Conjo

Aren't they trying to sign the wrong full back, similarly to how they signed the wrong Murphy? Was of the impression that Aarons was the promising full back in their team.

Who tf in that Man Utd team have managed to negotiate a top earner clause? Anyone turning their nose up at the chance of having Messi in their team for a couple of seasons (except if the cost of having him is to ruin the club financially) is crazy.

Scary good signings by Chelsea. Will be fun to watch next season.

Direct quote from Staveley on the day they pulled out of the deal, wasn't it? "They [the Premier League] tried to make the state of Saudi a director. The PIF had agreed to become a director."

In that assumption, how do you explain PL demanding that the KSA should be a named director of the club, if the kingdom owning the club was the thing stopping the proposed owners of getting approved?

Agreed, and Ake was a loan the first season as opposed to the others mentioned. Would be interesting to see what he can do with a team of better players than he had at disposal at b'mouth.

We are nailed on for relegation He may have had more opportunity to play in the PL next season, but playing for this rudderless lot doesn't exactly put you in the shop window by making you look a good player, unless you're a player of great physical and technical ability.

How did Abramovich and Qatar manage to buy Chelsea and Man City if the elite clubs have done this since the leagues inception? Clearly that was not in Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and our (or anyone else in the PL at the time) interest back then. I get your point, and agree it smells like corruption for the sake of them maintaining their own status but it clearly hasn't been like this all the time. A bit more on topic, I won't be watching any games of any kind of medium next season. Whenever I'm back in Newcastle on business travel and it falls close to a weekend or so I'll try to catch a game with Gateshead or Blyth instead. It's so sad. I love Newcastle and the people living there. Going to football was always the primary objective but a big bonus was the nice athmosphere in the city, the shops, resturants so I'll definitely visit as much as I can but that will probably be less than before when I can't justify travelling to matches. What I was really alluding to was the fact that the Premier League was set up to protect the interests of those clubs in that elite group. While some clubs will move into and out of the group, the bigger players - such as Liverpool, Man Utd and Arsenal - were pretty much guaranteed to always be in it and therefore were able to take ever increasing shares of the revenues, so further cementing their place year after year. Years later and the whole financial balance in English football is completely out of kilter. The idea that we're now in a situation where, if you're relegated from the Premier League you're given three years worth of financial support, which gives you an unfair advantage over the other teams in the lower divisions, is anathema to me. And the fact that clubs like Bury can go out of business, while the Premier League is awash with money, is a travesty. I don't know if I'm making sense. I'm just angry at everything and particularly the whole idea of the Premier League today. It just feels like the whole set-up is inherently designed to protect the "big clubs" and that this is just another step to ensure that there are ever fewer and fewer challengers. I have similar feelings about FFP and, for me, it was little surprise to see Liverpool and Tottenham come out in support of it recently, following the outcome of Man City's appeal. You make perfect sense.

How did Abramovich and Qatar manage to buy Chelsea and Man City if the elite clubs have done this since the leagues inception? Clearly that was not in Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool and our (or anyone else in the PL at the time) interest back then. I get your point, and agree it smells like corruption for the sake of them maintaining their own status but it clearly hasn't been like this all the time. A bit more on topic, I won't be watching any games of any kind of medium next season. Whenever I'm back in Newcastle on business travel and it falls close to a weekend or so I'll try to catch a game with Gateshead or Blyth instead. It's so sad. I love Newcastle and the people living there. Going to football was always the primary objective but a big bonus was the nice athmosphere in the city, the shops, resturants so I'll definitely visit as much as I can but that will probably be less than before when I can't justify travelling to matches.

Interestingly, if Ashley put the club in to administration, resulting in a points deduction - we might be relegated (but we'd need an 11+ point deduction). If we were relegated as a result of that deduction, the NUFC takeover would no longer be subjected to the O&D Test, as the sale would be under the jurisdiction of the EFL and not the Premier League. I'd accept this option in a heartbeat - a season in the Championship to get rid of Ashley and have PIF owning us, how quickly do you need your arm back after I snap it off? Would go on to next season now. Maybe we can offer to swap places with Bournemouth or Watford? I don't think we are obliged to play in the PL. PIF could easily have bought the club despite whatever conclusion the PL reached and played in whatever league Newcastle would be sent to as a consequence of not being approved by the PL. It is the buyers that wanted a condition in the purchase that it is only subject to PL approval which is fair enough.

Who do you mean by "they've"? Assuming for some reason you are blaming PIF - If you were part of an investment fund, who's main objective is to create value, would you set aside several hundred million pounds for an unlimited time in the hope that you would get approval to buy a football club at "some point, or maybe not at all", or would you want eventually suggest maybe the money is better to be spent elsewhere?

Sad but true. Really feel like a kick to the nuts considering Chelsea and Man City (x2) owners got approved and now all of a sudden member clubs actively try to prevent other members from being bought just to protect their own interests.

Wow. I'm surprised, but not surprised. Exclusively reading the skysports report and the quotes, it simply seems as the investors were not going to hold up a massive amount of money that could be invested and grow elsewhere instead of being dicked around by the PL for an unlimited amount of time. Unless anything else has been reported by credible sources close to the deal, it doesn't look like Ashley is to blame for this one but rather the PL / member clubs. Shame that they have the power they do, and that NUFC as a business can't be bough and sold like any other business. I'm too attached to this forum to leave entirely, but won't be watching football or taking notice of rumours/transfers, participating in FPL or anything from now on until the club is owned by someone that wants and tries to make it as good as it can be. Just cba with it anymore.

Do MBS have a track record of assasinating foreign business men when deals he tries to make falls through?

Well I'll be.....

Release clause, plus any PL team can pay wages higher than Ajax. He’s been there 19 years and maybe needs to test himself elsewhere (or get more money). Haven't played much last two seasons either by the looks of it.

Bit too early to tell imo. He transformed Villa first season in charge, and despite struggling this season after some heavy investment, he still bested two teams that's been in the PL the last 5 seasons. While they spent quite heavily last summer they also have a lot of their championship players who probably isn't good enough for this league still featuring for them. Would be harsh to sack him now.

I really like Dasilva at Brentford. Can get up and down, mobile af and an eye for goal through the middle. Many of the qualities we've been missing in midfield for ages. Agreed (although only from watching one match against Swansea), Dasilva looks like a great talent.

Good persons can make bad choices and bad persons can make good choices. At the end of the day Bruce is a shit manager. Couldn't care less how he is behind the scene with his close friends.

Good for the competitiveness of the PL that West Ham and Villa stays up. People always complain that the "league is shit this year" (swear I read this at least once every year ), well next year with big clubs like WBA and Leeds back up, and with big clubs like West Ham and Villa staying up at the expense of smaller clubs like Watford and Bournemouth the likelihood of a tougher league next season is vastly higher.

Aston Villa is a more interesting team than Watford. Hope things stays as they are now.

32 year old who's barely played the last three seasons. Big risk imo if they are spunking a big part of their wage budget on him.

Or Fulham. Agree. Brentford only team out of the play off teams I'd be interested to see in the PL now that Forest is out.