TRon

Plus they don't have a bad team and have done reasonably well this season for a team with so much turmoil. They've also not lost at home this season. Too many key players still missing, led by a clueless caretaker if the last team selection is anything to go by. Players starting to bleat about off-field matters....difficult to see anything other than another loss here.

Wonder if our players will be earning their wages over the next few weeks or going into self-pity mode?

It's only going to be a great victory for the fans if the club gets a rich new owner. Otherwise under the current unrest there's a real danger of relegation looming. Not much of a victory that.

Well at least we know he's talking to his solicitors. I am sure all parties are Ashley just released a 1600 word personal statement, I think there is a difference.

Well at least we know he's talking to his solicitors.

What...shifting over-valued strikers like Keane and complete cunts like Berbatov for £50m? What was wrong with either of those deals, could you explain?

I find it even richer from a guy who by the end was having players bought over his head, and even then got sacked for finishing 5th. Even dafter is the notion of Freddie Shepherd proclaiming Keegan should be re-installed when he was the same Chairman who sacked Robson and appointed Souness.

This is a fantastic idea. It will prove once and for all that the supposed supporters groups are great at organising large mobs in order to loudly complain, but don't have the first idea how to invest seriously or grow a football club.

Smells like they've had this all rigged up from the off to me or at least courted interest before all this blew up. I shall book a flight there tomorrow and try and sell them something, must be a piece of piss. To be honest though, if they do sell to a rich investor who pumps money into the club, we're still far better off than heading into administration under Shepherd with Big Sam at the helm. It just seems strange how yesterday Ashley had no intentions of selling, then 24 hours later he's having talks with some Arabs or whoever. We should forget about signing Spanish based players which seem to take months to conclude, shop in Arab land where deals take 24 hours or less. The club has been for sale all along, now he's cashing in his chips. What a load of shite. The Abu Dhabi group which eventually bought Man City were after us as well but claimed that Ashley wouldn't even take their calls, whereas Shaksin was more or less pimping Citeh by comparison.

I would be happy with an owner who strives to sustain a realistic business model, whilst balancing the requirement to invest heavily in the club in the long term (whether it be via a dedicated yearly transfer budget, improvements to the academy or otherwise). Eventually, the time of the gazillionaire owner will end, especially seeing as FIFA are becoming increasingly bureaucratic, and I would like to think that we would be better placed to whether the storm if we worked as a 'business' first and 'football club' second. I still agree this is the way to go. I don't think we were miles away, but we should have signed a couple more quality players to augment the less proven players that came in. If that had been done we wouldn't be where we are now.

I don't usually like O'Neill sides, but they are very effective. A lot of power and speed, plus they look very well balanced.

I'm not saying Ashley hasn't done a good job of stabilising Newcastle financially, I have said repeatedly that the transfer scouting was good and the long-term strategy was right. But by putting the club up for sale, how can he still have a long term strategy? What we need now is a short term strategy and a way to move on till the club is sold. Keegan should be approached and offered everything he asked for. If he turns it down, at least everyone will know Ashley has tried to fix a bad situation.

The obvious one is to make the club attractive by keeping the price reasonable and get it sold. In the meantime though he should be doing something else. Giving Keegan what he wants and sidelining Wise and Llambias. This is irrespective of how good a job they might be doing. The fact is by putting the club up for sale the goalposts have been changed. There is no need for a long term strategy when they are on their way out in all but name. The best thing Ashley could do now is bring back Keegan with all his demands met. KK can't blow £200m on Lampard and Henry because the window is shut. What Keegan can do is what he does best. Lift the players, the fans and the city and get the team playing. It will take the heat off Ashley, and allow us to pick up our season while a buyer for the club is found. Far better than carry on in limbo manager-less taking beatings from teams led by a Mackem ape leaping on a touchline. What has Ashley got to lose? If Keegan says no, maybe he doesn't love the club as much as we think he does? If he's not considering this option I would seriously have to start asking questions why.

