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Andy Gray and Richard Keys use lies to praise Mike Ashley and launch embarrassing attack on Rafa Benitez

Disgraced presenters Andy Gray and Richard Keys are thankfully not on UK TV screens.

However, by the power of today’s technology it is difficult to ignore then still, via the internet/social media.

Richard Keys has always made clear how much he dislikes Rafa Benitez and regularly attacks the Newcastle manager, usually using lies (fake news/facts?).

This weekend sees him (Keys) playing a more minor role, as it is Andy Gray who takes it upon himself to praise Mike Ashley and have a go at Rafa Benitez via lies and twisted versions of events.

On beIN Sports this weekend, the pair have debated this summer’s latest transfer spat between Mike Ashley and Rafa Benitez, with the hopeless former Mackem boss Peter Reid joining in with the nonsense.

Peter Reid:

“In the modern era now, the coaches look after themselves. Jose did it at the start of the season and Rafa Benitez is doing it, letting the public know he hasn’t got the players he wants.

“It happened to me but in our day we used to keep it quiet but in these days the coaches are strong people in strong positions, letting everyone know.”

Andy Gray:

“In Mike Ashley’s defence and I’m not taking sides with anyone…

“Rafa was given the biggest budget in the Championship from his chairman: ‘Get us up’ and he did that.

“Mike Ashley then invested another £100m (last season) to make his group better.”

Richard Keys:

“Interest free loan from Mike Ashley to Newcastle, stands at £144m.”

Andy Gray:

“Every year, has Mike Ashley allowed Rafa Benitez to improve the squad?

“I have to say yes.

“£100m last year, seven players they have signed this year: Dubravka the goalkeeper, Kenedy they have got back on loan and they’ve added five (other) new players and they haven’t lost anyone who you’d think ‘Wow, that’s a blow’.

“Dwight Gayle? No, not really. You’ve got Rondon in, Mitrovic, he didn’t want him, never played. Mbemba was in and out of the side.

“So they haven’t lost anyone that you think was a real blow to Newcastle, yet they’ve got seven new players in.

“So Mike Ashley can sit there and say ‘Listen, we finished tenth last year, I’ve allowed you sign seven new players, that you want, because you’ve signed them’.

“So I have given you a better squad than you had last year.”

Peter Reid:

“What Rafa has done, what Rafa has done, and Rafa is very good at playing the media and looking after himself, the net spend is £20m down, he’s let that (be known)….(that Mike Ashley has) made £20m in the transfer market.”

Where do you start?

Well for starters, whilst Rafa spent a very decent £50m (but still made a £40m profit with £90m of players sold) in the Championship season, Aston Villa actually spent £76m – so that is fake news or lie number one from Andy Gray.

As for him saying Rafa then spent £100m last year, it is just shameful to claim this. It was actually around the £35m mark with a net spend of approximately £15m.

Then we have the…’Listen, we finished tenth last year, I’ve allowed you sign seven new players, that you want, because you’ve signed them.’

Once again Rafa having the 10th place used against him. On the final day of the season we could have ended it as low as 15th if results had gone differently, it was only through his expertise that we finished 10th, our players as individuals were very much relegation strugglers, and indeed we had a relegation struggle until the final month of the season.

Then to say that Rafa has got the seven players that he wanted because he has signed them. Hmmm.

So when he sold Mikel Merino, did Rafa say to Ashley/Charnley, of all the midfielders in the world I want to go for 29 year old free transfer Ki Sung-yueng?!!!

Just like last season when he brought in Manquillo, Atsu, Joselu – it wasn’t because they were his choice, it was because he had to get bodies in and they were all he could afford. With Merino out for £10m, he should have been able to shop for a £20m replacement if he wanted to, instead the reality was very different. Rafa wasn’t even allowed to try and buy Kenedy, so if he proves a success this season there is no way Newcastle will keep him, certainly if Mike Ashley is still here.

Richard Keys chirped up with Mike Ashley’s generous interest free ‘loans’ to the club.

Well, much of these generous ‘loans’ relate to when he bought the club, he paid off the £50m mortgage that was still owed for the rebuilding of St James Park but that is in reality a part of the sale price. As in, the club would have been worth £50m more if that mortgage wasn’t still owed. He then puts it in as a £50m debt the club owes him! This is the same with money he ‘loaned’ to pay off money still owed on players bought by Hall and Shepherd, once again this is all part of the cost of buying the club and yet is now showing as a debt owed to Mike Ashley now. Don’t accept for one minute that this is something he knew nothing about, as the accounts published each year clearly show what is still owed to other clubs for players, plus of course what is owed to Newcastle United – these are/were NOT hidden commitments he’d have known nothing about.

Then we have our old mate Peter Reid. He claims that Rafa Benitez is clever at using the media and maybe he is – but the fact Newcastle made the biggest profit in this summer transfer window isn’t something that only the Newcastle manager is cheekily putting forward, much of the media put up tables showing how laughable it was that Newcastle are making tens of millions of profit this summer in the transfer window, whilst nearly all of their competitors are committing to net spends some £50m+ more than NUFC.

Andy Gray and Richard Keys, still a disgrace.