Wallace

These figures make sense of some of the club's recent actions. However, the mistrust and sceptism is down to the same old thing - lack of communication - with the supporters and with the staff. We have been allowed to believe that "big name" signings were being chased (stories in the summer than Ashley had promised a big name signing to entice box holders to renew). Whether that was true or not, it raised expectations but now it seems apparent that it was never going to happen. Even a couple of months ago, JFK was saying he would have money to spend in January - so was he being misled or just making it up. The trouble is that fans then feel let down whereas now they have seen these figures, people are now seeing things in a different light. It also appears to me that in view of this information, they have handled the recruitment (or lack of) players very poorly. They obviously need to get rid of the big wage earners ASAP and probably realised that they needed to do so last January - yet they are all still here. And it seems that when they have tried to sell players that they have "forgotten" to tell the players concerned which has created ill-feeling. Yet they still went out and panic-bought Xisco. Maybe last year was a steep learning curve but unfortunately the damage is done and they cannot risk relegation and the impact that would have on the club. However, at this point in January, you feel any signings would be an act of desperation as if they had "planned" their January transfer policy, the players would already have arrived.

Bassong wanted out of his French club when they were relegated last season so can't imagine he would want to hang around here. He is supposed to have caught the eye of other teams including Arsenal so he may well have a choice of clubs should the worst happen.

Agreed. I think the state we are in now has a lot to do with the way the club behaved at the time of KK leaving. If they had shown some leadership and said they believed in their system and were sorry that KK did not share their vision and then went and apppointed a permanent manager, I think we would be in a better position now.

It never felt right because we hijacked a deal when he was hoping to go back to Liverpool. I bet when he looks back now, he wishes he had not panicked and stayed at Madrid a bit longer.

But that is assuming we would come straight back up. The only teams that seem to do so are the yo-yo teams as they have the experience. Our decent players would leave and we would have to rebuild a whole team and then if and when we were promoted, we would have a weaker squad and so would probably struggle. But then we will have a low wage bill so I guess the board will be happy.

Speaking for myself, having lived away from the area for long periods (but back on Tyneside now), I get much more emotional about the team here than when I lived elsewhere. I guess it is because the gloom and doom can be hard to escape from - everyone I know will talk about NUFC to me but when I lived elsewhere, NUFC were hardly discussed as no-one else was interested. (I cannot remember being so depressed about the team when we were poor in the 70s and 80s or maybe it is down to how far and so quickly we have fallen). But I accept that there are a lot of people up here for whom it makes little difference personally but I do think when the team does badly that it affects the morale of the city.

Not at all happy if this is true.

Considering the very real fears we have about what is going on at our club and the motives and actions (or lack of) of Ashley and co., I am surprised that the media have not really commented on it apart from a sly dig here and there in a match report. There seems to be much more concern and anguish over what might happen at Spurs, West Ham and Portsmouth.

Aye and I saw Kaka coming out of ours. Shay was meant to be at Spurs yesterday morning as well!

To be fair Godsmark's been the outstanding player in my opinion this season for the reserves. The youngsters have the FA Youth Cup match tomorrow so maybe he is being saved for that?

He had just been there a couple of months, hadn't he?

I cannot understand how if Ashley is such a football fan as he claims, how he cannot see these things for himself. How come we have no money whatsoever - when for the last 18 months, they have been cutting costs all over the place and surely the wage bill must be a lot less than it was even if there are still a few big earners there. Does he really think, that he can survive with so few players? Surely it is worth spending a little to try and preserve premiership status? If we do not pick up a good few points in the coming weeks then we will be relegated. We cannot afford to wait until the injured players come back because by then it will be too late. I also don't get how Ashley can say that he is having "fun" owning Newcastle unless he is revelling in our despair because the last few months have not been fun for any NUFC supporter and it doesn't look like the forseeable future will be either.

He's been getting rave reviews from Carlisle fans.

I paid upfront but agonised over the motives of such a scheme at the time - wondering what would happen in the next few years if there was no season ticket money coming because it had been paid in advance. I then decided at that point that I could afford it and as my job situation might change in the next few years, at least I knew that I could still go to the match. Although, I still feel uncomfortable about the whole thing, I won't be cancelling.

Never saw him second half. He was fine for the first 20 minutes and then faded.

Exactamundo, would be a cracking signing on loan, with the option to buy, or not to buy if he's tosh, Lens haven't got much option but to let him go, and the club being associated with him is? West bleeding Brom. He's much better than any SPL s*** we are being quoted with. Marseille and Tottenham are apparently in for Poldolski, surely we aren't that far behind them? Tottenham want Defoe and someone else who escapes my attention atm, so doesn't seem likely. Marseille won't be able to afford it unless they sell Cissé to the mackems, which won't happen until the summer if at all, Munich want near 10 million straight. Think it would be a good oppourtunity. Can't see Man city wanting Poldolski, and he desperately wants out of Munich. Why not? What sort of player is Dindane? An unobtainable one. The trouble is we are perceived to be an unstable club at the moment: - a temporary manager making a fool of himself on a daily basis - senior players wanting out saying that the club is a mess and they can't see it improving - an owner who wanted to sell then says he has changed his mind but everyone knowing that he will still sell if someone comes in with a suitable offer - no communication coming from the club at all - no communication from the hierarchy with the players - we are not paying big wages anymore - playing the skint card in public - coaching staff has been cut to a minimum - fans are at loggerheads with each other depending on what piece of misinformation they choose to believe IMO, every other club in the Premiership would be a more attractive option than us at the present. There needs to be a concerted PR effort from the club to improve the image of the club but as Ashley has said previously that he does not care what anyone thinks, I would think that is unlikely.

