madras

any idea of the squad we've sent/sending. people are nominating what they see as the strongest 11 out of the available resources. i'd give at least a couple of the kids, lua lua,carroll,edgar,tozer,donninger ,forster ,kadar,zamblera etc a full game, 2 each,in each game /9if they travel that is)

if you believe the agent we agreed the price wanted by the chairman....then he raised it again

it's a recipe for enchiladas.

that'll open up the "just coming for the money" frenzy

well, it depends for what players you want coloccini is top CB and would instantly be our first choice defender, but offering stupid wages for squad players, thats something different Well let's just say it's more than what we're "reportedly" offering Owen. well that is stupid, but as you say is alledegly, i heard he was on £25k a week a depo, we will double his wages £50k. Thats still less than viduka, own, martins, duff, barton, smith. apart from riise i have absolutly no idea what footballers earn....i wonder how you lot get to find these things out ?

In 06-07 only two clubs spent more than us and we finished 13th. It's good this game. see my next post dave and try to take it in - it's not about whether we spend MORE than these clubs, it's about whether we spend what we need to spend to at least keep up with them, in fact lets change that to CATCH them first then we'll have to start thinking about keeping up with them the period you refer to is universally accepted as one of turmoil and s*** managers so the point is moot in my eyes anyway if you think, what, 12m net spend so far under ashley is OK then so be it check soccer base 1997-98...net spend £5,700,000 Finished 13th 1998-99...net spend £8,000,000 Finished 13th 1999-00...net spend £9,600,000 Finished 11th 2000-01...net spend -£4,100,000 Finished 11th 2001-02...net spend £25,000,000 Finished 4th 2002-03...net spend £15,000,000 Finished 3rd 2003-04...net spend £100,000 Finished 5th 2004-05..net spend £2,750,000 Finished 14th 2005-06..net spend £18,800,000 Finished 7th 2006-07 net spend £16,700,000 Finished 13th 2007-08 net spend £1,850,000 Finished 12th dude, i've never once claimed that spending = success nor will i, there are too many variables in football for that one thing i will say is that since the dawn of the EPL only arsenal have come close to winning it (won it) without breaking transfer records and any club who has crept up the league by being prudent have always fallen back down eventually what i was getting at was the idea that the previous regime always backed their manager. sometimes they didn't and that was when they could have took the risk as the debt and wage levels weren't so high. particularly if you look at 2002 to 2005 when we should have been building on the back of champs lge money we didn't. no doubt ne5 will raise woodgate came in january. if you want to join him in with that summers signings then take £9mill off 2002-03 to even things out.

but it seems like it isn't just £700,000 as when we budge up their chairman seems to do that aswell.

If Gutierrez is any good (I have no idea), then he will probably be a good value signing (we have no idea how much of a signing on bonus we're giving him, or the wages he's on so how can we really judge). Ditto Guthrie. Two swallows though... We aren't the only club looking for good deals, and wont be the only club to pick up a couple of cheap players who turn out to be bargains (whisper it, but we've done it in the past too!). Other clubs will be doing that AS WELL AS spending transfer fees and wages on players with established and proven ability. Honest question to you or anyone else - do you think Gutierrez and/or Guthrie were signed instead of Modric? I ask because we've gone from being willing to spend £18m on an attacking midfielder (so obviously we thought the position needed filling) to our most important positions now being 2 fullbacks (I would assume cover for Beye but maybe more experienced competition for Enrique). UV i've asked that question a hundred different ways on here and there'll be answer - if the modric bid was real then as you say the position had to be a priority and one we were willing to pay top dollar for what happened? maybe they still want someone for that position ,just they haven't informed you about it yet ?

not really if the agent is to be believed .we have upped our offer several times and the chairman has raised his price several times. i honestly don't know enough about the player to put a valuation on him.

In 06-07 only two clubs spent more than us and we finished 13th. It's good this game. see my next post dave and try to take it in - it's not about whether we spend MORE than these clubs, it's about whether we spend what we need to spend to at least keep up with them, in fact lets change that to CATCH them first then we'll have to start thinking about keeping up with them the period you refer to is universally accepted as one of turmoil and s*** managers so the point is moot in my eyes anyway if you think, what, 12m net spend so far under ashley is OK then so be it check soccer base 1997-98...net spend £5,700,000 1998-99...net spend £8,000,000 1999-00...net spend £9,600,000 2000-01...net spend -£4,100,000 2001-02...net spend £25,000,000 2002-03...net spend £15,000,000 2003-04...net spend £100,000 2004-05..net spend £2,750,000 2005-06..net spend £18,800,000 2006-07 net spend £16,700,000 2007-08 net spend £1,850,000 the myth that we have a net spend yearly of £20mill plus is shot. it rarely happened. what if between now and sept 1st we spend £10mill to put us basically in the middle of the previous boards spending...or if we spend £20mill !!!!!!!