Aren't fans just customers though? Haven't many companies changed their approach because customers demand it? Marks and Spencer spring to mind. Ashley wanted, and wants, to treat the club as a business like his other; I have no objections to that. But the customers are allowed their say. What was their alternative to demonstrating the depth of their feelings? Not go? Many on this board who support Ashley were against this as it would affect the team. Well many people who've paid in advance, some for as long as three years, went to support the team but also took the opportunity as customers to make their feelings known. Quite right too. Ashley took umbrage and the petulant statment, redolent I have to say of occasional drunken emotional posts on this board (mine sometimes amongst them), was awful. The slur on Newcastle fans that he 'would', not 'might be' or 'could be', but 'would' be assaulted was bad enough; to bring the safety of his children into it was cheap. I'm pretty sure that it was the police that advised him he could be assaulted. It might seem over-reaction on the outside, but if you have angry protests being led against you, it might make you fear for your safety. I'm not saying he did right but it was understandable. Personally I'd have liked to see him brave the crowd, he could always have left his family at home.

He has done at least. http://www.nufc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10278~1393713,00.html DANNY Guthrie will personally apologise to Hull City's Craig Fagan for the injury he suffered at St. James' Park on Saturday. The Tigers have confirmed that Fagan has suffered a fracture to his right tibia following the incident which saw the Magpie midfielder sent off in the dying stages of a 2-1 loss. Danny said: "I was very upset to hear the news concerning Craig. The Club have been in touch with Hull City on my behalf because I want to speak to Craig in person to apologise and wish him a speedy recovery. I hope to be able to do that as soon as possible. "It was a challenge that came purely out of frustration towards the end of Saturday's game, but anybody who knows me will accept it was totally out of character on my part." Fuck me, what's he apologising for! Doesn't he read this forum, it was all that hobgoblin Fagan's fault!

I propose we hold a prayer vigil for Guthrie that this trauma won't affect him in future games.

Never mind, the fans have mobilised and Ashley is on his way. That was what matters so really 'tis a time of celebration.

sitting on their arses eating popcorn is the unfortunate reality.

My view is that Fagan is indeed an odious little cunt, I don't have any dispute with that. What bothers me, is that we are now going to be without another midfielder for 3 matches, all completely needless and totally pointless thuggery. Suppsoedly our ideal midfield line up of Barton and Guthrie will be sitting at home perfectly fit, watching the telly while we have to watch their replacements struggle to string two passes together during their ban.

I would put my house on it that 90% of the dimwits that are condoning Guthrie's actions are the same ones who will be giving sermons about Mike Ashley being a liar/ betraying Keegan etc. Peobably, purely because a hign percentage of people were taking liar etc stance. It's called statistics. On the Guthrie debate, it is possible to have a slight fracture and not to feel it. If it's very small they may not even put much support on it and tell him to avoid physical activity for a bit. It's already been stated that Guthrie should be punished, bearing in mind it does seem out of character it shouldn't be that harsh. Maybe Fagan could learn something from this as well: if you're going to wind someone up and play the part of the prick he so nicely managed to on Saturday, expect this to happen as you'll always pick on the wrong person at some point. Speak of the devil

I would put my house on it that 90% of the dimwits that are condoning Guthrie's actions are the same ones who will be giving sermons about Mike Ashley being a liar/ betraying Keegan etc.

I heard that blathering idiot Shepherd saying that whoever buys Newcastle should re-instate Keegan as manager. That's rich considering he was astounded when Ashley appointed him. FS could hardly wait to let the press know how he still posessed five resignation letters from his time with the petulant Keegers. I can guarantee one thing, if Fat Fred was in charge, Keegan wouldn't come back in a month of Sundays.

Hey - I've tried to point that out on a few occasions! I'd just like to point out that a lot of the more vociferous people who are pro-Ashley also appear to be people who haven't actually shelled out cash to go and watch the team. I could respect that opinion a lot more if Shepherd hadn't used that argument to hire Roeder. He was "the fans choice" remember? Eh? What has Shepherds lying got to do with that. Unless I've struck a nerve. Didn't Shepherd justify appointing Roeder on the back of support he got from the fans at the ground? It was the fans appointment remember? Or do you suffer from selective Alzheimer's Disease?

I think it was the police who advised him not to attend for his own safety. As for his family, I think he'd have to be a pretty stupid parent to expose his kids to what went on yesterday.

Hey - I've tried to point that out on a few occasions! I'd just like to point out that a lot of the more vociferous people who are pro-Ashley also appear to be people who haven't actually shelled out cash to go and watch the team. I could respect that opinion a lot more if Shepherd hadn't used that argument to hire Roeder. He was "the fans choice" remember?