This afternoon, the widow of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi has released the statement she’s now sent to the Premier League, urging them to reconsider in light of a potential Saudi-backed takeover at St James’ Park.
You may be wondering ‘why is this relevant?’, however Saudi PIF chief Mohammed Bin Salman has long since been accused of making the order for Khashoggi’s assassination in 2018.
It’s a serious matter and hugely sensitive subject for Hatice Cengiz – Khashoggi’s grieving widow – yet some of the responses I’ve seen from Newcastle fans in reaction to her latest tweet (which includes the statement she’s sent to the Premier League) are absolutely disgusting and inhumane.
“Sorry for your loss pet, now shove off“….”Keep on moaning, he’ll get what he wants” are a few of many examples, along with groups mocking her for the odd spelling error. I mean come on..
If you’re a Newcastle fan slating a grieving woman seeking justice all because you’re scared of her impacting a Newcastle United takeover, you need to take a serious look at yourself and think before you type.
This isn’t an anti-Newcastle article, so please don’t call me an undercover Mackem or suggest I’m supporting the derailment of a takeover by defending her.
We all want this takeover to happen, but if you let your desperation for a deal cloud your judgement on such a sensitive matter then you can’t complain about the criticism we’ll face should this Saudi-backed deal go through.
One thing that must be said is that those who are responding awfully to the above post do NOT represent your every day Newcastle United fan. Sadly, though, there’s idiots in every fanbase and Twitter gives so many the perfect platform to show their true colours with no repercussions.
The worst part of it is how disgusting it is to see our own fans reacting so inhumanely, but the knock-on effect of how it makes us look as a fanbase is also infuriating.
I don’t think it will stop the takeover – and I don’t think it should based on my belief that so many Billionaire owners in the Premier League will have their own dirty laundry if the Premier League decided to dig deep enough – but we’re not going to come out of this looking good if we don’t even bother listen to the issues being raised surrounding the Saudis.
If you want to rant at Richard Keys and BeIN Sports for their last ditch efforts to block this deal – that’s great – but the siege mentality against serious and sensitive issues that are rightfully being brought up needs to stop.
Eric – our forwards have had their fair share of chances this season mate. It’s not been for the lack of creating chances – it’s been p!ss poor finishing from ASM, and in particular Joel and Miggy.
Miggy really lacks composure in front of goal and I’ve often thought he’d suit a 4-3-3 formation – I’d play him left of the midfield 3. His work rate and dribbling skills seem suited to a slightly deeper role in the PL.
If he is going to stay more advanced, he’s going to have to work on his finishing and keeping a cool head in front of goal.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Our forwards have not had their “fair share of chances”. Look at the stats. Almiron has been an auxiliary right back all year. We have scored 25 goals in 29 games. Every time we try to attack it is from OUR 30 yard line with no back up.
We play a 9-0-1 formation. apart from when we play 3rd division teams.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Was lovely watching that again, what a team we had.
KIMTOON(Quote)
Every stat/metric says we have had the fewest chances in the league.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Much more handsome than that Man U team as well 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Schmeickle was bit of a troll. Dennis Irwin 🙂 How bad must Ryan Giggs’s brother have looked if his brother’s ex-wife played away with that.
Hairier?
Scholes. A real beauty. Nicky **** 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Forgot Phil Neville, although I am not sure he played in that game.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
They actually were the ugliest team EVER to play football. In terms of looks.
If only they had Ian Dowie and John Hartson as subs.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yep they had some horrors, just put together my UGLIEST PL 11:
Schmeichel
G Nev Ferdinand Phil Jones Dennis Irwin
Paul Scholes GNev
Giggs Rooney Tevez Norman Whiteside
Eric Sykes(Quote)
PNev.
Made a mistake in the midfield.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Have to agree with Eric. We didn’t really create too many chances and are in the bottom of the pile in the PL when it comes to that. One of my gripes was we attacked one at a time and attacked from our own half most of the time. Was very negative.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart, mate. It was 9-0-1 all of the time. Couldn’t even tell if JoeLinton was any good or not because he never had any support.
I think we have decent players – Miggy n St max anyway. It is really hard to tell though because of the way Brucie had us set up.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Stuart, mate:
It was always 5 on the 18 yard box and then fckn 4 at 30 yards and hoof it to Joelinton or let Miggy and St Max try to take on 3 players.
It was desperate for almost all of this season.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I think we have good defenders as well.
The problem is that if you let the other team put you under pressure for 80 minutes every single game that they will crack sometimes.
I am shocked it hasn’t happened more often.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Repeating myself.
