manorpark

Everything you have written of late has put a negative spin on information that is not necessarily negative and some information that is pure speculation. It reads as badly as the bile produced from the various papers in this country over the last few days regarding NUFC. If you could back your statements with facts there wouldn't be an issue. The fact is unless you've spoken to Mike Ashley you have NO IDEA what he thinks. So don't make out like you do. Top quality post bobyule. While none of us 'know' all the facts, that sums up exactly how I read the situation too. The impact of what Keegan said will be felt in many individual situations (that we will never know about or be told about) for the forseeable future. The impact will always be negative, unfortunately. He has let a sort of 'genie' out of the bottle (by admitting in public that we are a second-rank club) and it will take a very long time to put it back in the bottle - if ever. Keegans words could well prove to be quite "self-fulfilling" in fact! Making this club successful and an attractive place for top footballers to play, is now much more difficult than it was before he spoke. it's nothing one big signature signing won't put right though. Completely wrong. Old-style (Freddy Shepherd) "one-off" trophy signings will achieve nothing, other than confirm that we are still second-rank 'triers / failures'.

Everything you have written of late has put a negative spin on information that is not necessarily negative and some information that is pure speculation. It reads as badly as the bile produced from the various papers in this country over the last few days regarding NUFC. If you could back your statements with facts there wouldn't be an issue. The fact is unless you've spoken to Mike Ashley you have NO IDEA what he thinks. So don't make out like you do. Top quality post bobyule. While none of us 'know' all the facts, that sums up exactly how I read the situation too. The impact of what Keegan said will be felt in many individual situations (that we will never know about or be told about) for the forseeable future. The impact will always be negative, unfortunately. He has let a sort of 'genie' out of the bottle (by admitting in public that we are a second-rank club) and it will take a very long time to put it back in the bottle - if ever. Keegans words could well prove to be quite "self-fulfilling" in fact! Making this club successful and an attractive place for top footballers to play, is now much more difficult than it was before he spoke.

You're almost there! Or some people have a chip on their shoulder about London? People are too quick to jump on the regional bias thing. I was wrong, you are NOT almost there. You appear to have no idea at all. Have you lived? Are you aware? No, it seems not. There are serious agendas out there, and ignoring them and accusing those who choose not to ignore them of "having chips on their shoulders" does not help at all.

You're almost there!

For a while, with our recent 'good run' of form, the media seemed to be easing up on us a bit (the return of 'the entertainers' and all that sort of stuff . . .) Now, with KKs interview on Sunday - it is open season on us again in the media. Its gonna be an interesting summer. No matter what we do / don't do / fail to do (players who choose elsewhere over us etc) / we will be panned by the cockney-based parochials in the press!

Just a few of the latest articles - mostly full of sh**e - but what do you expect from the isolated, insular, uninformed cockney-based gutter-press !!! Wish there was a NATIONAL media in the UK. There never will be though, just a bunch of obsessed cockney-based morons (who get 'published' nationally). Some of the below are not TOO bad (by their standards) but most are sh**e. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/columnists/martin_samuel/article3882824.ece http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/article1138119.ece http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/07/sfnnew107.xml http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/sport/football.html?in_article_id=564656&in_page_id=1779&ito=1490 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2008/05/08/sfnfro108.xml

I saw the interview. It looked so real - it had to be unreal. It was so (totally) depressing, it sounded like we were Derby County or a club like that. He was saying we would never challenge again! It was so real, IT HAS TO BE UNREAL (IE, A 'BLUFF'). Otherwise . . . . . .

Again.

