manorpark

I understand the 'defensiveness' towards criticism of our club, I have reacted like that a million times (perhaps 10 million times) before - but we are in a mess. Denying it, getting upset about it, making comparisons to 'times in the past', and sticking your head in the sand generally, doesn't help! There is something wrong at our club, there is something very "smelly" going on there (can't think of a better way to describe it) - quite simply, all is not as it should be. Look at their faces and the words and body language. I have seen organisations like this before - ill at ease with themselves and with eachother. Things not happenning, significant progress not being made in the way that it should be. I do not know what can be done now (a few last minute - even BIG - signings will not cover up the cracks). And, how likely is that (even) to happen. Keegan's man-management skills with the players has helped get us some reasonable performances - not great performances - and some decent results from those performances . . . so far. When the injuries and suspensions come in with our tiny squad though - we will struggle. We shouldn't even be considering 'struggling' - we should be taking steps to PROGRESS. That is what is wrong with the club, but the reasons WHY it is so wrong at the club at the moment - we are not privvy to, we can only speculate. But, lets not hide from the truth . . . There is nothing fishy or smelly. Keegan like any manager wants new players, that's what you would expect. The board are looking to provide them but not at stupidly inflated prices for mediocre players. We will get quality footballers through the door when the opportunity arises, I'm convinced of that. I want to be YOU!!!!!!! (I really do . . . ! )

MY GOD - how some people think of our club!!!!!!!

I understand the 'defensiveness' towards criticism of our club, I have reacted like that a million times (perhaps 10 million times) before - but we are in a mess. Denying it, getting upset about it, making comparisons to 'times in the past', and sticking your head in the sand generally, doesn't help! There is something wrong at our club, there is something very "smelly" going on there (can't think of a better way to describe it) - quite simply, all is not as it should be. Look at their faces and the words and body language. I have seen organisations like this before - ill at ease with themselves and with eachother. Things not happenning, significant progress not being made in the way that it should be. I do not know what can be done now (a few last minute - even BIG - signings will not cover up the cracks). And, how likely is that (even) to happen. Keegan's man-management skills with the players has helped get us some reasonable performances - not great performances - and some decent results from those performances . . . so far. When the injuries and suspensions come in with our tiny squad though - we will struggle. We shouldn't even be considering 'struggling' - we should be taking steps to PROGRESS. That is what is wrong with the club, but the reasons WHY it is so wrong at the club at the moment - we are not privvy to, we can only speculate. But, lets not hide from the truth . . .

Trouble is we need to sign just to field a half decent side if we go on and have anymore injuries we will be lucky to put out a 5 a side team. We are in a total mess . . but 'sssshhh' you're not supposed to say so - and whatever you do DON'T RESPOND to someone who does say so!

factually 10 times better? or opinion ive heard we are making a late bid to snatch Andy Cole too. "Wyn & Pop" (seen in a chip shop in Byker) You had to be there . . .

In 12 minutes, we'll know... Well ?

Might as well sign Sibierski again.

What exactly do you regard as a s*** job? Buying Guthrie, Coloccini, Bassong and Jonas? Negotiating £8m for Dyer, £4m for Shola and possibly £10m for Milner? Seems pretty competent work to me so far. One year my school report said . . . "Could do better, should do better" Was that in the middle of the term or at the end? Because Ashley still has till Monday to "do better". Good point - but at this stage his report would say "Could do better, should do better, and should do it a da*n sight earlier and far more often" !!!

What exactly do you regard as a s*** job? Buying Guthrie, Coloccini, Bassong and Jonas? Negotiating £8 for Dyer, £4m for Shola and possibly £10m for Milner? Seems pretty competent work to me so far. One year my school report said . . . "Could do better, should do better"

Completely contradicting yourself there. What recent comments btw? Dave, do you always play Devils Advocate?? You are good at it actually.

But, must we rush from one stupid extreme to the other stupid extreme? I was one of those optimistic IDIOTS who immediately (initially) thought that Ashley would get the balance right . . . We need to wait until the midnight sept 1st before we accuse him of not getting it right. 2 Chairman in a short space of time doesn't help the cause if he also fails to get players in we need. Hmm, things may well happen (but they also may not) by then - but waiting so long (I don't care about comparisons with 'other' clubs) is not the right way to do it. Not only did I think Asley would 'get the balance right', I thought he would also show a lot of expertise and business acumen - and "do a QUALITY job, in all aspects of the job" (selection of staff, appropriate expenditure, 'timely' expenditure . . etc, etc, etc). Hence, my expressed concerns.

