At what point should fans get worried about Newcastle United?

Newcastle United has a history of being slow in the transfer market. After all, we have a cheap owner and an incompetent managing director. Those two things combined can make for a pretty shoddy transfer market experience.

But this year is different. Let me tell you why:

Rafa Benitez has only a small portion to do with the oddity of no major signings as of yet. The big deal is that the club has achieved promotion to a league with big money to be made. The club is expected to not only survive the Premier League this year, but to compete in it. Competing is very different than just surviving.

With that in mind. Why has Ashley, Lee Charnley, or even possibly Rafa Benitez, failed to make any serious headway on their transfer shortlist? And even more importantly is when should we start to worry?

It’s midway through July. The transfer market doesn’t close until the end of August, so we have time, just not too much of it. Should July end, and we remain where we are today, or just one step ahead, then it should certainly be time to not only panic, but question management once again.

This isn’t a fanbase that’s angry for doing bad business. This is a fanbase angry for not doing any business at all. If Mike Ashley was going to wave £100m in our faces and not give it, he could have at least had the decency to take us out to dinner first. Such a tease. And nobody likes a tease.

Come to think of it, nobody likes Mike Ashley, either.

Fans I do not believe have anything to worry about at this stage of the transfer window. Should July come to a close, I’m all for a riot.

In fact, I’d grab them now just in case. Don’t want to seem unprepared. That’d be unprofessional.