TRon

Hughton might not be any of those things though. He had his fingers burned with the Victor Moses deal which he was "optimistic" on and since then he has probably realised that a lot of our deals can fall through when it gets to Llambias. Especially when they are recognised quality prospects rather than Championship workhorses.

I'm surprised they didn't insist on loan deals with no fixed fee clauses.

Why don't we do all our deals like that if it's so beneficial? Why did we buy Nolan and Leon Best outright rather than loaning them and "share the risk"?

If this lad's too much of a risk maybe we can send some accountants and lawyers out onto the pitch instead. They seem to have played a blinder so far.

That's not the point though is it. They are wanting us (allegedly) to commit to buying him at the end of season if we stay in the Premiership. So if he has a crap season, or is an arsehole, we would still have to fork out £5m or whatever to buy him if that clause exists. That doesn't sound like good business sense to me. Right...then let's move onto the next rising young superstar who we can pick up on a loan if this one falls through. No doubt Hughton has a queue of clubs lining up to loan us their hot prospects. What is everyone panicking for? Hindu Times makes a very good point in the NUFC Transfer Rumours thread, he said we wouldn't even have known about this deal if it wasn't for OM's Chairman coming out and telling the press everything. So for all we know the club are working behind the scenes on signing some players that we don't have a club about. Mike Ashley and his team obviously know a lot more about negotiating than many of us here. If he wants to play hardball over Ben Arfa that's fine by me. All I will say is this: by the end of this transfer window he had better signed some players who are genuine premiership quality i.e., not Nolan, Best, Taylor, Simpson etc. He took us down once before with his hotshot financial dealing, he better not do it again.

That's not the point though is it. They are wanting us (allegedly) to commit to buying him at the end of season if we stay in the Premiership. So if he has a crap season, or is an arsehole, we would still have to fork out £5m or whatever to buy him if that clause exists. That doesn't sound like good business sense to me. Right...then let's move onto the next rising young superstar who we can pick up on a loan if this one falls through. No doubt Hughton has a queue of clubs lining up to loan us their hot prospects. What is everyone panicking for?

These sound realistic as they are the type of cheap, small club players that our transfer policy committee will gladly rubber stamp.

Don't be so sure that Hatem still has his heart set on coming here. The Journal is reporting that wages might be a stumbling block, now that our dithering has allowed a few whispers in Ben Arfa's ear his head might well have been turned.

You've given the reason pretty much why we can no longer do that. If we are in the bottom 3 come Xmas you can guarantee the silly fat bastard will find some money to try and avoid relegation. Too little too late again more than likely.

It really is as simple as that for some people isn't it? Do you forget this? God knows what the next results will be when the accounts for the season in the Championship are taken into account. http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north-east-news/evening-chronicle-news/2010/05/01/newcastle-united-release-latest-financial-results-72703-26357235/ Ironic that you didn't answer my question about the consequences of buying shit players getting us relegated, then post a link to accounts which show the devastating impact of getting relegated

We couldn't afford to buy better players than Nolan and Ryan two years ago and it cost us £40million and relegation. Could we afford that?

Let me re-phrase it: why didn't we get Leon Best and Kevin Nolan on loan to see if they turned out to be crap (they did) before risking big transfer fees on them?

The OM people are right, AShley is just taking the piss and we aren't serious about this deal unless we get him handed on a plate. Why would we ever agree to that clause though? That would mean of he was crap or had a bad attitude we would still have to sign him no matter what. Why didn't we insist on that sort of clause when we signed Kevin Nolan or Leon Best?

The OM people are right, AShley is just taking the piss and we aren't serious about this deal unless we get him handed on a plate.

It would be even nicer if they weren't shit.

So now we are secretly selling the club again? Funny how that always happens during the transfer windows and stops us being run like a normal club. Superb stewardship by the Piggy Bank.

Nail on the head.

I just hope that Bullard is not the replacement for the Ben Arfa deal. It would just be another 2nd choice signing, like Best or Nolan Hmmm...none of us saw that one coming.

True, but you need to spend something to attract the right man. Even then we wouldn't have been relegated if he got one of the 5000 better than Kinnear, wouldn't have lost 40m in TV money and could release/sell the high earners now after a stable season. Instead we're shitting ourselves about another relegation and Hughton is still here because Ashley has done naff all since we went down and he doesn't complain, not because of some fucking masterplan. True, to a point, alot of clubs have found good manager with little cash in the pot, Fulham, Everton, Blacburn, even our own club was in a tight spot when SBR took over, its where i think the majority of critiscm aimed at the club should be focused, our failing to employ a credible manager. I guess thats my only point. My Messi/O'Neill analogy is a prime example of how i feel about, id much rather have a pretty ordinary manager with a decent reputation who would guide us so far leaving us in a better place like he did Leicester aloowing us to attract a better class of manager from there on in to having one of the best players of all time, in my opinion, becasue its my belief thatt he quality of the playing staff can only get you so far yet the quality of a manager can get you even further. Ridicule away. What is the point of talking about hiring Martin O'Neill in a thread about Ashley? In which alternate universe would MON come here under the Ashley regime? What is it about Ashley or MON that would even remotely lead you to think that might happen?

Barton is the player who best resembles a central midfielder in our team but he's so slow these days it's difficult to see where his best position will be. Not quick enough to support the front men as an attacking midfielder, and a terrible tackler so no use as a holding player either.

Just dropping into this thread to say Ashley, if you're reading this you are a fat cockney bastard. Unrelated to the thread? I don't think so.

I have given up on Ashley altogether. We spent some money last season because being in the Championship meant we didn't need t buy quality players, but it's clear now we are back in the premier he has no intention of upgrading to the standard needed. The Ben Arfa deal will die a death and we will end up signing some no mark from abroad or more Ryan Taylor types from the english game. Epic fail.

Agreed. The realistic targets who will be relatively shite and on cheap wages.

You just posted in it. Why, if it annoys you so much? It’s reached the point where we are looking like idiots. Flitting from excitement to despair on the filmiest half arsed Google translated gash. It's Ashley's fault. If he'd just get the lad signed and be done with it that would be that. Instead he is riling people up and getting called a cunt for his troubles.

Ben Arfa's been too quiet. He needs to whip on a Newcastle jersey then give an interview to the French press claiming he won't take it off until he's signed.