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

[Tooj 17]

Nolan did say in the middle of last season that he could see the way the club was heading that he could see the day coming where he wouldn't be needed anymore and he wouldn't want to stay to be a bit part player, I doubt he thought it would all happen this soon though

 

Ultimately it comes down to us not being in a position where we can afford players on £50k per week warming the bench when everyone is fit.

 

say goodbye to challenging the likes of Spurs and Liverpool then, who most certainly will do that.

 

If we are going to pay squad players 50k a week, I'd hope we were doing it on players of a lot higher ability than Nolan.

[BestBaNone 0]

Basically, qualify for Europe or not, Leazesmag wants a trophy signing.

[peasepud 59]

Incorrect alex, that mis-management of the club, not financial mis-management which is when you spend more than you earn. It deserves a laugh because its ironic not that i need to justify a smilie

You say pomme de terre I say potato.

 

Mismanagement is mismanagement, if it affects the finances then so be it

[BestBaNone 0]

If you mention fred and the brothel it's 'I'm only interested in what happens on the pitch chum'...

 

If you mention that we're doing good on the pitch now he becomes suddenly interested in transfer outlays.

 

Then he accuses others of using any stick to beat Fred with.

 

The hypocrisy.

[PUGATRON1000 0]

I was pissed when Nolan and Barton left, but its difficult not knowing all the facts behind the moves. That said, if you consider Tiote and Cabaye their replacement then we are stronger for it. However, to back LM's point, we could have done with keeping Barton as well as having these two as he had started putting in a hell of a shift in RM and would have given us a good option there when we have struggled at times.

 

Barton leaving was fuck all to do with ambition though, nor was Nolan. Barton simply fell out with the board. slated them in public and was driven out of the club for it.

 

I've been informed (reliably, although im not saying who told me,) that both Barton and Nolan were considered good members of the squad morale-wise WHEN it suited them, when they were having an "off day", everybody else absolutely knew about it. Nolan especially wore a smacked-arse-face on quite a few days.

 

I've also mentioned before on here that I was also told that the day Pardew "won over," the vast majority of the squad was Arsenal at home last season, 4-0 down at half time he absolutely tore strips off Barton & Nolan etc, along the lines of "you walk around the club all week like you own it, and you go and put that SHIT out on the pitch... sort your f'in selves out" Given that he was still trying to get the squad behind him at the time, it's a pretty brave move to single out the more influential players within the squad for a roasting. COULD have went the other way for him, but he had the balls to do it. Apparently the rest of the squad were boosted by the fact the "certain" players didnt hold all the power any longer. As I say, reliably told thats what happened.

[ChezGiven 0]

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind from a footballing perspective he didn't want to lose Barton. Nolan? Possibly but I doubt it was a decision that was his anyway.

Its just an opinion, it goes against what was said by Pardew but i'm inclined to believe he was complicit in the decision to let him go as he would need to be in some form of agreement that the team could live without him. Publicly backing a player is not the same as privately agreeing with the management, the kick off in the friendly over Cabaye taking corners and free kicks and my view of his political shrewdness makes me think this.

 

Off topic (what isnt these days) but i got a london cab from kings cross to near heathrow today, cabbie was an old lad and a season ticket holder, he was 'fackin this' and 'fackin that', prefaced everything he said with 'am not being funny but....' and then just said general opinions about football. Anyway focus of the conversation was Nolan, Ba and Allardyce. Nolan is to him 'having a poor season' and 'a decent championship player'. 'So not worth 50k a week then?' says I. Silence.

[Monkeys Fist 38829]

i got a london cab from kings cross to near heathrow today

 

Unsustainable financial recklessness that mind. "Someone" will love/have you for it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*fucks off back to posting titty pics*

[ChezGiven 0]

Incorrect alex, that mis-management of the club, not financial mis-management which is when you spend more than you earn. It deserves a laugh because its ironic not that i need to justify a smilie

You say pomme de terre I say potato.

 

Mismanagement is mismanagement, if it affects the finances then so be it

I separate the two issues, we could have spent millions getting into the Europe but racked up unaffordable debts which set us back later. That would be good management of performance through investment but overall probably poor 'financial' management.

 

The distinction is predicated on the fact that credit markets have undergone massive changes so you cant just invest through borrowing as much as you want because your equity and capital is appreciating anyway. The failure to distinguish between the twc forms of management is not possible anymore, finance is a constraint. The poor management of the club in 08/09 is not under question, the good financial management since then with an increasingly effective team on the pitch can be seen as either for me. Overall the picture is poor but as i say, we earn the more money now than in 08/09 (adding in the Virgin money deal) and spend less for better success on the pitch. My brain calculates an improved performance from these three variables.

