Newcastle's Saudi vision is shrouded in bleak suspicion and unfulfilled promises | Jonathan Liew

A bleak future looms over Newcastle United under Saudi ownership. The club's summer spending spree has yielded few tangible benefits, with Nick Woltemade's goal-scoring form drying up and Anthony Elanga struggling to find his footing on the pitch. The £35m signing of Malick Thiaw has been a disaster, with the centre-half consistently making basic errors.

The transfer window that brought in the Saudi investment was shrouded in controversy, conducted without a sporting director and an outgoing chief executive. This lack of oversight has raised questions about the club's decision-making process. Eddie Howe's managerial skills are being stretched to the limit as he tries to stabilize a team that seems listless and uninspired.

But perhaps the real issue is one of expectation. The Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) promised a lavish commitment to football, including a £5.8tn Neom megacity project and a pledge of $1tn in US investments. However, behind the scenes, the PIF is struggling financially, with falling oil revenues and expensive investments that have failed to deliver.

The crown prince's visit to the White House was met with promises of investment, but at what cost? The kingdom's finances are under pressure, and it remains unclear how a lavish commitment to football fits into this picture. Newcastle United fans are already feeling the pinch, with their club's future seemingly hanging in the balance.

One can only hope that things will improve soon. Woltemade finds his shooting boots, or perhaps a run of wins gets the city stirring again. The training ground eventually gets built, and there is finally a new stadium on the bones of the old. But for now, it seems like a bleak future looms over Newcastle United under Saudi ownership.
 
I'm gettin' worried about Newcastle, ya know? They were doin' alright before the Saudi takeover, but now it's all just feelin' a bit off. £35m on Malick Thiaw and he's still makin' mistakes left and right 🤦‍♂️. And don't even get me started on Nick Woltemade's goal-scoring form – what happened to that lad? 😔

I think the biggest problem is the lack of direction, ya know? They went for it big with the Saudi investment without havin' a sporting director in place, and now they're payin' the price. Eddie Howe's doin' his best, but he can't keep up with that pace on his own 🤯.

And what's goin' on behind the scenes? I mean, the PIF is strugglin' financially and all that... it's like they took a loan from one bank to pay off another 🤔. It's not exactly fillin' me with confidence about the future of Newcastle United. Fingers crossed they sort themselves out soon, or we might be seein' some tough times ahead 😬
 
🤔 I gotta say, I'm feeling kinda meh about this whole Saudi takeover thing... Like, I get that they're trying to invest and all, but come on, £35m for Malick Thiaw? 😂 That's some wild cash right there! And don't even get me started on the lack of oversight - it's like they just threw a bunch of money at the problem without thinking about the consequences.

I remember when Newcastle was still under Mike Ashley's ownership... We had our ups and downs, but at least we knew what we were getting ourselves into. But now? It's all just so... uncertain. 🤯 And what's with the whole Neom megacity project? I mean, I guess it sounds cool and all, but is this really where the club's priorities should be? 💸

I'm rooting for Newcastle, man... They've got some talented players, and Eddie Howe's a solid manager. But at the end of the day, it's all about the fans, right? We're the ones who deserve to see some real progress, not just empty promises from the Saudi Public Investment Fund. 🤞
 
I'm so worried about what this means for the future of our beloved football clubs... 🏴️‍🇳 I mean, think about it, when we hand over control to these wealthy investors, we're essentially selling out to the highest bidder. It's like they say in politics - "you get what you pay for" 💸. The lack of oversight is a huge concern, it's like they're making decisions without considering the long-term effects on the team and the fans. And let's be real, who really knows what the Saudi Public Investment Fund is capable of? Are we just going to blindly follow their money and promises? 🤔 It's time for us to take a step back and think about what's best for our clubs and our communities... not just what's best for our bank accounts 💸
 
I'm worried about how much more they can take from us fans... all that money they're throwing around to 'invest' in football just isn't translating into wins 🤔💸. It's not just the signings, it's the whole setup. I mean, where's the sporting director? Who's making these decisions? It's all so transparently shoddy 🙄. And let's be real, we're probably going to get stuck with a subpar team for years to come 😔. Can't help but feel like we're just being used as a marketing tool for their megacity project 🌆💸.
 
This whole situation with Newcastle United just feels like a microcosm of our times 🤔. We see this huge influx of money and resources, but is it really being used to benefit the team or just to prop up a failing business model? The priorities are all wrong, you know? They're more worried about lining their own pockets than about building a sustainable future for the club.

