AyeDubbleYoo

Ah well :/

We still don't know anything about what's happening, would love this bod to go through but still just a case of wait and see.

Whether or not he's 'to blame' I don't know, and it doesn't really matter at this point, all I know is he hasn't contributed much to NUFC at all and we won't even notice the difference when he's gone. Except the wage bill will be a bit lighter.

All good points ianovthetoon, not quoting it all to save space, but I hope you're right. There certainly are more encouraging things than there were about Ashley pre-takeover.

True those kinds of owners are very very nice BUT an owner that knows football is also a very very nice option, I suppose getting rid of the thick idiot bastard cunt we have now is the most important thing. In a way I agree, but that's very similar to what we thought about Shepherd. If this group gets rid of Ashley then they'll be seen as heroes, but what happens when the financial reality means that they have to scrimp, save and sell to buy like he did? (Not saying that will happen, but it might if they aren't mega-rich)

I doubt we'll happy with any buyer who isn't hugely independently wealthy with the ability to spend significant amounts of their own money. Could be wrong, but that's how it seems to me at the moment.

To be honest the sale of the players will only probably pay for the wages they are being paid anyway in the time we're stuck with them. Yeah, well everything goes onto the club's bottom line, and affects its value for sale accordingly. The fact that the debt is owed solely to Mike Ashley is probably a good thing, that's all I'm saying. It means we don't have a load of creditors baying for their money back, and administration isn't at all likely.

Sounds promising, but not much to say when it's still at the rumour stage. And lest we forget we thought Ashley was our saviour when he arrived. Could be great though... certainly hope so.

Some difference between Kaka and Gonzales Aye, but Xisco?

See Madrid are signing players above the manager's head again, sack the board!

How many times we won't go into Administration as that would mean he would stop himself getting his own money back. He is our only creditor. Yep, said that up the page, if Ashley hadn't taken on our debt we would owe it too other people anyway, and probably on much less favourable terms.

Any money received from selling players now will go straight off the debt the club owes Ashley. You can be sure he won't be doing any buy now pay later deals in this transfer window, it will be cut price deals for cash upfront. If we sell a bunch of players now and then sell the club, then the money we get for those players will not be sitting in some transfer kitty given to the new owners, it will just lower the club's assets for the eventual buyer. Obviously the buyer should take that into account in the purchase price, but it's like buying a house while the current owner is stripping out the fixtures and fittings. If he hadn't paid off the debt we would owe it to other people anyway though, and probably on less favourable terms as well.

Just confused at the moment, no idea what is going to happen. I thought relegation with Shearer as manager and a bit of stability might have a silver lining, but then the ownership is thrown into confusion yet again. If it gets sorted in the next couple of weeks we could still do alright, but I think promotion this season is looking less likely.

Don't think anyone does believe that.

I doubt Shearer is holding out for a 'north-east buyer', he probably just wants ownership sorted out whoever buys us.

Completely agree, I just think the financial reality might mean we have to think of money first at the moment. We will likely lose our best players, that's what happens to big clubs who get relegated... not sure any manager could prevent it.

I know, I'm not agreeing with the idea, just saying that if the reality is that players will be sold regardless then it might even be better to get the situation with the squad a bit clearer before the new manager signs on.

The first (only?) players we'll receive decent bids for are the ones any manager worth his salt would want to keep. Do you trust Ashley and gang to resist offers based on the wishes of a non-existant manager? I fucking don't. No, not at all, what I mean is that we might have to sell everyone we get a decent bid for anyway, even if a manager did want to keep them. So if that's the reality then we may as well get going on it ASAP. You're completely right that the players we would rather keep might be the first ones to go, but that might happen anyway, could be the inevitable result of relegation.

Ironically this is probably one of the only times when selling players without the manager is almost acceptable. I mean, we'll have to shift anyone who we get a good bid for anyway, and anyone on certain wages, so if it has to happen we may as well get it started.

Dunno, strange one, maybe we just can't wait.... depends on the stage the Shearer talks have reached I suppose. We will have to sell many players anyway, maybe some the manager would rather keep, so may as well get started.

Put in a drawer until the season after next

Spot on Thirded. I never had a problem with Colo, I thought he would turn into a useful player for us... but his confidence went and people like Ricardo Fuller started tearing him to shreds, which is never a good sign.

I could never understand why Milner wasn't played centrally more often, seemed to maximise his fitness/engine while making up for the fact he wasn't fast and couldn't cross.

I still don't think Colo is a bad player, with a midfield in front of him he would do OK. He won't want to stay anyway though, obviously.