Wandy

Would love it if yesterday's meltdown was because he has been told Benitez is coming back if takeover goes through.

After today's events, this really does not feel like a club that is getting sold within the next few months.

Those comments.  :lol:

He'e either been told he's on borrowed time or that his job is as safe as houses. I have no idea which.

The question has to be asked. Is this cunt the worst manager in the history of the club? It's a yes from me.

Jesus  :lol: :lol:

Don't think you can make huge inferences from this regarding the takeover; it's hardly a major investment and it beats signing players. It might not be for long but Ashley is still here and Bruce will be his man for as long as he is.

True, but people have been hoping that Bruce's sacking was imminent as the takeover was about to go ahead. This Bournemouth story ends that hope. Bruce will be given at least another month or two to turn this around.

If its true about the Bournemouth coach coming in then forget about this happening before the end of the season.

This is more like it. 

Think you are are going to have a very good Valentines day! Get the chocolates and champagne in ready!

 

I actually had a text a few days ago from a lad who I haven't heard from for a while saying "remember February 14th".

Might just be wanting flowers and a card.

Thats pretty much exactly what my immediate reply to him was. 

Think you are are going to have a very good Valentines day! Get the chocolates and champagne in ready!

 

I actually had a text a few days ago from a lad who I haven't heard from for a while saying "remember February 14th". I've since had another saying that Bruce has been told he has only a few games left as takeover is on the verge of going through. Probably bullshit but here's hoping.

 

Assuming you’re not on the windup.......what connections does your mate have that he might come across any news...just asking

Deffo not a wind-up bud, I detest that shit. He has no connections, just another big NUFC fan. But he never sends me any kinds of texts like this which got me interested. Like I say, probably just him catching onto the massive rumour mill going round at the moment, but who knows eh?

There is deffo something in the air regarding Bruce though, I think. I dont think he will get till April like previous sacked managers.

Think you are are going to have a very good Valentines day! Get the chocolates and champagne in ready!

I actually had a text a few days ago from a lad who I haven't heard from for a while saying "remember February 14th". I've since had another saying that Bruce has been told he has only a few games left as takeover is on the verge of going through. Probably bullshit but here's hoping.

The more accurate way of describing things would be to say that the deal has been paused. Whether it gets restarted or not is what is to be debated. All of the stuff happening in the background at the moment is just machinations to get things in play again.

Why is it a dream that an owner might build a new stadium?  Has it never happened?

The cost for one. The club would have to have a sustained period of significant on the field, trophy-winning success before any owners would contemplate building a new stadium in another area of the city. The second issue is, how much of a risk it would actually be moving the stadium out of the city centre. I think people seriously underestimate how tied-in SJP attendances are to the fact that its situated where it currently is.

I don’t think they look as bad as people make out, but they aren’t fantastic either.

 

The biggest problem with them is that it’s preventing an expansion of SJP which could add between 8k-15k seats to the stadium. When you consider that retail is changing and will no longer be the main driving force in a city’s success in future, and we will rely on more leisure and entertainment, it’s a sad loss.

It effectively means that unless NUFC move out of SJP then we can kiss goodbye to hosting events like The Champions League final and in future even World Cups and EURO games. It also means that unless we gained the arena site, then to host those events we would have to move out of the city centre.

On top of this, let’s say we did buy the arena site, it means our owners will be left with a bill of about £1bn-£2bn for a new stadium. This could be very cost prohiting, and if our new owners aren’t as generous as we hope, it will burden the club with a huge debt.

 

One of the buildings also prevent an expansion of the Metro to the West End. Yes ok that would rely on a massive a change in government policy, however if that did happen in our lifetimes, then it means we can’t have a joined up Metro expansion to the West End, either via tunnels or training coming up from outside SJP Metro station.

It’s worth noting that an increase in public transport and new mass transport systems being built in future will likely be the policy for most governments to achieve carbon targets and to stimulate their economies.

 

That may be the biggest problem for you but the Council had absolutely no ability to refuse the planning application on that basis.