It seems like we've been more than willing to compromise on the fee, It looks like their chairman is just trying it on now. it's worked for him before with us

just thought i'd quote this again in case he missed it the first time I've answered this before madras. People will just say we are going over old ground again if I answer it again. Quality players, 1st choice signings. No top figure, but act like the big club we are. Spending a few million quid when we clearly need at least 3 player to go straight into the team is not behaving like a top club with a big turnover. I don't think you understand this to be honest do you ? It's not just about money, its about paying it where you need to and not capping him and forcing him to go 2nd best. it's also about not being tret as a mug (in the transfer market,it's also about getting a decent manager. oh and big turnover means nowt if your outgoings are more than the turnover. it doesn't give you extra spending power. Mugs supported the club when they sold our best players for decades and ended up with one foot in the 3rd division as a result. Like me. All 20,000 of us. Those 30,000 who were attracted back to the club because the club showed intent to punch our weight and compete at the level we should have been at were, in fact, also mugs for missing out on the good old days when we were never embarrassed, never had "debts due to stadium expansion" and didn't spend money that we never had because we bought players from the 3rd and 4th divisions. Except nobody was interested, hence the failed share issue too, in 1991. Nobody is denying that in the last few years they appointed Souness and gave him too much money, and allowed him to get rid of good players for peanuts too, but hey madras, people like me said this at the time, and said where we would end up because of it, and others said we should continue backing him [with more money we didn't have ] ? The same people now slating for the debt do you think ? At the end of the day though, the same principle applies. If you don't buy a ticket you won't win the raffle. if you buy too many raffle tickets you cant afford to eat. building up some debt is ok...keeping on piling it on isn't. you yourself go on about the massive turnover but that was increasingly used on wages rather than improving the club. amazing that we spent so much on wages with such a small squad while struggling in the lower reaches of mid table desperate attempt to justify your agenda. At the end of the day, the bad old days of playing in europe more often than everyone but 4 teams says everything. 4 top half finishes in 11 years isn't it ?

Except when it suits. examples ? Mort, Allardyce and Keegan made quotes. The evidence of that and the record of the club in the transfer market in the last year is proof of the situation so far. I could say that people believe statements made by Shepherd that were taken out of context, and so its the same thing. Truth is Dave, I don't take those or any comments seriously, the only things I do notice is like others, certain cockney journalists have it in for us whatever we do, so no I don't take any notice of what they print. I don't take notice of them when they say Ashley is building up the club for a sale, but I do wonder what his motivation is ? So I'm just going by the clubs results and the evidence of the players we've signed and statements by the people who know. I've also told you what happens to the clubs crowds when they stop showing ambition. what was morts quote....was it before or after the bid for woodgate ? don't use allardyces quotes to defend yourself....i expect better of you keegans quotes have been "we need players and the club are doing all they can to get them" type thing Didn;t Mort say in November "we won't be buying anybody in january unless they are young and for the future". Words to that effect, with no regard or knowledge of who the manager wanted, who would be available, and what position the club would be in ? How short sighted is that ? Keegans comments after the Chelsea game spoke volumes. OK I won't mention Allardyce complaining about them not moving quickly enough and complaining about not getting support behind the scenes. The proof so far is the actual transfer activity. he did and thats the way the top clubs are doing it...think of the last 27 year old outfield player man utd or arsenal signed and then he did bid for woodgate in january. the only proof is on sept 1st

