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Thing is, no other business has customers that would accept it. People don't keep getting high interest mortgages from Abbey National just because they were brought up supporting them and hope to see them one day announce the biggest banking profits in Europe. They go to another bank that offers them something better. We're football supporters, we can't exactly just go elsewhere, not unless you're that retard Lee Stewart - we are the club. Supporting something totally unrelated to us isn't an option. So the people running the business can do it as badly as they like and believe they can get away with it. But as I've been saying all night, if we know what's good for our club, we can stop helping people who are hurting it, running it badly and giving us 'customers' bad service. Stick together, prove they need us for 12 months more we need them and we can make them go away and the business will eventually improve.

To be fair, and not having a go, but your normal support is not giving any (very much) money to Ashley anyway. By and large what I think people should do is virtually what you're doing already. Nobody has to pretend the club doesn't exist, I would just say we should make sure we don't do anything which is likely to harm the club like giving Ashley your money. Apart from that, going to the ground, showing your support, following on the radio, getting autographs of players, its all good. Would encourage someone to buy us, too, so it's brilliant. I've said elsewhere, one of the reasons I'm concerned is that I think there's a really good chance that Ashley won't be gone any day soon. If other people who do give Ashley their money carry on as normal, I think he's gonna have no reason he cares about to go and possibly a lot of reasons to stay. Stay long enough to renew Pardew's contract. You signed up to support the club through highs and lows, that means you don't abandon us for Chelsea, not that you have to help the man who is killing the club - it's literally the opposite.

He'll still benefit financially from that though, TV money? Lot more indirect, and not enough on it's own to keep Ashley alive.* Also harder for us to affect in anything like the near future. By all means, you can cancel Sky though *offal prices are going up

Same here. Me three. Support your club, steer clear of Ashley.

Like I said earlier, you could maybe turn out at the ground for a couple of hours and loudly show the team who've given us more to be proud of than we've had in years that you support them, I reckon a lot of them will hate him as much as you and appreciate you showing you're with them from afar only because of Ashley. Won't cost a penny and would be a great statement.

Yes, laughing at us. Laughing at us for paying him to watch something upsetting.

Well, Ashley's certainly bedding in in a manner that'll let him stay here if we let him and no one makes him an offer for the club he likes. And I'll make a point here which might show why I'm concerned - I think his plan is a good one, and that he's only going to want more money for the club in the future. So long as there's enough money coming through the gates to cover wages, he can hold this club down forever, and then like one of those extremophile bacteria start finding ways improve his margins and make pure profit wherever something better than the worst possible outcome takes place. The weak point? Us. Our money. He doesn't need our love but he really needs our money. And we can keep it from him, and if we do that, the rest of the plan collapses real quick. The club will haemmorage money and he'll need rid asap. What comes after that? Honestly, I don't think there could possibly be anything worse than this. If we accept this treatment we'll be third class and uncomplaining rape victims. Re: Pardew, yeah, like I say, I can definitely go along with him being arrogant enough to think he'll prove to the football community that he's a good football manager who deserves a proper job elsewhere. But that'd mean him leaving of his own volition, not being sacked...

Wrong way round - getting behind this disgrace is counter-productive. You might think Pardew as a guy is ok, I have reasons for disagreeing but never mind that - if he is decent he'll just get screwed, just like Hughton, just like Keegan, just like our club, just like you. I think everybody can see he has been talking to Newcastle Hierarchy behind Hughtons back for the past few weeks. The man is a snake in the grass and should be kicked out of the LMA (if that's possible). I think that too but Brazilianbob doesn't seem to and I'm here to make allies, not enemies. Anyone who thinks Pardew is alright himself must be told that even if he is he's obviously not going to be allowed to be a success, just like his predecessors.

You serious? Comparing Hughton and Souness as men and their actions while at the club and saying you can't see the difference? The point's made in your own post, Souness was a twattish character, a bully who picked apart the best of our club. Hughton is a gentleman who oversaw a renaissance given the circumstances he inherited (and has obviously had to work under throughout). Souness couldn't have got this year and last's results BECAUSE HE'S A TWAT. That's his single biggest failing as a manager. Like others have said, stop trying to make sense of this situation because it's senseless. Decent posters like yourself who really try to will get dragged down to Ashley and Llambias' bizarro world.

Wrong way round - getting behind this disgrace is counter-productive. You might think Pardew as a guy is ok, I have reasons for disagreeing but never mind that - if he is decent he'll just get screwed, just like Hughton, just like Keegan, just like our club, just like you.

