manorpark

I don't think he will be a backup if we get him. Like ohmelads said, we are not big enough to buy players at the age of 28 as a backup. He would be a useful squad-member / back-up type of purchase. Quite a useful one. The 'not big enough' comment is somewhat confusing. Times have moved on and many things have 'fundamentally' changed at SJP, since the end of last season. I know it is difficult, sometimes, to adjust your thinking to the new-realism, but we are in a different world now to where we were only a few short months ago. Players of this calibre are (and will be from now on, though not necessarily this particular individual) "ideal" back-up standard.

I really do not see what our league position last season, has got to do with anything!! Things have changed SO much since then. It is fairly irrelevant, don't you think? No not really no. Sam is doing the things that we have needed for so long, building a squad. Yet everyone is having a go at him and his signings already. Best fans in the world my f****** arse. Where we happened to end up in the league last season, is about as relevant to the future (as a result of Ashley mainly, but Allardyces influence, strongly, also) as where we finished in (say) 1977!! There is no connection at all. I do totally agree with you that Sam is really doing his part well (you say "Sam is doing the things that we have needed for so long, building a squad") and he will have set good foundations by the end of August - hopefully sooner, he has started well. You know, many of us (most of us) feel the same as you do and are not "attacking" Sam. There are idiots supporting every club. Sam was (pre-Ashley) the VERY best choice of manager, for me. Now (post-Ashley) he is 'even more' the best choice. He is the best English manager of his time, managing the only big club that is owned by an English billionaire. This is not a racist comment (though some idiots may see it as such - who cares!) it is just that it all "fits" sublimely well! Allardyce will deal well with the world class type of purchasing (still wheeler-dealing, no matter at what 'strata' or price-level he is dealing at) that the Ashley money (added to our own large income) will enable him to acquire - every bit as he is doing at the current 'squad-building' level. The future is brand new and VERY bright, and bears little or no relationship, or link, to either our distant or recent past.

I really do not see what our league position last season, has got to do with anything!! Things have changed SO much since then. It is fairly irrelevant, don't you think?

Just a question. Do you not think that our new owner (having spent an initial £133M and is now, according to Mort, starting to get rid of the debt) is going to make a really significant difference?

says the club insider You guessed!! (well done). I am often inside the club.

Have I missed something here? "It turns out he is not interested" . . . . sorry?? WE were not interested in HIM !!!!!!!!! Our involvement is all 'made-up'.

Is he quoted for saying the opposite? By deliberately not saying anything (he knows people are concerned about it) he is effectively "saying the opposite by omission" - YES! (Myself, actually think he is staying - but he should SPEAK!) why? Dyer hasn't, Taylor hasn't. Not the same thing. Not the same thing at all, as you know.

Perhaps. But don't you think we need to get away from the "one huge signing" (Owen / Shearer, whoever) once-in-a-blue-moon style of thing? If we mean (post-Ashley style) BIG-business, it needs to be consistently at that level (ie, 'more than one') or we should just continue the structured squad building that Big Sam is currently doing, at the financial/quality level he is currently doing it. I am very happy with what he is doing at the moment, and it needs to continue (I'm sure it will) a while yet.

Agreed. Also, in that third year we should at least "look like" we could challenge (even if its a flatter-to-deceive situation) for the title, as when SBR was here. Season 4 onward, it should be "real", as when KK was here. You don't spend £133M to sit on your ass . . . . . .

There is absolutely no reason for the progress you describe to take so long. We aint gonna win the league this coming season - but league success should not take anything like as long as you describe! In my opinion (Money available (ours earned and Ashleys) / Allardyce / existing players / our reputation) that is.

Correct, two VERY different things. Manchester's (hate-em!!) is an enviable achievement as a result of good management, the other is virtually 'fraud' on our great game. To illustrate this, Chelsea and Leeds were in exactly the same position (the figures were almost identical) at exactly the same time - one went the 'natural' way as a result (deservedly) of their own incompetence - the other . . . . ? There is no comparison, at all, between the Manchester United and Chelsea spending situations - it amazes me (constantly) how some people cannot (refuse to?) see this at all.

I think it did vanish, for a while!

Ah! Mystery solved. Is it? Was there a link to a UEFA site posted earlier? I could not get access. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=42284.msg901199#msg901199 "Page 8 and 9 here" Page 8 and 9 where?? The word 'here' is the link mate . http://www.uefa.com/newsfiles/555726.pdf CHEERS! Looks like not getting 'one more round' further, cost us £1.7M (half the 'pot' that Spurs ended up getting all of!!) Ah well . . . hopefully such things are no longer such a concern now (money-wise) . . and hopefully they are also less likely to actually even happen so often from now on (playing-wise)!!

