Source: Telegraph
Mike Ashley 'is the man' to fix Newcastle United
Ashley was defended by his allies after he found himself in the firing line today after Wigan chairman Whelan renewed hostilities with his business rival by launching a vicious personal attack on the Sports Direct founder and Premier League foe.
Whelan claimed that Wigan manager Steve Bruce would never work for Ashley despite his Tyneside roots and insisted that his fellow sports retail tycoon's lack of class by wearing a replica shirt in the boardroom was dragging Newcastle down into the Championship.
Related ArticlesWhelan: Bruce will stay Hughton: No player unrest Investors make an exception for JJB Newcastles unlikely lad Mike Ashley calls shots JD Sports takes stake in rival Wigan chairman Dave Whelan pours scorn on Mike Ashleys regime at Newcastle United But a key ally of Ashley's insisted that JJB founder Whelan's criticism was way off the mark and was little more than a PR offensive that would be shrugged off by the Newcastle proprietor who bought the club for £134 million in the summer of 2007.
"Mike went in there to sort out Newcastle. It was in a bad way financially when he bought it and he has sorted out the financial side and it is going to take him time to sort out the playing side," Ashley's associate told Telegraph Sport.
"It would be interesting to consider what would have happened if he had not bought it because the business side of it was clearly in financial difficulties.
"So he has saved the club financially and clearly sorting out the football side is taking longer than sorting out the financial side."
"As for the replica shirt jibe, I think that Mike would feel that if people are going to go to football matches they should wear their football shirts if they so wish and that wearing a shirt and a tie to football matches is something that should be confined to the last century."
The tone of Whelan's criticism may have seemed harsh but they seem unlikely to trouble Ashley.
"I think Mike will just take it all with a big pinch of salt because Dave Whelan is going to be competing with him in the retail world again," the associate added. "I just think Mike will laugh it off quite frankly.
He certainly won't be taking his comments seriously.
"They are old sparring partners and I suspect the he is commenting on the Newcastle business because those guys are about to re-enter competition on sports retailing because Dave Whelan has just bought back the fitness clubs business of JJB.
"Dave used to own JJB which is the principal competitor of Sports Direct which has been a lot more successful than JJB over the last ten years or so.
So he might still be feeling a bit bruised because of that.
"It's no coincidence that the timing of his comments on Mike have reminded people that he is back in the sports retailing ring." Newcastle are currently languishing in the relegation zone and have just eight games to protect their Premier League status, starting with Chelsea's visit to the North-East a week on Saturday.
Caretaker manager Chris Hughton has been in charge of first-team affairs since manager Joe Kinnear underwent triple heart bypass surgery last month.
Ashley has resisted dressing room calls to appoint a more senior figure to steer the club out of trouble in Kinnear's absence.