Repeating myself!
but it is worth repeating.
9-0-1
Misusing players like Miggy and St Max.
Have good centre halfs.
Can we really tell if JoeLinton is any good or not if he is always isolated?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
For the record.
I think JoeLinton is not that good but I would love to be proved wrong.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
And Rafa wasn’t that much better for all you Rafa lovers.
8-0-2
And we should never have gotten relegated. He had enough games.
We were the best team EVER to be relegated. Gini, Sissoko, Andros. We were the best team ever to be relegated and nobody. NOBODY. Puts that on Rafa.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I see Barcelona have put Coutinho and Dembele available for part exchange deal. Wonder if we could tempt them to take Atsu in exchange.
Stuart79(Quote)
Eric – I know the stats mate, we had very little possession in every game we played. I know our chance created stats will be poor coz you don’t create chances if the opposition have the ball.
But each of our forwards have some of the worst conversion stats in the league too. The chances they did have they didn’t score.
Forget stats and trust your eyes. I can’t think of a good 5/6 sitters that Joelinton and Miggy missed.
You can’t be disputing that neither are clinical?!.
Miggy missed chances under Rafa too don’t forget.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu – don’t go too big too soon mate, you’ll leave no room to barter!!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
So Steve Nickson has been brought back off furlough by the club. Why? He shouldn’t have been sacked.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sharpy: you and Stuart don’t disagree that often. Just on the main and side issues and some in between.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Does anything ever make any sense at NUFC? Nickson is back. What does that mean for Bruce? Why would new owners want the scout that brought us Joe and Krafth back? Nothing ever makes any sense at NUFC!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Let’s think the worst,maybe jabba has changed his mind and putting staff back on duty,sure the new crew would want him
Icedog(Quote)
Would not want him
Icedog(Quote)
Still don’t think the sale will happen .
KIMTOON(Quote)
The Daily hateMail are reporting that Declan Rice is up for sale at 70 million. Have any of these teams actually watched him? I don’t know what he is supposed to be good at? The most overrated footballer in the history of football. Jack Wilshere and Jack Rodwell will be considered bargains in comparison.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The new owners better not send Steve Nickson to watch Declan Rice otherwise we have the next Amdy Faye on our books.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I just don’t get Arab clothes. The tea towel with the pot holder thing. Why don’t you just get a hat if you want protection from the sun. The British were there for like 200 years so they must have seen hats.
And the white long dresses that the men wear. That is just totally impractical. What happens when you need to go to the toilet. I have been to Egypt and a lot of their toilets are just holes it the ground. You would have to be pulling that long dress up over your head to make sure it is not dunking in p!ss. Again, they must have seen shorts and long pants.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Careful Eric. As well as the funny dress they can also read these days!
georgio(Quote)
Practicality is very subjective Eric. When you are walking or riding camels through desert when average temperatures are 40deg C +, then loose fitting highly reflective cotton clothing is rather more comfortable, cool and practical than jeans/trousers and shirt. There is always a good cultural reason behind any traditional dress…
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Eric – do you know anything about Henry Mauriss who is waiting in the wings to buy NUFC if the Saudi deal fails.?
sidekick(Quote)
It wasn’t meant as any cultural slur.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Never heard of him. But he has ties to NBC which has the PL rights over here. It would sort of make sense as the 2026 WC is here and this would be a good time to ramp up football coverage.
American Football and Golf are unwatchable over here because of ads. They split the screen in half for some commercial breaks and show the game on one side and ads for car insurance on the other. I really hope they don’t do this for the WC. So far, they cram all of the ads into a 30 minute pre-game show and the half time break for “soccer”.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Thanks Eric, – I was just concerned that he could be another Ellis Short.
Let’s be honest , we all want to follow the Man City route and certainly not the Mackem one.
sidekick(Quote)
good point mate
icedog(Quote)
I am still trying to get my head around whether to support this takeover. bin Salmon has pretty much admitted that his people committed the murder of that journalist although he denies giving the order. The fiancée’s lawyer has gone back to the PL today. 2 wrongs don’t make a right but is this any worse than other world leaders? Wasn’t Putin a Captain in the KGB? Bush and Blair killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people when they invaded Iraq calling it collateral damage. Should they be allowed to buy a football team?
