Ashley's latest gamble further tightens purse strings

Oct 15 2009 by Mark Douglas, The Journal

Trying to function without a transfer budget is folly given the threadbare nature of Newcastle’s squad, argues Mark Douglas

It is a rookie partnership, but it may be good enough. Should anything befall either of them, Tamas Kadar and Ben Tozer are the next cabs off the rank – and their performances in the Carling Cup suggest they are not ready for the cut and thrust of second-tier football.

Make no mistake, Newcastle are top of the Championship – but their occupation of the division’s summit is precarious. Scratch away at the season so far and it is obvious their campaign has been far from flawless.

Even with their full-strength side they have been made to work by limited opponents, and there have been several acknowledgements by senior players that more manpower is required to get United over the line.

It makes it even more crucial that the long and unwieldy takeover process finally reaches a satisfactory conclusion before the January transfer window opens.

Those close to the deal are continuing to make optimistic noises about firm progress over the next fortnight, but it has been that way for over a year now with no sign of Ashley’s grip on United loosening. An indication of the confusion that continues to cloud the process is that the latest foreign consortium to declare an interest has bypassed Seymour Pierce and gone straight to Ashley to talk sums.

While they continue to dawdle, United’s good start is under threat. Hughton has already sacrificed the club’s Carling Cup ambitions for fear of suffering further injuries – it is unlikely his attitude to the FA Cup will be any different. It is a small price to pay for league success – but Ashley’s latest gamble means there are no guarantees on that front either.