***Official Mike Ashley Euro express thread***

[manc-mag 1]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

 

I agree with every word of what you've just said to be clear. What I'm saying is all this cobblers about it being a Sports Direct branding plan from the word go is a load of shit. it's just yet another narrative that's evolved recently with people reverse engineering their recollections of his tenure to try to make it fit. As you say, his plan has evolved/changed I'd say at least once. That for me is the essence of Ashley-total whim. That's because we're not priority for him, (SD is) and it's the fact we're not priority for him is my main objection to the man. I'm not deluded enough to demand he spunks his personal billion pound fortune on competing with the very top sides on wages, but I do demand that he absolutely gives committments to the coaching and playing personnel he's put in place when they actually show a desire to play for this football club. Unfortunately for the reasons I've mentioned, I can't have any faith in that being in any way certain or even likely.

 

Whether buying French players promotes branding in France or not I dunno, I would imagine it helps, but for me I reckon he just sees them as the best value for money and for that reason I'm happy for him to keep pursuing that policy via the scouts too. If they want the shirt more than an English player on four times their wages they can have it as far as I'm concerned.

[Guest alex]

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

Probably just backs up what a moveable feast his 'plan' for the club is.

[McFaul 35]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

 

I agree with every word of what you've just said to be clear. What I'm saying is all this cobblers about it being a Sports Direct branding plan from the word go is a load of shit. it's just yet another narrative that's evolved recently with people reverse engineering their recollections of his tenure to try to make it fit. As you say, his plan has evolved/changed I'd say at least once. That for me is the essence of Ashley-total whim. That's because we're not priority for him, (SD is) and it's the fact we're not priority for him is my main objection to the man. I'm not deluded enough to demand he spunks his personal billion pound fortune on competing with the very top sides on wages, but I do demand that he absolutely gives committments to the coaching and playing personnel he's put in place when they actually show a desire to play for this football club. Unfortunately for the reasons I've mentioned, I can't have any faith in that being in any way certain or even likely.

 

Whether buying French players promotes branding in France or not I dunno, I would imagine it helps, but for me I reckon he just sees them as the best value for money and for that reason I'm happy for him to keep pursuing that policy via the scouts too. If they want the shirt more than an English player on four times their wages they can have it as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with all of that. Regarding SDA, I'm just coming out with scenario's here, but say he had decided to call SJP the Unicef Arena, there'd be strong opposition to it for obvious reasons, however, many hundreds of thousands of Newcastle fans would see that, at least in some way our club are doing some good for a charity which basically promotes human life, and there can be no more noble thing than that, and perhaps it would be a lot easier for a big organisation to come in without the negative publicity SDA is attracting and will continue to attract.

[Toonpack 6766]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

If you can't see the difference between a multi million pound business and a car, what's the point of explaining it in detail. It's laughable and not worthy of a longer response.

 

As for my "banks comment", how is it any different. Many lower league clubs use the banks to "keep going" we use a billionaire, if we don't owe the billionaire, why shouldn't those clubs tell the banks to "stick it" ???? Especially given that a significant wedge of the "debt" was inherrited from existing bank lendings, so if not Ashley, it would have had to be paid back to the bank.

 

I would also take issue with your "by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement" bit. I often research and post (sometimes lengthy) responses, which usually get ignored, particularly if they show up a previous argument as piffle. I am tired of doing it to be honest. I'll maybe stick with "pish" from now on a'la Stevie.

 

It's his fault he bought a financial nightmare, it's not fair he wants his money back, boo hoo hoo, like a bunch of pathetic bairns at times.

[Guest alex]

The other way of looking at it is that if someone like Virgin Money (for example) were to come in and call it Virgin Money @ SJP or SJP sponsored by Virgin Money then it would appear more palatable. However, I don't think that's his logic. I reckon we'll be offering ground and shirt sponsorship for c. £10m. If anyone's willing to pay that they can have it but if they're not then MA will happily stick Sports Direct on both the shirt and the Stadium for the foreseeable / until we're sold.

