‘Sad to see’ – Newcastle and Villa fans unite against PSR

Newcastle United and Aston Villa fans may have been pitted against each other on the pitch, but the two teams had a strong stand as both supporters vented their anger at Villa Park’s first-week Premier League game.

Before Aston Villa made the announcement that Jacob Ramsey would leave for Newcastle about 24 hours later, this chant had a significance.

Ramsey, an alumnus, was the beneficiary of the deal, which resulted in Aston Villa making a pure profit.

However, there was no reason to rejoice.

It seems to be the way football is organized these days, according to Aston Villa captain John McGinn, who has spoken out harshly against financial regulations.

Dean Smith, the club’s former manager, who gave Ramsey his debut, has already reacted to this shock across the Atlantic.

Geordies, of course, are aware of that feeling.

Elliot Anderson was sold to Nottingham Forest just last summer to aid Newcastle’s compliance with PSR regulations after years of unbalanced trading.

Eddie Howe, the head coach at Newcastle, said Anderson was “uncomfortable” letting him leave, but clubs are now being encouraged to do the same.

According to football finance expert Kieran Maguire, homegrown talent is now more vulnerable.

He claimed that “it works from an accounting standpoint.” However, from a footballing perspective, it is absolutely awful. Fans’ frustration is understandable to me. They share a unique bond.

Some observers may wonder why Newcastle and Aston Villa made such arrangements.

Don’t these ambitious clubs have incredibly wealthy owners, after all?

However, it is these disruptors who have benefited from having access to higher income streams rather than the established order.

In a PSR world, clubs are only allowed to lose up to £105 million over a rolling three-year period.

In terms of context, according to previous reports from BBC Sport, Arsenal (£320.7 million), Chelsea (£337.2 million), Manchester United (£364.7 million), Liverpool (£386.1 million), and Manchester City (£411.2 million) spent more on wages than Newcastle did in revenue (£320.3 million).

Aston Villa, on the other hand, has a higher wage-to-turnover ratio than Newcastle, and the club has recently been penalized by Uefa for breaking the country’s unique financial laws.

According to Maguire, “any £100m in incoming transfers must be matched by at least £100m in outgoing sales,” according to Unai Emery’s side’s strict three-year agreement with Uefa.

Former team-mate Neil Taylor said it would be “very difficult to see him leave” as a result of the agreement being made.

Newcastle’s gain is a result of Aston Villa’s loss.

After significant deficits were eliminated from the club’s three-year PSR cycle, which took into account the financial years ending in 2024, 2025, and 2026, to strengthen their squad after three quiet periods.

The Alexander Isak saga has continued to hang over the club, and Newcastle have had several targets relocate elsewhere, but the black-and-whites have signed Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale, and Ramsey, who Howe “loved” from afar.

Ramsey appears to be a Howe player, and the versatile midfielder was even ranked second in possessions won (15) for Aston Villa in the top flight last season.

Newcastle may have plenty of space in the middle of the park, but the 24-year-old’s athleticism, ball-carrying prowess, and Premier League and Champions League experience will help the team face four fronts as they battle it out.

There are also obvious areas for improvement.

Callum Rowe recalled how his friend “always had an eye for scoring” after the pair joined Aston Villa and made just six appearances in the top flight last year.

He claimed that, contrary to what you can teach, “he has the natural ability to arrive in the box from midfield and score goals.”

For Ramsey, it was undoubtedly a great privilege to have the opportunity to work on these facets of his game under Howe.

Following a lengthy partnership with the Newcastle head coach and his staff, Anthony Gordon, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall, and Tino Livramento have all since retired as senior England internationals.

And Ramsey hopes to one day win the same tournament as England’s Under-21s, where he previously won the European Championships.

If Ramsey can keep himself fit after a 2023-24 injury-disrupted year, it seems unlikely to be unrealistic.

Smith, for one, has no doubt that the midfielder will have “more to come” and will be “very coachable.”

The former Aston Villa manager said, “Jacob will settle in with him really well because Eddie is good with the players.” He might prosper under him, and Eddie has a strong desire for him. He plays the way he does. He embodies the spirit of the company. He has the necessary skills.