Peter Silverstone has predicted that Newcastle United will be in an even 'better place' next year - even if the Magpies' chief commercial officer admitted it will take time for the club to 'catch up' off the field.
Newcastle have gone from fighting relegation to finishing in the top four in the space of less than 18 months. It goes without saying that Eddie Howe's team are well ahead of schedule.
However, leapfrogging Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea in the table is one thing; bridging the commercial gap on these sides is a different matter entirely. Newcastle posted revenues of £180m in their most recent set of accounts, which took in the final three months of the Ashley era and the first nine months of the current ownership. For context, Chelsea's turnover figure for the same period was £481.3m.
