manorpark

There is a slim chance that Rafa will stay - he can use the TV money next summer. A very slim chance, in fact (despite all the genuine 'straw-clutching hopes" expressed above) Ashley has insulted Rafa to such an extent, he will not stay. He will want to stay (for us, for the club) but he will leave at the end of this season. He now knows that Ashley is not trustworthy, and he now also knows (as we have for years) that Ashley will NEVER change . . . so there is no point in Rafa staying. Let us all just try to enjoy his last season with us, hopefully it will give us something (good) to look back on, in the long years to come . . .

The ONLY definite thing to come out of all this sad episode, is that this is Rafa's last season with us. If he even stays the full season - though I think (and hope) that he will. He will not tolerate the level of weasel-words betrayal from Ashley again . . . would you? . . would anyone? SO, let us (try to) enjoy our last season with the great Rafa Benitez as OUR manager, something to (try to) be proud of and treasure, for the short period it will last.

Rafa has now learnt what we have all known for years, Mike Ashley has his OWN agenda, and none of us know exactly what it is . . . when he (occasionally) speaks, he says things that are easily capable of many different interpretations. In other words, he effectively fools everyone into thinking he intends to do things (improve our clubs achievements) when he really does not intend that at all. He will do as little as possible to try to maintain Premier League Status, for the money, that is all. Rafa has now learnt this, and he will (because he cares about the club and about us supporters) probably stay till the end of this season, then he will HAVE TO leave. He will have no choice, sadly for us.

Plus 9.5 for Thauvin. Plus we spent £6.2m for Atsu

Yes, it sounds like he is moving for (some kind of) 'personal / family reasons'.

Now we know how Everton have been spending so freely. Their 'net spend' this summer will probably be "tuppence".

Last season Everton won £132.1m in prize money. After the 1996/7 season, our club as a whole was worth just over £41m, and that was as 8th richest club in the world. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1999/03/99/murdochs_big_match/270623.stm And in 1998 we were the 5th richest club in the world, see attached . . . . http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=72784611&postcount=208

I don't think they will have ANY chance of getting promoted. Proper big clubs like Leeds (for years) and Aston Villa, and lots of other clubs with good teams, get nowhere near promotion. Sunderland, it they are lucky, might well be mid table next season, from what I can see!

I think a better option would be to re-locate their training base to Newcastle. It would achieve all those same objectives (some where players and their wives want to live) yet be slightly closer!!

Rafa's comments about transfers, after the QPR match is very worrying. I cannot see him being able to stay with us, if this is how he now feels. COMMENTS . . . In the interview Benitez signalled his frustration at a failure to add to his squad during the January transfer window, indicating he was hoping to strengthen but wasn't given the backing by the club to do so. "My decision was very clear, [but] it was not my decision," he said. "I said what I wanted and needed, and what the team needed, and that was it."

Because, he is a football person and he cares about how he spends his life, what he does with his life, and he intends to get us promoted. Then, if the rumours of the recent Ashley involvement in transfers policy are true (as seems worryingly likely) then he will be off . . . straight away. So he's quite happy to be a patsy in the short term ? He's not the man I thought he was then, He is the man I thought he was. Read what I wrote again. Rafa has standards of life, unlike some other football managers, one in particular who just "upped and left us" . . twice.

Glad you are happy

Because, he is a football person and he cares about how he spends his life, what he does with his life, and he intends to get us promoted. Then, if the rumours of the recent Ashley involvement in transfers policy are true (as seems worryingly likely) then he will be off . . . straight away.

A surprising number of people have said to me that there is no transfer activity because of the fact that Mike Ashley has "got involved" again, as was said a few weeks back. Many people thought it could not be true, that (even) Ashley would not have been so stupid as to interfere (ever) again, with transfers. Seems like the 'rumours' were true. It seems likely that, because of that, Rafa is now dispirited enough to not 'force through' transfers that he thinks we need. Many people now feel that Rafa will see us promoted (with or without transfers-in this January) and will then be off, straight away. Ashley has interefered, the "stain" of his new involvement (and I know he is the owner !!) will be too much for Rafa, as he will know it means that we will be permanent failures . . . again. It is a great shame, the dreams of us becoming a 'proper football club' again, appear to have been dashed. Speculation? Yes indeed, but it seems to be quite possibly what is happening, to be quite likely what is actually behind this strange transfers failure.