I wonder if the "he'll never come here brigade" with their automatic certainty of our inferiority, will ever change? As my Dad used to say - "like the poor, they are always with us". As change happens here (from the immediate past) under Mike Ashley and Kevin Keegan - will their perceptions and comments (clothed in a blanket of "realism" . . . ) ever change. I doubt it! It is going to be hard work - but you need 'vision' to succeed in life (and football is life) but this club is the PERFECT club (with all the ingredients) to be a big, big, success. Small thinking (even if stating 'current' obvious fact) such as 'we are Newcastle United not Real Madrid' is a useless, pointless way of thinking and acting. Realism - yes, but let's MOVE ON from the strange 'immediate past' that we have had. Lets get moving in our minds (I'm sure Ashley is). The objective has to be - as soon as possible - to be alongside the biggest clubs, as equals - AND YOU DON'T GET THAT BY CONSTANTLY THINKING "HE'LL NEVER COME HERE" . . .. If we have constantly progressed over the next three-five years then I would say that it would be possible to bring in some of these names. The main point here being we are so far behind the bigger clubs now that we have to build ala Villa, Everton before we can consider signing bigger players. In the real world that we live in why would such players sign for Newcastle? They want to be successful and win trophies, they have more opportunities to do that elsewhere AT THE MOMENT. Personally I thinkyou are dellusional to expect players of that calibre to sign for Newcastle. Some might point out that Michael Owen signed, well I will argue that he panicked, realised by not playing he would lose his England place, and couldn't get a better offer. If, and it's a big if, we develop and improve over the next few seasons to come, I can maybe then accept that we would expect to be signing players of world class quality. At the moment I prefer to live in the "real" world and I for one certainly won't be getting my hopes up. I expect players of the Crouch, Ashton mould and quality to be signing, not Henry and Modric. I stand to be proven wrong, and will gladly put my hands up if I am pleasently suprised, but I doubt I will be! I agree with much of what you say. I do have a strong dislike for the "he won't come here" brigade, which you are not one of. But, it is an 'attitudinal" thing (not sure if I can even spell it!!) that often 'stinks' for me, from some people. It is implicit in everything they say and do that we are INFERIOR (for whatever reason) and they could not be more wrong! As I say, there is much work to do, but it IS going to get done. The new 'Sunday Times Rich List' confirms Ashley's approach to life. We already know Keegans. LETS (JUST) JOIN IN !!!!!! (AND ENJOY . . . )

I wonder if the "he'll never come here brigade" with their automatic certainty of our inferiority, will ever change? As my Dad used to say - "like the poor, they are always with us". As change happens here (from the immediate past) under Mike Ashley and Kevin Keegan - will their perceptions and comments (clothed in a blanket of "realism" . . . ) ever change. I doubt it! It is going to be hard work - but you need 'vision' to succeed in life (and football is life) but this club is the PERFECT club (with all the ingredients) to be a big, big, success. Small thinking (even if stating 'current' obvious fact) such as 'we are Newcastle United not Real Madrid' is a useless, pointless way of thinking and acting. Realism - yes, but let's MOVE ON from the strange 'immediate past' that we have had. Lets get moving in our minds (I'm sure Ashley is). The objective has to be - as soon as possible - to be alongside the biggest clubs, as equals - AND YOU DON'T GET THAT BY CONSTANTLY THINKING "HE'LL NEVER COME HERE" . . ..

So sad, so young. My Mother was 81 when she died, and I felt that was too young to lose her . . . but 58!! RIP.

Tell that to the seemingly-endless brigade of the "He'll Never Come Here" types on this forum, whenever a good world class player is linked with us. There are a lot of people with no vision and big inferiority complexes (sorry, "massive" inferiority complexes) who just cannot and will not believe (for reasons which escape me) that an 'Ashley / Mort / Keegan' future for us, should be so very much better than the (very recent) past.

I wonder if supporters of other clubs, having read all the (very) many recent articles criticising us in an equally ridiculous and over the top manner, have rushed to their own forums to defend us like this? Also (on the question of 'Parochial Cockney National Media' which we have now, versus 'a real National Media', versus 'an Honest Media') - the first step is to get a National Media. There is more chance of some 'natural' objectivity and honesty, if we get a National Media first. What I'm saying is, one should lead to the other. However, lets get real, we have NO chance of ever getting a National Media in the UK. All the POWER is in Cockneyland.

Not sure which paper this is in, but it is VERY unusual for the parochial Cockney-based press, to attack their own. Reading this makes me really wish we had a 'National Media' (as opposed to "what Cock-neys think of everyone else", all the time) as this is what it might look like. A "National Media" in the UK? The stuff of DREAMS!

Ha Ha - "Going Home" by Dire Straits.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion!!! But - you really need to have a brain first!

This was a good laugh and (as said) lightens things up a bit. I remember fashion shows like this previously, with the likes of Les Ferdinand, David Ginola, Barry Venison (!) and so on, strutting their stuff down the catwalk!