Edited February 23, 2012 by ChezGiven

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

I have absolutely no doubt in my mind from a footballing perspective he didn't want to lose Barton. Nolan? Possibly but I doubt it was a decision that was his anyway.

Its just an opinion, it goes against what was said by Pardew but i'm inclined to believe he was complicit in the decision to let him go as he would need to be in some form of agreement that the team could live without him. Publicly backing a player is not the same as privately agreeing with the management, the kick off in the friendly over Cabaye taking corners and free kicks and my view of his political shrewdness makes me think this.

 

Off topic (what isnt these days) but i got a london cab from kings cross to near heathrow today, cabbie was an old lad and a season ticket holder, he was 'fackin this' and 'fackin that', prefaced everything he said with 'am not being funny but....' and then just said general opinions about football. Anyway focus of the conversation was Nolan, Ba and Allardyce. Nolan is to him 'having a poor season' and 'a decent championship player'. 'So not worth 50k a week then?' says I. Silence.

 

I'm not being funny but he's fucking driving, you have to concentrate on the ROAD, not the incoherent ramblings of every tom dick and harry that gets in the backseat. taxi driving is tough graft, just ask CT. Btw clear your inbox.

[LeazesMag 0]

I was pissed when Nolan and Barton left, but its difficult not knowing all the facts behind the moves. That said, if you consider Tiote and Cabaye their replacement then we are stronger for it. However, to back LM's point, we could have done with keeping Barton as well as having these two as he had started putting in a hell of a shift in RM and would have given us a good option there when we have struggled at times.

 

Barton leaving was fuck all to do with ambition though, nor was Nolan. Barton simply fell out with the board. slated them in public and was driven out of the club for it.

 

I've been informed (reliably, although im not saying who told me,) that both Barton and Nolan were considered good members of the squad morale-wise WHEN it suited them, when they were having an "off day", everybody else absolutely knew about it. Nolan especially wore a smacked-arse-face on quite a few days.

 

I've also mentioned before on here that I was also told that the day Pardew "won over," the vast majority of the squad was Arsenal at home last season, 4-0 down at half time he absolutely tore strips off Barton & Nolan etc, along the lines of "you walk around the club all week like you own it, and you go and put that SHIT out on the pitch... sort your f'in selves out" Given that he was still trying to get the squad behind him at the time, it's a pretty brave move to single out the more influential players within the squad for a roasting. COULD have went the other way for him, but he had the balls to do it. Apparently the rest of the squad were boosted by the fact the "certain" players didnt hold all the power any longer. As I say, reliably told thats what happened.

 

who are you ? John Gibson

[Howmanheyman 26960]

'Straight from the shoulder'

[Happy Face 29]

Has anyone hoyed up the european qualification criteria this year?

 

I know the league is 1 Europa place for those in 5th as standard, nowt for 6th or below. Not sure how the cups work it though, seems to change regularly. Wondering if Cardiff could end up getting our place.

 

EDIT: It's in the OP man

Edited February 24, 2012 by Happy Face

[Happy Face 29]

How can NUFC get in to Europe?

 

Champions League:

NUFC Finish in the top 4. Unlikely. Less unlikely than before, but still pretty unlikely.

 

Europa League:

NUFC Finish 5th

NUFC win FA Cup

NUFC reach FA Cup Final but lose to Champions League Qualified Team

NUFC Finish 6th with Liverpool winning the League Cup and finishing 5th

NUFC Finish 6th with two teams contesting the FA Cup Final who have already qualified for Europe (CL place or Europa Lge via League or League Cup)

NUFC Finish 7th with two teams contesting the FA Cup Final who have already qualified for Europe (CL place or Europa Lge via League) AND Liverpool win the League Cup whilst finishing in a position that would afford them European Qualification.

 

 

Good Work

 

I'm still lost.

 

Is it better for our european hopes to finish 7th behind Liverpool than 6th ahead of them

 

[CleeToonFan 1]

Was searching for the fair play rankings to see if we might get an extra through that (possible, but not probable) and the premier league fair play ranking came up. How on Earth are we bottom of the table? Be brilliant if England gets a fair play place and we have to take it up as the 20th team in our fair play table

[Baggio 0]

How can NUFC get in to Europe?

 

Champions League:

NUFC Finish in the top 4. Unlikely. Less unlikely than before, but still pretty unlikely.