Alan Oliver is back!!! http://www.people.co.uk/sport/football/tm_headline=pompey-in-for-joey%26method=full%26objectid=21015026%26siteid=93463-name_page.html 4 January 2009 POMPEY IN FOR JOEY EXCLUSIVE Adams desperate to end Barton's Toon hell By Alan Oliver Tony Adams wants to rescue Joey Barton from his nightmare at Newcastle United. Portsmouth boss Adams sees the midfield bad-boy as the ideal replacement to fill the gap left by the £20million sale of Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid. People Sport understands that Adams has spoken to Barton's representative and the player is aware of the interest. Barton last year spent a spell in rehab at the Sporting Chance clinic, which was co-founded by Adams after his own successful fight against alcoholism. Adams has taken an interest in helping him overcome his problems ever since. Barton, 26, is currently recovering from a knee ligament injury, which he suffered only weeks after coming back from an FA suspension for a trainingground attack on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo. He had previously been handed a six-month jail sentence for assault and affray following a vicious street attack in Merseyside in 2007. Boss Joe Kinnear said he is already lining up Rangers midfielder Barry Ferguson as a potential replacement.

Some lad tried to pull the banner down at half-time and words were exchanged and stewards got involved. At full-time, the lad came back and punches were thrown but don't think they connected at all. Stewards again involved. Saw Keith walking out so if he was arrested it must have been as he was leaving the stadium.

Well if he goes, he will want to be guaranteed to be the number one as he will not be content to sit on the bench. Not sure what Spurs plan to do with Gomes as I think he has been playing better of late. Isn't it awful, when you see everyone outside of NUFC say that he deserves better than us? I think if he goes, it will depress me more than any other player leaving because I think it makes it apparent that the club is going downhill fast and that he has no confidence that things will improve in the near future. No amount of spin from the club could disguise that.

Perhaps he knows there aren't going to be any. Just think if players see Given leaving a club everyone knows he loves and after almost 12 years and with the comments that he has had enough, it sends out the message that the club is going downhill fast. I think he took Keegan's leaving particularly badly. I have never seen anyone so elated with a new manager as he was when KK arrived and so upset when he left. Don't think the JFK appointment impressed him either. It could be a bit of brinkmanship on his part as it is strange that it has come out in this way - maybe the club are refusing to have a discussion with him like they did with Milner before he put in his transfer request.

It is not going to send out a good message to prospective signings.

Henry Winter

It would worry me if Shay decides that he wants to leave after all that he has put up with at NUFC over the years. It sends out a bad sign if he has finally given up on the club. Would not begrudge him a move though but would hope it would be to a club where he would win things (and not Spurs). Hope it would be a good fee. How much did Sunderland pay for their keeper - £10m? I don't see why we should be looking at a replacement though. Harper will do a good job and we have two promising youngsters who could be the number 2. If they do not get a chance, what's the point in having them here and what kind of message does it send to them. If they want us to develop our young players, they need to give them a chance at some point and I think Krul could be the number 2 keeper. If money is so tight, there are other areas of the team that desperately need improving first and buying another goalkeeper is not a necessity at this moment in time.

This was is amusing! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1102814/Let-join-Spurs-Villa-pleads-Pompeys-Defoe-Real-look-Jenas.html?ITO=1490 Let me join Spurs not Villa, pleads Pompey's Defoe as Real look to Jenas By Simon Jones Last updated at 11:20 PM on 29th December 2008 Portsmouth have received verbal offers of between £12-16million from Aston Villa and Spurs for the England striker and the cash-stricken south coast side favoured Villa’s deal. However, Defoe spoke to Adams yesterday and expressed his determination to link up once again with mentor Harry Redknapp rather than head for Villa Park. Defoe joined Portsmouth from Spurs last January for £9m and some of the deal is still to be paid. That would make Villa's straight cash offer more appealing to Portsmouth, who are desperate to alleviate their debts despite selling Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid for £20m. Villa manager Martin O’Neill yesterday denied making an offer for Defoe, but Redknapp has made no secret of his desire to sign the 26-year-old. Redknapp was rebuffed in an attempt to sign Craig Bellamy from West Ham, with Manchester City leading that chase, and he fears facing the relegation dogfight without another top-quality striker. Redknapp’s financial armoury could be strengthened should Real Madrid follow up interest in Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas. Redknapp is reluctant to sell but knows he may need to sacrifice players to bankroll his rebuilding plans. Tottenham have fielded interest in Jenas before, notably from Everton, and valued him at around £10m but chairman Daniel Levy would probably be looking for closer to £14m from Real if Redknapp gave any deal the go-ahead.

Reading through the player ratings on the Spurs board, their fans were as split on Lennon's performance as ours are on Enrique. Some were saying that apart from a couple of runs, Enrique had the measure of him and the others saying Lennon was great and Jose was rubbish.