AyeDubbleYoo

Is there any evidence of any use of performance enhancing drugs in football? I can't remember any? If they're testing people to catch them taking recreational drugs, then I'm not sure that's really an issue for the FA. In that case maybe it should be down to the clubs to decide whether they want to build drug testing into their employees' contracts.

Well done to everyone pulled off the move, great work people

I think to a certain extent we were unlucky not to get something from this game. We conceded a penalty during our best period, and we were putting Fulham under some sustained pressure at that point. The Cacapa error was silly, and the performance overall was probably below average... but I don't think it's as bad as some people are saying. The subs were weird though, really wanted to see NZogbia, Geremi and Owen earlier.

Love this trip, really looking forward to it - and sure we can get at least a point. Bring it on...

I would def buy a backup RB before I would replace Enrique.

I don't believe you should never change a winning team but in this case the players are on the up and seem to be brimming with confidence. Best thing is to fire them up and send them out unchanged... can't argue about that.

Yes he paid off debt, which then meant his company didn't have to pay interest payments and also increased the value of his asset. However he's never shown that he'll actually put in his own money for transfers. So would you also criticise transfer spending in that it might lead to success and increase the value of his asset? I don't get how paying of the debt can be anything but a great thing for the club. Paying off the debt is good for Mike Ashley. It would only be good for the club though (in footballing terms) if the money saved in interest payments were ploughed back into the club (improved facilities, transfer fees, wages, etc). As an analogy, if I pay off my mortgage early it's good for ME as I will save money in interest payments. However paying off my mortgage early does nothing to improve the state of my house itself. It would only do so if I used the money saved to decorate or extend it, not if I used the money I saved to host lavish parties in New York for example. Not sure I completely agree with your analogy there, a business isn't the same as a house - a house doesn't have accounts, employees, business objectives and cash flow to think of. A football club has to consider its financial future. Obviously Ashley has an interest in owning a debt-free club, there's no argument about that. But he's the owner, surely anyone would take actions in that role that would benefit the club and therefore themselves? It remains to be seen whether money saved will be spent in productive ways, but one thing we wouldn't do is to clear our debts only to spend our way back into them. Right or wrong Ashley's plan seems to be making the club self-sufficient, so that it would only spend within its means. Doesn't really matter anyway now, as he's selling.

True, he was a bit naive in that respect. To be fair though I think even we couldn't have forseen the strength of reaction when Keegan walked. Until about a week before then most people were behind Ashley and thought he had a plan for the future of the club. I still think his biggest mistake was the opposite of what most people think - to try to be more a fan or a friend of the fans than a businessman. If he'd been thinking with his logical business head at all times he might have avoided his biggest errors, firstly bringing back Keegan in the first place if he didn't fit the system, and second running away too easily when the fans objected. I don't think he's shown himself to be a ruthless businessman just in search of a profit, quite the opposite in fact.

Still can't see anything that Wise has done wrong other than not being a Geordie. If that's why you don't like him then you're being even more short sighted than you claim Ashley is tbh. Not being a geordie, being an obnoxious little s***, (repeat) - someone with absolutely no connection to the club and a generally hated character - the perfect man for Newcastle United. As for your second sentence - whether I like Wise or not is not going to cost me millions of pounds, how does that compare to Ashley? All you've described there is opinion and the personal views of some fans and some elements of the media, nothing he's done at all. And who's to say that it was as simple as sacking Wise = keeping Keegan? <b>You can't run a business being held hostage to people's whims.</b> No you can't, but in order to have a successful business you have to keep your customers and stakeholders happy. Ashley didn't do this and look where it's got him Aye that's true, you've got a point there, all I would argue is maybe he didn't forsee the reaction (understandable) or thought that he would be able to resolve the situation and keep Keegan anyway.

Still can't see anything that Wise has done wrong other than not being a Geordie. If that's why you don't like him then you're being even more short sighted than you claim Ashley is tbh. Not being a geordie, being an obnoxious little s***, (repeat) - someone with absolutely no connection to the club and a generally hated character - the perfect man for Newcastle United. As for your second sentence - whether I like Wise or not is not going to cost me millions of pounds, how does that compare to Ashley? All you've described there is opinion and the personal views of some fans and some elements of the media, nothing he's done at all. And who's to say that it was as simple as sacking Wise = keeping Keegan? You can't run a business being held hostage to people's whims. Point out where I said sacking Wise = keeping Keegan and your reply will have some merit. I thought this: Implied that he should have got rid of Wise in order to avert the current crisis. Maybe I understood you wrong, sorry.

Still can't see anything that Wise has done wrong other than not being a Geordie. If that's why you don't like him then you're being even more short sighted than you claim Ashley is tbh. Not being a geordie, being an obnoxious little shit, (repeat) - someone with absolutely no connection to the club and a generally hated character - the perfect man for Newcastle United. As for your second sentence - whether I like Wise or not is not going to cost me millions of pounds, how does that compare to Ashley? All you've described there is opinion and the personal views of some fans and some elements of the media, nothing he's done at all. And who's to say that it was as simple as sacking Wise = keeping Keegan? You can't run a business being held hostage to people's whims.

Yes he paid off debt, which then meant his company didn't have to pay interest payments and also increased the value of his asset. However he's never shown that he'll actually put in his own money for transfers. So would you also criticise transfer spending in that it might lead to success and increase the value of his asset? I don't get how paying of the debt can be anything but a great thing for the club.

It's a fact though, that no club has 50,000 match-going hardcore supporters. So when you're doing well your attendances will rise, and when you're shit they'll fall... it seems to affect every club exactly the same. The 'base attendance', the amount of fans you 'normally' have, is either an accident of geography, based on sustained success (meaning you have more glory hunters) or just based on your ground capacity. And different fans seem to have different capacities to endure shitness, I mean we had to hit the bottom of the league and be in boardroom chaos before our crowds dropped by <10%.

again? Aye, like when he paid off the debts and that.

I thought the same, also I guess he said to stress the fact that he had been spending his own money up until then.

Shipman's Suicide Note - 'Barton made me do it'

Hopefully that just means he isn't prepared to 'subsidise' the club, and that some signings can still be made out of the clubs own sustainable spending power. Obviously would be better if he was going to plough in his own money again, but we got we asked for didn't we? He wants out.

Did he actually say that he wouldn't be investing anything more? Honest question, I just didn't hear it.

Lip readers confirm - Barton 'supports Paedos'.

As long as he's employed he should continue to do his job, don't see a problem with that at all.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/7712255.stm Will there ever be a game of football where Arsene Wenger doesn't come out and whinge about referees/opposition tactics? IMO he's making a big mistake here, giving his players an excuse for their failure to perform to the standard required. I've got a lot of respect for what he's acheived, but this sort of thing just makes him look spoilt and childish.

Might not be such a bad thing if everyone keeps writing shit about Barton and we can quietly go about climbing the table. And it will bond the players and fans together in a them versus us type situtation.

Confidence will be well up after the last two wins, should be going all out to make it 3, and I think we will.

No evidence, no complaint, but he could 'still face a charge'! Mental

It's warm when you're downing lager surrounded by 5000 toon fans signing Would love to agree, but it just isn't! I've been living in the south tooo long