Newcastle United manager Rafael Benitez has responded to owner Mike Ashley’s presence in the stands for the team’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Chronicle’s Newcastle correspondent Lee Ryder claimed on his personal twitter account that this was the first time the owner has attended a game since May 2017.
It is understood that #nufc owner Mike Ashley is due to attend his first game since May 2017. No confirmation just yet.
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) September 22, 2018
However Benitez was unperturbed by his presence: “Not really, because I was talking with the press all the time,” he told the Shields Gazette when asked if he had spoken with Ashley. “If the owner wants to support the team, that’s fine. That is positive.
“Obviously, if the owner can be on the pitch and score a couple of goals, it will be better. It’s not the case, but if he’s supporting the team, it’s fine. He was here, that is positive.”
OPINION
Ashley attending the Palace game has turned into something of a news story, which is strange because it’s simply a case of an owner watching his team play football. Ashley is no normal owner of a football club, of course, which is why his presence at Selhurst Park was so noteworthy – that and the fact that he rarely attends games in general. Benitez doesn’t seem particularly bothered by Ashley being there, although his answers feel somewhat cold. He says ‘if’ the owner wants to support the team, as if he is questioning Ashley’s support for Newcastle rather than simply stating that that was clearly why the Sports Direct tycoon was at the game. The Spaniard claims Ashley’s presence was a positive, but who knows what effect his surprise attendance had on the players and the manager. Perhaps this is a whole new era of Ashley publicly supporting his team and backing them in transfer windows… but don’t hold your breath.
