The dark clouds have gathered over Newcastle United once again this week.
Rafa Benitez’s future at Newcastle is reportedly in doubt after Magpies owner Mike Ashley walked away from a potential deal with Amanda Staveley this week labelling her bid a ‘waste of time’.
Staveley’s Middle East investment fund PCP Capital Partners have been involved in protracted negotiations with Ashley since November.
But the owner has lost patience and pulled the plug, casting doubts over whether Benitez will have money to spend this month as they struggle against relegation.
That has led to an inevitable out pouring of criticism of the already hugely unpopular owner, with fans calling for him to lower his asking price to facilitate the takeover.
Wise urged fans to see the bigger picture and insists everything Ashley does is in the best interests of Newcastle United.
“People have to realise what Mike Ashley is about and I don’t think they do,” Wise told The Debate.
“He won’t allow that football club to go to anyone. I think he wants to know that the next person who takes over that football club is going to take it forward.
“He could probably do a deal with someone really cheaply and get rid of it and get rid of the hassle that he gets time after time or he can make sure that it goes to someone who he thinks will move that football club forward and I think that’s Mike for you, he’s that type of person.
“You have to realise he put money into that football club when it had quite a bit of debt, I think a quarter of a billion pounds he put into that football club to make sure there was no debt and buy it, he put his money where his mouth is there, he runs it in structured manner because he doesn’t want that football club to get in the same situation as it did before where it owes money.
“The fans don’t accept him, he knows that, but one thing he won’t do is allow that football club to go to someone he doesn’t think will be able to take that forward.”
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