Agree the above, obviously, but there must be more to it (more "ambitions / desires") to motivate him to buy us, than money. Put simply, if he wanted to just (continue to) make money - would he have invested in a football club?? It's not rocket science... SPORTS MERCHANDISING BUSINESS + FOOTBALL CLUB = BIGGER MARKET Yes, publicity, etc . . . it all makes sense and adds up to a need to be SUCCESSFUL. The point of this thread is, though, an opportunity was missed to provide a bit more (non-contentious) information. (PS, I am a Rocket Scientist . . . ) Information is power...power leads to fear...fear leads to the dark side. I work with a lot of people who operate like that . . . not me of course . . . How's the old anti-gravity drive going? Good enough to get me up to Level 7 more easily by August, I hope!!!!!!! I tell ya!

Ah! Mystery solved. Is it? Was there a link to a UEFA site posted earlier? I could not get access. http://www.newcastle-online.com/nufcforum/index.php?topic=42284.msg901199#msg901199 "Page 8 and 9 here" Page 8 and 9 where??

Agree the above, obviously, but there must be more to it (more "ambitions / desires") to motivate him to buy us, than money. Put simply, if he wanted to just (continue to) make money - would he have invested in a football club?? It's not rocket science... SPORTS MERCHANDISING BUSINESS + FOOTBALL CLUB = BIGGER MARKET Yes, publicity, etc . . . it all makes sense and adds up to a need to be SUCCESSFUL. The point of this thread is, though, an opportunity was missed to provide a bit more (non-contentious) information. (PS, I am a Rocket Scientist . . . ) Information is power...power leads to fear...fear leads to the dark side. I work with a lot of people who operate like that . . . not me of course . . .

The SUN !!!!

Ah! Mystery solved. Is it? Was there a link to a UEFA site posted earlier? I could not get access.

Agree the above, obviously, but there must be more to it (more "ambitions / desires") to motivate him to buy us, than money. Put simply, if he wanted to just (continue to) make money - would he have invested in a football club?? It's not rocket science... SPORTS MERCHANDISING BUSINESS + FOOTBALL CLUB = BIGGER MARKET Yes, publicity, etc . . . it all makes sense and adds up to a need to be SUCCESSFUL. The point of this thread is, though, an opportunity was missed to provide a bit more (non-contentious) information. (PS, I am a Rocket Scientist . . . )

Agree the above, obviously, but there must be more to it (more "ambitions / desires") to motivate him to buy us, than money. Put simply, if he wanted to just (continue to) make money - would he have invested in a football club??

Yes!

I'll let you know if I get anything.

Don't you think it's high time the man who's just taken over the football club we all support, or in this case his second in command, came out and told us what his plans are with his new acquisition? I for one am very curious about his level of commitment to bringing us success or otherwise, and find it rather strange that we, as fans, haven't demanded to be informed of this earlier, before Mr Ashley got hold of our club immeadiatly. We are after all his ´customers´ and in the middle of season ticket renewal.. THIS WILL BE VERY INTERESTING. I am certain he will cover most, hopefully all, of: (1) His Role. (2) Shepherds Role. (3) Ashley's Role. (4) Ashley's 'general' aims and 'general' plans for the club (Premier League Champions / Winning Champions League - or whatever . . . ) Does he (Ashley) see us as being Englands most successful club, long term . . . or just 'competing' at the top with others. (5) Some 'specific' short-term objectives (next season). (6) Hopefully, some 'specific' (time-related) longer-term objectives. (7) Re-development / extension of the ground (Shepherds £300M plans for Conference Centres, Hotels, etc). 8 De-listing the club from the LSE (when and WHY). (9) That money (additional over NUFC earned-income) will be put in to facilitate player purchases - but NO specific figures will be given!! All of the above, and more that I cannot bring directly to mind, are things that I have wanted to know about ever since the Ashley takeover was first mooted. I would find all this very (very) interesting (cannot understand why any of us would not!) and I think that for the FIRST TIME we will actually KNOW (not newspaper speculation) some stuff about our club's likely future, by tomorrow morning!! I take it all back!! I saw it as an opportunity to put a bit more 'flesh on the bones' by providing information to combat speculation. That did not really happen - ah well - speculation continues!

That is not the point. The point is (largely) about parochial (non-thinking/automatic) Cockney-based journalism - in a NATIONAL newspaper. (That is my point, anyway). We know the figures are wrong, why were they published without query?

Bort?? Aww man. "We need more Bort licence plates in the gift shop..." "Bort, Bort? Who calls their son Bort???" "I'm Bort!" "Are you talking to me?" "No my son is named Bort also" etc... Lets "abort" this line of comments! Anyone know when "Wednesday morning" actually is? In the next 2 and a half hours I guess. Aye!