'Sad to see' - Newcastle and Villa fans unite against PSR
Their sides may have been battling it out on the pitch, but Newcastle United and Aston Villa fans stood together as both sets of supporters vented their anger towards Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) at Villa Park on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.The timing of this chant felt significant before Aston Villa announced the departure of Jacob Ramsey to Newcastle 24 hours or so later.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThe deal secured Aston Villa pure profit on account of Ramsey being an academy graduate.But it was not a cause for celebration.Aston Villa captain John McGinn, who has been a vocal critic of financial regulations, wrote that it "seems to be the way football is set up these days".Such dismay has even been felt across the Atlantic by Dean Smith, the club's former manager, who handed Ramsey his debut."It is sad for the Villa fans to see one of our own go," he said of the £40m deal.'Very difficult to see him leave'Geordies know that feeling, of course.It was just last summer that Elliot Anderson was sold to Nottingham Forest to help Newcastle comply with PSR rules following years of imbalanced trading.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementNewcastle head coach Eddie Howe said he was "uncomfortable" letting Anderson go, but clubs are now being incentivised to sell such players.That leaves homegrown talent increasingly vulnerable, as football finance expert Kieran Maguire explained."It works from an accounting point of view," he said. "But it's absolutely awful from a footballing perspective. I can understand the frustration of fans. They have a special bond."Neutrals may question why Newcastle and Aston Villa have had to resort to such deals.After all, don't these ambitious clubs have incredibly wealthy owners?AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementBut it is the established order rather than these disruptors who have been able to fall back on superior income streams.That is what matters in a PSR world, as clubs are limited to losses of up to £105m over a rolling three-year period.For context, as previously reported by BBC Sport, Arsenal (£327.8m), Chelsea (£337.8m), Manchester United (£364.7m), Liverpool (£386.1m) and Manchester City (£412.6m) spent more on wages than Newcastle generated in revenue (£320.3m) in Premier League clubs' most recently published accounts.Aston Villa, meanwhile, have had a higher wage-to-turnover ratio than Newcastle and the club were recently sanctioned by Uefa for breaching the European governing body's separate financial rules.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementUnai Emery's side are now bound by a strict three-year settlement with Uefa, which means that "any £100m in incoming transfers must be matched by at least £100m in outgoing sales", in the words of Maguire.The Ramsey deal will likely have been concluded with that agreement in mind and former team-mate Neil Taylor said it was "very difficult to see him leave" as a result."Jacob wasn't a flash in the pan or just a talent - he was someone that wouldn't let you down," he said. "He had a really good temperament, showed respect to everyone, trained properly and was Villa through and through."An Eddie Howe playerAston Villa's loss is Newcastle's gain.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementFollowing three quiet windows, Newcastle have been able to reinforce their squad after substantial deficits dropped out of the club's three-year PSR cycle, which takes the financial years ending 2024, 2025 and 2026 into account.Newcastle have seen several targets move elsewhere, and the Alexander Isak saga continues to hang over the club, but the black-and-whites have brought in Anthony Elanga, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale and, now, Ramsey, who is a player Howe "loved" from afar.Ramsey certainly looks like a Howe player and the versatile midfielder was even ranked second for possessions won (15) in the final third for Aston Villa in the top-flight last season.Newcastle may be well-stocked in the middle of the park, but the 24-year-old's athleticism, ball-carrying ability and experience in the Premier League and Champions League will be invaluable as the club prepare to fight on four fronts.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementThere are clear areas for improvement, too.Ramsey registered just six goal involvements in the top-flight last season, but Callum Rowe recalled how his friend "always had an eye for scoring" after the pair came through the ranks together at Aston Villa."He has the natural ability for arriving in the box from midfield and scoring goals, which, in my opinion, is something you can't teach," he said.A chance to work on these aspects of his game under Howe was certainly a big draw for Ramsey.Anthony Gordon, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento have all become senior England internationals following an extended period with the Newcastle head coach and his staff.AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementAnd Ramsey, who previously won the European Championships with England Under-21s, hopes to one day follow suit.It does not feel unrealistic if Ramsey can continue to keep himself fit following an injury-disrupted 2023-24.Smith, for one, has no doubt that there is "more to come" from the midfielder, who is "very coachable"."Eddie is really good with the players so Jacob will settle in with him really well," the former Aston Villa manager said. "He could thrive under him and I can see why Eddie has gone for him. He's his type of player. He fits in with the work ethic. He's got the skillset.AdvertisementAdvertisement Advertisement"With my Villa head on, I'd rather see him at Villa still, but he's going to a Champions League team and a big, well-supported club so I wish him well. He will handle it."
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