Kitman

10m a year is very good value. Not that we could match that level of investment.

That's it in a nutshell for me.

Usually on here the equation is very low post count + alarmist transfer speculation = mackem

Yoinks. I think you need anger management counselling Kevin

This. It's obscene that anyone gets more in a week for kicking a ball than a doctor gets in a year, but that's the going rate for top players. What you going to do about it? Salary cap? Much more complicated to apply to football than it is to the big four American sports, because players can move to different countries with different currencies, standards of living and tax laws. For a salary cap to work properly you also need a limit on squad sizes, transparency on wages & contracts (which will never happen) and a draft system (which will definitely never happen). Nah, I wasn't advocating a salary cap as such. Just changing the mix of pay - low basic, high bonus. Top players get really big bonuses (if they play). Bit like Stevie's wages I should imagine

No shit. Big clubs are interested in our players. NEXT !

Yes. I've always thought the way to deal with this is performance related pay & bonuses and a basic that reflects a player's status. But I suppose the market dictates the wages that can be demanded by agents

"sock tits" Maybe it's an age thing. It's easier to justify the wages if you think of the players as performers or entertainers rather than workers. What I object to is utterly mediocre players getting paid a fortune, whether or not they play.

I never claimed he was any good to be fair...

I have a lot of sympathy with ASM's viewpoint in that the financial landscape must have changed since Ashley bought the club due to the GFC. I think the previous Board would have had to make some tough calls and maybe even pruned things back, simply because the banks would probably have demanded it. This process was just under way with Allardyce when Ashley swooped (or should that be belly-flopped?) on the club. At the same time other clubs seem to have found the money to buy players. When Ashley came on board we actually spent a lot of money.....and the the shutter came down when he got all huffy about the fall out from the KK debacle. Since then the plan seems to be to live within our means, which means loooking out for loan deals and bargains, with the aim of making the club self financing in the short term. I don't know much about NUFC's finances other than what gets posted on here and following the arguments that go back and forth. But it seems to me that we are at the extreme end of the spectrum in terms of financial caution, where the likes of Hull and Blackpool operate. I don't know whether we're typical of most clubs outside the top 4 now? It may be that Ashley simply won't put his hand in his pocket whereas other owners will. I don't know what he expected when he bought us but surely he didn't expect the club to be self financing? I'm all for running the club sensibly but I'd like to see the squad strengthened season to season and if that money has to come from Ashley rather than profit, I'm not really bothered. I think he has a responsibility as our owner to take the club forward. Instead it looks like he's more interested in making transfer profits and running down the wage bill, to the detriment of the team. Some of the mistakes he's made seem like a deliberate 2 fingers to the fans. For instance I still can't understand why we don't make some limited investment in Jan 2009 to safeguard against relegation, it just seemed like pigheaded foolishness at the time. now we have the sale of Carroll, albeit for a great price, with no replacement lined up. As a fan I'm not interested in the club's balance sheet, provided we're not in danger of bankruptcy. I'm interested in the team improving and progressing. I'd say we've had the opportunity to do that but I get baffled that we won't commit further investment to push us on. Not squillions on "trophy players" but plugging obvious gaps and improving quality in one or two key positions. I think this is where "showing some ambition" comes in. It may be that the 35m is reinvested wisely but at the moment and given how things have unfolded, I think poeple have a right to be cynical.

I think he's been signed as an old head to hold the ball up in the last 10 mins of a game, if we're looking to see it out. Basically someone to lump the ball up to and win a free kick.

So if the vast majority of season ticket holders renew season after season, then there's no scope for increasing prices for these people for the next 10 years?

I suspect that the comment about the 35m from Carroll being reinvested in transfers and wages means that in future we will offer better wages to attract new signings. On the positive side this means a better calibre of player, on the negative side the 35m probably won't go all that far. It's also worth bearing in mind that Jonas is probably on top dollar as he was supposed to be signed on a bosman and there was competition for his signature iirc. Tip another 8m into the transfer pot and it doesn't look too bad to be fair, assuming all the available money is reinvested in a few quality players and decent wages. I'm not holding my breath though.

If Shefki Kuqi is anything to go by, I am genuinely afraid of the crapola Pardew might spunk the money on. Supposing that Ashley is serious that the whole amount will be reinvested in the squad (with/without wages), this is might be our only chance under Ashley to seriously improve the squad. Let's hope they don't fuck it up with more "bargains".

Well on this page alone there's Mac Toon who thinks he's gone off the boil (due to Jonas) and Chezgiven who thinks his form has dipped as well so I think its safe to say that all is not well in the Enrique / Jonas household. The problem, as I see it, you are not grading against a curve. Jose is playing in a much tougher league, with much tougher opposition. You're suggesting he's not playing as well as he can, I would counter by saying, "Well duh" I suppose he may be under instructions not to get forward anyway

You'd have to be fearful who would replace him, a la Shefki Kuqi. Maybe John Salako would fit the bill.....

Says it all. Madness, utter madness

Couldn't Spurs just carry on playing in their WHL shithole?

It's made for a Kuqi hat-trick. Or it would be if he wasn't utterly shit

It's certainly a Kuqi deal

Plus he can't believe his luck, so is prepared to play for buttons

it's no doubt been pointed out but CT the thread title should be 'on the wane'. If you're 'on the wain' in Scotland, social services will take the wain away and you'll go to jail.

Presumably our tactic with Kuqi will be to lump it up to the old lad

Hopefully this is just paper bullshit. Too many Kuqis spoil the broth after all...