 

There is only one person to blame, that's Mike Ashley.

 

Although, the Strawberry Place development doesn't necessarily prevent future expansion of the Gallowgate.

This has been done to death. There is no way the Gallowgate can be expanded in any kind of significant way with this new development going ahead. The only kind of expansion worth considering was extending Level 7 to the Gallowgate and that is now going to be impossible.

People have recently been talking in this thread about how big a club NUFC could be, well this new development will significantly shrink that potential and anyone thinking that new owners will casually throw £1bn at a new stadium development are simply dreaming.

The saddest thing imo is there was so little opposition to this

The uncomfortable truth is that NUFC's support is actually pretty shit. They are great at turning up on a Saturday, sinking a few pints in the city centre bars before and after the game and then fucking off home but anything outside of this and they aren't interested. Liverpool fans would have had this development crushed before it got past first base if had been on their patch.

My point is that the post earlier on insinuated that Leeds do not have the potential to be a very big club, which is clearly false

 

No it didn't.  I said they don't offer the same, I said nothing specific about the size of the club they could be.  You've already said yourself they do not have the potential to be as big as NUFC. So you in fact agree with me..

 

The argument was made that if we go down why would the Saudis want to continue buying NUFC to bring us back up when they could just buy Leeds.  As if Leeds are just some like for like replacement.  I'm saying IMO they would not be a like for like replacement.

No, they aren't a like for like replacement. However they are big enough and have enough potential for the Saudis to simply move on to purchasing them instead of persisting with the purchase of us in the Championship. If NUFC are 10/10 in terms of size and potential then Leeds are easily an 8/10 and probably a 9/10.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Leeds have never averaged over 40k in their history. Until the 70’s they were a nothing club.

 

In short they’ll never be as big as NUFC.

 

Sorry but that is simply nonsense. Biggest club in Yorkshire, in a thriving & cosmopolitan city, with a history of winning trophies in the living memory of most people. Attendences count for nothing, especially since Leeds are hardly Wimbledon...they still have attracted pretty large crowds in all the time I have followed the game. At this rate they will be a bigger club than us in 5 months time, never mind never at all.

 

Leeds are a club just waiting to take off. And if the Saudis or Qataris buy them & make them even remotely like Man City they will attract 50k crowds easily.

 

It’s not a football mad city like Newcastle, and Rugby League is massive there.

 

I’m not saying there not a big club and have a raucous support on their day, I’d put them on a par with City with the advantage of being a 1 club city.

 

We on the other hand with Saudi backing could be as big as they come. If they get it right you’re talking 65k plus regularly, and I think I’m being conservative.

 

Even under their purple patch with Wilkinson and O’Leary there was regularly empty seats at Elland Road. That simply would not have happened here with their level of success.

 

 

 

Yeah but you are just reaffirming my point, that the main thing that NUFC have over Leeds is potential. Yes, we could be a monster club akin to Man Utd & Liverpool under Saudi and Leeds would "only" be like City. But thats not an unattractive second option for the Saudis should it happen.

 

My point is that the post earlier on insinuated that Leeds do not have the potential to be a very big club, which is clearly false.

 

Leeds also have the advantage of having a stadium that has vast space around it available for expansion, which we dont. Its also right next to a motorway and so is easily accessable.

 

I think the fact the Leeds is a rugby city also helps them I'm afraid as it makes the place less of a goldfish bowl compared to Newcastle.

 

The main draw of NUFC is that we could be a club that could attract 80k crowds and also attract the same kind of hype as Man Utd & Pool. We know that because we saw it happen in the 90s. But we still have the problem of being stuck in an unfinished stadium that cannot be expanded. That's a huge issue IMO and one that will seriously compromise the club's potential.

 

Leeds clearly are attractive to potential buyers, I certainly don’t dispute that. But I think Staveley and co see the uniqueness and potential of NUFC.

 

If you look at City now they’ve probably maxed out on support, that unknown factor of how big we could actually be has clearly captured this consortiums imagination.

