EXCLUSIVE – Rob Lee reacts to news Mike Ashley is selling Newcastle United :-: talkSPORT
talkSport
Mike Ashley has put Newcastle United up for sale.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Rob Lee has welcomed the news Mike Ashley has put Newcastle United up for sale and hopes a new owner can push the club on to greater things.
After a tumultuous ten-year reign, which has included two relegations, two promotions and countless supporter protests, Ashley announced on Monday he plans to relinquish control of the club by Christmas.
Speaking to Jim White on talkSPORT, former midfielder Lee said: "It is good news if he actually sells it.
"It has a been long time now with Mike Ashley and maybe people will say he helped us through a stage where the club needed help, but now it needs to be put in someone else's hands who has got the money to push the club forward and get it to where the fans want it to be, which is not relegation, promotion, relegation, promotion. It is being in the Premier League consistently and pushing for titles and trophies.
"He seems to take one step forward and three steps back with some of the decisions he makes and you are not made very welcome back at the club. Most of the ex-players don't go back very often at all.
"You hope with a different regime, with different people in charge, you can push the club forward. It is a great city, it's got great fans and for someone to come in and put some money in, it is a great buy.
"Rafa Benitez has hardly spent any money. Our record signing is still Michael Owen from 15 years ago. Watford have beaten that, Bournemouth have beaten that.
"Newcastle need to spend a lot of money to get them back to where they should be in the Premier League."
