Simon Jordan has laid bare some Newcastle United truths after the heavy defeat to Leeds United.
Simon Jordan has told Newcastle United the “hard facts” that selling star players will stop the Saudi-backed ownership from achieving their goals.
Toon CEO David Hopkinson made headlines when he declared on the airwaves that Newcastle aim to become a global powerhouse by 2030. Within months, the Magpies slumped to a 12th-placed finish before selling Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.
Eddie Howe also walked, with Matthias Jaissle now spearheading Newcastle 2.0. A bright start to the campaign was brutally shut down with a 4-1 defeat to Leeds United on Monday.
‘They sell’ - Simon Jordan
Speaking to talkSPORT, former Crystal Palace owner Simon Jordan highlighted how Newcastle will struggle to close the gap on the elite. He doubted whether this is possible while citing the departure of high-profile stars.
“They sell all the best players,” Jordan said. “They've got to rebuild. Despite the protestations of their management, given the landscape of the way they have to operate, if you sell (Alexander) Isak, if you sell (Sandro) Tonali, you sell (Bruno) Guimaraes, you are able to recruit and rebuild.
“But you go through that constant loop of rebuilding, getting yourself to the level, bang, off comes the cream off the top again. So unless you're going to break that mould and change the direction and be able to build turnovers that enable your business model to be inside the top four, I don't see how they're going to do it.
“And it's not having a go at Newcastle. It's not having a go at the ownership. It's not having a go at the chief executive. It's just hard facts. They're not feelings - they're facts.”
Simon Jordan gives Lewis Hall reality check
Jordan also claimed Lewis Hall’s bumper new contract - tying him down until 2031 - does not mean he will not be sold next summer. He added: “I read somewhere the other day that Newcastle's turnover might be up to £500million. In your hat. Their turnover is nowhere near £500million. They've got to be able to build that.
“To go to your question, how can a team build momentum if they sell their best players? They can get fits and starts, they can punch their weight. And this Lewis Hall thing, they've protected an asset. The kid's better off playing at Newcastle for another year and he'll be gone in a year's time.”
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