not that i'm aware

just thought i'd quote this again in case he missed it the first time I've answered this before madras. People will just say we are going over old ground again if I answer it again. Quality players, 1st choice signings. No top figure, but act like the big club we are. Spending a few million quid when we clearly need at least 3 player to go straight into the team is not behaving like a top club with a big turnover. I don't think you understand this to be honest do you ? It's not just about money, its about paying it where you need to and not capping him and forcing him to go 2nd best. it's also about not being tret as a mug (in the transfer market,it's also about getting a decent manager. oh and big turnover means nowt if your outgoings are more than the turnover. it doesn't give you extra spending power. Mugs supported the club when they sold our best players for decades and ended up with one foot in the 3rd division as a result. Like me. All 20,000 of us. Those 30,000 who were attracted back to the club because the club showed intent to punch our weight and compete at the level we should have been at were, in fact, also mugs for missing out on the good old days when we were never embarrassed, never had "debts due to stadium expansion" and didn't spend money that we never had because we bought players from the 3rd and 4th divisions. Except nobody was interested, hence the failed share issue too, in 1991. Nobody is denying that in the last few years they appointed Souness and gave him too much money, and allowed him to get rid of good players for peanuts too, but hey madras, people like me said this at the time, and said where we would end up because of it, and others said we should continue backing him [with more money we didn't have ] ? The same people now slating for the debt do you think ? At the end of the day though, the same principle applies. If you don't buy a ticket you won't win the raffle. if you buy too many raffle tickets you cant afford to eat. building up some debt is ok...keeping on piling it on isn't. you yourself go on about the massive turnover but that was increasingly used on wages rather than improving the club. amazing that we spent so much on wages with such a small squad while struggling in the lower reaches of mid table

Except when it suits. examples ? Mort, Allardyce and Keegan made quotes. The evidence of that and the record of the club in the transfer market in the last year is proof of the situation so far. I could say that people believe statements made by Shepherd that were taken out of context, and so its the same thing. Truth is Dave, I don't take those or any comments seriously, the only things I do notice is like others, certain cockney journalists have it in for us whatever we do, so no I don't take any notice of what they print. I don't take notice of them when they say Ashley is building up the club for a sale, but I do wonder what his motivation is ? So I'm just going by the clubs results and the evidence of the players we've signed and statements by the people who know. I've also told you what happens to the clubs crowds when they stop showing ambition. what was morts quote....was it before or after the bid for woodgate ? don't use allardyces quotes to defend yourself....i expect better of you keegans quotes have been "we need players and the club are doing all they can to get them" type thing

just thought i'd quote this again in case he missed it the first time I've answered this before madras. People will just say we are going over old ground again if I answer it again. Quality players, 1st choice signings. No top figure, but act like the big club we are. Spending a few million quid when we clearly need at least 3 player to go straight into the team is not behaving like a top club with a big turnover. I don't think you understand this to be honest do you ? It's not just about money, its about paying it where you need to and not capping him and forcing him to go 2nd best. it's also about not being tret as a mug (in the transfer market,it's also about getting a decent manager. oh and big turnover means nowt if your outgoings are more than the turnover. it doesn't give you extra spending power.

Bentley £18mill ?

Need people in London these days as well. to guard the doors at white hart lane ?

Those minor things aye. his hair will need to undergo quarantine

this true ?

just thought i'd quote this again in case he missed it the first time

fyp

ne5......just for the record will you put a figure on what you would class as acceptable spending by NUFC this window ?

so you don't have an intelligent view on how the current board are operating, apart from blind optimism ? Good reply, or is it diversionary rubbish. I asked you one simple question about the single biggest decision they have made so far, which was to change the manager. I don't want to talk about all the other stuff you flung in to try and avoid the question, that was the only thing I wanted to get your opinion on. Eventually after asking about five times I got you to admit you agree with me that it was a good move and they got it right. So that's the one major decision they've made and they got it right. Yet 'overall' you say 'Ashley is nowhere near looking like he knows how to succeed'. Strange. it isn't the one major decision. The decision not to compete at the level we ought to and back the manager is another major decision, and ultimately, no matter how good the manager is, if you don't back him you're not going to get the best from him. I find if very strange that Ashley has appointed Keegan, based on what he did first time round presumably, and isn't giving him a chance to repeat it ? Whats your opinion on that ? Dave I've been saying for years if Keegan had stayed at the club we would have gone on to win things IMO. You must have been blind to have missed it, on that basis I found your question slightly pointless. i'm not so sure that we would have. after signing shearer which he saw as the final piece of the jigsaw we never looked like winning the league (even beating man utd 5-0 was more of a one off performance rather than something we could get even close to regular enough to win something)and he looked down and lost for the couple of month before he left. also...ultimatly ,no matter how bad the manager is, if you just throw money at him you'll only build debt off him. we'll see, as i've posted already if we don't get good enough bodies through the door by sept 1st i'll not be happy and will criticise the board,till then i'll wait and see.