / Reserves league set up.

Newcastle United under 21s third bottom of the second tier of the reserve leagues, only Championship set-up Stoke and League One set-up Derby are below NUFC.

As I say above, no criticism meant of any individual who is now at the club. This is all down to Mike Ashley and how he dragged the entire club down over that near decade and a half.

This can’t be sorted overnight, especially when you are talking about bringing kids / young players through, it is a situation where you put the right things / investment in place and then in the years ahead you potentially reap the benefits.

A bit of a miracle really that the likes of Sean Longstaff and Elliot Anderson have managed to come through DESPITE the Mike Ashley set-up and now prospering under Eddie Howe and the new Newcastle United owners.

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