Dennis Wise has defended Mike Ashley on Sky Sports in a new intervention in Newcastle United’s desperately fraught summer.
Wise is an Ashley ally who has appeared on the channel several times to defend United’s owner. His latest missive – from an interview with David Craig broadcast from Ascot – barely adds anything to the Newcastle narrative but does come at a time when United fans are suffering for the silence of their club.
The Bin Zayed Group are bidding to take the club over at a time when Rafa Benitez's contract is edging towards its June 30 expiry.
Asked about the current takeover situation, Wise said: “I know Mike Ashley and he cares for Newcastle. Even if the fans say he doesn’t.
“He runs them (Newcastle United) in a structured way. He is not there to pile hundreds of millions into the club. He will only sell to someone who will take it forward.”
With just 11 days until Rafa Benitez’s contract runs out, United are teetering on the brink of a disastrous start to pre-season. If Benitez leaves they will have less than 50 days until the start of the season to assemble a new management team and complete whatever recruitment that manager wants to do – so talk of running Newcastle in a “structured” way rings a bit hollow.
The takeover saga continues to play out in the background with no public input from Ashley and most of Newcastle’s staff members largely in the dark about the progress of the deal. They have been forced to offer a “no comment” reply to enquiries while Wise, who is close to the owner, delivers his verdict.
