Kevin Nolan has thrown his support behind Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley amid continued criticism. It has been a roller-coaster ride at Newcastle since Ashley took control in 2007 and his relationship with supporters over the past three or four seasons has been fractured.
Several protests have taken place outside St James’ Park over how the club is being run, while the owner has had the Magpies officially up for sale since October 2017. As things stand, the Bin Zayed Group are said to be interested in buying the north-east outfit and recently released a statement claiming they had tabled a bid.
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Ashley’s failure to convince Rafael Benitez to stay as manager has angered fans further, but Nolan, who played for Newcastle from 2009-2011, has defended the Englishman businessman. “You can’t fault Mike,” he told talkSPORT. “I feel for the fans and I feel for Mike as well.
It’s crazy because being a player and knowing Mike, and also being close to the fans, I feel torn because I know exactly how hard he is trying to give the Newcastle fans what they want. “When he first went he had great intentions of putting Newcastle back on the map and obviously he’s lost that now and he wants to sell it, he wants to get out.
But he’s still able to finance the club and make sure everything is running smoothly. “You go up there and it’s a fantastic club and what he’s done within the ground is fantastic. The fans want a sale, Mike wants a sale and when that happens everyone will be happy – Mike as well.”