I think we can tbh. Not referring to this story in particular or any details. Just the fact that we've stories about offers for the club and prospective bids pretty much from the time he took control of the club suggesting that maybe he is willing to listen if the right offer came up. No smoke without fire, that type of thing. I think we can tbh

SELL?? Do you have such a short memory??? It is only a few weeks since Mike Ashley spelt it all out for you . . . _________________________ I WILL RUN THIS CLUB MY WAY - Mike Ashley breaks Toon silence, Mike Ashley dramatically broke his silence over the turmoil on the Toon and defiantly declared: "I had to act and now I'll do it MY way!" Newcastle's' billionaire owner insists he is ready to step out of the background to run the club the way HE wants to from now on. On Tuesday he will jet back from a Far East business trip to join forces with chairman Chris Mort as they strive to bring success to St James's Park. And there will be times when he swaps his trademark Newcastle shirt and returns to civvies as he plots the way ahead in the wake of the departure of boss Sam Allardyce. Today, in an exclusive News of the World interview, Ashley outlines his New Year vision for Newcastle including the qualities he's looking for in the club's next manager. He said: "I want a team that will go all out to try to give Chelsea a walloping, that'll try to stuff Tottenham and that will be brave and bold enough to attack Man Utd. "To date I have invested £250m to try and make it happen. "And I'm not the only one who could see it wasn't working with things as they were. "So when my chairman told me it was time for a change I knew it had to happen. "I just knew it was time for me to become involved. "After all I bought this club to make it a success and the harsh truth is there wasn't much prospect of that. "I bought this club to have some fun and I wasn't having much fun at all. So I did what I should have done in the first place and decided it was time to run the club the way I wanted. "I must admit that when I bought this club my gut instinct was to bring in my own team to run it straight away, including a new manager. "That's no reflection on Sam, that's just the way I have always done things. "But for once in my life I ignored my intuition and, looking back, that was a mistake. "My instinct had never let me down in the past, in fact it's been one of my biggest strengths, one of the major reasons behind my success. "Yet I went against that better judgement after buying Newcastle. "Now is the time to put away my Newcastle shirt. I'm not saying I will never go back on the terraces but now I have to be in the boardroom — I have to be hands on." Ashley was left desperately disappointed with the return on his massive investment. A procession of poor performances, ropey results and off-field problems was a shocking reward for his massive outlay. It was not Ashley's vision for the sleeping giants of English football. Passion He added: "I want a team that is going to be admired up and down the country because of our brilliant, attacking football. "Like they did when Kevin Keegan was in charge here. "In those days everyone in the land loved to watch Newcastle in action. I certainly did. "And I am determined it will be like that again." That sort of stylish, buccaneering football has only been rarely glimpsed at St James's Park this season and Ashley makes no apologies for demanding Newcastle play the way the loyal Toon Army desire. He added:"People might mock me for that and reckon that's all pie in the sky. "But this is a football club, remember — it's about passion, about dreams, about glory. If it's not, then why bother? "Make no mistake I bother, I care and so I will try my hardest to make this club successful. "And I know I don't stand alone — I stand at the head of the Toon Army. "Remember this is a club with a real passion running through it — not least from all those Geordie fans. "And I share that passion." Yet Ashley has still taken a battering over events last week with Allardyce elbowed after just eight months in charge of the Magpies. But those pundits who would have you believe Ashley's a mug punter who does not know what he is doing should beware. After all this is a guy who built his Sports Direct business empire up from nothing. A man who at just 41 years of age boasts a fortune of £1.6billion — put it another way that's one thousand six hundred million pounds. Some mug, then! Yet Ashley is big and brave enough to accept some of the blame, even though he sees positives in his controversial decision to take a back seat so far. He explained: "My thinking was to come into Newcastle United and examine the club from every angle and from every aspect. I wanted to see how it ran, how it worked, what the staff could offer and what the supporters were all about. "I wanted to understand what made this club tick, I wanted to find its soul. "I have done that now and taken a lot of flak along the way. "People have complained I have been in the background too much, not done enough. Are you sure? "Let's get this straight. I paid £140million to buy this club. "I've also paid off £100million worth of debt so today this club doesn't owe a buck to anyone. "And I also gave Sam funds for new players. "Yet I've been hammered by certain people and for what? "Yes, wearing my Newcastle shirt and sitting with the fans. "The critics were suggesting in some way that this was just a cheap trick that would boost sales of shirts in my own stores. "But anyone who knows anything about Newcastle knows all the fans already have their shirts so it's all nonsense, just unbelievable. "And do you know something? I don't regret those days with our supporters at all. "I might own the club but they are the heartbeat and I had a lovely time with them. "And I guarantee that you haven't seen the last of me out there with the lads and lasses. "I will do it again from time to time. That's because among the fans he felt at home but when he sat in his own directors' box he was condemned as unconventional. He explained: "I can't stand this self-imposed etiquette in the boardroom and directors' box. "You're supposed to wear a suit, a shirt and tie and behave like a headmaster. "Why? It's like one of those , snobby, snooty golf clubs where they have rules for this and that. It's nonsense and I won't go along with it. "I want to go to football and enjoy it. "I want to celebrate when my team scores, when my team wins. "It's a game of drama and emotion — of highs and lows, of highlights and heartbreaks. And I want to live it. "So from now on it's all down to me. Dream "I am here because I want to be here and because I want to win trophies. "That's it — period — to get trophies in the cabinet and have a ball doing it. I can't see anything wrong with that at all. "Buying a football club is something I've always wanted to do so it's living a dream. "I always said I bought this club to become part of its passion. "I'd like to think I've done that. Now I want to channel that passion into bringing success and I just can't wait until it happens"

