NJS

Leaving aside his comment post Keegan about putting that in, I was just stating that a summer with zero outlay would have been a disaster waiting to happen, I then mentioned a figure I think equates to a modest amount out of summer cash flow that should have been spent anyway. Last summer we did spend a bit of money when the financial position was a lot bleaker than it is now which is why I think he should protect his investment more. The Carroll money is a convenient excuse/cover-up for the usual cop-out. I wouldn't be surprised if post Enrique/Barton/other departures we end up with very little being spent net. Some of the mooted signings look promising but overall I'd be pleasantly surprised if we start next season with a stronger team/squad.

50m? did we ever spend 50million net in a single window ever? under any regime? We never had a £30/35m windfall before. the truth about your man and the bollocks spoken of him here and elsewhere, is about to be revealed this summer to all those who STILL are totally blind, blinkered, or can't bring themselves to admit they were and still are spouting shite. Fuck off with the your man shit you stupid non-post reading imbecile

50m? did we ever spend 50million net in a single window ever? under any regime? We never had a £30/35m windfall before.

Is it just me or does anyone think when they hear or read the incessant shite about spending the Carroll money that nobody poses the simple question of if he hadn't been sold does that mean we would have spent no money at all this summer? We should have been planning a modest £20m anyway so as far as I'm concerned anything less than £50m is just another bullshit Ashley waste of time - and that's before departures are considered.

Might be interesting to see how Ferguson reacts to what he will see as his failure. I think he has a stubborn streak which will make him want to try again but you never know he may just think sod it and think about going again. I wasn't surprised at the team he picked as that's the one that's done the business in recent big games but I was surprised he didn't change it earlier - Valencia and Giggs were abysmal and he should have changed it at half time imo though 1-1 probably seemed okay. Don't know if there's any crack but the decision to have Owen on the bench instead of Berbatov was incomprehensible to me.

Sod grease - a major character in what is still the best TV series ever made - B5. RIP Zack

Answered this a few times but you ignore it. Because their rich owners (its not just Man City) are willing to spend more than ours. All of these clubs have the power (if their owner wants to) to make our larger turnover meaningless. I don't recall anybody saying that 5-6 years ago and when they booed Shepherd at Shearers testimonial, was that the reason why ? Your irrational hatred is sad mate, it is getting in the way of any common sense. Meaningless irrelevant reply as usual. Football in 2011 has nothing to do with Shearer's testimonial or anyone's opinion of the previous regime. Your view that turnover equates to spending power which you keep repeating is out of date - you can keep repeating your stock phrases about revenues all you like but the bottom line is you relish the ongoing failure of the club.

Answered this a few times but you ignore it. Because their rich owners (its not just Man City) are willing to spend more than ours. All of these clubs have the power (if their owner wants to) to make our larger turnover meaningless.

Work in IT development for an investment bank. I do a bit of everything in that field and don't mind dealing with users. I like the job but the place is shite at the moment - mates and other people have left which has narrowed the work and the manager is an arsehole (promoted from a project manager to a level so far beyond his competence its frightening). Been looking for a new job for a few months but have found that its hard to find "Jack of all trade" type roles like mine - the emphasis is on very expert niches which doesn't appeal to me (and it means if I do go for one of these expert roles I'm not quite up to scratch compared to other applicants). Will get there though and not quite suicidal yet.

Not really. It only makes sense if they insist on the same basis for sales - if not cash flows are out of balance.

Extract of a quality rant by PZ Myers:

One half-decent striker down, 3 better ones to go.

Ferry from Northern Spain to the south coast wouldn't effect them too much. That'd be the sensible option, rather than driving all the way from Spain to Calais or whatever. Didn't that Bilbao-Portsmouth route take 24 hours though?

wasn't Randy Lerner another new owner who had a "plan" and was showing us how it really should be done etc etc etc blah blah blah What a shame eh. To be fair, I don't remember HF being one of those who trot out this sort of shite Stevie, his football awareness is pretty good, unlike his politics Lerner did exactly what you've just suggested we should do - spent a load of money.

