AyeDubbleYoo

Nobody did, I admit I slightly exaggerated someone's position in my response. Shit, that never usually happens on here. In my defence, I was suggesting that some people (nobody specific) were forgetting the players we have been signing, and the money we have been spending. Maybe because they're more restrained than in previous years, or maybe because we're temporarily blinded by the Carroll sale. I'm not trying to defend the Carroll sale BTW, if it was up to me he would still be playing for us.

Arsenal don't like their trips to SJP that much IIRC.

You can't move for straw men in here. It's a strawathon.

Arsenal no, they are making regular profits aren't they? They've been consistently successful over a long period and have regular income from the Champions League. They also don't tend to buy £35m players. Spurs are spending a lot, whether or not they can afford it I have no idea. We'll see if they miss out on the Champs League I suppose. I don't know anything about their accounts. Maybe I have been brainwashed by Mike Ashley's dastardly PR machine, and Newcastle should still be buying multiple £10m+ players a season.

I see Danny Guthrie in Eldon Square all the time. Should be in the gym TBH.

Yes. Yes we do.

Depends on your definition of success but I don't think that's true at all. I think the club would like you to think it though. Well yeah, by success I was thinking European qualification and then pushing up into the top 4. If by success you mean getting promoted and potentially finishing in the top half, then pushing on from there... we're already doing that.

I'm cramming my fantasy football team with Arsenal forwards as we speak.

Surely club's should know better than that? Stick someone like Shola on February, guaranteed to still be at the club.

You can't be serious

If we're talking about the financial running of the club alone, there's no argument that Ashley is doing a much better job. The problem is that we're still in the spending bubble that means success in the Premier League is virtually impossible without taking massive financial risks or an owner investing vast amounts without hope of a return - neither of which Ashley is prepared to do.

Or Ben Arfa really.

I guess he might cost a bit if he does really well, but that might be tempered a bit by the fact he seems to hate it at Villa and probably never wants to play for them again. Another club could come in and snap him up of course. Anyway, he hasn't kicked a ball yet so I have no idea!

Have read a couple of articles and nobody has mentioned a buyout clause. We're injury plagued so we need him regardless, but I hope of course that we have reached such an agreement..However, I have found no information about it. Anybody else who knows? It's not normal at all, the Ben Arfa deal was unusually good. That said, Ireland would probably be available for a decent price as they're probably desperate to get rid of him.

Sorry about that one. Misunderstood the rules, thought it it was only Pl-clips and not old ones for other leagues...Won't happen again..Promise. It's easy to misunderstand, YouTube are fucking hosting these clips and getting away with it on a massive scale, we're just linking to them. (Sorry, couldn't resist, I understand the reason for the rule!)

I don't have the time or the energy to go over the club's accounts in detail. The fact is that Ashley hasn't taken anything out of the club, he's continuously put money in to support our losses.

Which one?

I'd like you to explain how in any way whatsoever the running of the club today is affected by the previous owners (except for the fact that thanks to them investing in the team and the ground we have a larger supporter base and attendance potential than most other teams in the league). It was a somewhat legitimate argument 2 or 3 years ago, but now surely there can be no question that Ashley has to take credit or blame if we rise or fall from where we are as a club now. Edit: When we avoided relegation to the 3rd division, then won the 2nd division title, then came 3rd in the Premier League and people were praising SJH were you saying "hang on a sec, McKeag deserves some of the credit too"? If a club has been overspending for a long period, and credit is no longer easily available, it has to make pretty significant cuts to its costs (or increases in its income) in order to survive. 2 or 3 years is no time at all to put our financial issues right. I'm not saying Ashley isn't to blame for his mistakes, but they've got to be understood in the proper context.

He looked absolutely brilliant when playing for City, it was for a fairly short time mind. Saying that, you could say the same about Carroll and he just cost Liverpool £35m.

I thought that as well, there's plenty of ammo to have a go at Shola as it is.

It hasn't happened yet, so I guess not.

As Punk77 says, I think the pace of the game is still a bit much for Best, but he has some good attributes. I would persevere with him for a decent run of games (we will probably have to now anyway). I wouldn't mind seeing him tried as the lone striker with Nolan behind him.

I wish I'd saved that Everton video when it was knocking about, can't find it now (NOT THAT I'M REQUESTING A LINK!). His acceleration and control in that game was unreal.

Haway, haven't we played with Guivar'ch as a lone front man? And haven't Everton started games with no strikers? Due to injury. PS: Mackem Sorry, can't trust us Gateshead folk. Anyway, fair point our strikerforce is shit.

Yep, and we've tasted the top 4 and the Champions League so recently as well.