James

I agree, sort out the manager and make a few changes to the playing personnel, and we are in a much better position, but the club has to be run well. If he turns out to be a bad chairman, it could turn into a disaster over the next two or three years, after the initial boost. Basically, we are praying for a business model equivalent to the Sunderland one.

Have you even read the story? We don't know if there is a consortium involved yet, or the extent to which they are providing the backing. Fucking hell... didn't you buy the Iranian Manboob story hook, line and sinker? ... now the Chronicle and The Times have a story, supposedly leaked from SP, with a bit of logic to it... NOW is the time you choose to be sceptical. James & logic? You having a laugh? To be honest this is completely different. There is no details thus far as to how much money any of these people actually have, these people could be absolute paupers compared to Mike Ashley for instance, so can't really get our hopes ups that things are going to get fixed. Manboob didn't even fucking exist! Has not been proven one way or the other.

Have you even read the story? We don't know if there is a consortium involved yet, or the extent to which they are providing the backing. Fucking hell... didn't you buy the Iranian Manboob story hook, line and sinker? ... now the Chronicle and The Times have a story, supposedly leaked from SP, with a bit of logic to it... NOW is the time you choose to be sceptical. James & logic? You having a laugh? To be honest this is completely different. There is no details thus far as to how much money any of these people actually have, these people could be absolute paupers compared to Mike Ashley for instance, so can't really get our hopes ups that things are going to get fixed.

I wasn't using it to justify any point I was making, more that it was the only place you can find him quoted talking about NUFC.

Ashley's "business model"!? Any credibility you had ended there. His long term business model was always buy them cheap, give them a platform then flog them off to a better team. He might be around to do that for Bassong, but didn't stick around long enough to carry out the rest of his business model as bad decisions put him in a bad situation.

NEWCASTLE United's determination to capture the next generation of Alan Shearers - and look after its young fans - has been given a major endorsement by the club's corporate supporters. Leading local businessman Barry Moat is so impressed with owner Mike Ashley's blueprint for the future that he has already committed to renewing his executive box at St. James' Park for a further five years. United will reap increased revenues from executive boxes and corporate hospitality packages sold in two and five-year packages from the 2008/09 season onwards. And the Club will use the extra finance to further develop its Academy infrastructure and take every step to ensure the best local youngsters aren't missed, so avoiding past mistakes when talent such as Alan Shearer and Michael Carrick were missed. The monies generated from corporate sales will help the Club expand the Family Enclosure at St. James' Park to almost treble its previous size. The new Family Enclosure - where season ticket prices have been cut by £50 to just £300 for adults and by £30 to only £100 for children - will be situated on Level 7 of the Milburn Stand. Those corporate fans like Mr Moat who have renewed for 2008/09 will have their names added to a new Family Enclosure 'Roll of Honour' to acknowledge the support they have given the Club. Mr Moat said: "As a lifelong Newcastle United fan I am delighted to support the Club's new initiatives of investing in the Academy and enabling more young fans in the region to see their heroes play. "Hopefully some of those young fans will be the heroes of tomorrow. "It's vital for a club like Newcastle United to make sure it recruits the best young footballers at an early age and encourages them to develop their full potential. "Knowing that I can help the Academy as well as projects like the increased Family Enclosure is a huge incentive to continue backing the Club and I hope others will feel the same." United vice-chairman Derek Llambias added: "It's fantastic that people like Barry have shown their backing for the direction the Club is taking by signing a five-year corporate contract. "Newcastle United is eager to develop the stars of the future in the north east and, just as importantly, keep St. James' Park open to the young fans too."

Have you even read the story? We don't know if there is a consortium involved yet, or the extent to which they are providing the backing.

I don't think Moat is overly wealthy, I'd presume his brother will also be involved, but that would probably be the Bruce Shepherd equivalent. Not sure he's got the money and that the club will probably have to remain on the business model that Ashley had us on, only without the managerial chaos and DOFs and all that. He's going to need to know what he's doing and how to make the club a success. Otherwise we have a Southampton situation where he haemorrages money and get held to ransom by a Rupert Lowe (Freddy Shepherd), sells up only for Shepherd unable to do any better.