The league is very predictable in that there are only 3 in it every year. Take away the Champions League win by Liverpool (fantastic achievement, obviously) and it's really the 'Big 3' imo. Our team on the pitch shows NO signs of helping us achieve this (or, of even WANTING to) but we are one of the few clubs with the earning potential (which also has a multi-billionaire owner, for 'top-up' monies!) which can get into and above the "current 2 or 3" most successful English clubs. BUT . . . We need to do it QUICKLY, or (as even Sir John Hall was saying, regularly, in the late-nineties) WE WILL GET LEFT BEHIND !

You say you are 33? Well, 33 is a bit old to STILL not realise that you can feel very strongly and really 'care' about something (lots of things) that happened on our planet before you happened to arrive on it. I think I was about 9, when I first realised that "it didn't all start and end with me!"

I only go back to the 70s, but 90% of todays players appear to have SO little genuine football ability, they would be unlikely to get into reserve teams from those days. There is this "automatic" assumption made by many people (mainly the young-uns who have 'nowt' to compare it to!) that MODERN IS BETTER / NOW IS BETTER. Whereas the reverse is usually true!! Todays players are "fitter" / "eat better" / "drink less" / "run a bit faster" . . but better?? - FAR from it!

Don't know what it's called, but that one that goes "we are young . . we are free" you know? That would be good.

Late fifties or early sixties - Russ Conway with Billy Cotton. My mother was madly in love with Russ Conway!! She kept saying what a great pianist he was, even though he only had three fingers and a thumb, on one hand. Also, less of this "old timers" stuff, Mr Embryo. You do realise (or don't you?) that by 'approximately' the week after next (it will seem to you, absolutely) you will be "grown up and well past it / half dead" in the eyes of the next generation of little kiddiewinkies on here! but do you remember being played regularly at the match ? whats this bit about the week after next ? i'm probably seen as well past it or half dead already. Yeah - me too!!! Been going to the match since 1967 (off and on) then permanently from 1970, but I don't actually remember that. What I do remember, for many years, was a sort of 'big-band' or orchestra type instrumental (marching tunes??) type tunes, being played before the match and probably at half time. Does anyone remember them - seemed to be for years into the seventies - marching 'military-type' music?? yip i remember that. i deffo remember the russ conway stuff from the season afetr we got relegated. standing in the e-wing with my spud-u-like at about 2pm and they must have put the album on aevery week for at least a season or two Are you talking about when we got relegated in 77/78? It just seems odd that they suddenly started playing piano music from the 1950s!! It is also odd that I don't remember it, as I so remember my "mother and Russ Conway and his fingers" (!!) so I would have thought I would remember hearing it then! Having said that, my memory is sh*t . . where am I??

Late fifties or early sixties - Russ Conway with Billy Cotton. My mother was madly in love with Russ Conway!! She kept saying what a great pianist he was, even though he only had three fingers and a thumb, on one hand. Also, less of this "old timers" stuff, Mr Embryo. You do realise (or don't you?) that by 'approximately' the week after next (it will seem to you, absolutely) you will be "grown up and well past it / half dead" in the eyes of the next generation of little kiddiewinkies on here! but do you remember being played regularly at the match ? whats this bit about the week after next ? i'm probably seen as well past it or half dead already. Yeah - me too!!! Been going to the match since 1967 (off and on) then permanently from 1970, but I don't actually remember that. What I do remember, for many years, was a sort of 'big-band' or orchestra type instrumental (marching tunes??) type tunes, being played before the match and probably at half time. Does anyone remember them - seemed to be for years into the seventies - marching 'military-type' music??