The bottom line is so what. Was there a mass campaign? - no. Did the Halls sell because they felt the fans didn't want them? - No. Did a couple of thousand people booing Shepherd convince him to go? - considering the fact he actually resisted Ashley I'd say no - to suggest it influenced the Halls is ludicrous. So we're left with a few people on the internet a lot of whom don't go to games or never have and another lot who will say anything to wind people up. As I said - so fucking what. However the other facet is your almost religious need to rub Ashley's failure in anyone who did want change faces. You suggest it serves them right that Ashley is shite and its just rewards - this extends presumably to the rest of us that as we didn't stop these bastards and their heresy we are all to blame and deserve Ashley - hence the gloating at any failure. Just as insane as the preachers predictiing the end of the world - how can a future prediction be a FACT? I think its unlikely but you can only say that after he's gone. It also fails to acknowledge the underlying truth that to actually try and do it would cost more wealth than the club ever did have or ever could have - as we keep saying timing was everything but those times are gone. I agree completely with KK but funnily enough he's at odds with Hall as quoted today on .com: So the only person who did matter when it came to the Halls leaving is also the person who most backed Ashley and is the person who most go it wrong.

Strangely hopeful After 6 or 7 interviews in my never-ending quest fro a new job i gave quite easily my best performance so far at one earlier. If I don't get a second interview I will be seriously pissed off. I have another first interview on Thursday which I'm hopeful about as well.

I don't think it would have made any difference to Blackpools fate, but I did think when he scored "What a twat".

Well as far as I could see the first one was down to Simpson, the second Coloccini for buying his dummy and the third as a combo of Krul/Taylor for not dealing with a cross/player. However the substitutions didn't help and I didn't see the point of favouring Best/Smith over the young lads who did so well last week.

Imagined nonsense. Well the Halls obviously had a crystal ball. Where were you between 83 and 09 when I paid every year and for half that period travelled 3 times as far as your exile?

Relishing the failure again. Missing the point that revenues don't matter any more. Because Ashley won't put more money in than the other benefactors because he had to cover the debt the previous owners left.

Just checked the prediction league at work where you predict the postions for all the PL teams (which I won last year, 7th this) and I had us 16th so slightly better than I thought. Got 8 or 9 right including a lot near the bottom but West Ham fucked me - I thought they'd do well with Grant and had them 10th - what an idiot.

How is recognising the reality of 2011 "moving the goalposts". You should re-read Chez's excellent posts in the last 4 or 5 pages and recognise that all the turnover and revenues in the world and all the ambition in the world now count for virtually nothing. All we are saying is that though everyone appreciates what the Halls and Shepherd did in the past, they couldn't survive in 2011 - a fact which they obviously recognised by their decision to seek a buyer. Even if there had been no reductions in revenues the simple fact that Mr Bolton or Mr Stoke can wipe that turnover advantage out with one cheque has been completely lost by you. Recognising that may involve hindsight but you have to get over the fact that thinking it may have been good that they did get out when they did as they couldn't afford the underwriting now required, that does not mean that anyone likes, supports or in anyway prefers Ashley who we all recognise is not taking the club forward at present. It's been said before but its not a case of black & white - like everything in life there are shades of grey.

In any terms you can define that is a gloat that we didn't finish in the top 10. its telling the likes of you that you are wrong, but don't mistake it to confuse your little brain that I would rather finish where we did under the Halls and Shepherd and play in europe again. If dickheads didn't continue to spout shite like you are doing, and moving the goalposts, there would be no need for me to keep commenting either. People like you would come out of this better, if you all just admitted you were wrong for thinking anyone would be better, especially the hypocrites who have stopped going to games yet are still giving their man vocal backing [but not financial backing anymore, because the attraction has declined] I'm quoting facts. Where is Mad Jock ? Hold his hands up and admit he was spouting shite ? It isn't difficult. As I said a couple of pages ago I never thought about wanting the Halls or Shepherd to go - you keep inventing this movement to justify your garbage but it doesn't mean anything to me in terms of admitting I was wrong - how could I be when I never took that position? Your shite about Ashley "serving us right" as if anybody who did want them out is somehow to blame for the current situation is fucking sickening as well - as I said he's here because the Halls cut and ran. I don't give Ashley any kind of backing at all - stating the fact that nearly every PL club is now underwritten by owner loans - along with bemoaning it in several posts - is just arguing that your old school ideas about club size and turnover equating to spending power and ambition are dead. What I want is a better owner than Ashley willing to put money in but with the ambition of the previous lot - I'm sure that's something we could actually agree on.

Usual phrase bot babble which has nothing to do with the point but... In any terms you can define that is a gloat that we didn't finish in the top 10.

all 1360 quid of me How much have you paid again ? I've said before I consider my position on Ashley to be a factor in not bothering anymore. It's a win-win for you - if we win you can be a proper fan and if we fail you know it'll let you score points on internet message boards while nudging people and saying "See? - I told you". I'd also imagine buying a ST is wanting to feel part of things after returning to the NE after exile - what was your excuse when I was traveling 3 times the distance you would have had to for years?