Minhosa

Great quiz and some tough questions. What score won it?

Wouldn't be surprised if we have another look at him. We're proven to go back in for a player having been overlooked previously after Remy.

I'm only speaking from a personal point of view but I don't watch a match in our stadium and see their signs and suddenly think 'I must pick those cheap shin pads up next time I'm passing SD', in the same way I don't think 'I must change to Barclays Bank' every time I hear about the Premiership or neck a can of Carling every time I hear about the 'Carling Cup'. Perhaps it's part of a wider SD campaign (?) but I think it's affect would be negligible in terms of the bigger picture footfall numbers. That business, in the midst of a recession, was only ever going to grow and rapidly at that. A blind man could see it. Cheap stuff when people have less money, during Olympic time etc. I don't think a boat load of banners at the ground had any bearing on that. It's not meant to be hypnotizing you into immediately dropping a couple grand on Lonsdale Boxers, it's giving you an awareness of the company. So when it comes to you needing X, the first thing you think of is Sports Direct. It's the same as that WEBUYANYCAR bullshit. You hear that filthy f***ing advert on the radio, and you hate every c*** responsible for it. But then as soon as you want to get rid of your 30 year old Vauxhall Nova, WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM ANY ANY ANY ANY Understand that but does a brand that's xxx% cheaper than anyone else in their market, on every street corner, in a sector where they've pretty much got the monopoly actually need the exposure he's gained from NUFC, including all the negative stuff too and is that actually dragging more people through the doors than if it weren't the case? As already explained, I used to by sports equipment from online stores and the odd time JJB. Now, I don't think twice about it - straight to SD. This isn't by chance. JJB is gone and SD (I assume, don't shop there) is probably the cheapest outlet online for this stuff? Surely you would've stumbled upon it anyway - no? I would have continued to use Pro Direct Soccer. Without the adverts I never shopped there, with the adverts I regularly go there. It isn't rocket science - why do you think so much money is spent on advertising if we'd all just 'stumble upon it anyway'? I'm not talking about advertising more widely, more the specifics of SD given their monopoly and the discussions around MA's reason for buying us. If we were only ever going to be an advertising vehicle, surely he would've done some proper due diligence to ensure he wasn't buying the worlds most expensive clothes horse?

I'm only speaking from a personal point of view but I don't watch a match in our stadium and see their signs and suddenly think 'I must pick those cheap shin pads up next time I'm passing SD', in the same way I don't think 'I must change to Barclays Bank' every time I hear about the Premiership or neck a can of Carling every time I hear about the 'Carling Cup'. Perhaps it's part of a wider SD campaign (?) but I think it's affect would be negligible in terms of the bigger picture footfall numbers. That business, in the midst of a recession, was only ever going to grow and rapidly at that. A blind man could see it. Cheap stuff when people have less money, during Olympic time etc. I don't think a boat load of banners at the ground had any bearing on that. It's not meant to be hypnotizing you into immediately dropping a couple grand on Lonsdale Boxers, it's giving you an awareness of the company. So when it comes to you needing X, the first thing you think of is Sports Direct. It's the same as that WEBUYANYCAR bullshit. You hear that filthy f***ing advert on the radio, and you hate every c*** responsible for it. But then as soon as you want to get rid of your 30 year old Vauxhall Nova, WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM ANY ANY ANY ANY Understand that but does a brand that's xxx% cheaper than anyone else in their market, on every street corner, in a sector where they've pretty much got the monopoly actually need the exposure he's gained from NUFC, including all the negative stuff too and is that actually dragging more people through the doors than if it weren't the case? As already explained, I used to by sports equipment from online stores and the odd time JJB. Now, I don't think twice about it - straight to SD. This isn't by chance. JJB is gone and SD (I assume, don't shop there) is probably the cheapest outlet online for this stuff? Surely you would've stumbled upon it anyway - no?