And it's not just Newcastle United, either. I mean, we've got all these billionaires and sovereign wealth funds investing in sports teams like they're commodities or something. It's like we've lost sight of what football is really supposed to be about: community, passion, and connection. Not some lucrative business deal gone wrong 💸.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that this whole thing just feels like a symptom of our broader societal issues. We need to take a step back and ask ourselves what we value most in life. Is it money? Power? Success? Or is it something more meaningful? 🤷‍♂️
 
omg u feel me 🤦‍♂️? its like they think they can just waltz in here with all this $$$ and expect everything to be ok lol. but what about the team on pitch? they're literally tanking 😴. and dont even get me started on that thiw guy thiaw... who signs a £35m centre-back and expects him 2 do what?? 🤔 like come on, get it together eddie howe 🙄
 
I'm getting soooo frustrated with this transfer window drama 🙄! It's like they just threw money at the problem without thinking about the long-term effects. And don't even get me started on the lack of sports director – what were they thinking? 😱 The fans are already feeling the pinch, and it's only going to get worse if things keep dragging on.

But you know what really got my goat? That £35m signing of Malick Thiaw... like, what were they even thinking?! 🤯 It's all about the layout – have they thought through how this is gonna affect the team's overall strategy? The Saudi PIF promised a massive investment, but I'm not buying it... or should I say, I'm not selling it 😂. This whole thing just feels so... messy. Can someone please lay out a clear plan for the future?! 📅
 
I feel bad for the fans, you know? They're just trying to enjoy their team, but this whole situation with the ownership is really dragging them down 💔. I mean, £35m for Malick Thiaw... that's just crazy talk! And what's with all these promises from the Saudi side? It sounds like they're just making a lot of noise without actually delivering 🗣️. I'm curious to see how this all plays out, but it doesn't look good right now 😟. Maybe they can turn things around, get some new talent in and find their footing again? Fingers crossed for the Magpies! ⚽
 
Ugh, this is like when I was playing FIFA 07 and that one player just wouldn't score no matter what 🤦‍♂️. It's like they're making the same mistake over and over again. The whole thing with the Saudi Public Investment Fund just sounds like a recipe for disaster – I mean, who invests that kinda cash in football without having some sort of plan? 🤑

And what's up with Eddie Howe, he's got one of the toughest jobs in the league right now, trying to keep everyone's heads above water while they figure out their finances 🤔. And those fans are just stuck in limbo – will they get that new stadium or is it all just a pipe dream? 🏟️

I just hope someone steps in and shakes things up around there soon, because the whole thing is getting a bit stale ⚽️.
 
man, this is like, so depressing 🤕 I mean, £35m down the drain on Malick Thiaw already? that's just a huge waste of cash, and now the whole team is struggling cuz of it... and what's with the lack of oversight in transfers? it's like they're making decisions in the dark, hoping for the best 🤔. the PIF's financial struggles are already affecting the club, so I'm not sure how they expect to turn this around without some serious changes behind the scenes 💸.
 
I'm telling you, they're doing everything right... but somehow everything's still going wrong 🤦‍♂️. The PIF is broke and struggling to pay their bills, yet they keep shelling out crazy sums for players like Woltemade. I mean, what's the point of having all that cash if you can't even make smart investments?

And don't even get me started on the stadium – a training ground and old bones aren't gonna cut it 🏟️. The fans deserve better than to feel like they're stuck in limbo while their team stumbles from one poor performance to the next. But, I guess that's what happens when you put all your eggs in the Neom megacity project basket... or something? 🤔
 
I'm getting a bad vibe about this, you know? 🤔 They're spending gazillions on player signings but not seeing the results they want. And with all these promises from the Saudi Public Investment Fund... I don't trust it at all. 😒 It feels like they're trying to buy their way into people's hearts, but it's just not working out that way.

I think what's really worrying is that they're pouring money into this football team without thinking about how it's affecting the fans. The prices are going up, the atmosphere is dying... it's just not good for the club or the city as a whole.

And let's be real, the kingdom's finances are in shambles right now. I'm not sure if throwing more money at football is really going to solve their problems. They need to sort out their own financial stuff before they can even think about investing in a football team. 💸
 
I'm tellin' ya, the whole thing with Newcastle United and Saudi ownership just doesn't add up 🤑💸. They're hyping up this £5.8 trillion Neom project, which is gonna be massive, I guess, but at what cost? It's like they're throwing money around willy-nilly without thinkin' about the actual logistics or how it's all gonna work out in practice 🤔.

And let's not forget about the financial struggles of the PIF themselves. They can't even keep their own finances straight, so how are we supposed to trust them with a football club? It's like they're borrowin' money from the future 🕰️.

I'm not sayin' it's all doom and gloom for Newcastle United, but somethin' just feels off about this whole deal. Maybe the team just needs some time to adjust, or maybe someone needs to have a good hard look at the ownership structure 🤷‍♂️.
 
😐 I'm getting so sick of these transfer windows where they just splurge without thinking about the consequences 🤑. Like, what's the plan here? The team is already struggling and now we're being promised this huge investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund? 🤔 It sounds like a lot of hot air to me 😒. And don't even get me started on the training ground - it's been ages since they've shown us any real progress on that front 🏋️‍♂️. I just wish the fans could have some answers and not be left wondering what's going on behind the scenes 🤷‍♂️.
 
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