Newcastle's recent form has been pretty shambolic.A 5-0 defeat against Manchester City and then a loss to Watford was far from ideal, especially with their prospective owners PIF watching over them.With a fixture against rejuvenated Spurs side this evening, it didn't look like getting any easier either.It has been a troubling week for Newcastle again who were engulfed by controversies in Saudi Arabia again. They completely banned beIN Sports from operating in their country, also handing the broadcaster a £2m fine. beIN have been at the centre of a piracy scandal, showing Premier League matches illegally to the Saudi public, something that's been one of the biggest causes for delay in the takeover.If and when it goes through remains to be seen. Richard Keys has suggested it'll be as soon as Friday but that surely looks unlikely given recent news.
It's been a topsy-turvy time to be a member of the Toon Army and with no resolution in sight, things are beginning to look rather worrying. Journalist Mark Douglas has suggested a verdict won't be reached until early August at the latest. Given the Magpies need to prepare for a new season, that's less than ideal. The whole situation is proving to be incredibly unhealthy and the Athletic's Chris Waugh issued a decisive claim on proceedings on Tuesday morning.He took to Twitter to reveal that the entire situation had put the club in complete limbo.
Worrying times.
GIVEMESPORT'S Matt Dawson says...
For the good of everyone at Newcastle and in Saudi Arabia, this needs to be sorted sooner rather than later.
The proposed takeover has been on the cards for 17 weeks now and it almost defies belief that Mike Ashley is still at the club.
The only certain thing we've gathered from all of this is that eventually, the current owner will depart.
He appears more willing than ever to leave St James' Park behind but the club need it to happen soon.
If Ashely remains until early August, the Magpies will have just a month before the new season begins to conclude transfers and work out the squad with PIF at the helm.
Newcastle will already be drawing up plans for incomings but what happens if they bring a few faces through the door that don't match the ambitions of Saudi Arabia and PIF? It would not make for the best start to Mohammed Bin Salman's reign.
Though, there are also sponsorships to figure out.
Their current deal with FUN88 expires in a matter of weeks and they are still yet to find a new one. Much depends on when the takeover finally goes through.