Unbelievable

Yep, that's pretty much how I see it, although 5 million is a fair price if you consider the financial benefit for them of improving their chance of survival and establishing themselves in the Premiership with the new TV deal from next season onwards. The way some people are going on about daylight robbery you'd think it was Peter Ramage we were talking about.

No less than they deserved.

WTF=FFW?

English, right age, impressive stats. Wouldn't surprise me at all if he fetches 4-5 million.

BackPage.‏@BackPage Reading look set to bid for Newcastle's Danny Simpson, a fee of around £5million is reported.

Sour grapes galore..

Not surprising if he is as he is puctired - all about the money Wat

http://www.thefootballramble.com/indepth/entry/can-martin-oneill-improve-sunderland-even-further What the flyin' fuck..?

At the same time Formula One, although quite the money spinner in itself, is still a sport where the megarich haven't changed the game in the same way as they did in football. If you really believe some of the richest people in the world can't put significant pressure on UEFA to forego its FFP plans you are quite naive in my humble opinion.. Stepping away from the breakaway league argument itself, do you really believe that FFP is going to prevent these billionaires from buying the success and recognition they apparently crave?

The same thing happened three years ago in Formula one. FIA wanted to introduce a spending cap. 8 teams threatened a breakaway competition and FIA soon wound its neck in.

Nah man, that's how they roll..

Replace Porto with NUFC in your argument: can you see our fans stop supporting the club because we are at the bottom of the table yet get to regularly see the likes of Messi and Ibrahimovic ply their trade at SJP? We were here when we were playing Plymouth not so long ago for crying out loud. And anyway, the real money is in TV deals nowadays, and there would be plenty of it in this imaginary deal as that's where most of the non-European viewers would go, as well as a significant part of the domestic market, at the expense of the traditional national competitions as well as continental cup formats. UEFA would be bricking it at the thought alone, and rightfully so..

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment. does that mean it's the future of the game ? Let's put it this way: if this trend of megarich individuals buying English football clubs and investing huge sums of money in them continues there is a significant chance that clubs who don't have a megarich owner will be unable to compete and in a few years time the Premiership will consist of these kinds of clubs. It's not a vision of the future I particularly look forward to, but sadly it does look like that's exactly what the future holds, yes. i hope not. i foresee a legal challange to do with FFP after blatter has gone that will blow that whole scene away. Clubs like Chelsea are clearly laughing their bollocks off about FFP. I can see them and the likes of Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Inter etc. threaten to form a breakaway European competition and UEFA will soon fold as it knows it's f***ed without these clubs in its primary money making competition.. This has been threatened for years, its never happened because the interest really wouldn't be there. People would watch it like people watch pre-season tournaments, but that's not going to produce to kind of money that makes it worth losing league, cup, European revenue. Plus the clubs involved would be seen as outcasts, I can't see UEFA being that s*** scared of such a threat to be honest. I'm sorry, but I find it hard to believe that a league format that includes the likes of Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, PSG, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, etc. wouldn't be able to compete with a league that would see us vs Stoke and Sunderland vs Everton as its "super sunday" features. UEFA is at the leash of the big clubs whether we like it or not, and FFP will do more to protect and serve their interests than put a dent in it in reality. These clubs have become "the big clubs" by winning genuine competitions with history like the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga ect. Man City weren't considered one of these kind of clubs until they started challenging for the Premier League title, the competition makes the club not the other way around.. Going off to play in a glorified pre season tournament where the stadiums will be half empty due to fans not being able to afford to travel across Europe every week in a league were most of these clubs will have to accept being mid/bottom of the table will do nothing but hurt most of them. Heh? The stadiums would be 95% filled with local supporters from the home club just like they are now. You're completely missing the point if you assume I think this will happen BTW. All I said was these clubs could threaten to go down this route and UEFA would sharpishly wind in its neck if FFP ever hindered them to stamp down their authority on their respective leagues, hence the domination of clubs owned by the megarich is here to stay unfortunately..

