Toonpack

FYP. Difficult to say if it will be choice or neccessity, wage bill will be around 60m+ now with Cabaye, Ben Arfa, Tiote etc. Revenue around 80m. If you add in 3 new players on high(ish) wages, someone will have to fuck off. As it stands Smith is stealing over 3m a year off us which could be spent on someone good enough to actually start for us. Think you're a bit light on revenue and high on wages mind. Revenue'll be thick end of £100Mill and wages somewhere around £55Mill, as we stand, I would think. (wages were £47Mill last year add 4 players at £50K/week and that'd put it to £57 - without adjusting for differential between what people were on previous like Tiote). There'll definitely be a levelling though, in terms of "outs".

Im sorry like but thats bollocks. Its nothing to do with "normal office life" or the amounts of money someone is on. Previous performance is how you measure someones worth in the workplace, regardless of industry*. You cannot make decisions on future pay or future employment without looking at past performance. Yes he was handsomely paid for what he did but if he exceeded the expectations then he sees his market worth go up. Whether we pay him that is neither here or there in this discussion as no matter how good a job hes done for us Im not 100% sure I would be happy handing him a long and lucrative contract. Actors are not part of the normal workplace but they are paid contracts based on past performance, if Tom Cruises films had all bombed at the box office do you think he'd command £100m for his next film? would he shite, he'd be playing a barman in some crappy porn shoot for $50 and a suck off from the leading man. I fail to see how you can argue anything other, like I said in the last post you'd sure as hell be taking past performance into account if he'd been shit. You did it with Smith. *time lords not applicable. Sport is one of the few "occupations" where age becomes a determining factor in performance though, can't think of any sportsmen, no matter how good get "rewarded" when they approach the age barrier for their sport.

He's not the only one tbh I've taken Glooms advice

We can't fucking afford it man !!!! BTW the Stadium debt/Mortgage was £45 Million, the rest of the debt plus the £27Mill owed on transfer fee's was sadly not used for, or generated from, such sensible projects.

We'll be away to Liverpool and on telly first game

incorrect chum, like most things you are either making up, or moving the goalposts to accomodate into your "opinion" Your £100 was to get "into the race" and allow you to apply for shares when and if they were floated, the actual share price, or at least minimum purchase, was to be around £300 (more than the then average weekly wage in the UK- £240 btw). It was designed to fail, when's the best time to float the club, OH I know let's do it in November/December just before Christmas. Even if it was just the £100 that was a HUGE lump to take out of anyone's pocket in back then. Edit: - Apologies to Gloom for the quoting of his favourite poster

2005 well before the issue of finances was even a topic, but hey, don't let facts get in the way of your fairy tales. finances have always been important, that is why the club couldn't even raise 1.25m quid in a stock exchange flotation when it had one foot in the 3rd division, until the Halls and Shepherd came along and transformed it into one of the biggest clubs in europe. But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of your irrational hatred, accompanying u-turns, and hindsight. Designed to fail flotation at £300+ a share, bang on christmas, but don't let the facts get in the way of your insanity. I don't hate anyone btw don't let the following facts get in the way of your incorrect comment above. I applied for some of those shares, my cheque for £100, which was the standard amount demanded to guarantee acquiring some if the flotataion succeeded, was returned with a letter, when it failed, asking if I would "donate it to the club to help buy players". This share issue was open to all the public, and all the businesses, across the entire Northeast and beyond. It failed, because nobody was interested in the club, with a cow shed of a stadium, crowds of below 20,000 and heading towards the 3rd division. The minimum required to float the club was 2.5m, and it failed because the amount raised only reached half of that. These are the facts. You are now showing your ignorance, like most of those who don't realise what the Halls and Shepherd did for the club. And if the flotation succeeded how much were the shares ??? and at what time of year was it. It was absolutely designed to fail. I supported them until circa 2005 (as you so happily point out) then I woke up to reality.