I'm only speaking from a personal point of view but I don't watch a match in our stadium and see their signs and suddenly think 'I must pick those cheap shin pads up next time I'm passing SD', in the same way I don't think 'I must change to Barclays Bank' every time I hear about the Premiership or neck a can of Carling every time I hear about the 'Carling Cup'. Perhaps it's part of a wider SD campaign (?) but I think it's affect would be negligible in terms of the bigger picture footfall numbers. That business, in the midst of a recession, was only ever going to grow and rapidly at that. A blind man could see it. Cheap stuff when people have less money, during Olympic time etc. I don't think a boat load of banners at the ground had any bearing on that. It's not meant to be hypnotizing you into immediately dropping a couple grand on Lonsdale Boxers, it's giving you an awareness of the company. So when it comes to you needing X, the first thing you think of is Sports Direct. It's the same as that WEBUYANYCAR bullshit. You hear that filthy fucking advert on the radio, and you hate every cunt responsible for it. But then as soon as you want to get rid of your 30 year old Vauxhall Nova, WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM WEBUYANYCAR DOT COM ANY ANY ANY ANY Understand that but does a brand that's xxx% cheaper than anyone else in their market, on every street corner, in a sector where they've pretty much got the monopoly actually need the exposure he's gained from NUFC, including all the negative stuff too and is that actually dragging more people through the doors than if it weren't the case? Edit - surely £200m could buy loads more 'exposure' if it's required?

I'm only speaking from a personal point of view but I don't watch a match in our stadium and see their signs and suddenly think 'I must pick those cheap shin pads up next time I'm passing SD', in the same way I don't think 'I must change to Barclays Bank' every time I hear about the Premiership or neck a can of Carling every time I hear about the 'Carling Cup'. Perhaps it's part of a wider SD campaign (?) but I think it's affect would be negligible in terms of the bigger picture footfall numbers. That business, in the midst of a recession, was only ever going to grow and rapidly at that. A blind man could see it. Cheap stuff when people have less money, during Olympic time etc. I don't think a boat load of banners at the ground had any bearing on that.

I don't know how typical I am but I had never heard of Sports Direct until Ashley bought the club. Me neither. But at that time Sports Direct was recently floated, underperforming company. Since then Ashley has virtually eliminated all competition in its market place and is several times the size it was in 2007. The debate here is how much NUFC has played a part in that. I think that his involvement in the club and his brazen attempts to promote SD through it are generally viewed negatively and have done nothing to contribute to where SD is today. The growth of SD has come due to factors other than Ashley's involvement with us imo. I tend to agree with this. I don't think the outcome for SD would've been any different whatsoever with or without his NUFC purchase. As for the questions on why plaster their brand everywhere, I guess his view is why not? It's his asset, he'll have no desire to allow any other brands or competition gain exposure and there may be some indirect benefits in terms of headlines (Sports Direct Arena) but does that actually deliver more footfall into his shops than say an advertising campaign in the sun, chronicle or mirror would do? I don't think so, not for me.

West Brom one killed me. In bits at that. Look at the happy little fucker. Looking all chipper with himself.

I actually think Ashley's involvement with NUFC has done very little to add anything to the Sports Direct brand. If anything it has a negative effect, most people you talk to about the club think he's a bit of dick and that what he has done to our stadium is brainless. It seems unlikely that its led to more punters going to his shops. Clearly the advertising space at SJP has some monetary value but its limited imo. Why do you think he bought us then? Or why hasn't he sold us? It can't be keeping the club because it's a gas and he's having loads of fun.... What his original motive was has been widely debated. Theories include his intention being to "flip" it, to use it to promote the SD brand and showing off to mates like Paul Kemsley. Maybe at different points in time it has been all three of those. I just don't think the promotion of the SD brand bit of it has been effective. There were quotes from Karren Brady at the time (yeah, I know) that he thought he was 'God like' and could do no wrong, could walk on water. It was just after he'd became an official billionaire and I assume he felt he had the midas touch. I personally think it was an 'off the cuff' purchase designed to flaunt his wealth that he'd given no real long term thought to. The lack of due diligence indicates that it was a fairly irrational purchase.