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment. does that mean it's the future of the game ? Let's put it this way: if this trend of megarich individuals buying English football clubs and investing huge sums of money in them continues there is a significant chance that clubs who don't have a megarich owner will be unable to compete and in a few years time the Premiership will consist of these kinds of clubs. It's not a vision of the future I particularly look forward to, but sadly it does look like that's exactly what the future holds, yes. i hope not. i foresee a legal challange to do with FFP after blatter has gone that will blow that whole scene away. Clubs like Chelsea are clearly laughing their bollocks off about FFP. I can see them and the likes of Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Inter etc. threaten to form a breakaway European competition and UEFA will soon fold as it knows it's f***ed without these clubs in its primary money making competition.. This has been threatened for years, its never happened because the interest really wouldn't be there. People would watch it like people watch pre-season tournaments, but that's not going to produce to kind of money that makes it worth losing league, cup, European revenue. Plus the clubs involved would be seen as outcasts, I can't see UEFA being that s*** scared of such a threat to be honest. I'm sorry, but I find it hard to believe that a league format that includes the likes of Man City, Man U, Chelsea, Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia, PSG, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, etc. wouldn't be able to compete with a league that would see us vs Stoke and Sunderland vs Everton as its "super sunday" features. UEFA is at the leash of the big clubs whether we like it or not, and FFP will do more to protect and serve their interests than put a dent in it in reality.

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment. does that mean it's the future of the game ? Let's put it this way: if this trend of megarich individuals buying English football clubs and investing huge sums of money in them continues there is a significant chance that clubs who don't have a megarich owner will be unable to compete and in a few years time the Premiership will consist of these kinds of clubs. It's not a vision of the future I particularly look forward to, but sadly it does look like that's exactly what the future holds, yes. i hope not. i foresee a legal challange to do with FFP after blatter has gone that will blow that whole scene away. Clubs like Chelsea are clearly laughing their bollocks off about FFP. I can see them and the likes of Barcelona, Madrid, Munich, Inter etc. threaten to form a breakaway European competition and UEFA will soon fold as it knows it's fucked without these clubs in its primary money making competition..

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment. does that mean it's the future of the game ? Let's put it this way: if this trend of megarich individuals buying English football clubs and investing huge sums of money in them continues there is a significant chance that clubs who don't have a megarich owner will be unable to compete and in a few years time the Premiership will consist of these kinds of clubs. It's not a vision of the future I particularly look forward to, but sadly it does look like that's exactly what the future holds, yes. For you, the future is now. Only Man U have any chance of stopping City cleaning up for the foreseeable future. Wouldn't surprise me to see Chelsea and Man City dominate the Premiership in the next few years and Man United go the way of Liverpool, especially when the red nosed one finally packs it in.

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment. does that mean it's the future of the game ? Let's put it this way: if this trend of megarich individuals buying English football clubs and investing huge sums of money in them continues there is a significant chance that clubs who don't have a megarich owner will be unable to compete and in a few years time the Premiership will consist of these kinds of clubs. It's not a vision of the future I particularly look forward to, but sadly it does look like that's exactly what the future holds, yes.

It's also the future of the game, sadly.. IYO Not sure if it's a matter of opinion after seeing what Chelsea and Man City have achieved in the last 8 or so seasons through outside investment.

It's also the future of the game, sadly..

In two minds about this. Ashley appears to have learned his lesson, but I still don't feel confident with him at the helm. Also, he probably got us as far as we realistically can within our own means last season and there is no doubt in my mind he would jump at the chance to get out whilst he's in the good books and even make a tidy profit while doing so.

Oh dear..

So did they get the 20 million for him on top of that 6 million loan fee they were expecting?

Been away for a few days, but has Gyan officially moved to UAE then?

Afonso Alves was much better than UK folk think he is based on his time at Boro. Apparently his hearth wasn't in it after his big money move, but he was genuinly on fire at Heerenveen. Don't see the relevance to this argument either. Over the past two decades plenty of players who have done well here have done well in other competitions, some reaching world class level.

Why I don't want him anywhere near Newcastle United? The main reason is his personality and his attitude. But the list is long. I thought he had a very good attitude? Bullshit! He has a great attitude and its the main reason this guy will succeed. He is very confident in himself, but in a good way. The guy is no troublemaker. More of a energetic person who has a great effect on his team mates. would be a great asset in any dressing room. The question is if he is good enough. What I said on the last page. Commitment and mentality is exceptional. Talent is limited. Not backed up by any particular phyiscal abilities either. Well, that's not true either as he was arguably player of the season in Holland in his first year as a first team player and has proven he has great shooting technique and has the physical attributes to terrorise defenders. Why, if all these big clubs are reportedly after him, do the Scandinavians here hold him in such low regard I wonder..?