But, must we rush from one stupid extreme to the other stupid extreme? I was one of those optimistic IDIOTS who immediately (initially) thought that Ashley would get the balance right . . . me too, didn't/doesn't have to be like abramovich but so far this ain't enough by anyones standards on a side note if someone had told me in may smith & duff would still be at the club on august 28th i'd have been in fucken tears, i almost am now just thinking about it again Every time I go into my local shops, the owner gets out a freash packet of tissues for me (without being asked) on that one (Smith/Duff) !! PS, unusually, I think that DUFF is the worse of the two. What an ***h*le !!!!

My only concern (and it is a major one) is the intentions and capabilities of the current board (well, 'owner', really).

But, must we rush from one stupid extreme to the other stupid extreme? I was one of those optimistic IDIOTS who immediately (initially) thought that Ashley would get the balance right . . .

Why would anyone take a brand new baby to a football match? Why not? Anyway, I didn't say "42 year old" did I? (I have been going to the match for 42 bleedin' years). Sadly, I am "42+" years old . . . (I know I don't look it or sound it . . .)

No, no it could'nt. Imagine if we did Spuds would be gutted should be ashleys masterplan, totally f*** his spurs mates over now right at the end of the window when it's become totally apparent that without more signings they're gonna struggle ashley steps in and nicks anyone quality from them! Whereas, in fact, he is doing exactly the opposite. The 'promised land' of us being owned by a billionaire appears to have turned sour. He owns us - but does he have our interests at heart - or does he have the interests "of some other club (s)" at heart? The whole "we are second class citizens thing" (Keegan) and "we are not spending big money thing" (Ashley) . . . is VERY odd. Don't suppose you've got a link to that have you? Missed it. It is implicit in pretty well everything he has said and done for the last few months. He is wanting to cut down the wage bill, he is not going to spend big on the wrong sort of players (obviously good but seems to be code for "he is NOT going to spend big on ANY players") - but mainly it is his A C T I O N S (allied to Keegans words). He is committed to firming-up our (realistic, as some on here delightedly say) 'Second Class' (nothingness, as Sir John Hall used to say) status. Great fun. A record fee for a defender (£10m), a record bid for a midfielder (£18m). Yup he's not willing to spend any money Do you really think that even if he had got this (alleged) £18M player (Modric I assume) - that would hve been enough? A sign of real ambition? (Also - show me the paperwork . . .) (Also - why quote a persons failure?) (He FAILED to get him, if he ever tried, why quote that?) You stated your belief that Ashley is not going to spend money on any players. I showed 2 examples where he was willing/actually did spend record amounts of cash. You want to see paperwork for a deal which did not go through? Is the word of our then Chairman, our manager and his agent not sufficient to suggest that the bid wa made and was serious? So how much would we need to spend to show ambition? £100m? £200m? £1,000m? What is needed (and it is almost too late) is the RIGHT amount of money to be spent to develop the club (in a serious and discernable way) and take it on to the next stage - while we are all still alive!! You CANNOT put a figure on it (in advance) indeed it would be silly in the extreme to do so. But, there is something not right about what is happening (not happening) now, and with the thrust of the 'words' coming from the major sources (Keegan/Ashley) at our club. There is a contradiction between what is going on and what realistically SHOULD be going on. That does not mean there should be any silly extremes in the opposite direction!!

I'd be more worried if I was a City supporter wrt something not being right. They are spending big mind. That is a different kind of "not right", but I wholeheartedly agree with you on that - if "whatshisname" was the owner here I would be ****ing myself . . . !!

My opinion is in the Arshavin thread, no point in repeating the detail here because people don't like to read/hear/believe it . . . Summarised - there is something not right going on at my club. (I am not a "reds under the bed" Daily Mail reader Dave!!!) But . . .

