Unbelievable

Not an expert, buy I don’t think funding matters a great deal. It’s still a 400m asset for which the depreciation would go through the P&L as a cost and hence count towards this new form of FFP. Not that it matters much. Our 90’s stadium extension probably does the same, as do past, current and future infrastructure costs of all other clubs.

The club are 100% correct to still be interested in their number one target as long as he has’t gone elsewhere. All this overreaction about him not wanting to be here is bollocks. The kid and his agent have time on their side, so why would they not wait and see what the rest of the transfer window brings? As Newcastle fans we obviously have an affection for NUFC, but objectively we don’t have massive pull for a youngster who will see we’ve yoyo’d in recent years, haven’t been in Europe for the best part of a decade and is far too young to even know who people like Shearer, Keegan and Robson are. What’s important is that we bring people who are good enough to move us forward over the next few years and want to be here for footballing reasons instead of because we’re the newest moneybags in town. It’s entirely possible we might just be in that position a little bit later in the window if interest from the likes of Bayern, Madrid, PSG, etc. doesn’t materialise. Similar to how Botman is here today for his medical. In the meantime the club obviously needs to work on a plan B in case plan A doesn’t come off.

if we build our own 800m stadium in 2024 our FFP hit will be the same as theirs, i.e. for let’s say 10 million per year over a 80 year period. I frankly don’t see a good reason why you would want to excempt infrastructure costs if the objective was to ensure clubs don’t overspend and put themselves in financial peril.

It's been surprisingly quiet on the new sponsor announcement front so maybe I underestimate how easy it would be to get around this. Any big company or organisation that would want to curry favour with PIF could quite easily sponsor us, even in return for favourable terms on other deals. Then there is just the increase we should be able to do within the current framework by pointing out that our current deals are disproportionately low compared to some of our competitors.

I think people are overplaying the significance of no longer excluding infrastructure (and youth and women players' wages). Infrastructure cost are typically amortised over a very long period of time. Let's say NUFC build a new state of the art training ground for 200m. I imagine a training ground would be used over a 50 year period, so that outlay would account for 4m per year. Or am I missing something? As before, the key to NUFC's chances of breaking the top clubs' oligopoly is to grow revenue asap (particularly attract some big sponsors) and invest wisely. I don't think these new Uefa rules change anything in that regard. If anything it looks like it's become easier for owners to prop up a club's coffers. For football as a whole this appears to be a bad development. Competing without a sugar daddy owner just got harder, again, as if it wasn't bad enough before.

Very interesting. Potentially good news for us I think, especially the part where a lot of clubs will have to squeeze their wages down to 70% of revenue and further allowances for owner covered equity investment.

Man, I hope he develops into a Newcastle legend and a Holland mainstay. Really excited what he can do.

He can and does at Feyenoord. I don't think he'd come to sit on Newcastle's bench though

He is good. A modern wing back who is surprisingly strong defensively despite his tender-ish frame. I want him in the first XI at the world cup.

I approve

Number of the beast. It's a sign!

Tactical surely? I hope and presume we've not been standing still and have worked on alternative deals in the meantime. Those may now at the stage where we need to force a decision from this kid's agent's hand.

So with Haller joining Dortmund I assume that’s one less club that was credited with an interest in the running for this kid?

Ouch, Van Gaal has just namechecked Botman as a player he doesn't think is ready for the (main) national team, although he did clarify he thinks there are too many options he considers to be better. I think Botman will need to move to a bigger league and prove his worth, or hope that Koeman sees things differently.

Wait what? You're losing 0-4 to fucking Hungary?

Wales lose again to Holland in ET for the second time in a week. Harsh.

Some Andoran carpenter or other scores a worldie from his own half vs Liechtenstein

WTF

Don’t know about that like LFEE. Not having to rely on the likes of Matt Richie for half the season must be worth a few points at least compared to last season.

Chuffed for him and great deal for the club

Offside and dive. VAR is absolutely useless

Pen given. Weird decision

Nice dive

That free kick routine Perhaps next time have Tripps put it in the back of the net he lads..?

What a goalkeeper you lot have