Richard Keys claims Mike Ashley wanted Alan Shearer to 'fail' as Newcastle United bos

[Jammy89]

I know Keys is a **** of the highest order and 99% of the time I wouldn't believe a word he says but that claim has a serious ring of truth to it with the way Ashley has treated good managers and club legends.

I mean there are digs at Shearer as well but the headline point I think is correct.

Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley wanted club legend Alan Shearer to 'fail' in his doomed bid to save the Magpies from relegation.

That's according to Richard Keys, who also claims the former number nine priced himself out of the managerial post on a permanent basis.

Shearer was parachuted in to the St James' Park hotseat with just eight games remaining of the disastrous 2008/09 season.

However, these fixtures produced just five points and United were relegated to the Championship with a meek final-day defeat at Aston Villa.

Shearer was still expected by some to be appointed on a permanent basis to lead the club's bid to return to the top-flight at the first time of asking.

But in the end, Ashley opted to hand the reins to Chris Hughton, who guided the club to promotion and the Championship title.


Speaking on beIN SPORTS 'Keys and Gray' show, Keys denied accusations that he is a friend of the controversial Magpies' owner.

The former Sky Sports presenter insists he has only met Ashley once, sharing a taxi with him to Luton Airport before Shearer was given the job on a temporary basis.

Recalling their brief meeting, Keys said: "He shrugged his shoulders and he said I suppose I'll have to give Shearer a go at some point.

"That's the only time I met him. I had call from Chris Mort who was then the chairman immediately afterwards saying you musn't say anything, which was of course an encouragement to go and tell somebody.

"So I told Alan who would have had his own sources anyway, but confirmed what he wanted to know."


Keys claims that despite appointing Shearer with the remit of securing Premier League survival, Ashley was "quite pleased" the club legend failed to do so.

The beIN SPORTS anchor also pinpoints Shearer's financial demands as the reason why he was not given the job on a permanent basis.

"I remember having conversations with Alan at the time after they'd gone down, and plainly there was a problem about Alan's terms. Mike Ashley felt Alan was going to be an expensive Championship manager.

"I said to Alan just do it, go public, you don't need the money. It's your club, do the job, and when you get them back which you will, just say to Mike what's it worth to you?

"You make up for the disappointment of the eight games. He didn't get the job, and the two of them have had a standoff ever since."

[malamoto]

Just more of Keys trying to make himself relevant by spouting his lunatic ideas about a club he knows nothing about. How can he say he has only met Ashlie once and then go on to say how he felt and what he thought. Once again he tells a Newcastle manager to work for nowt, just like when he suggested Rafa should fund his own transfers.
He also said something is off when PIF have refused to go above £300m stake in the club and have been haggling over £20m or so. If he could be bothered to do the maths he might of worked out 80% at £300m means the total cost of the buy out is £375m way above reported rumours of Ashlies valuation.
Whenever I see anything spouted by this ***ist dinosaur, I give it the pboro treatment, read it laugh then forget it and get on with life

[malamoto]

Oh and one more thing. Why did Chris Mort call him about appointing Shearer because Derek Lambias was chairman then. Chris Mort left NUFC
and went back to the legal firm he was working for when Keegan was manager.
Keys is a journalist(???) who cant even research his own lies properly

[Geordie1974]

All these Ashley apologists coming out now and having plenty to say tell us this takeover is as good as done. They have had nothing to say for 13 year. None have taken Ashley to task but nearly all now are condemning the Saudis coming in. Tells us Ashley's propaganda team had them all on the payroll. The hypocrisy coming from them stinks.
The latest piece coming tonight in the Daily Mail from Oliver Holt. Having a right pop at the Saudis. All the while years ago saying money in the Premier League didn't matter where it came from, and last year enjoying the Joshua fight in Saudi and saying you can't blame the Hearns for taking Saudi money.
Well they can all fùck off. Hypocrites the lot of them. Its a vendetta against Newcastle United because we all hate their good friend Mike. I hope the new owners ban the fùckin lot of them.

[Jammy89]

Aye - I saw that about Holt, absolutely ridiculous by him.

It's only an issue because it's us. . .

[Zippity]

ell they can all fùck off. Hypocrites the lot of them. Its a vendetta against Newcastle United because we all hate their good friend Mike. I hope the new owners ban the fùckin lot of them.

Aye, all of this.

The amount of people who are desperate for this to fail, man.

I don't blame the SMBs...we'd be exactly the same if the positions were reversed but the others?

Fuck 'em.

[toptoon]

Just popped over to the mackem site for a read. I tell you, we are ‘THIS’ close to someone saying they would prefer to be in league one ( and f*cked) than be owned by the Saudis.

2020 isn’t going to be a good year for wine - all the sour grapes we’re having.

[toonlegend]

Just popped over to the mackem site for a read. I tell you, we are ‘THIS’ close to someone saying they would prefer to be in league one ( and f*cked) than be owned by the Saudis.

2020 isn’t going to be a good year for wine - all the sour grapes we’re having.

2020 is gonna be the most peculiar year ever, if this goes through

the worst of the worst - unprecedented - and potentially the best of the best

[usedtobeshearer]

Just popped over to the mackem site for a read. I tell you, we are ‘THIS’ close to someone saying they would prefer to be in league one ( and f*cked) than be owned by the Saudis.

2020 isn’t going to be a good year for wine - all the sour grapes we’re having.

Nah, man...it's been said!😂

So far everybody I know that has tried to take the moral high ground over gets asked, "Have you never used Uber before then?"

Usually calms them down...

[tooslomofo]

When we get sold iit will be interesting to see what all these pro Ashley mouthpieces think in about 6 months time

Surely the likes of keys will be off the payroll by then.