I said before that that shouldn't be used as a cover-up for lack of any other summer spending - without arguing about the whys and wherefores of the actual sale again, the money should have been seen as a "bonus" to be added to an existing budget. and when it isn't ? The we're screwed which I've never pretended we weren't. You seem to think Ashley isn't spending the club's money which isn't the case - he isn't spending his money. Really ???

2005 well before the issue of finances was even a topic, but hey, don't let facts get in the way of your fairy tales. finances have always been important, that is why the club couldn't even raise 1.25m quid in a stock exchange flotation when it had one foot in the 3rd division, until the Halls and Shepherd came along and transformed it into one of the biggest clubs in europe. But hey, don't let the facts get in the way of your irrational hatred, accompanying u-turns, and hindsight. Designed to fail flotation at £300+ a share, bang on christmas, but don't let the facts get in the way of your insanity. I don't hate anyone btw

2005 well before the issue of finances was even a topic, but hey, don't let facts get in the way of your fairy tales.

I think you're dismissing practicalities a bit there LM - those 3 players over the next 2 or 3 years could make more of a difference to them and arguments about ambition aside, horse trading and mixing things up has always been part of football no matter who you are - think KK "swapping" Cole for Ferdinand as a good example. I don't think Henderson is destined to be a mega star which he would have to be imo to support your view. maybe, but over a long period of time, the transfer policy of Liverpool has been proven vastly "better" than the mackems, and NUFC too for that matter [apart from the Halls and Shepherd era]. Of course, if you or anybody else think otherwise, put up the proof in results and league positions. I repeat. Tell anybody on a Liverpool message board that the mackems, or NUFC is the better transfer policy, and see how they laugh at you. Justifiably so. The fundamental difference being Liverpool can afford the level of spend their "policy" currently exhibits, but hey, don't let that wee irrelevant fact get in the way of your diatribe.

I don't know the history but I've always found it strange that they ever put up with the draft and caps both of which are very anti-capitalist. The game was getting stale, since the cap and the "level playing field" the game although always popular has seen revenue explode. The "big market" owners don't like it but every year every team has a chance. Very anti-capitalist but a brilliant model for competition. I suppose trying to impose it on football would mean destroying the club academy system and putting all the emphasis on schools. There would also be an age problem doing that (I think) as footballers are ready earlier than NFL players. Don't think there's any way a draft could be set up in football, there's just not the level of competition there is in US college sport and the players don't go Pro until their early 20's. Speaking of "competition" High School games regularly get 10-15,000 crowds !!! In 2006 48,000 watched the state championship game in Texas where the playoff games regularly get 40,000. It's incomparable. Don't see why a salary cap wouldn't work (as a % of revenue) and that's what really underlies the UEFA rules, but whether they can make it stick is another matter.

I don't know the history but I've always found it strange that they ever put up with the draft and caps both of which are very anti-capitalist. The game was getting stale, since the cap and the "level playing field" the game although always popular has seen revenue explode. The "big market" owners don't like it but every year every team has a chance. Very anti-capitalist but a brilliant model for competition.

This is a very quick simplification but: The old CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) expired (the thing that controlled the revenue sharing, salary cap etc etc). Players and Ownership could not agree on a new split of the huge mountain of cash, players union decertified and has gone to court, owners have locked players out, could be no season this year if a deal isn't done and now as it's in the hands of the lawyers ................................. They're in grave danger of killing the goose that lays the golden eggs Worst case scenario is players win and get rid of salary cap and the draft, mega rich owners buy all the good players and same teams win all the time, sound familiar ??

There's uncertainlty about NFL next season so his exposure with Villa and the Browns may have made him think again, although Lerner makes a goodly sum in interest and "management fees" from his cash put into Villa - £15Mill last year.

