Should He Stay Or Should He Go Now?

Depressingly, to a certain extent, he is right. He owns the club, it isn't a public company, he doesn't answer to share holders, he doesn't answer to any higher authority, he is the dictator and what he says goes. Football clubs are not democracies.

However, he is mistaken if he thinks that is the best policy. Newcastle United are nothing without a good set of players, a good manager and the thousands who support it. He has ABSOLUTE power but he is absolutely mistaken if he thinks he can carry on running the club with that sort of attitude.

It has been remarkable how many fans have turned up this season to watch the team and that will continue out of loyalty to the club crest, not the man who sits in the director's box in replica shirts surrounded by nodding yes men.

But if they, for whatever reason, began to filter away, Ashley will be the one left covering the cost out of his own pocket. The club has been stabilised financially after relegation and Ashley has done well to do that, but it won't stay stable for long.

One more year in the Championship could lead to meltdown and if Ashley can't sell the club now he's surely got no chance if League One looms.

He needs to protect his investment just as much as fans want to see their club back in the top flight next season.

If Ashley ends up staying at St James's Park - which seems more likely than ever - he will be as unpopular as ever. However, that does not mean he can't do things properly.

If he wants to ignore Alan Shearer and appoint Chris Hughton that is his decision and while it is not ideal, I don't think we can deny the caretaker boss has handled things pretty well so far this season despite the defeat at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Magpies are, don't forget, still four points clear of third place with 12 games gone.

However, having given Hughton the job, it is imperative he gives him the resources to do it properly and that means money to sign players in January and, possibly, even a couple more loan signings before that.

All that matters this season is promotion. Whether Hughton is the man to take the club forward in the Premier League is open to considerable debate but he has as good a chance as anyone of getting them back there, which has to be Ashley's number one objective over the next seven months.

As for Barry Moat, I just can't see it happening anymore. I really do hope he can raise another £40m in the next seven days and meets Ashley's deadline.

However, I've been saying for weeks, if it was going to be done it would have been done by now. I've never wanted to be more wrong about things but the offer to Hughton is a clear indication Ashley does not believe he will ever come up with the cash.

He has had all summer to raise the money and still appears to be struggling to do it. He wants to pay in instalments, even though Ashley has supposedly reduced the price to £80m, so how on earth was he going to complete a deal at £100m and how on earth is he going to fund the club once he has bought it?

In the meantime, all we can do is hope Newcastle's players continue to paper over the cracks with a good result at Scunthorpe on Tuesday night because they were a massive disappointment against Forest.

Too many played badly, so it's over to you Marlon Harewood, Peter Lovenkrands, Andy Carroll, Danny Guthrie, Kevin Nolan and Jonas Guttierrez.

I wouldn't like to be Hughton if he takes the job on a permanent basis and is immediately forced to defend himself after a defeat at Glanford Park. That would be four games without a win.....