AyeDubbleYoo

We were in a total shambles before Ashley arrived like, partly the reason that the owners were so keen to bail our with their wallets stuffed. IIRC when Ashley arrived we were mostly excited about getting a new British owner who could take us forward!

That is debatable, something I happen to disagree with and belongs on another thread, however people saying that Newcastle fans were clamouring for KK's return are talking through their ringpiece. I think the point is more that Mike Ashley thought it would be popular with the fans. Not that we were actively asking for it.

Nah. Actually, despite the fact that I've stated many times of my hatred for Ashley, if you think Pardew is ok, don't really rate Hughton, think the Carroll situation was a decent deal and don't grab your pitchfork and run to the steps of SJP every day screaming "YOU FAT COCKNEY b******" then you're an Ashley sympathiser. Or even better, part of his fan club. or if you pipe up making devils advocate type comments that more often than not are in favour of ashley in every thread, like you do. you only get called things like ashley sympathiser because of that mate, i dont understand the constant denial It would be a pretty dull discussion if everyone just layered on more and more Ashley hatred.

I'm waiting for that as well!

You really are a grumpy mofo sometimes.

Is being an Ashley empathiser any better than being an Ashley sympathiser?

I'm gutted for the lad, absolutely incredible defender. He should probably retire now though and concentrate on getting coaching/management qualifications or whatever he wants to do next. Might give him a head start in the future.

Isn't spending money relative to our income what we're trying to do? The problem in the past was spending too much money relative to our income. I want Champions League football again as much as anyone, I just can't argue too much with the need to make the finances more sustainable. I just wish you would stop it with the over-simplified argument and the avoidance of the fact that our finances were getting worse and couldn't continue in that way. Fair enough the bailiffs haven't turned up at Spurs, or Man Utd and co, but then again Portsmouth went into administration and almost ceased to exist.

But the two things can't be separated - all decisions on the football side have to be made with reference to our finances. Yeah, and? So it's not really possible to judge decisions based only on the football side, without thinking about the finance. That's all.

There are so many posts like this knocking around at the moment. What's your point, that we should just go on racking up more and more debt because banks are reluctant to force Premier League clubs out of business?

But the two things can't be separated - all decisions on the football side have to be made with reference to our finances.

But could it have any negative effects? A global financial crisis, with rising cost of credit, no interest on savings, high unemployment and massive cuts in public services for example? Oh hang on...

Don't think you'll get much disagreement for that one!

We probably have reserve players we could sell for more than Alan Smith or Ryan Taylor, does that mean we should be giving them higher wages?

I agree, all I'm saying is that selling them for a profit isn't the main motivation - it's protecting the overall value of the deal by (a) signing players cheaply initially and (b) signing players who will still have value if we want to move them on.

no, there are those in this thread that think we are buying players solely with the aim of making a profit on them regardless of whether we need them or not. I know, that's why I posted my post, because I think those people are wrong.

Revolutionary. I wasn't saying it was, I was just trying to say that I don't think we're buying players because we're planning to sell them, which is what a lot of people seem to be arguing about. And we've never managed it very often in the past.

Think the title and some of the discussion is a bit misleading... we're not necessarily talking about buying to sell, we're talking about buying players who might have some resale value. It doesn't meant the resale is the reason for the signing, it just means we're reducing the risk of signing total duds we'll never be able to shift.

I was actually pleased for him when he scored, why can't I just hate him like I want to?

I think we're all just waiting now. If he returns before the end of the season it's great. If not then he'll have a good pre-season and be ready then.

He sounds like the Dad from Gavin and Stacey, I think that's why I like him!

Would we be a better team/squad with or without those players? Where will HBA be playing season after next if he realises his potential and puts himself in the shop window? Well we would be better, but that's not really the point. Sometimes you either can't keep a player or at the time it seems like a good move to sell them.

Bassong we were relegated and Milner was an unbelievable sale for the money we got. He's average, not world class.

He lives on the edge. The kind of risky outside the box thinking this club needs. Bet the suave fucker had an extra shot of espresso as well.

He lives on the edge.