Mike Ashley's reign as Newcastle United owner has been controversial, to say the least.

His tenure has driven fans to the brink with every bit of emotion from anger to apathy. In that time, the Magpies have suffered two relegations and many seasons of mediocrity.

The NUST once described the relationship between Ashley and the supporters as "broken" whilst "asset-stripping" is a frequently-coined phrase.

And it appears as if the Sports Direct mogul is going out on brand as Lee Ryder explained in a recent Q&A. He said:

"Mike Ashley has refused to speak to anybody in all of this - including those who are close to him.

"We had hints earlier in the year about Ashley joking about checking his mail box to see if the cheque had arrived but the whole thing got ramped up during lockdown and this has been deemed an opportunity for buyer and seller.

"The picture at St James’ Park is grim for Ashley if he stays.

"Empty grounds, no match day revenue and the possibility of repaying TV money back to broadcasters.

"There will be work to do for new owners but this is no longer the money making machine it once was to Mike Ashley."

Lee Ryder, ChronicleLive.

It speaks volumes that Ashley hasn't spoken to anybody at the club, even those that are loyal to him - such as managing director Lee Charnley.

Ryder also believes that life with the 55-year-old at the helm would almost be untenable should the takeover fall through at the last hurdle.

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The Magpies faithful continue to wait for news that a new era is about to begin in the northeast with a Saudi-backed consortium edging ever closer to landing the club in a £300m deal.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react as Sky Sports' Keith Downie comments on takeover...