dustynrg

I always thought this was accepted fact, we were used as a stalking horse. There was no way on earth that Rooney was going to come here, whatever he says. In fact I thought the tale was that Ferguson asked FFS to bid for him as his board were saying they had no money and he had to push them to make a bid.

Murdoch is worth ~ £4.5b and wouldn't need outside help if he was going to launch a bid. edit: I'm slow. You mean he's just out to create the destabilized atmosphere. Ignore me. I just think it's strange that their stories have a similar basis - even the same wording, like they have decided to get at Ashley by whatever means they can. It could be a friend of Murdoch's wanting to buy or it could be that Ashley never ever gives interviews and they're sick of it. The BBC are helping out too, they're nearly as bad. If he was cosey with them, taking them out on jollies and lunches etc this wouldn't happen, but Ashley probably says stuff em and rightly so.

I still see a Murdoch connection here, Sun - nasty little articles most of last week NOTW - yesterday, nasty little article by Andy Dunn, saying the fans aren't stupid but Ashley is up to his tricks and needs sorting. Times - nasty little article by fatman Samuels today saying the fans aren't stupid but Ashley is up to his tricks and needs sorting. Coincidental? I don't think so. Either they hate him because he won't give interviews or they are up to something more sinister.

Crikey, something positive from the BBC about us? Must be a mistake, Shirley.

Unfortunately people are becoming more and more gullible, you just have to look at the popularity of Big Brother etc to realise that. For example, Rupert Murdoch says he can sway the public to vote the way he wants, and so far he has been proved correct. Who he backs wins elections. (Not saying that's the only reason of course). The drip drip of anti NUFC anti Ashley anti keegan drivel seems to work. Non NUFC fans I know think Keegan's shite, think Ashley's definitely selling the club and think we're all deluded. I suspect there's something behind it (like destabilising the club and hence devaluing it) although it could be just the silly season too. I still wonder if Murdoch is behind it though, didn't he try to buy Man U a while ago? Shite stories in the Sun last week, News of the World today, look out for an anti Ashley article in the Times tomorrow and my theory gets legs.

The worrying thing is that I wouldn't be surprised to see them headlines in them papers. Well just go down to your nearest paper shop and see them? Am I missing someting here?

Because he's English?

"Were you talking hypothetically because I thought he had a 13m buy out clause? Aside from that, I think we'd get Darren Bent for 15 m and he's much more of a goal threat than Martins (imo)Were you talking hypothetically because I thought he had a 13m buy out clause? Aside from that, I think we'd get Darren Bent for 15 m and he's much more of a goal threat than Martins (imo)" Oh aye - he scored a massive 8 goals last season and he looks much faster than Martins.

I don't have a clue as to whether Ashley wants to sell - and really unless you're ITK you all don't either. My question is a bit more conspiratorial. Does Murdoch have any links to Intermedia? The Sun has never been all that interested in us has it? All of a sudden two damaging news stories in two days from the biggest Murdoch rag of them all. If the NOTW or the Sunday Times or the Times start to run daily anti Keegan, anti Ashley, anti anything NUFC in the next few days it starts to smell of Murdoch. Mind you - I love a conspiracy theory like.

Is Shaun Custis a Mackem? Seriously? I saw his brother on SSN the other day - hardly a trace of a Geordie accent and of course a diehard "UNITED" fan (goes without saying it's not our flavour of UNITED). Whatever it is they are trying some serious boat rocking. Both stories coming from there. I can only guess that Cu*tis is miffed because Allardyce is his absolute best friend and he's lost a source. What next? Keegan going because no transfers happening? Owen leaving cos his transfer not being sorted yet? Yawn fucking yawn.

Ferguson said weeks ago he wasn't interested in Owen "and that's definite" - or words to that effect. In other words he doesn't rate him, and if he did he'd be there by now, never mind within a week.

Talksh*te were at it this morning, "Well let's talk about how Kevin Keegan could LOSE HIS JOB because Newcastle IS getting sold" FFS, if that wasn't bad enough they had Stan Collymore and the worst presenter in the world, Ronnie Irani on the Breakfast Show. It was at this point I turned it off. You're right, the standard of journalism is the absolute pits.