Must have been deleted off this forum if there ever was. There's this to look at which sounds very similar and is worth reading, though - http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/Why-Chris-Hughton-was-sacked-by-Newcastle-Forced-to-play-fantasy-football-with-Mike-Ashley-not-deemed-showbiz-enough-expected-to-talk-tactics-with-chairmen-article645857.html

I can see it given the ideas the Board seemingly have about running us as a child farm, the lack of self-respect Pardew may now have, and the deal they may have cooked up as a result. I can even see him never being sacked - only leaving on his own accord because he's successful enough to earn a proper job at an actual football league competitor. That's what my vote was for. Actually nothing like the Souness appointment really, though which is more gutting is debatable. At least with that one we knew we had a Board that would pull the trigger on a s*** manager who wouldn't have us competing. That's the beauty of this situation. The Board, in real terms, don't want the club to be TOO successful - that's the idea we've had introduced to the club. Hughton was too successful. He created a great team spirit, a bond between men who would fight for each other, didn't want to leave and wanted the club to do well. Meaning they wouldn't obediently f*** off when a 'decent' transfer offer came in, or ignore injustices against their fellow team members like the unenlightened teenage cannon fodder Ashley normally employs in his mass scale, pile-tatty-s***-high retail operations like SportsDirect. TOO MUCH success, TOO MUCH momentum is a danger to the security of this plan. What's desired now is players who want to use this place as a stepping stone, to put in a season or two's good performances on cheap wages before being moved on for identikits of their two year younger, 'ok for a middling team but will come good in a couple of years' selves, aided by a support cast of mercenary cloggers who don't mind a career of staying on somewhere they're hated. Battery Farm FC. This is worthy of a thread, ironically. Intersting post, but there a lot of assumptions that I would disagree with. 1. Ashley doesn't really want to own NUFC - he just wants it to be profitable enough for him to sell it and make money. He is not looking at the long term. He is only looking at getting operating costs down today (like selling high wage players and keeping the current players on low wages). 2. If we are relagated Pardew is gone. Ashley will pull the trigger on that one because he is a fickle bastard who doesn't owe Pardew anything and would just move onto the next thing (probably letting his 1st team coach taking over). 3. Pardew has't a f*cking clue what he is getting himself into. The fans will hate him from the start.... really hate him. The players we have are a collection of thin-skinned hot heads that are going to bite his head off given the chance and will feel no loyalty to him. Pardew will walk if he isn't pushed. In any case I can't see him sticking around. I am thinking he'll leave like Ruud Gullit saying: "I thought I knew how big a job managing Newcastle was. I was wrong." It keeps being said that Ashley desperately doesn't want to hang around, but I disagree with that assumption. He's started acting like it isn't the case, and his historic personal stubborness would suggest he at least wants to score several points before he makes an exit. I think he's learned lessons from the past 18 months experience and they amount to the idea that the stuff above can work for him. He wants to make a success of the plan he started out with, he wanted to do it and keep us 'customers' happy with our sacred trinkets like Keegan, but it didn't work and he now thinks he can do it without us anyway, certainly so long as we keep shelling out to attend games. Even a constant presence in the premier league isn't necessary in these circumstances. The fact he appointed Hughton when he now clearly never believed he could ever be a good manager for the club helps show this - I don't believe he assumed we'd get promoted, and I don't believe he's assuming we now, under Pardew, won't get relegated. I'll give you one thing - there's a chance he's looking for a firesale that will bring in a buyer before this summer's three-year season ticket deals come to an end, but this 5 1/2 year deal and the trouble he's gone to to get Pardew in over the past three months suggest he's plenty prepared to persevere. Re: Pardew, I don't think he's that thick to be fair - he's had months to work out what he's getting into and actually admitted today he wasn't looking forward to the day of his appointment. If he believes he's got rock solid support from the Board, he may not mind the thoughts of the fans and the players as certainly a lot of the latter won't be around too long. Maintaining the morale and spirit of 'this group of players' is not the aim of Ashley's club. Strike-breaking will take place, followed by profiteering and encouraging the remainder to 'play for their own pride'. The plan demands it.

Support for the club can only be expressed by defending it against people who are killing whatever you've ever known your club as. I'm inclined to think that must involve not putting any money into the club, including ticket fees. As long as he has your money, he's laughing at you. Would be great if we could get (tens of) thousands turning out outside SJP on matchdays to follow games through the media and support from outside the ground... dreamland admittedly but would be a magnificent statement.