No, no it could'nt. Imagine if we did Spuds would be gutted should be ashleys masterplan, totally f*** his spurs mates over now right at the end of the window when it's become totally apparent that without more signings they're gonna struggle ashley steps in and nicks anyone quality from them! Whereas, in fact, he is doing exactly the opposite. The 'promised land' of us being owned by a billionaire appears to have turned sour. He owns us - but does he have our interests at heart - or does he have the interests "of some other club (s)" at heart? The whole "we are second class citizens thing" (Keegan) and "we are not spending big money thing" (Ashley) . . . is VERY odd. Don't suppose you've got a link to that have you? Missed it. It is implicit in pretty well everything he has said and done for the last few months. He is wanting to cut down the wage bill, he is not going to spend big on the wrong sort of players (obviously good but seems to be code for "he is NOT going to spend big on ANY players") - but mainly it is his A C T I O N S (allied to Keegans words). He is committed to firming-up our (realistic, as some on here delightedly say) 'Second Class' (nothingness, as Sir John Hall used to say) status. Great fun. A record fee for a defender (£10m), a record bid for a midfielder (£18m). Yup he's not willing to spend any money Do you really think that even if he had got this (alleged) £18M player (Modric I assume) - that would hve been enough? A sign of real ambition? (Also - show me the paperwork . . .) (Also - why quote a persons failure?) (He FAILED to get him, if he ever tried, why quote that?)

Do you have a subscription to the Daily Mail by any chance? Sounds like it, doesn't it. Sounds really pathetic and awful. BUT, after all this time (all summer since the back end of last season) it gets to the point where even a "blindly obsessed 42-year-supporter and optimist" (my first match in 1966) has to wake up and smell the REAL roses. There is something not right going on here. W T F is going on at MY club?????

No, no it could'nt. Imagine if we did Spuds would be gutted should be ashleys masterplan, totally f*** his spurs mates over now right at the end of the window when it's become totally apparent that without more signings they're gonna struggle ashley steps in and nicks anyone quality from them! Whereas, in fact, he is doing exactly the opposite. The 'promised land' of us being owned by a billionaire appears to have turned sour. He owns us - but does he have our interests at heart - or does he have the interests "of some other club (s)" at heart? The whole "we are second class citizens thing" (Keegan) and "we are not spending big money thing" (Ashley) . . . is VERY odd. the implication being he's blown 200m to run us into the ground? not very likely really is it He has spent the money you mention on buying an asset and improving that asset by paying off debts. He may not make huge profits from it - but he is not going to lose much - the £200M is an asset he has bought. What we need is for him to grow and develop the club . . .

No, no it could'nt. Imagine if we did Spuds would be gutted should be ashleys masterplan, totally f*** his spurs mates over now right at the end of the window when it's become totally apparent that without more signings they're gonna struggle ashley steps in and nicks anyone quality from them! Whereas, in fact, he is doing exactly the opposite. The 'promised land' of us being owned by a billionaire appears to have turned sour. He owns us - but does he have our interests at heart - or does he have the interests "of some other club (s)" at heart? The whole "we are second class citizens thing" (Keegan) and "we are not spending big money thing" (Ashley) . . . is VERY odd. Don't suppose you've got a link to that have you? Missed it. It is implicit in pretty well everything he has said and done for the last few months. He is wanting to cut down the wage bill, he is not going to spend big on the wrong sort of players (obviously good but seems to be code for "he is NOT going to spend big on ANY players") - but mainly it is his A C T I O N S (allied to Keegans words). He is committed to firming-up our (realistic, as some on here delightedly say) 'Second Class' (nothingness, as Sir John Hall used to say) status. Great fun.

No, no it could'nt. Imagine if we did Spuds would be gutted should be ashleys masterplan, totally f*** his spurs mates over now right at the end of the window when it's become totally apparent that without more signings they're gonna struggle ashley steps in and nicks anyone quality from them! Whereas, in fact, he is doing exactly the opposite. The 'promised land' of us being owned by a billionaire appears to have turned sour. He owns us - but does he have our interests at heart - or does he have the interests "of some other club (s)" at heart? The whole "we are second class citizens thing" (Keegan) and "we are not spending big money thing" (Ashley) . . . is VERY odd.

I hear we may be making a last minute bid for Sibierski . . .

Keegan planned (yesterday) to say today in the meeting - "how are we doing with the 3 or 4 top quality/world class players I have been telling the fans I think we need?" Keegan now plans to say (post-Milner) - "how are we doing with the 4 or 5 top quality/world class players I have been telling the fans I think we need?" Ashley plans to say - "woops, forgot about that, knew I was meant to be doing something . . . sorry"