Cardiff City manager Neil Warnock insists Newcastle United have strengthened their team over the summer.
Cardiff City boss Neil Warnock believes Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley is an easy target and claims the Magpies are a better side than last season, as he prepares his side to face them.
Cardiff host Newcastle on Saturday afternoon in the Premier League and their manager has suggested the criticism that is waved at Ashley is slightly over the top.
Ashley is an unpopular figure with supporters at St James’ Park, who believe there should have been huge investments over the summer in the transfer window.
Manager Rafael Benitez managed to add some fresh faces to the squad, but the club record transfer fee remains the £16.8million they paid for Michael Owen back in 2005.
Warnock has insisted that Newcastle have improved during the summer following on from a 10th-placed finish last season.
“If you look at their squad and their players, they’ve improved from last year and they finished 10th last year,” Warnock said in his pre-match press conference, as quoted by Wales Online.
“So I don’t know how much more they could improve. I think that’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and I think Mike Ashley is an easy target, ‘let’s blame him’.”
Newcastle suffered an opening day defeat at home to Tottenham and will be desperate to bounce back away at Cardiff, who are expected to be battling relegation.
Benitez has the option to field some new players at the weekend, with Ki Sung-Yueng, Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto all starting on the bench for the clash with Spurs.
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