Colos Short and Curlies

Whilst I agree with the players wanting to see the club match their own ambitions in the summer, the onus is 100% on them for the next 2 and half months to put the team in a position where we can attract the type of player that will improve the team. The Europa League might not be the best competition in the world, but qualifying for it in our first season back will send a message out that NUFC are on the up again.

That'd do nicely

When you say "the club lost £34m" I think you know very well that most people will interpret that as we spent £34m than we made which is not the case; you don't have to write out a cheque for the amortisation. The actual figure that most people would interpret as the loss is £5m (taking this from your post in the Enrique thread). In 2007 the club was paying interest on loans, did not have the shirt sponsorship money coming in, was paying the instalments on some of the players it had previously bought in like Owen & Luque, and made a £5m cash flow loss. We wouldn't have paid any cash for Owen in 2007. The whole point of getting the sponsorship money up front was to pay for him - unless of course it was used to mask some other horrible cash loss or course Oh and you do write a cheuqe for ammortisation - as you know it is spreading the value of a transfer fee over a period - it is ultimately a cash loss to a business

Unfortunately

He's the 2011 verson on Paul Kitson

And also partly base their beliefs on statements released by the Ashley regime after it first took over. They seemed credible enough people at the time, but in light of subsequent events, these claims should also be revisited... Not saying they weren't bad, they clearly were, but I wouldn't be surprised to find that point was spun to breaking point. As I recall a number of the debts were called in due to the change in ownership, which obviously would make things look worse. I'm not saying the cash injection wasn't very welcome, but talk of the club not existing is laughable. Yep, that's right. Even if some find it laughable, we had favourable loans based upon debtors having faith in our old administration. For whatever reason (not trying to criticise in this instance), they withdrew their credit when Ashley bought us. Sorry but that is a very glib dismissal of the poor financial legacy of our previous owners. I've spouted long and hard on this subject elsewhere on this board. Not going to do so again - especially on a Jose Enrique thread ? It's true. Our structured debts suddenly got toploaded due to a security clause, when that happens by surprise it's liable to make any situation worse than it was before. You don't need to preach to me about problems the old regime did have, though, I'm converted. I really didn't want to go into this but: Structured debt is fine whilst you are generating positive cash flows and can meet the loan repayments that are in the structure, and the interest payments due on the loans. During 2007 the club was not generating positive cash flows so fresh funding was needed. There was nothing left to borrow against as all the clubs assets and future revenue streams had already been used as collateral (in the case of the training ground it had been used twice). The interest rates on the loans were extortionate reflecting the risk perceived by the lenders. The club's balance sheet showed an insolvent position which in itself would have given rise to the issue of whether accounts could be prepared with the club being a going concern. In order for the accounts to be prepared on a going concern basis the auditors would require proof that the club could continue trading for the foreseeable future, and this is in a scenario where cash flows are negative, fresh finance is needed and there are no assets to borrow against. In the end Ashley gave an undertaking to keep it going and provide whatever finance was needed - and so the 2007 accounts were prepared on a going concern basis. If he hadn't been around to do that can we assume that the previous majority shareholders would have given that undertaking? And btw once a set of accounts are given a going concern qualification (let alone are not prepared on a going concern basis) structured creditors have a right to foreclose. Not certain administration but it was certainly worthy of concern. To better understand, I'd like to get some definitive answers to the following questions. 1) What was the size of the negative cash flow in 2007? 2) What was the size of the increased TV revenue in 2008? 3) Can you explain the following note from the accounts considering we had no remaining assets to borrow against: 4) What was the accounting valuation of the playing staff in 2007 which is part of the valuation of the club leading to the insolvent position? Considering we have subsequently sold players on the playing staff in 2007 for around £90m in transfer fees do you consider the accounting valuation of the playing staff of a football club to typically be an accurate figure? Should an insolvent trading position be reached is it out of the question to revalue a company's assets? 5) The typical mortgage rate in 2007 was 6.5%. What do you consider an "extortionate" business rate of interest at the time, and how much of the club debt was over that rate? 6) What was the actual size of the debt when Ashley bought the club? How much more into debt had the club spiralled since 2001 when the stadium expansion was complete? 7) What precisely was withheld from the publicly available 2006 accounts and only available on due diligence which would cause someone to pay the equivalent of £200m (price + debt) for a business which most now consider it was obvious to see was shortly destined for administration, and could therefore have been very soon picked up for a fraction of that value? Very quick a rough repsonse to a couple... (3) Could have been a complete overhaul of the financing, increasing the terms on certain loans to generate cash flow in the short term - we'll never know the real answer though (5) Its been a while since I audited football accounts, but I'm sure that player values sit as long term assets, where as an insolvent position considers short term assets against short term borrowings so they would be irrelevant. (7) Triggers for repayment of loans mainly

Harry's in court today as well - could be a bad day for Spurs all round

That never happened! what about the other way around? didnt Gazza teach Mirandinha geordie? He taught how to say F Off

This game is better if yo switch it off and put on the highlights of the second half from yesterday. It's in desperate need of a Harper's Elbow

Noticed when everyone was showing Carrolls goals this season after his move that Colo is in attacking areas a hell of a lot for a CB.

And we've always got the Ultimate Warrior and Mr Perfect patrolling the left wing

I want to see a Hogan Leg Drop next. Just hope Nolan doesn't go for an Earthquake Splash

I was thinking back to Keegan selling Cole and then the summer that followed. Then I remembered that Pardew ain't Keegan and there is no Les Ferdinand on the horizon. Would Benzema fancy a shot at the Premier League? Apart from maybe Spurs I can't see any of the current top 5 going for him. Other than that just tell Mr Carr to find us another 2 Tiote and Ben Arfa types but give him £10m per player rather than £5m

Getting his range, Shola will score today

Best's one game emergance should allow him to go on loan. He needs game time at a decent level - someone like Swansea would suit him to a T

Can't imagine Pards will be too happy that his plans are being tweeted

We're taking the piss now - Scott Mills on the scoresheet?

Give that ball to Best

When do you think that we wil lbe asking Alan to give us a wave?

I think even 4 or 5 games in this season I am on record saying he looks decent but lacks a goalscoring threat

Was surprised we didn't do that last season, seemed an easy route of revenue. Perhaps NR had it in the deal that they'd be our only shirt sponsor if we went down? Should have plastered it all over the ass of our shorts

Add Ben Arfa and Simpson, who I think will become a very good right back. We're getting close to having a first team that will compete at the top level and will challenge to qualify for Europe in a year or two. Have to agree with Simpson. Although this has a lot to do with the lack of alternatives, I really can see him in an England shirt before long, if only for a friendly

He was aiming for Best tbf

I saw the Best sub as a 'Look he is still alive come and buy him' move

Win against West Ham and I'd be confident enough about our chances to have a real go at the FA Cup