I can see it given the ideas the Board seemingly have about running us as a child farm, the lack of self-respect Pardew may now have, and the deal they may have cooked up as a result. I can even see him never being sacked - only leaving on his own accord because he's successful enough to earn a proper job at an actual football league competitor. That's what my vote was for. Actually nothing like the Souness appointment really, though which is more gutting is debatable. At least with that one we knew we had a Board that would pull the trigger on a shit manager who wouldn't have us competing. That's the beauty of this situation. The Board, in real terms, don't want the club to be TOO successful - that's the idea we've had introduced to the club. Hughton was too successful. He created a great team spirit, a bond between men who would fight for each other, didn't want to leave and wanted the club to do well. Meaning they wouldn't obediently fuck off when a 'decent' transfer offer came in, or ignore injustices against their fellow team members like the unenlightened teenage cannon fodder Ashley normally employs in his mass scale, pile-tatty-shit-high retail operations like SportsDirect. TOO MUCH success, TOO MUCH momentum is a danger to the security of this plan. What's desired now is players who want to use this place as a stepping stone, to put in a season or two's good performances on cheap wages before being moved on for identikits of their two year younger, 'ok for a middling team but will come good in a couple of years' selves, aided by a support cast of mercenary cloggers who don't mind a career of staying on somewhere they're hated. Battery Farm FC. This is worthy of a thread, ironically.

I can see it given the ideas the Board seemingly have about running us as a child farm, the lack of self-respect Pardew may now have, and the deal they may have cooked up as a result. I can even see him never being sacked - only leaving on his own accord because he's successful enough to earn a proper job at an actual football league competitor.

wow, that's an eye opener if there's any truth in it Thankfully there isn't. It's making out as if he knew nothing about Ben Arfa really which is pretty fucking strange considering what the lad was saying about Chris Hughton while still at Marseille. They did the same with Keegan and Bassong. Aye it is just all backstabbing propaganda from what I can see. You would have to be pretty fickle to believe it. Unfortunately a lot of football fans are. Just want to quote these to help make sure it's seen by whoever needs to see it. '5.2 The Club admitted to the Tribunal that it repeatedly and intentionally misled the press, public and the fans of Newcastle United.' Do not be taken in by them, they are proven and admitted liars. Ben Arfa told the world he came solely because of the job Hughton did selling the club to him, Tiote had been scouted since the days of Keegan. When anyone gets in their way, Llambias always tries to lie, libel and slander his way through the situation. Without fail. Like fucking educationally subnormal children. 'FACT.'

He'll be called a Judas cunt like Given was. Not sure he would. Whether he would be one would depend on the circumstances, but I reckon plenty would be sympathetic if he didn't do it in the wrong way.

Can see some similarities but he isn't a lazy liar.

Hasn't been anyone like him in England for years before or after until Carroll.

Ashton was one of the brightest striking talents in a generation as far as I'm concerned. Inevitable he earned praise having gone through a spell of fitness, no managerial achievement there. Just a shame he was genuinely made of glass. Incidentally, I support the club, and good servants of our club past and present. As it is, our club has been hijacked - our club isn't going to be a winner in the forseeable future, it's been put into a deep sleep by hostile actors, so I wish those who've previously done it a good turn well in their future careers wherever that means they have to go.

As I've said before, my only realistic hope with him would be that he impregnates Ashley's daughter. And sons.

Really tempted to be apathetic, but that's how I used to be before the last year or so under Hughton. Him and the players restored my fondness of and pride in the club and I feel like I owe it to myself and them to not let the cunts get me down and stay angry instead.

I'm glad (as much as it's possible at this point in time) that basically everyone in football agrees over this. Ashley is a c***. The only problem is those fans agreeing with us then go on to say "I hope Newcastle get relegated now". Least we're not getting the usual, "The fans forced him out" diatribe though. Pavlov's dogs, I'm still expecting it to happen. Might have to wait 6 months and then history can be re-written or something.

Thought he deserved his own thread, his departure is worth a bit of attention itself. Sacked or resigned? Been here for three years, is highly rated by Given, Harper and has brought through Krul and Forster, he's a loss. We now have how many backroom staff?

Llambias will make the decisions, all he'll do is go to Ashley to get his OK. His role is being massively underestimated in this thread.