Newcastle fans told to forget about Saudi takeover & focus on Steve Bruce by former Mag

The takeover saga brings many stresses but, for me, one of the most frustrating parts of it is people who really don’t have anything to do with us (save a short spell at the end of their career…) telling us how we should feel, as Newcastle United fans, about the takeover and our club.

John Barnes has become another name in a long list of people who I would rather keep their mouth shut about our club.

I’m all for different opinions and takes but when it becomes absolute ignorant nonsense, I have no time for it.

Here’s what he had to say in a recent interview:

“A takeover would be a turning point for any club if someone comes in with loads of money.

“They’ve been talking about a takeover for many years and it hasn’t happened, so they have to stop thinking about a takeover.

“If it does happen, they can assess it then, but they can’t look too far into the future.

“Steve Bruce is the right man to take them forward and what they need is harmony.

“They need togetherness until the club is sold.

“They have to support the manager. If they keep having problems and fans are booing, that’s not going to help the players and the manager.

“As much as they have their reasons for not liking the owner, that is not going to help the club.

“Until he [Ashley] sells, support them. When you’re there for 90 minutes, support the team.”

Addressing his first point, I’m sure it’s very easy for someone in his position, whose main affiliation is with a very powerful and successful team, to say “Stop thinking about a takeover” but it doesn’t work like that.

Believe me, I would love to stop thinking about a takeover and I actively try not to get drawn into all the news and rumours currently surrounding it, but to suggest that we “stop thinking” about it is ridiculous.

To stop thinking about a takeover, about a change, is accepting Mike Ashley as our owner and accepting the mediocrity he shoves down our throats every season.

To stop thinking about a takeover, is accepting that roughly £10 million is an acceptable budget for an established Premier League side.

To stop thinking about a takeover, is accepting that replacing an ambitious manager like Rafa Benitez with a perennial loser like Steve Bruce is a fine thing to do.

I don’t want to and I will not accept those things.

Let’s ignore the fact that Barnes has fabricated this idea that fans are constantly booing when we’ve been in lockdown for a long time and look at the preposterous assertion that “Steve Bruce is the right man to take them forward”…

In what world could Steve Bruce take us forward? We all know the numbers and statistics of Bruce’s reign and they’re not fun reading.

Even the most ardent Bruce supporter (Alex Bruce maybe?) would struggle to explain how Bruce has the managerial chops to take us “forward”.

The best I could compliment I could give Bruce is that he might, possibly, if everything goes perfectly well for us, keep us still…

The last point from Barnes is just inane drivel. Who is he to say that our fighting against Ashley’s ownership haven’t finally resulted in him decided to leave?

If anything, I’ve wanted us to go in harder with our fight against Ashley but unfortunately there are people out there who sympathise with him and buy into the lie that he has saved us from oblivion.

I can tell you now, Barnes, that if we all sat back and accepting the Ashley regime then we wouldn’t be seeing a takeover on the horizon because he would have his money-making scheme on lockdown and he would be very pleased with himself.

4 thoughts on “Newcastle fans told to forget about Saudi takeover & focus on Steve Bruce by former Mag

  1. Toon:
    So until racism is sorted there’s no point going on about it then John?

    Possibly the stupidest comparison ever ??

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  2. When John Barnes came to our club he was way past his sell by date, wasn’t even all that good except for one fluke of a dribble against Brazil.
    He knows diddly squat about the area and even less about management or ownership of any club never mind Newcastle, should stick to his takeaways and realise how lucky he has been with his career.
    If Kevin Keegan had said this it may have carried more weight.

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  3. Well said mate. Barnes knows nothing about Newcastle United and should keep his opinions to himself.

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