[Monroe Transfer 0]

The Virgin Arena

[manc-mag 1]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

 

I agree with every word of what you've just said to be clear. What I'm saying is all this cobblers about it being a Sports Direct branding plan from the word go is a load of shit. it's just yet another narrative that's evolved recently with people reverse engineering their recollections of his tenure to try to make it fit. As you say, his plan has evolved/changed I'd say at least once. That for me is the essence of Ashley-total whim. That's because we're not priority for him, (SD is) and it's the fact we're not priority for him is my main objection to the man. I'm not deluded enough to demand he spunks his personal billion pound fortune on competing with the very top sides on wages, but I do demand that he absolutely gives committments to the coaching and playing personnel he's put in place when they actually show a desire to play for this football club. Unfortunately for the reasons I've mentioned, I can't have any faith in that being in any way certain or even likely.

 

Whether buying French players promotes branding in France or not I dunno, I would imagine it helps, but for me I reckon he just sees them as the best value for money and for that reason I'm happy for him to keep pursuing that policy via the scouts too. If they want the shirt more than an English player on four times their wages they can have it as far as I'm concerned.

I agree with all of that. Regarding SDA, I'm just coming out with scenario's here, but say he had decided to call SJP the Unicef Arena, there'd be strong opposition to it for obvious reasons, however, many hundreds of thousands of Newcastle fans would see that, at least in some way our club are doing some good for a charity which basically promotes human life, and there can be no more noble thing than that, and perhaps it would be a lot easier for a big organisation to come in without the negative publicity SDA is attracting and will continue to attract.

 

Yeah absolutely and as you say that's probably because now everything points to it remaining the SDA as that's likely his preference, rather than actually getting a proper sponsor in. Either that or it could just be a monumental PR fuck up and he does genuinely want a third party sponsor, but either way neither scenario promotes confidence in NUFC seeing the money it ought to out of it, which is all that matters if we are going down the painful route of prostituting tradition.

[Kevin Carr's Gloves 3183]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

 

And why don't you fuck off you smug unintelligent prick.

 

Firstly try spotting a humerous tangent when you see one.

 

Secondly when you spout off about analogys try not using ione about a country in the shit because no one paid their taxes.

 

Fucking internet forums let any dozy prick on these days.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Kevin Carr's Gloves

[manc-mag 1]

The other way of looking at it is that if someone like Virgin Money (for example) were to come in and call it Virgin Money @ SJP or SJP sponsored by Virgin Money then it would appear more palatable. However, I don't think that's his logic. I reckon we'll be offering ground and shirt sponsorship for c. £10m. If anyone's willing to pay that they can have it but if they're not then MA will happily stick Sports Direct on both the shirt and the Stadium for the foreseeable / until we're sold.

 

Aye, I think that just about covers all likely scenarios tbh. A gamble at NUFC's expense basically. A sponsor might come in, they might not. He's sort of ok in either scenario for different reasons, NUFC brand just looks a bit more diluted if SJP stays as a second fiddle SD billboard.

[McFaul 35]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

 

And why don't you fuck off you smug unintelligent prick.

 

Spot on and so was your analogy. The bloke is a mug, and inside his heart he knows he is.

[Toonpack 6766]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

 

And why don't you fuck off you smug unintelligent prick.

 

Spot on and so was your analogy. The bloke is a mug, and inside his heart he knows he is.

 

Pish

[Toonpack 6766]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

 

And why don't you fuck off you smug unintelligent prick.

 

Firstly try spotting a humerous tangent when you see one.

 

Secondly when you spout off about analogys try not using ione about a country in the shit because no one paid their taxes.

 

Fucking internet forums let any dozy prick on these days.

 

So you didn't mean it then ??

[Park Life 70]

This thread is contributing to global warming.

[trophyshy 6432]

I think the stately home analogy employed by my good self last year works better, because that factors in the heritage and responsibility to the community you've taken on in your purchase.

 

What the community ultimately wants is the stately home redeveloped to its potential, or restored to its former glory as one of the nation's greatest. Sadly the owner has decided he's not going to risk the expenditure to compete with the A-listers and is happy to just keep it ticking over, even if that means having the odd seedy night in the ballroom, much to the local's distaste.