 

The stadium issue could easily be addressed with the Saudis wealth, whether this involved staying at St Jame’s or not.

I'm on the same page as you here. I'm just saying that Leeds as a second best option is still not a bad one at all. If the nightmare scenario happens and we drop then it has every chance of happening too. Which is why there needs to be concrete movement on the takeover and Bruce's position before the end of the month.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Leeds have never averaged over 40k in their history. Until the 70’s they were a nothing club.

 

In short they’ll never be as big as NUFC.

 

Sorry but that is simply nonsense. Biggest club in Yorkshire, in a thriving & cosmopolitan city, with a history of winning trophies in the living memory of most people. Attendences count for nothing, especially since Leeds are hardly Wimbledon...they still have attracted pretty large crowds in all the time I have followed the game. At this rate they will be a bigger club than us in 5 months time, never mind never at all.

 

Leeds are a club just waiting to take off. And if the Saudis or Qataris buy them & make them even remotely like Man City they will attract 50k crowds easily.

 

We already attract 50k crowds. In the championship too.

 

And? 

 

There seems to be a thought process going on here that, just because NUFC have more potential than Leeds, that somehow Leeds won't be a very attractive proposition to Saudi. Absolute delusion I'm afraid.

 

Who actually said that?

Teasy said a few pages back... "Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year." To me that insinuated that Leeds are a far less atttractive proposition than NUFC, which simply isnt true.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Bigger stadium, consistently bigger crowds.

 

Leeds have realised their potential a couple of times in my lifetime, NUFC came close a couple of times and were huge, but still hasn't fully happened since the Edwardian era.

 

NUFC have more potential than Leeds and that's all. Means fuck all if we never realise that potential though. If Leeds get oil money they could be exactly like City.

 

Read my post, Leeds have already realised theirs twice in my lifetime but weren't anywhere near as big as we were under Keegan in my opinion. Newcastle is much more of a footballi city in my opinion.

They won the league in 1992 before the Prem exploded, when crowds were down across the board so you cant use that as an example. Even the early 2000s under O'Leary was a different time and era to now. I'd hardly say winning the league once and a few exciting Champions League games is "realising their potential" either.

I've already said that Newcastle is more of a football city and the club has more potential. It's not relevant to how Saudi would look at the purchase of Leeds though.

I know I’m going against my own argument here but I’m not convinced we could attract 80k at all

We definitely could with the right stadium and went on a succesful run of winning trophies. If we were to establish ourselves like Pool & Man Utd and had an 80k stadium it would be full, got no doubt about that.

I mean I understand what you are arguing here.

 

 

But if the Saudis can't buy us, then they can't buy Leeds either.

I'm making my points under the assumption that we finally get the green light from the PL, only for the Saudis to pull out because we got relegated. And then look at Leeds.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Leeds have never averaged over 40k in their history. Until the 70’s they were a nothing club.

 

In short they’ll never be as big as NUFC.

 

Sorry but that is simply nonsense. Biggest club in Yorkshire, in a thriving & cosmopolitan city, with a history of winning trophies in the living memory of most people. Attendences count for nothing, especially since Leeds are hardly Wimbledon...they still have attracted pretty large crowds in all the time I have followed the game. At this rate they will be a bigger club than us in 5 months time, never mind never at all.

 

Leeds are a club just waiting to take off. And if the Saudis or Qataris buy them & make them even remotely like Man City they will attract 50k crowds easily.

 

It’s not a football mad city like Newcastle, and Rugby League is massive there.

 

I’m not saying there not a big club and have a raucous support on their day, I’d put them on a par with City with the advantage of being a 1 club city.

 

We on the other hand with Saudi backing could be as big as they come. If they get it right you’re talking 65k plus regularly, and I think I’m being conservative.

 

Even under their purple patch with Wilkinson and O’Leary there was regularly empty seats at Elland Road. That simply would not have happened here with their level of success.

 

 

Yeah but you are just reaffirming my point, that the main thing that NUFC have over Leeds is potential. Yes, we could be a monster club akin to Man Utd & Liverpool under Saudi and Leeds would "only" be like City. But thats not an unattractive second option for the Saudis should it happen.

