Polarboy

Yeah, I had to read it again there. I think what he was trying to say was that we shouldn't trust the Saudi's because they didn't immediately crumble and pay Ashley's overvaluation of the club. My earlier assumption that he was saying that the price wasn't agreed is likely wrong. Samuel and I think a few others have had this retarded logic as well. It's like why don't people who are stupidly rich just spunk money on something that's overpriced. Well I think you'll find people who get that rich don't overpay for things, if nothing else than for the fact that you need to be seen as savvy when it comes to negotiations. And IIRC didn't someone say that given the inevitable economic downturn the club was closer to 250 million in value. If that's the case the Saudi's are still overpaying. Edit. Oh and Samuel goes on about the process being torturous, and of course doesn't even entertain the notion that it was Ashley's fault that it's been that way. Top notch journalisming from Samuel as usual.

Here's an article from the Guardian back in 2013 when a Saudi prince bought half of Sheffield United. Not even one mention of human rights. https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/03/sheffield-united-saudi-arabia-co-owner

Martin Samuel, with Ashley's hand up his arse more than likely, wittering on about the Saudi's haggling over the difference between Ashley's 340Million valuation and the 300 we've seen reported. This article worries me given that Samuel is seen as Ashely's minion. I don't have an adequate description for what should happen to Ashley if he fucks this up at the last minute for an extra 40 million. I was under the assumption that the price had been agreed? https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-8227639/MARTIN-SAMUEL-Toon-takeover-ringing-loudest-alarm-bells-Newcastle-United-sale-looms.html

Clearly he does want us to fail. What kind of numpty would think Bruce should be in charge of attracting high quality players to a club. I don't think even Carragher is that dense.

Having a chat with some twat on football365 who reckons that any Newcastle fan who continues to support the club if it's sold to the Saudi's, is at least partially culpable in their human rights abuses. I've pointed out to him that unless you are deaf, dumb, blind, and a hermit in the wilderness you are taking advantage of and enjoying media, infastructure etc that has been funded by Chinese, Middle Eastern, Russian etc money. If we fail the morality test then so does he and the vast majority of planet earth.

Independent saying the fit and proper tests could be completed as soon as some time next week, maybe as some have suggested they've been going on for at least a week already. And that the sale could be fully completed by the end of April. https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/newcastle-united-takeover-saudi-arabia-mike-ashley-amanda-staveley-epl-a9469211.html

And the problem is that "edgy" and or controversial opinions are incentivised in this click bait nightmare we're living in. Never has it been more profitable to be a moronic bloat, i.e the entire Talksport presenting staff.

See Carragher was speaking nonsense about the potential takeover. He reckons that regardless of how much money we have backing us up we'll struggle to even break into the top six. So Leicester can come from nowhere to win the league, which granted is never likely to happen again, but they are now currently on course to finish top four for the second time, but that is supposedly close to impossible for Newcastle. Look it's going to take a fair few seasons to build ourselves up again, but if the right people in terms of football director, commercial executives, board members, manager etc are put in place there's no reason we can't continually grow. Maybe we can't spend like Man City did and Chelsea did when Abramovic first came in, but depending on how loose they are going to be with FFP rules post Covid, it might not take us that long to bring in the right type of players. Enough money and the right manager with a good rep behind him to attract players is half the battle. In any case I'd like to see us built up with up and coming players like the Dortmund and or Leipzig model. Maybe I am being a bit naive, but then again maybe Carragher just doesn't want more competition for Liverpool.

Keep - Dubravka, Schar, ASM, Almiron, and Lejeune who I think edges Schar as our best centre half when fully fit. Hoy the rest into a bin along with granny face out the back of St James. In all seriousness of course we'll also have to keep other players like Fernandez, who hasn't let us down, and a few others given that you can only rebuild a squad over a fair few windows. Having said that into the bin along with the shite direct hoarding with Carroll, Shelvey who's not athletic enough to be a top six midfield player and a bit of a mardy twat, Gayle, Muto, Krath, Darlow, Elliot, Yedlin, Sterry, Saviet, Atsu and Colback.

I'd like to know for sure sooner than later obviously, but how nice would it be if the lockdown being lifted coincided with the official announcement of the club sale.

Apparently some more paperwork linked to the consortium has been uploaded to the companies house website. It represents the Saudi's part in all this. https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/football/further-companies-house-activity-linked-18097793

Have Citeh really gotten that much criticism with regard to UAE's human rights record? I can't say I've ever seen that much, at least coming from the sports pages. It seems like we've already gotten a lot given we haven't even been bloody sold yet.

Allegri's odds of being the next manager, should the takeover happen, have dropped. I mean for all that's worth, but as I've said before there's no way you can turn your nose up at Allegri. He's at least Rafa's equal when it comes to tactical nouse for one thing.

When I think low rent I think cheap, low morals, and just generally shoddy in every aspect, obviously apart from their bank balances. I don't see how you could get lower rent in those aspects than Ashley when you see how he conducts himself and his businesses.

A low rent Ashley? Is it even possible to be lower rent than Ashley?

That would be like feeding your prized stallion mad cows diseased brain matter mixed with a bit of covid.

He already has a plan drawn up for training ground improvements doesn't he? Or had to be more precise. I think he'd be great in terms of restructuring the club and getting it into the shape it would need to be for a top four push at the very least. Then perhaps we could go after a manager who's more used to stepping into something that's more high level. Of course with regard to the training ground plan it was probably drawn up with what Ashley might have given them in terms of budget, so it's hopefully less than useless now.

Assuming we do get bought, do people want Rafa back, or given that we'll have the money to go after anyone would you fancy someone else like Allegri or Poch? Personally I wouldn't complain at all if they bought out Rafa's contract in China, but a bit of Allegri would do nicely.

Maybe, not sure. Was just putting out a bit of morbid "humour". Honestly though I think pretty much every part of its manufacture is highly questionable. The massive factory in China called Foxconn where a large amount of electronics get made have appalling work conditions and multiple worker suicides a year. But, anyway, for something more cheerful, isn't it great we're probably getting bought off Ashley.

There are ethical smart phones like fairphone. Probably shite like. Nothing like those tiny Asian children's hands for making phones.

It reminds of the type of people who'll sanctimoniously get up on their soap box for anything and everything, and when you point out they have an iPhone they're like, I still have to, like, live in the world that exists man.

Not saying it isn't. What I'm saying is that the press/sports media will likely very quickly find their moral outrage when it's us being bought, fingers crossed. Again I haven't heard anything in that regard with Sheffield United, and very little for Man City either.

And Sheffield Utd already have Saudi money. Although I suppose their money is less directly linked to the ruling Prince. But again the UAE's human rights record isn't that much better than the Saudi's, so if Sheik Mansour, who's the deputy prime-minister and member of the royal family, can get passed so should the Saudi's.

Bird in the Mirror has already done an article about sportwashing, obviously with regard to the Saudi's. No doubt we'll be getting every negative story possible in that regard, when there's hardly been a peep about Sheffield United, let alone Man City. I don't recall exactly what the media was like when the Abu Dhabi group took over Citeh, but I don't think there was that much of a negative reaction. The UAE may not be quite as bad as Saudi Arabia on human rights, but it's relatively marginal.

Is there anyway of blocking the people, likely mostly mackem sore loser wind ups, who piss their pants about the Saudi's being involved in the bid if it happens. I want to luxuriate in being the richest club in the world without their Debby downer behaviour.