The Journal believes the problems could be behind the scenes at St James' Park: -
"Persistent rumours of a divide between Keegan on the one hand and Wise and Tony Jimenez on the other refuse to subside, and Ashley's reluctance to pay wages of more than £35,000-a-week is adding to a climate of uncertainty that is heightened by the lack of depth in the current squad."
Kevin Keegan received yet another transfer setback yesterday when Blackburn chairman John Williams insisted left-back Stephen Warnock was "not for sale".
"Persistent rumours of a divide between Keegan on the one hand and Wise and Tony Jimenez on the other refuse to subside, and Ashley's reluctance to pay wages of more than £35,000-a-week is adding to a climate of uncertainty that is heightened by the lack of depth in the current squad."
Kevin Keegan received yet another transfer setback yesterday when Blackburn chairman John Williams insisted left-back Stephen Warnock was "not for sale".
Yesterday's developments are merely the latest in a long line of disappointments to have plagued Newcastle this summer, and with today's friendly at Hartlepool marking the start of a pre-season schedule that also includes games with Doncaster, Hertha Berlin, Real Mallorca, PSV Eindhoven and Valencia, the club's transfer policy appears to be approaching meltdown with the start of the season just a month away.
Interest in Arda Turan and Andrei Arshavin was rapidly shelved in the wake of the European Championships, while an anticipated pursuit of Richard Dunne was halted when owner Mike Ashley prioritised the purchase of young players with a significant sell-on value.
That has led Newcastle's recruitment team to look overseas, but this month's attempt to hijack Pablo Aimar's move from Real Zaragoza to Benfica suggests a degree of desperation has already crept into the club's transfer dealings.
Steve Harper and Shay Given have recently spoke of the club's shortage of numbers, and Keegan did little to quell the growing unease when he finally broke his two-month summer silence to underline the need for new arrivals.
"We not only will (add new faces), we have to," said Keegan.