Newcastle face a far more daunting task than the one Chelsea and Man City did when they were taken over in 2003 and 2008 respectively. When Roman Abramovich - the Russian oligarch whose assets have been frozen by the UK Government - arrived at Stamford Bridge almost two decades ago, his mission was clear: spend big and smash the duopoly of Man Utd and Arsenal.
Man City’s mission was more difficult five years later. The big three had become ‘the big four’, with Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool yielding an omnipotent grip over the Champions League spots. It took Sheikh Mansour three years to bankroll the blue half of Manchester into Europe’s elite competition but, when he did, the Premier League trophy followed just one year.
Now, the Magpies are up against ‘the big six’ of English football, with Spurs - despite winning half as many league titles as Newcastle - thrust into the mix on the back of the European Super League scandal. Since the Saudi-backed takeover was passed in October, a debate has sparked about which team Newcastle are most likely to displace on their quest for glory.