Edited November 24, 2011 by trophyshy

[Park Life 70]

There never has been a 5 year plan. He's been actively trying to sell the club since he bought it.

[manc-mag 1]

I think the stately home analogy employed by my good self last year works better, because that factors in the heritage and responsibility to the community you've taken on in your purchase.

 

What the community ultimately wants is the stately home redeveloped to its potential, or restored to its former glory as one of the nation's greatest. Sadly the owner has decided he's not going to risk the expenditure to compete with the A-listers and is happy to just keep it ticking over, even if that means having the odd seedy night in the ballroom, much to the local's distaste.

 

TS very much on form this week.

[ChezGiven 0]

That car analogy is a fucking load of shite, anyone who thinks it reveals anything is an idiot. Am not going to explain any more either, absolutely laughable. "errning a fitba club is just like errning a car". Fuck off man.

[LeazesMag 0]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers,

 

the Grey mans excuse for not admitting that he has got it all wrong, as he has constantly disagreed with me for years about this, what a pathetic specimen he is.

 

Now that it is as clear as daylight, he spouts this rubbish.

 

He obviously disagrees with Sir John Hall too, who sold Mike Ashley his shares.

[manc-mag 1]

It's not about you, Leazes, it was about Ashley. Back off the mic a bit.

[LeazesMag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

Still no answer to the question then and the usual drivel too

 

I will leave it there then and let other posters judge you by those responses

 

 

you can judge me by how well the team do in the long term, however 4 years have passed and to date, Mike Ashley has got nowhere near his predecessors, despite adopting "better" policies.

I rest my case

 

look at the league tables in a few years time chum.

[LeazesMag 0]

There never has been a 5 year plan. He's been actively trying to sell the club since he bought it.

 

but but but....everybody has a "plan" ? [except you-know-who]

 

And Baggio says he had a "plan" anyway

[LeazesMag 0]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

 

I agree with every word of what you've just said to be clear. What I'm saying is all this cobblers about it being a Sports Direct branding plan from the word go is a load of shit. it's just yet another narrative that's evolved recently with people reverse engineering their recollections of his tenure to try to make it fit. As you say, his plan has evolved/changed I'd say at least once. That for me is the essence of Ashley-total whim. That's because we're not priority for him, (SD is) and it's the fact we're not priority for him is my main objection to the man.

 

unfortunately, you are - again - only speaking after the event. When this has been said in the past - and quite a while ago - you scorned it, if it wasn't his intention ages ago, how come YOU didn't see it, especially when it was said ?

 

4th request - do YOU think we will build on this "platform" ? Or are you, true to form, going to see what happens and pretend you knew best all along ?

[jaythesouthernmag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

Still no answer to the question then and the usual drivel too

 

I will leave it there then and let other posters judge you by those responses

 

 

you can judge me by how well the team do in the long term, however 4 years have passed and to date, Mike Ashley has got nowhere near his predecessors, despite adopting "better" policies.

I rest my case

 

look at the league tables in a few years time chum.

LOL

And for you to refer to another poster as a grey man when you can't give answers to simple questions is pretty laughable really

[Happy Face 29]

There never has been a 5 year plan. He's been actively trying to sell the club since he bought it.

 

You believe that?

 

Why?

[LeazesMag 0]

The other way of looking at it is that if someone like Virgin Money (for example) were to come in and call it Virgin Money @ SJP or SJP sponsored by Virgin Money then it would appear more palatable. However, I don't think that's his logic. I reckon we'll be offering ground and shirt sponsorship for c. £10m. If anyone's willing to pay that they can have it but if they're not then MA will happily stick Sports Direct on both the shirt and the Stadium for the foreseeable / until we're sold.

 

Aye, I think that just about covers all likely scenarios tbh. A gamble at NUFC's expense basically. A sponsor might come in, they might not. He's sort of ok in either scenario for different reasons, NUFC brand just looks a bit more diluted if SJP stays as a second fiddle SD billboard.

 

but but but, you said ages ago, that this wasn't the case ?