Answered bazillions of times and still ignored

which transfer strategy do you prefer ? Aim high or settle for inferiority ? See TP, what you don't understand is this - aiming high and making the odd signing who is overpriced or doesn't make the standard you hope, is the mirror image of buying cut price bargains and finding the odd great spot [but selling him on again] like Tiotte. Which transfer strategy is the best, gives you the best performance on the pitch befitting a club the size of NUFC ? NOBODY, NOBODY makes a successful signing and gets value for money from EVERY signing. This bloke "Deano" talks about being "deluded" ..... Who will finish higher in the league next season, us or Liverpool ? I don't know why I'm wasting my time. I see another numpty has joined this forum, and posted in this thread. Relegation struggle here we come, but we are doing things better than Liverpool lads...... so sad, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laughable insanity My white text was not in vain !! so I take it you think the mackems strategy, of which you approve, puts them in a better position than before ? haha. Please tell us when you think we will do "better than Fred" with Ashleys "superior business sense", he's had 4 years already, he had better get a move on.... You REALLY are a fucking lunatic, aren't you

which transfer strategy do you prefer ? Aim high or settle for inferiority ? See TP, what you don't understand is this - aiming high and making the odd signing who is overpriced or doesn't make the standard you hope, is the mirror image of buying cut price bargains and finding the odd great spot [but selling him on again] like Tiotte. Which transfer strategy is the best, gives you the best performance on the pitch befitting a club the size of NUFC ? NOBODY, NOBODY makes a successful signing and gets value for money from EVERY signing. This bloke "Deano" talks about being "deluded" ..... Who will finish higher in the league next season, us or Liverpool ? I don't know why I'm wasting my time. I see another numpty has joined this forum, and posted in this thread. Relegation struggle here we come, but we are doing things better than Liverpool lads...... so sad, you don't know whether to laugh or cry. Laughable insanity My white text was not in vain !!

It gets more insane by the minute !!!!! but, according to you and people like you, NUFC are doing it right and Liverpool are getting it all wrong, right ? Not if they can afford it. Andy Carroll (and now potentiallyJordan Henderson) is the 55th highest paid player on the planet, is that not insane ??? come our relegation struggle, and looking up at the likes of Bolton, Blackburn, and miles higher again at Liverpool, who's insane Stick with Ameobi and Lovenkrands then, it's "good business". Do you believe Carroll and/or Henderson are worth the 55th highest salary of any players on the face of the earth ??? Yes or no will do (forlorn hope !!)

and you can't expect an agent not to shake all the tree's to see where the biggest wad is

It gets more insane by the minute !!!!! but, according to you and people like you, NUFC are doing it right and Liverpool are getting it all wrong, right ? Not if they can afford it. Andy Carroll (and now potentiallyJordan Henderson) is the 55th highest paid player on the planet, is that not insane ???

It gets more insane by the minute !!!!!

This is my concern, that it has dragged on. Like i've said before its a worry that he isnt wanting to make a solid decision about us and seems like they are waiting for other clubs to enter the race. I'd be delighted if we got him but it does feel a little luque-esq in the sense that we arent his 1st choice. Agree it appears to have dragged on, but he's been away with Ivory Coast and the French transfer window doesn't actually open until tomorrow (or 1st July in some sources)

What you dont realise is that theres only 3 of you are real, the rest are bots I created. Trouble is I totally got my figures wrong when setting the smug, fuckwit and cluelessness levels for CT hence the posts we see now. What makes matters worse is it seems to have got a mind of its own. This is how Skynet started out Im telling ya. I know I dissagree with some things you post, but geez, that just went to top of the league.

Utter fictional deluded rubbish, from start to finish so when exactly have we "done better than Fred", with 4 years gone already ? Stick to the facts. Obviously, if you don't go to games, the perception may be flawed, but just stick to the facts, starting with the above question ? September 1st will be here before you know it by the way. I've already linked posts from you that supported the spending of the club back in 2005 at the time ? Not getting on the roundabout no matter how much you want me to. But suffice to say Fred's last year 13th and beyond skint, this year 12th and not skint. and the first 11 don't count ? £152,000,000