I actually think Ashley's involvement with NUFC has done very little to add anything to the Sports Direct brand. If anything it has a negative effect, most people you talk to about the club think he's a bit of dick and that what he has done to our stadium is brainless. It seems unlikely that its led to more punters going to his shops. Clearly the advertising space at SJP has some monetary value but its limited imo. Why do you think he bought us then? Or why hasn't he sold us? It can't be keeping the club because it's a gas and he's having loads of fun.... I'd imagine he's probably reasonably happy from a financial viewpoint at this moment in time. He's going to get a return every year to pay back his initial outley whilst the asset continues to increase in value just by existing. If it was true and he really was considering selling a few years ago for the reported £80m, I should think he's absolutely fucking delighted he chose not to. Selling Carroll shortly after netted the club almost half of it's 'worth' just a short time before and the business he has done since will probably assure him he's got the club on a path he's relatively happy with..........mediocre performance, not qualifying for Europe, not threatened with relegation. I can't see any real investment from him unless we're struggling/looking likely for relegation in January or if we suddenly start a season like a house on fire one year and could possibly achieve champions league (!) a la Southampton. He's a gambling man, and I think he take a £20m punt on getting us in the top 4 if he'd know there was a good chance of a financial return on it. He's not going to spend that on a team he's content with ticking over though.

I think the Liverpool and Chelsea results might have thrown a spanner in the works assuming that's true. We'd normally lose those pretty badly, so Di Canio must be cursing Mourinho right now. Di Canio curses every cunt so I wouldn't worry about what he thinks. Di Matteo, on the other hand, might be a tad pissed.

Short answer to the first question would be no which means it won't happen. He'll end up in Russia or Turkey.

I don't get it. What's the punchline?

You were right about one thing Neil.

Pochettino looking like a master stroke for Southampton. Wish we had that sort of vision.

same issue remains now as it did then the lack of a buyer. Maybe it's more the terms than the lack of interest. I wouldn't touch the club unless Ashley was completely out of the picture, meaning you'd have to buy the club AND pay off it's debt to him. If the deal was that he'd be paid back over time, you can imagine that negative influence/power in the background would put many off. I think best case scenario at this point is that his chopper takes a dive, preferably when he's giving JFK a lift home one night.

Fucking awful strategic move from the club but then you've only got to look at the bellends who put their name to that Taylor letter to realise how it came about. I mean seriously, in 2013, we are allowing Joe Fucking Kinnear a voice, an influence in how a modern day football club is ran. Fuck me. Division 2 manager, Wimbledon relic and the worlds tightest billionaire who also happens to hate criticism and geordies. Well, I wonder how they managed to misjudge that one? Say all you like about Freddie Shepherd but, as thick as he was, even he realised you have to have the local press in your pocket. It would make the clubs life so much easier to have a 2 way relationship with the local rags, if even just to cover over their endless fuck ups. Hopefully the papers go all out to give them stick. I'd like to see some more challenging of AP's lies. They could create a fan rebellion just based on those alone, never mind JFK's mindless nonsense. It would be fantastic to see some objective reporting on the club and the way in which Ashley's reign has gone. If he's that arsed about a few pages about a nothing march, fuck only knows how he'll take to personal criticism and the stoking of fans feelings ahead of the imminent defeats.

Might as well all go for it. That would be the nuclear option from NUFC but they would do it.

Ashley is known to hate the press from his professional life too. He's the orchestrator of this policy, not the 4 bellends working for him.

Boom. Maybe we're about to see some true local press for the first time in donkeys years.

Probably. What difference does it actually make though? Relegation, so what? Worse players/selling off players? No investment () We're a soulless entity nowadays. A nothingness ship sailing along on a sea of averageness, just hoping not to sink but sticking elastoplasts over the engine which is slowly giving up.

It might be just the opportunity the press need to actually write stuff without having to worry about biting the hand that feeds them. It's a far cry from the days of Anal getting his pocket money from Freddie Shepherd by writing for the match day programme.

Not gonna happen. I sincerely thought it was a couple of months ago but not now.

Then those 4 cunts need to have their arses handed to them by the local press. Chron/Journal should just consistently print negative articles as 'opinion' and see how the club like it. Fuck'em.