This is not a gloaty story. Though I reserve that right. Its my fucking story. This is not to say how wonderful Tottenham Hotspur football club is. Even though they were on Sunday. This is just… just… well, as depicted above, just a salient lesson in how football can reduce joy and optimism to sorrow and despair in just 10 minutes. You could almost feel sorry for Yassir al-Rumayyan and Amanda Staveley. Up to a point. Though their football team didn’t get a point. Even with all those billions sitting in the director’s box.

It takes time to build up a team. Even if you cheat, bribe, out-spend and piss millions away doing it, the work takes time. Sacking Steve Bruce was inevitable, which they pretty much stated, just a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’. Because they need a ‘big manager’, a ‘marquee signing’, they want a ‘superstar leader of men’.

The reality being that you can’t buy players until January. And by then, on current form, Newcastle may well be entrenched very very deeply at the wrong end of the league table, where they currently sit, with 3 points and no wins from their first 8 matches. Which may make attracting the superstars and the poseurs and the Euro royals of the game, somewhat more difficult. Though I’m sure Neymar would love nothing more than a season in the Championship and coach rides up to Middlesbrough in January. And Steve Bruce may be the man they really need to ‘keep them up’. Again. As he has somewhat miraculously for the last two dismal seasons. Something the Jose Morinhos and Pep Guardiolas of this world are simply incapable of. It’s not in their skill set.

So having moved heaven and earth to buy Newcastle United, the Saudis must surely be looking at Ms Staveley and thinking ‘WTF????’ What has she done to us??? We thought we were getting Manchester United (which may possibly have been even more disappointing anyway) but we got the wrong one!!! (A bit like the Americans buying ‘London Bridge’ thinking they were getting Tower Bridge). It’s cold here! (Amanda Staveley is currently reading the details of the Jamal Khashoggi murder and avoiding solitary meetings).

And then yesterday in an emergency meeting, the Premier League voted that clubs cannot be sponsored by their owners. As in ‘Saudi Airlines’ becoming the shirt sponsor or St James’s being renamed ‘The Haj’. Because such deals opens the path for limitless spending. The only club other than Newcastle to vote against the ban was… well, see if you can guess.

Spurs won the game, by the way. Should have scored more in the second half but there ya go. Newcastle were absolutely abysmal and, other than their early, energy-driven goal, flattered my team greatly.

Happy Tuesday, Amanda

A xxxx