Stan Collymore says Newcastle United under Mike Ashley seem “happy to cash the Premier League cheque every year”.
The pundit writes in his column in the People that the Magpies “lurch from one argument to the next” and believes that the only option to change that is for Ashley to sell up.
Collymore looks ahead to next weekend’s meeting of Newcastle and his former side Liverpool by reminiscing about the unforgettable 1996 game at Anfield, which he played and scored in.
Pointing out that the two sides have moved in opposite directions since then, he feels that sort of match has been consigned to the history books. United are an incredible 30/1 to win at Anfield with most bookmakers.
Collymore writes: “Newcastle seem to lurch from one argument to the next and sadly they just haven’t been able to build on the days of Asprilla banging in a hat-trick against Barcelona.
“I see similarities between Newcastle then and Tottenham now – big clubs with great stadiums that house 50,000-60,000 supporters and lots of upwards mobility. But Spurs, with their new training ground and stadium, and a very good youth strategy, look to be building on rock, which isn’t what Newcastle did.
“Now the Magpies must decide what they want to be and owner Mike Ashley will be key to that, whether he sells up or stays put.
“Do they want to be a club which stays in the Premier League and cashes the cheques?
“Or do they want to be a club which stares eye-to-eye with Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea as equals?
“The answer seems to be the former and that, sadly, is why this is a fixture for the history books rather than a game for the here and now.”
The ex-Nottingham Forest striker is proud of being a part of Premier League history by playing in that topsy-turvy 4-3 match.
He writes: “I’ve always been a bit of a football anorak and as I walked off at the final whistle I knew I’d just been involved in a classic. The next day the Liverpool Echo produced a special front and back cover celebrating the game, something they usually reserved for a title or cup win, letting us know how special the night was.”
