HATCHET MAN: Good riddance to flying Magpie Ashley; Gareth Barry is totally over-rated and...

Newcastle look close to changing hands again and Hatchet Man cannot wait to bid good riddance to owner Mike Ashley. His reign at St James' Park has been a disaster from the start and if billionaire Anil Ambani is really prepared to buy him out and can strike a deal, it is hard to see how he could do more damage to the Toon. Comedy classic: Ashley has presided over the Keegan PR stunt and the Wise appointment Ashley's tenure has made that of predecessor Freddy Shepherd look like a period of commonsense. Sam Allardyce was treated badly; Kevin Keegan's appointment as manager in his place still looks like little more than a PR stunt and bringing in Dennis Wise to lurk in the background has never made much sense. All that in just over a year - and that is not the worst of it. Newcastle's handling of Joey Barton has been a punch in... [read full story]