 

Europa League:

NUFC Finish 5th

NUFC win FA Cup

NUFC reach FA Cup Final but lose to Champions League Qualified Team

NUFC Finish 6th with Liverpool winning the League Cup and finishing 5th

NUFC Finish 6th with two teams contesting the FA Cup Final who have already qualified for Europe (CL place or Europa Lge via League or League Cup)

NUFC Finish 7th with two teams contesting the FA Cup Final who have already qualified for Europe (CL place or Europa Lge via League) AND Liverpool win the League Cup whilst finishing in a position that would afford them European Qualification.

 

 

Good Work

 

I'm still lost.

 

Is it better for our european hopes to finish 7th behind Liverpool than 6th ahead of them

 

 

No, but there is a risk that we could come 6th and not qualify with Liverpool coming 7th and they qualify by winning the Carling cup.

 

That depends on the finalists of the FA cup.

[Baggio 0]

If we win we could be 4th by tomorrow evening, 5th if Chelsea beat Bolton.

 

Chelsea vs Bolton

West Brom vs Sunderland

Arsenal vs Spurs (Sunday)

 

Unfortunately we need Liverpool to win the Carling cup too if we want 7th to remain open.

[Howay 12462]

They should bring back the Intertoto cup.

[Happy Face 29]

If we win we could be 4th by tomorrow evening, 5th if Chelsea beat Bolton.

 

Chelsea vs Bolton

West Brom vs Sunderland

Arsenal vs Spurs (Sunday)

 

Unfortunately we need Liverpool to win the Carling cup too if we want 7th to remain open.

 

So I can be comfortable hoping for a Spurs Chelsea FA Cup Final and Liverpool taking a hammering in all competitions.

 

Goodo.

[Kevin S. Assilleekunt 1]

This thread is screaming out for a poll:

 

Best manager/chairman combination?

 

Pardew/Ashley

Hughton/Ashley

Pardew/Shepherd

Hughton/Shepherd

 

Which combination would lead the way to success? A debate ensues.

[PUGATRON1000 0]

I was pissed when Nolan and Barton left, but its difficult not knowing all the facts behind the moves. That said, if you consider Tiote and Cabaye their replacement then we are stronger for it. However, to back LM's point, we could have done with keeping Barton as well as having these two as he had started putting in a hell of a shift in RM and would have given us a good option there when we have struggled at times.

 

Barton leaving was fuck all to do with ambition though, nor was Nolan. Barton simply fell out with the board. slated them in public and was driven out of the club for it.

 

I've been informed (reliably, although im not saying who told me,) that both Barton and Nolan were considered good members of the squad morale-wise WHEN it suited them, when they were having an "off day", everybody else absolutely knew about it. Nolan especially wore a smacked-arse-face on quite a few days.

 

I've also mentioned before on here that I was also told that the day Pardew "won over," the vast majority of the squad was Arsenal at home last season, 4-0 down at half time he absolutely tore strips off Barton & Nolan etc, along the lines of "you walk around the club all week like you own it, and you go and put that SHIT out on the pitch... sort your f'in selves out" Given that he was still trying to get the squad behind him at the time, it's a pretty brave move to single out the more influential players within the squad for a roasting. COULD have went the other way for him, but he had the balls to do it. Apparently the rest of the squad were boosted by the fact the "certain" players didnt hold all the power any longer. As I say, reliably told thats what happened.

 

who are you ? John Gibson

 

Tell me it isn't true!!

[guttierrors 0]

Its not true

[PUGATRON1000 0]

Its not true

 

Not YOU you nugget!

[citizenerased 0]

This thread is screaming out for a poll:

 

Best manager/chairman combination?

 

Pardew/Ashley

Hughton/Ashley

Pardew/Shepherd

Hughton/Shepherd

 

Which combination would lead the way to success? A debate ensues.

 

Keegan/Ashl...

 

Oh wait, shit.

[guttierrors 0]

hughton/ashley forever and ever

[Baggio 0]

Played 26 Points 43

 

One point gained but I came away feeling like we had lost, we shouldn't be throwing 2-0 leads away against anyone and if it becomes a regular thing the calls for him to be sacked won't just be confined to another forum.

 

Nice to see Ben Arfa get some playing time even if it was predictable - pick the ball up, cut inside, shoot, rinse, repeat.

 

Santon is really starting to look the part btw, I'd still stick him at right back long term as despite being a right footed left back isn't a problem in general (see Irwin and Pearce) it's not as balanced for us as we've got Jonas ahead of him who prefers to cut back in on his right too, which means we're not taking full advantage of the space.

 

Good to see Sunderland battered before their visit here, roll on next weekend...