This is all very obvious and very basic. Mourinho is always the level and type of Manager that should be at Newcastle United, but that is obviously not what Ashley believes, thinks, or wants. Under Ashley, that is also what an awful lot of Newcastle United supporters (particularly the younger ones who have known nothing better) have come to believe and accept - Managers like Mourinho are now TOTALLY out of our reach. Ashley's total obsession with "aiming for 4th bottom" every season has infected the club and many of us supporters so comprehensively, that many of us can never imagine anything better! It wasn't very long ago, the Bobby Robson and Kevin Keegan eras, but it might as well be 100 years ago. If we do really well for the rest of the season, and fulfil Ashley's ambition (and therefore stay up) we can expect pretty much the same again next season, no matter who the manager is. Reality really hurts (well, it hurts me) but I don't expect everyone to agree. People have almost forgotten . . . . .

No-one watches the Championship. Yes, I was going to say the same thing, except I was going to say "no-one watches the 2nd Division". It is only when you use that Division's REAL name, that you realise what a low-life thing it is. I know it is now called "The Championship", but that name totally inflates the 2nd Division to make it sound like something that it is not.

The NewcastleGateshead HILTON is a spectacular venue for photos.

Sorry. But, this has gone on too long. I'll reply tomorrow . . . at the moment all I can think of is how PATHETIC it is . . . Endlesly so. Sorry, Stiifler mate . . .

We got NOTHING, at home to Arsenal. How many points did THEY get? We got NOTHING at home to Arsenal. How "pathetic" are we? I'm sure there are plenty of 'younger' supporters who think this is "fine" . . . It is P A T H E T I C .

Words fail me, that is so sad, RIP.

Mike Ashley snubs Newcastle MP's peace offering P.S. Please don't bother Mike again. By Adrian Pearson, The Chronicle, 5th March 2014 The Chronicle can today reveal the blunt rejection Newcastle United owner Mr Ashley handed a Labour MP attempting to draw a line under the club-versus-politicians Tyneside split. Peace overtures between Mike Ashley and the Labour party were rejected with a ‘don’t email me personally’ reply. Last autumn, Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah sent a personal letter (see below) to Mr Ashley in an attempt to improve relations. Her peace offering included a chance for tea in the House of Commons, in the grand settings of the historic Pugin Room. Ms Onwurah, a great supporter of Newcastle United, was trying to build bridges with the media-shy tycoon who has set himself at odds with the Labour party after his decision to partner up with club sponsors Wonga. Her attempts though, met with just but a one-line reply from Mr Ashley’s right hand man, Lee Charnley, and a demand that the MP doesn’t write to Mr Ashley anymore. http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%204/Newcastle%205/letter-6773335_zps016b6bfd.jpg Read More - http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/ps-please-dont-bother-mike-6772951

http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/1969EuropeanFairsCupWinners002.jpg

Back in the early 'noughties' and late 'nineties' the "Rich List" looked a little different . . . http://i698.photobucket.com/albums/vv345/manorpark_photos/Newcastle%203/NUFC-5thhighestturnoverin1998.jpg

Six years since I joined, but have hardly been on here for years, my 'online time' has been taken up elsewhere, on the Skyscrapercity Forums (which I Moderate) and I have become used to the VERY different rules that I enforce on there. I have just had a look at the rules section for this forum, and have seen the reference about posting 'clips, streams, YouTube videos' etc. I see my post (with the video clip) has already been removed, but please accept my apologies, it will not happen again. Regards. If you have more old football stuff you should start a new thread on here and let us all see it. Now, that is an idea. A good one for the new year. Happy New Year for 2014 everybody!

Six years since I joined, but have hardly been on here for years, my 'online time' has been taken up elsewhere, on the Skyscrapercity Forums (which I Moderate) and I have become used to the VERY different rules that I enforce on there. I have just had a look at the rules section for this forum, and have seen the reference about posting 'clips, streams, YouTube videos' etc. I see my post (with the video clip) has already been removed, but please accept my apologies, it will not happen again. Regards.