I suppose you can put a human face on one journalist from the Washington Post so it makes it more relatable than a million faceless Iraqis.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
The US also went in and killed Osama bin Laden without a trial. Is Obama a tyrant for doing that? Politics is so complicated. I wish we could keep it out of sport but I think I will still support NUFC no matter who the owner is.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
https://www.themag.co.uk/2020/04/after-trying-to-block-newcastle-takeover-bein-sports-boss-now-faces-trial-in-tv-rights-corruption-case-newcstle-united/
Shamrock(Quote)
I see Pardew has left Den Haag after a record of 6 points from 24 during his short stint in Holland.
Shamrock(Quote)
Gets stranger by the day but it might shut Keys up! Doubt it though. I wonder what he has against NUFC and how he has convinced Andy Gray to go along?
Corruption, FIFA, really!!! You don’t say 🙂
Why would the beIN sports chairman open up this can of worms by calling out NUFC when he knows they are all as bad as each other?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well well, can of worms there like.
KIMTOON(Quote)
It’s come to light tonight that BeIN’s real concern is that Saudi Arabia are going to compete for the overseas tv rights of the PL approve the takeover. That was always on the cards regardless. The PL have a better chance of solving the piracy issue with KSA actually owning a PL club as it’s in their interest to get the highest amount.
Anyway, I think by the end of the week we will be there.
Stuart79(Quote)
This idiot Keiran McGuire who The Chronic use as one of their “financial experts” is now saying that Spurs are the wealthiest club in the PL. Last year he said we were worth 200 mil and that was before CV-19. Where do they find these people?
His reasoning is that Spurs got to the CL final and have a shiny new stadium. I have news for him, if Spurs get to the CL final again in my lifetime I will buy a Sunderland top in one of Fatty’s tat shops. They also have a mortgage of 600 million on the stadium that came in about 300 million over budget.
Most of the Spurs squad have gone down in value as well and not just from CV-19. Harry Kane is probably the only one to have increased but the longer he stays there the older he gets (Eric said stating the obvious). They were talking 100 mil for Deli Alli 18 moths ago. I would be shocked if they could get 50.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Most people are wearing masks in my neighbourhood now in Chicago. But before they totally kill the economy have they considered, yearly deaths in the US from:
Road Accidents = 37,000
Smoking related = 480,000
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I don’t see any problem with speculating about who we will buy. There are only really 2 stories in football right now: if and when the major leagues will resume, and our takeover. You can talk Pogba to PSG or Kane to Man U but nothing is happening there until the leagues resume. Plus I don’t care 🙂
I reckon we will have a lot more money than people are predicting. We can get a new kit deal and shirt sponsorship deal and even a stadium sponsorship deal pretty quickly and for lots more money than now.
The FFP rules are over a 3 year period so if you are smart and don’t leave a paper/e-mail trail I think you can work around these.
Plus, we know what the sanctions are. A crappy transfer ban for Chelsea – after 18 years of Abramovich ownership, and exclusion from Europe for Man City after 12 years of Mansour ownership. No points deductions, so the rules do not have teeth if you get to where you want to be in 3 years.
I am sure there will be Saudi companies lining up to sponsor us and if Bin Salmon is smart he will just do it with a nudge and a wink. No secret meetings and e-mails please!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Cannot see how the season can continue, would suit us if they cancelled it too as we are still not safe. It would be very newcastle to get new wealthy owners and get relegated . 🙄
How committed would Bruce be knowing he’s probably out on his ear at end of season ? likewise a few players must know they will be on their way out. Then there is the fitness issue to consider .
KIMTOON(Quote)
I agree Kim. The season should be called off. With other leagues cancelling their seasons, I don’t see how the CL or UEFA cup can continue.
The fairest thing to do would be to cancel all top leagues and European comps then start fresh next season.
So CL and UEFA cup qualifiers would be whoever qualified last time out. **** for Liverpool but don’t see how to tidy up the wider mess if all leagues don’t do the same thing.
Shamrock(Quote)
I am conflicted everyday about the season and what to do. Either void it or finish the season with average points. But the more I see the harder I see it being to finish it. How can they protect the players and their families? Only way is to totally quarantine everybody who would be involved in match day and that would need to be for the full six weeks. Plus everybody would need testing every couple of days. No other way.
Stuart79(Quote)
NEW THREAD
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2020/04/27/the-powerful-picture-that-perfectly-sums-up-mike-ashleys-soul-sucking-spell-at-sjp/
Wrote this a few days ago and it seemed fitting now we approach the final few days of the miserable Mike Ashley era..
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
Yes, no need for personal insults. I certainly get the feeling though that she’s being manipulated by others. And you have to ask why is this takeover the first time that awful act has been used to try to stop something Saudis have been purchasing ?
And why are the Chronicle pushing it ?
Basileus(Quote)