manorpark

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last. i am only staying in the south to wait for it to happen man utd may be hated up north but chelsea are an abomination the fans as well are ... words fail me ... imagine 15000 denis wises (should be 45000 for the players they have but it is chelsea) redmayne - I think we are definitely in agreement on the subject of Sh*tski !!!! check this out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNCkPGNIvWI&NR=1 Sums them up - don't you think . . . hope we are strong enough by next season to sort them out. We have a bit of work yet to do though!

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last. i am only staying in the south to wait for it to happen man utd may be hated up north but chelsea are an abomination the fans as well are ... words fail me ... imagine 15000 denis wises (should be 45000 for the players they have but it is chelsea) redmayne - I think we are definitely in agreement on the subject of Sh*tski !!!!

Without doubt, West Ham are a vastly better supported club than Chelsea. In fact as clubs (amongst London clubs) they are probably at the absolute opposite ends of the spectrum. The current Chelsea, are a false and temporary aberration. Things like that NEVER last.

No-one will see us as "a West Ham". West Ham are a small club (half the time in the 2nd Division) who have suddenly got a bit of money. We have always had ("earned") a lot of money - we will just have a bit more now! (perhaps a LOT more, but it is still only a progression from what we had, unlike the West Ham scenario). We will not be seen as a Chelsea, as part of that particular obscenity was, that they were in an almost identical position to Leeds, at the same time as Leeds (the 'figures' were almost exactly the same) and Abramovich suddenly paid off all their debts and then started spending huge amounts of un-earned money (over-the-odds) on players, while Leeds went the natural way that both of them should have gone. The extra money we have will, I imagine, be more of a top-up (albeit a big one, maybe) with Allerdyce still portraying the public image (VERY important) of "getting value for money". Handled correctly, we should be able to have all the Chelsea advantages (more so, as allied to our much larger stadium, support, revenues, etc) without being seen as "doing a Chelsea" , with all those associated (perceived) disadvantages. no offensae but you should check west ham history they aren't a small club huge support in the south east... if they had a 50K stadium they'd almost always fill it probably a bigger club than the north london two in terms of support (and im not a hammer - i just live in London) Yeah, I lived in London for years. Wapping, Hackney and Ilford - so I know 'The Hammers', they were my local team for a long time, though I had no affection for them, just went with local friends who supported them. I feel I have a clear understanding of where that club sits in the National hierarchy. Locally, down there, I do not feel they have ever, in my lifetime, been as 'big' as Tottenham and Arsenal, but have a localised and quite passionate (if, a bit 'vicious' and too knife-friendly) level of support.

No-one will see us as "a West Ham". West Ham are a small club (half the time in the 2nd Division) who have suddenly got a bit of money. We have always had ("earned") a lot of money - we will just have a bit more now! (perhaps a LOT more, but it is still only a progression from what we had, unlike the West Ham scenario). We will not be seen as a Chelsea, as part of that particular obscenity was, that they were in an almost identical position to Leeds, at the same time as Leeds (the 'figures' were almost exactly the same) and Abramovich suddenly paid off all their debts and then started spending huge amounts of un-earned money (over-the-odds) on players, while Leeds went the natural way that both of them should have gone. The extra money we have will, I imagine, be more of a top-up (albeit a big one, maybe) with Allerdyce still portraying the public image (VERY important) of "getting value for money". Handled correctly, we should be able to have all the Chelsea advantages (more so, as allied to our much larger stadium, support, revenues, etc) without being seen as "doing a Chelsea" , with all those associated (perceived) disadvantages.

At first, I thought it was a very "plausible and realistic-sounding" mickey-take by a Spurs or Everton supporter. Just gently putting us in our place! Maybe it is. I'm not looking for an argument with anyone, but I just find it difficult to accept that statement about Everton/Spurs, as being genuinly "positive".

Oh JOY. The great days are nearly upon us. . . . If this is 'realism' (I pray not) - then give me fantasy anytime.

Can never quite see what people mean by "capital pull" (etc). In the years I lived there, I realised that it was - and most people agreed with me - a total sh*t place for anyone to live. Newcastle, to the contrary, is developing more and more into being "the" place to be.

"Agreed / Agreed / Agreed!!" There has been, and even now still is, such a lot of 'automatic' inferiority-complex thinking, speaking and writing, around this club for so long. I have to say, I can sort of understand why! But that is no excuse. POSITIVITY, is hopefully going to become newly-fashionable around here, from now on?

