The College Dropout

Needs to be rested for a bit but unfortunately we have no other options.

Poor finishing today. Always goes for the early, spectacular shot.

People would really want Adkins? Seriously?

Convert to CB. Looks a big lad.

So not "real" success then on two fronts, qualifying for another competition you have no chance of winning and winning nowt. Dunno, they played great football, with some world class players plying their trade there, like Riquelme or Rossi; challenged for La Liga and got far in the cups, even getting to the CL semis... I think any Villarreal fan will look back at that with pride. I don't disagree, it's just a reflection of "today" that not winning/being the best is generally accepted as "success", that lowering of expectation has and does help cement the "really" succesfull above the rest. Fans, Sponsors, The media all now accept 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc is the new winning stuff. Sad IMO. I look back on the SBR reign with great pride. The best thing we did there was challenge for the league into the second half of the season a couple times, reach the second round of the CL once and a UEFA Cup semi-final. Still a Golden Era for NUFC when you look at it. In terms of European football, we are probably 3rd /4th tier.

Looks like Olivier Bernard. Doesn't really, but he's black and French. Plays left back and seems a burly lad.

Aye, just trying to win cups would be great. Stay competitive top 8 in the division - superb.

Just win a cup and stay in the division. Keep bringing in quality players too.

Do you need 14 international footballers' to survive in the PL?

This thread is class. Dan Gosling ffs

All our players play for us because we offered them the best financial package. Only Saylor & the Ameobi's would turn down a better deal elsewhere.

We signed Anita from Ajax. Cabaye from French Champions Lille. 2 CL clubs year-in year-out or at least Waffa Cup. far greater heritage. I don't believe the crap about "the competition of the PL". They move here because the money is great.

It's ALL money tbf.

Yep, it's all about money. Unless you win trophies, in Europe, CL, it's ALL about money. I'm sure we are more attractive in France because we have 3 players who regularly make their squad so that's a bonus. But the difference between earning 20k-40k less a week, 1 or 2 million a year. Not a chance.

No Premiership club that doesn't qualify for Europe can sustain what QPR are doing. Even when they stay up they're in a bad position. Talking about an increase in stadium, they simply don't have the fanbase. They couldn't fill a 40k stadium. Too many clubs in London, there's 3 really big clubs in London as it is. And another 5 with a bigger or equal fanbase. People talking all kinds of shit about business sense. Mike Ashley is worth close to 4x times as Fernandes and owns one of the few thriving businesses in the UK. He's made mistakes with us but we'll be earning him money very soon. There's no way you could convince me Fernandes is a better businessman than Ashley. Numbers don't lie. Loic Remy for 80 p/w does not make good business for Newcastle. We should be able to stay up with or without him. Our biggest problem is our manager and his lack of job threat.

fernandes doesn't have THAT much money. He won't support them in 5 years time. They have to be in the CL with the wages they have within a few years. Ah right, I assumed his ability to spend on QPR was pretty much unlimited. If he needs a return any time soon he's running a massive risk. Nope he's worth around 500m. That's a 1/3 of Ashley's worth. Only way a club like QPR can sustain 80k p/w for players is Champions League. Fernandes expected midtable this season. There's no way he can support 20m losses year on year.

They would stay up Remy or no Remy. 'Arry just loves to spend money and sign players. I'm sure he's told the board otherwise.

fernandes doesn't have THAT much money. He won't support them in 5 years time. They have to be in the CL with the wages they have within a few years.

Yes they are. Portsmouth had a new stadium in the pipeline. Portsmouth actively were looking for extra sponsors and thought buying success now would buy them guaranteed future which was completely wrong. They still went he same way as Leeds. Which QPR will do when they get relegated. Fernandez is way smarter than anyone who was ever connected to Pompey. History is littered with the still smouldering corpses of clever, rich men who went into football club ownership and still got burned. Fernandes has more brains than the whole of our management put together. More so he is an inspirational character like a Branson. He really isn't. You know fuk all about him. He was one of the brains at Aol and left when he saw the writing on the wall. He started Air Asia from scratch in one room with no airline licence. If qpr survive in the PL a couple of season they will be a force to be reckoned with. By this logic, we have Ashley, who also built a massive empire from very little. So because he is the 15th wealthiest in the UK, he must know what he is doing running a football club, right? Fernandes corporate nous and structure is on another planet to Mashley..That is abundantly clear to anyone who looks at it for 2 mins. Football isn't an exact science but I know who I'd rather own our club. Mashley is a poor communicator - Fernandes by all accounts is loved top to bottom in his companies and ventures. He's an economist and astute model builder for business longevity and structural financial development. It's like comparing a monkey with a typwriter and an IBM. Tbf Ashley's worth more than Fernandes. on that basis alone, he's a better businessman.

I don't think QPR will get relegated tbf.b With our without Remy 'Arry would turn it around. They're only 4-5 points from safety as it is, the team doesn't lack quality but it does lack some heart but 'Arrys great at getting players to well.... play. They'll implode eventually with their signings. Wages are crippling. They're signing players on fees they cannot get elsewhere. Ever.

He's 27 not 23. His type of player - pace and athelticism tend to decline quickly as they approach their 30's. He needs the money now. So what do you do? Bend to his demands? What's the difference in what you were offering and what they did? You could equally say that if he's that type of player, he needs the money because he's going to decline, as you said, which doubly makes him one to avoid, especially at that cost. No, you've been priced out and you move on. I cna only guess but the difference seems significant. They've reportedly offered 80k and us 40-60k. It's just business. You want a product/service that can only be given to 1 firm. We've been out-bid. He's not in the wrong, we've only done wrong by waiting so long to make the move and QPR have done what they have to do to get their man that they believe will keep them up and propel them into midtable at least next season.

They offered Demba £80k/week, he turned it down. Aye, well Remy's no Demba anyway.

They probably do now tbf 1. We may have more "prestige" but you aren't any more likely to win trophies at Newcastle than you are at QPR. 2. Man Utd. lost Hazard to Chelsea. Aye, Chelsea won the CL but i'm sure it came down to money. Man Utd./Arsenal are the best places for young players in England. Let's say QPR offered £20k more than us. If it's a reported £80k I would think the figure would be closer to £40k. Anyway, that's over a million pounds a year. 4 million over the life of the contract. Any player from abroad would do that. 90% of players would go to Newcastle at 80k than Liverpool at £60k.

Did that happen with Coloccini? He's our captain. And there was rumours he took a bit of a pay cut in exchange for a longer deal. We've pretty much signed him up on first team wages for probably a season or so, maybe even 2 when he's gone a bit past it. If we where going to give 80k to anyone, it should've been Demba. QPR can't sustain their transfer policy, i'm certain of it. What we do is bring in CL quality players from abroad, give them PL wages and a chance to shine. Play well like Ba/HBA and we might give you something close to PL CL wages or you'll be sold to a team that can. Where's Remy's motivation financially at QPR? He'll not get bigger wages anywhere, possibly ever. I'm sure they've got 6-7 players on 50k+ deals and you simply can't sustain that unless you sell big names or are in the CL.

The Mercenary lark is funny though. Anyone here would go anywhere that played them 25% more.