Newcastle United fans have been urged to forget about the potential takeover at St James' Park by former Toon star John Barnes.
The Lowdown: Newcastle takeover case
The arbitration case between the St. James' Park faithful and the Premier League over the failed takeover deal between Mike Ashley and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) group is set to take place over the coming months, and the results could be pivotal in terms of the direction of where the bid is heading.
Amanda Staveley, who is a member of the consortium, has spoken to Sky Sports referencing a letter that she wrote urging both the UK government and football regulators to ensure that the arbitration process is to be made public in order to give more transparency over the whole saga.
The Latest: Barnes on takeover
Speaking in a recent interview (via The Chronicle), former Magpies winger Barnes has urged supporters of the Toon Army to stop thinking about the potential takeover, and believes that Steve Bruce is the right man to take the North East club forward:
"A takeover would be a turning point for any club if someone comes in with loads of money.
"They’ve been talking about a takeover for many years and it hasn’t happened, so they have to stop thinking about a takeover.
"If it does happen, they can assess it then, but they can’t look too far into the future.
"Steve Bruce is the right man to take them forward and what they need is harmony.
"They need togetherness until the club is sold.
"They have to support the manager.
"If they keep having problems and fans are booing, that’s not going to help the players and the manager.
"As much as they have their reasons for not liking the owner, that is not going to help the club.
"Until he (Ashley) sells, support them.
"When you’re there for 90 minutes, support the team."
The Verdict: Do not give up
Although the Tyneside club's main focus should of course be how to best prepare themselves for the new 2021/22 season ahead, Ashley should not give up on trying to secure the takeover.
The arbitration hearing could well go in his favour, and a positive result could speed up the whole takeover process.
In terms of backing Bruce as the manager, the majority of the fanbase seemingly do not see him as the man to take them forward, with as many as 97% wanting the former Aston Villa and Sunderland boss to be sacked in a poll back in March.
The owners-in-waiting may want to go for their own coach anyway to take NUFC into a new era, and so it is difficult to see Bruce keeping his job if a takeover happens.
In other news, find out which 'excellent' Newcastle ace has been left out of pre-season here!