I can fully understand your excitement Jamie and it is great to read it, but as some of the other posters have said, I also feel that it is very difficult to forecast anything for next season, at this stage. (1) We have a newly appointed manager who has been on holiday most of the time since he joined us, so his plans are (though well speculated on) still quite unknown. We don't even know how good he will be at the job. Yes, we think he is VERY good (most of us do) but we do not know, yet, how he will perform here at NUFC, as he has not started yet. (2) We are in the middle of being taken over (final outcome still unclear) so the whole company (club) is in a state of flux, from the top down. We may end up with huge amounts of money to spend, We may not, who knows at this stage? Either way, we then go back to my point above about the manager - in relation to his ability to spend whatever levels of money are available, to attract the right players. We don't know. So, it is immensly difficult to provide a rational forecast at this stage, don't you think? One thing I will say though - isn't it 'sad' how far we have fallen in the last three years or so? This thread really reveals that, in terms of peoples expectations for next season. Not long ago "Champions League Qualification" was thought of by many, as being the MINIMUM objective for each season!!!

Helpful, thank you. Is it not possible to stick to talking about the issues? No harm was intended in emphasising a point previously made, in response to subsequent comments from others!

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one. For these reasons, we really must not sell him, whether we (as individuals) like him (and his attitudes) or not!! We need to move onward and up, not backward and down.

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one. AlanShearer9 says - "Not truly world class imo. World class finisher maybe". That is exactly what he is, a world class finisher. We need more world class players, in OTHER positions, having him here will greatly help that happen.

I'm with you Dave. I also agree that we must not sell him. We need him to remain to help attract other world class players to the club, over the summer. OK, I know we have always been rich and have always bought 'big' players, and I know we have been in Europe (Champs League or UEFA) for most of the last 11 years - and MAINLY, I know we are probably about to become "even richer". However, we are not even in the UEFA Cup next season, so a lot of players that we (Ashley/Allerdyce) will need to attract, may well be put off by that situation. So, we need Owen here, to act as a sort of 'magnet'. Conversely, selling him now, would not only take away that magnet, but it would massively send the OPPOSITE message to exactly the sort of player we need to be recruiting. The first Ashley/Allerdyce season, is going to be a difficult (transitional) one.

I assumed he was just joking . . . . . ?

Sunderland have virtually NO hotels, while Newcastle has many, including some 5 star, I'm sure. Just amend the page to include us - easy to do, you do not have to register or anything. I have amended many pages in the past . . . .

Very funny - not.

Whereas I'm deeply troubled by wors and do hope this influx of new investment doesn't mean the academy which is just starting to show signs of a recovery gets neglected because OMG, we're loaded lol!! We did that once - under Keegan. That was easily the worst aspect of the John Hall-onward revolution. I cannot see it happening again, lightening doesn't strike twice. er . . . . ? I'm talking more about not giving youngsters a chance because we can afford to go out and by a ready made player, or if a player does get a chance and doesn't shine straight away, the attitude becomes - lets ship him out, we can buy whoever we like. Something that has creeped into Stamford Bridge... Yes, know what you mean. However, I do not think Allerdyce thinks that way. OK, he is about to get 'influenced' by the Ashley money - but perhaps we will find that Ashley and Allerdyce share the same view - that an Academy is VITAL. We just don't know yet, but we can hope. It depends if Ashley is a short-termist, if you know what I mean.

Whereas I'm deeply troubled by wors and do hope this influx of new investment doesn't mean the academy which is just starting to show signs of a recovery gets neglected because OMG, we're loaded lol!! We did that once - under Keegan. That was easily the worst aspect of the John Hall-onward revolution. I cannot see it happening again, lightening doesn't strike twice. er . . . . ?

I can speak for another club. Since we've had money, some of our fans have lost some of their grip on reality, and it is interesting reading here since the first whiff of your takeover, I can see the same thing starting to happen here. The belief is that because we (or you) have money, that means we (or you) can afford anyone and should get them NOW, regardless of why they would want to come to us (or you). WE have had a lot of money for a very long time. we are still waiting . . . . That's the other thing, having money does not equate to success. I'm every bit as excited about our very productive youth academy as I am about our huge wad. Spot on!

I can speak for another club. Since we've had money, some of our fans have lost some of their grip on reality, and it is interesting reading here since the first whiff of your takeover, I can see the same thing starting to happen here. The belief is that because we (or you) have money, that means we (or you) can afford anyone and should get them NOW, regardless of why they would want to come to us (or you). WE have had a lot of money for a very long time. we are still waiting . . . .

I think this more than anything needs crushed. We got the stadium of a massive club, the spending abillty of a massive club, the fans of a massive club, the players of a massive club(if you take our defenders off), but our peformence is nowhere near that of a massive club, wich is exactly why Newcastle are described best as "Sleeping giants" . I just think the whole massive club thing is irrelevant. It is the InterToto cup of football. Financial success is still the only way to become a success on the field. . . . and one day . . . . .

Everyone seems to have their own - often totally non-factually based - opinion on this "massive club or not" thing (though it is obvious) - so it is NOT worth discussing!

Re: Another Keegan article _____________ Not Semantics / Not Spurs. Lets change the title back eh?

NOT "Another Spurs Thread". Very amusing - NOT. It just so happened that the odd selection of a club to mention (by KK) was them. Thats all. Do not make it into something it isn't!