Perhaps Barry Moat has an extreme hatred of Joe Kinnear, so Ashley woke up this morning and thought to himself: "now how am I going to get that extra £2m off that fucker?" *phone rings* "Hello is that Dreadlock Lambasier?" "No it is Mike Ashley you demented fool. Anyway good thing you phoned me I needed to phone you to offer you a new contract. Two years, starting in December" "Will I be allowed to sell Insomnia and buy Colleen Nolan?" "Yes. Deal?" "Yes. Bye"

Probably the best of the lot when it comes to being right about Newcastle, both analytically and with transfer gossip. Just half the time there isn't much worth reading.

That's wrong, it was an estimated £1m for 5 year corporate box.

Last year, Ashley was talking about maybe giving up a share of the club in exchange for some investment in the playing staff. Reports at the time said Barry Moat was approached, but would not share and couldn't afford a full buy out. Instead he donated £5m to the youth academy in exchange for some really good long term corporate deal.

How did you hear that?

I'm starting to think that your ITK is just being strung along by Ashley and Llambias like the rest of us while they do things like talk to Kinnear behind everyone's back.

If I was a coach and my incompetent employer kept asking me to become a stopgap manager of a largely talentless group of players for an indefinite period of time, in a relegation battle, with no remit to buy players or make big changes to a losing team, I would probably look the same way. I'm not saying he would be anybody's first choice, but he is a more practical and far less embarrassing alternative to David O'Leary or Joe Kinnear or Terry Veneables. Neither of whom will be likely to move over when Ashley finally goes (whenever that may be). There is a reason that normal clubs don't touch these guys with a barge pole. If you can't sell the club, any decision you make will be unpopular and risky since no good managers will want the job. Stick with Hughton and give him some authority with the players instead of labeling him an 'interim' boss. Venables might attract the media, but he's got far more nous than Hughton, making us far less likely to be embarassing on the pitch. I think O'Leary could probably get one last shot at redemption too, put right his past mistakes. Would be a risk. Agree that Kinnear would be more embarassing though.

Goodness me, its starting to seem to me like you have a vendetta against every single member of the youth team, in addition to all the other vendettas you've got. Did they spoil a night out you had once or something

Venables won't come, but he's a far more qualified coach than the likes of O'Leary, Strachan, Coppell and other such losers mentioned so far. Strachan is fine like. Coppell is alright too but couldn't cut the pressure here. I don't think O'Leary can be completely written off as a manager either.

To be honest, if it is a local consortium supposedly willing to pay £75m and Ashley won't play ball and is really prepared to let the club decline further and further, they'd probably be best off buying Newcastle Blue Star and investing the money on getting into the Championship and passing NUFC on the way up.

Seems this has all been another stalling tactic to avoid appointing Shearer because they didn't like his demands when they met with him after the season. It appears they want to try and get back up with largely the same squad of players and a manager who is as of yet to be revealed. Considering Harris' claims that Martins was sold because he didn't fit the Championship style and two are expected in, I would say the manager is already at work. With our rotten luck it will be O'Leary. Why do you only put one sentance in each paragraph? Is it some sort of attempt to make your sentances seem as though they have more gravitas or do you simply not understand the principle of paragraphs? Whatever the reason I find it extremely irritating. This technique drags you down to the same level as Robert Peston. Why do you only put one sentance in each paragraph? Is it some sort of attempt to make your sentances seem as though they have more gravitas or do you simply not understand the principle of paragraphs? Whatever the reason I find it extremely irritating. This technique drags you down to the same level as Robert Peston.

I'm starting to hope we get caned 10-0 vs West Brom in the vain hope that it might scare Ashley into doing anything positive.

If it is untrue, I challenge NUFC to take him to court, as stuff like this must surely be damaging the sale.

The club hierarchy may be denying it, but I'm sure that 75% of the time they don't know what ashley and Llambias have been upto behind everyone's backs.

If this happens, I can see some sort of October Revolution where fans takeover the stadium and training ground.

It is never good to estimate exactly how far a player will go, but in terms of his progress and development and what he has done at youth level so far, he is way ahead of what anyone has done at NUFC youth academy for at least ten years.