My point is that the post earlier on insinuated that Leeds do not have the potential to be a very big club, which is clearly false.

Leeds also have the advantage of having a stadium that has vast space around it available for expansion, which we dont. Its also right next to a motorway and so is easily accessable.

I think the fact the Leeds is a rugby city also helps them I'm afraid as it makes the place less of a goldfish bowl compared to Newcastle.

The main draw of NUFC is that we could be a club that could attract 80k crowds and also attract the same kind of hype as Man Utd & Pool. We know that because we saw it happen in the 90s. But we still have the problem of being stuck in an unfinished stadium that cannot be expanded. That's a huge issue IMO and one that will seriously compromise the club's potential.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Bigger stadium, consistently bigger crowds.

 

Leeds have realised their potential a couple of times in my lifetime, NUFC came close a couple of times and were huge, but still hasn't fully happened since the Edwardian era.

 

NUFC have more potential than Leeds and that's all. Means fuck all if we never realise that potential though. If Leeds get oil money they could be exactly like City.

 

Agree with you, Leeds have always been a similar club to ours in my lifetime, one club city, huge passionate fan base and northern based.

 

That said, why would PIF go there when they would come up against the exact same problems they have already faced here, i.e. PL opposition to the deal?

 

 

Exactly. I've been following NUFC for 36 years and to me the two clubs have always seemed very similar so I'm not sure where this superiority complex is coming from. Now that they are back in the Prem, go and ask the average Joe on the street who is the biggest club and you might not like the answer you get.

The worry that PIF go there is if we get relegated, which at the moment looks highly likely. If we stay up though there is nothing to worry about as we are a more attractive proposition than Leeds. But there is a lot less in it than some believe IMO.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Leeds have never averaged over 40k in their history. Until the 70’s they were a nothing club.

 

In short they’ll never be as big as NUFC.

 

Sorry but that is simply nonsense. Biggest club in Yorkshire, in a thriving & cosmopolitan city, with a history of winning trophies in the living memory of most people. Attendences count for nothing, especially since Leeds are hardly Wimbledon...they still have attracted pretty large crowds in all the time I have followed the game. At this rate they will be a bigger club than us in 5 months time, never mind never at all.

 

Leeds are a club just waiting to take off. And if the Saudis or Qataris buy them & make them even remotely like Man City they will attract 50k crowds easily.

 

We already attract 50k crowds. In the championship too.

And? 

There seems to be a thought process going on here that, just because NUFC have more potential than Leeds, that somehow Leeds won't be a very attractive proposition to Saudi. Absolute delusion I'm afraid.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Bigger stadium, consistently bigger crowds.

 

Leeds have realised their potential a couple of times in my lifetime, NUFC came close a couple of times and were huge, but still hasn't fully happened since the Edwardian era.

NUFC have more potential than Leeds and that's all. Means fuck all if we never realise that potential though. If Leeds get oil money they could be exactly like City.

Do we have any direct quotes saying that they won't buy if we get relegated?

 

The money it takes to get back up is what Liverpool would spend on a goalie. From PIFs perspective, surely it'd be a minor inconvenience.

 

Quicker to just buy Leeds.

 

Except Leeds don't offer the same package, nowhere near.  Not this year or any other year.

 

Delusional. What do NUFC have that Leeds cannot offer?

 

Leeds have never averaged over 40k in their history. Until the 70’s they were a nothing club.

 

In short they’ll never be as big as NUFC.

Sorry but that is simply nonsense. Biggest club in Yorkshire, in a thriving & cosmopolitan city, with a history of winning trophies in the living memory of most people. Attendences count for nothing, especially since Leeds are hardly Wimbledon...they still have attracted pretty large crowds in all the time I have followed the game. At this rate they will be a bigger club than us in 5 months time, never mind never at all.

Leeds are a club just waiting to take off. And if the Saudis or Qataris buy them & make them even remotely like Man City they will attract 50k crowds easily.