Amanda Staveley with bizarre comments on PSR and Newcastle United

Amanda Staveley has been talking about Alexander Isak, Newcastle United and PSR.

She parted ways with the club back in July 2024.

Amanda Staveley and her husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi had a management contract, with the Saudi Arabia PIF and Reuben family employing the pair to have a hands on role in running Newcastle United.

The Newcastle United owners deciding to bring that relationship to an end and companies house records showing that Amanda Staveley then refunded the Reuben family who had provided the cash for her ten per cent stake in the club.

Now sixteen months later, Amanda Staveley, accompanied by her husband, speaking to Sky Sports on Saturday night ahead of Chris Eubank Jr.’s fight against Conor Benn, hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Season.

Amanda Staveley speaking to Sky Sports about Newcastle United, Alexander Isak and PSR:

Sky Sports interviewer:

“When you saw the Alexander Isak situation unfold, what were your thoughts?”

Amanda Staveley:

“You know, I am just so proud of Newcastle and how they are doing, and you know, we love Alex and we know he is going to do really well at Liverpool.

“He is a great player, Liverpool have got an extraordinary player.

“But equally so, it’s great to see the forwards doing so well and Newcastle performing really well.”

Sky Sports interviewer:

“You two appointed Eddie [Howe] as well, so how proud are you…OK the league isn’t going as well at the moment, but they are back in the Champions League, you must be proud of him?”

Amanda Staveley:

“So proud of him, always, and all the lads and the girls, they have done so well.”

Sky Sports interviewer:

“Looking at Newcastle, you said they could could go on and win everything but do you feel that with PSR that something needs to change, that it is restricting clubs like Newcastle, you were building?”

Amanda Staveley:

“No.

“I think the PSR rules are quite helpful.

“They are there to give fair competition.

We navigated them (the PSR rules) well”

My thoughts

I have no doubt that the Amanda Staveley comments on Alexander Isak will be the ones to make most headlines, capture most interest.

However, I was more interested in what she had to say about Newcastle United and PSR.

I find it bizarre that Amanda Staveley thinks that the way PSR has worked and is working, is ‘helpful’ and gives ‘fair competition’ in the Premier League. When the reality is that PSR makes it all but impossible for any club outside the established financially powerful half dozen, to close the gap in terms of revenues.

As for Amanda Staveley claiming that when she was running the club, Newcastle United; “Navigated them (the PSR rules) well”, I find that incredible to claim something like that.

When Amanda Staveley was in such a key position at the club, that was when the disastrous PSR situation developed and ended up forcing the sale of the best two young talents at the club, Elliot Anderson and Yankuba Minteh, to avoid breaking PSR limits and ending up in an even bigger mess. Minteh is first choice at Brighton and one of their best players, whilst Anderson is now first choice for England and arguably Forest’s best player.

Amanda Staveley left the club only weeks after the disastrous forced sale of those two emerging stars, to claim that PSR is helpful and that she and the rest of those at Newcastle United navigated the PSR rules well, is beyond belief.