Bottom line is the bottom line. If they can't recoup the 6 million fee for him he'll stay, simple as that. Forget about principles, we're talking money here. There was talk somewhere that Bolton would take him on loan and pay half his wages for a season, can't remember where I read that. If so that will be his only way out because no-one in their right mind will buy him now.

newcastle could claim back all the wages which barton earned last year, and some of the transfer fee, for basically lying to the club Bollocks could they! Correct, I'm no lawyer but he has a right to change his plea to guilty, he was obviously told that if he pleaded guilty he would a) avoid fellow professionals like Dunne and Pearce etc standing up in court and stating the case against him (how bad would that look) and b) would receive a lighter sentence and get out in time for pre season training. It's my view they will keep him, financially they have to. Who's going to buy him for 6 million anyway? He's damaged goods. He'll be told to keep his head down, that he's in the last chance saloon and one more misdemeanour and he's out. It would be interesting to know who drew up his contract and what it says, but the bottom line is that they are not going to lose 6 million just like that. No way.

Can someone tell me why these talks with Taylor and Owen take weeks and weeks and weeks? AND WEEKS? Why isn't it something like "Will you take £30,000 a week?" "no" Will you take £33,000 a week? "No", "Ok £35,000 a week is my last offer, take it or leave it" "OK then". What on earth do they find to talk about for weeks on end?

He's just had one. Sorry I was obviously too ashamed to admit I got this from the S*n*erland Echo http://www.sunderlandecho.com/nufc/Liverpool-and-Villa-warned-off.4216039.jp Newcastle United have warned Liverpool and Aston Villa off James Milner. The two clubs are keen to sign the winger, who had looked destined for the St James's Park exit this summer door after four years on Tyneside. Neither, however, has made a firm bid, and United have made it clear they have no intention of letting the England Under-21 international – under contract at the club until 2011 – leave Newcastle. Manager Kevin Keegan has never wanted to part with Milner, but the 22-year-old is one of his most saleable assets, and it was suggested the club would listen to offers of around £9m for a player signed by Sir Bobby Robson for £3.6m from Leeds United in the summer of 2004. Liverpool were looking to do an exchange deal for Milner – with the likes of Jermaine Pennant and Danny Guthrie possible makeweights – while Villa, where Milner spent a season on loan under David O'Leary in 2005-06, were understood to be preparing a cash deal. For his part, Milner is keen to know where he stands, and the prospect of playing Champions League football for Liverpool is an attractive proposition, while he enjoyed his time at Villa Park, and would relish playing for Martin O'Neill. His representative has enquired about a new long-term contract for Milner, whose present deal – which kicked in last summer – was negotiated around 18 months ago with then chairman Freddy Shepherd. But United, while keen to keep Milner at the club, are unwilling to open talks at this stage, with the contractual situations of Michael Owen, Steve Harper and Steven Taylor higher up the agenda, with all three out of contract at the end of next season. Meanwhile, Newcastle's determination to hold on to Milner means the chances of a move for Tottenham Hotspur winger Aaron Lennon have receded.

He's after a new contract according to the chron, so it sounds like it's all been agent talk. Thought it was strange that Liverpool would be after him like.

But when it comes down to it which fans want him? Blackburn fans certainly didn't. He'll think he'll walk into a job but the best he can do is a Championship club tbh, if he failed there it will finish him and he'll be interviewed once every few months saying "Newcastle ruined me, it wasn't my fault" ad nauseum.

Aye we'll be waiting forever for the "how exactly did Roy Keane spend 40 million on shite players last season and get clean away with it?" from wheyse keyse. It's as if she's trying to write a damning article but can't quite make it, cos there's not very much to be damning about. Perhaps that's why they used the worst KK photo in the whole wide world. To add to the negative vibe factor.

Wheyse keyse Louise at it again. Christ could they have found a worst photo of KK? You can just hear her, "aye get a photo that makes him look like he's an 80 year old alcky" http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2008/jun/22/newcastleunited.premierleague

Keegan must have put him on the "get rid of these" list surely? I'm amazed he's going to Liverpool.

He has had managerial experience though. My point is that previously in this thread it was said that he would fail because he only had lower division experience, Southgate and Keane had zero managerial experience and not much was made of that when they were appointed.

Surely taking Ince on is as risky as Southgate (NO managerial experience) or Keane (NO managerial experience). Out of those two or Fat Sam or Wally with Brolly I'd take Ince 100 times before I risked any of the above mentioned. I think he'll be a great appointment and good luck to him.

Bentley wouldn't sign for us in a month of sundays, he said he wanted to play European football next season and anyway he insulted us not that long ago, saying we were unstable or mad or both.

He may be a better player, but he certainly doesn't provide or deliver what Ronaldo does. Give him a couple of years, Ronaldo at 20 wasn't the player he is now (On the occassions he can be arsed like - the other night wasn't one of them).