ExiledGeordie

Rafas ability to improve players and crucially keep them fit changes things for me on the transfer front. Players who you'd previously question bringing in can come in and kick on with us.

I don't think I've ever read any if his opinions and thought that. Hes always come across as realistic, balanced with good adiwccusion in any of the stuff I've read of his. Each to their own though. Didn’t he say he was going to grass someone up for fraud when they were planning on doing some charity work and possibly working with Gallowgate Flags? That really doesn't sound anything like him He's a long time match goer in his mid 50s at a guess who gives a balanced account of all things nufc. He's not a sensationalist. I like reading his true faith pieces, have done for years.

I don't think I've ever read any if his opinions and thought that. Hes always come across as realistic, balanced with good adiwccusion in any of the stuff I've read of his. Each to their own though.

After all we've been through the last decade, the notion that we "might" soon be in a situation where Ashley is gone and Rafa has proper backing in the transfer market is hard to comprehend. As ever until it actually happens though......

I was thinking that too

300m in the January transfer window :lol: I'd be excited by a 15m number ten for some extra creativity haha

Where's this 500m for players come from?

Good to see Perez score, hopefully he can get a few more from here. I like our midfield and defence, love our work ethic and bond with the fans. We really are powder puff up front however? That needs sorting

Looks like a really quality player lacking a bit of sharpness who make a fuck up. Let's not ruin the lad for one mistake ffs

Always seems to be a lacklustre performance (or worse) in this fixture with usual defeat. I'd happily take a point here and then aim to put Palace away at home.

gold mine

Stuff of dreams would be Rafa realises the massive potential and contacts potential said group saying "there's a potential golem mine of an opportunity here"

Until anything concrete happens I refuse to believe anything

There's more pressure than on them I think. The way we are playing we're set up well for away games. Ritchie is in fine form and Atsu really seems to be coming on and adds real pace to the side. I can see this being a draw but we have the players to win it no doubt. They'll get very nervy if it goes a while in the match without them making any impact. Be great to see Joselu bag one after last week, would do loads for his confidence.

Presumably he'll sell once he decides he's not making money from it/not worth the hassle and then gets an offer close to what he wants? He's been here 10 years, he must be doing quite well out of us otherwise surely he'd have made greater efforts to sell a long time ago.

His latest action is his worst yet given we actually have a proper manager in charge for the first time since Keegan or Robson. He's shown again he absolutely doesn't give a f*** and won't change.He will continue to exist as long as he likes with a full St James Park, he's shafted fans and managers (well not the yes men obviously) for a decade. A series of co-ordinated walkouts creating continued negative publicity for sports direct on tv would be the only thing that might get him into either a) changing his ways somewhat or b) stepping up attempts for a sale. People ranting on social media amounts to absolutely nothing. This won't happen however.

There'll still be plenty fans going even if Rafa walks

He should walk, no point in staying. The fans would understand anyway even if there's attempts to put ridiculous spin on it

Good to see him score but the usual moronic dickhead on show throwing an elbow which may yet result in a ban. Seems he'll never learn.

Spot on

Totally agree, I'm as cynical as the best if them, but ffs the amount of folks on here that seem to want to remove all possible hope from the season is crazy. Ashley is a dick, we have a squad with holes in it but we have a world class manager who can get the best out of players. Seriously this is about as good as it's been under Ashley, if you can't at least hope for a season where you can truly get behind the team, then why bother at all. Give up, go watch the darts or something. Why should it be enough that we have a world class manager? Why can't we build a side to properly compete? Are you so worn done by Ashley overs the years that you happily accept finishing 17th? I don't expect millions snd millions spent i expect us to compete with West Brom, Watford et al for players. But now we can't afford a striker circa 15m or genuine quality to help keep us in the league and properly stabilise. Ashley's latest comments are just farcical. Comparing us to Man City??? Blaming a lack of stadium naming rights deals when his company is plastered all over the stadium. I'm looking forward to the Spurs game and I'll be watching and cheering them on. It's the same old rubbish from up top though, the same rubbish that was happening TEN years ago to Keegan. So ofcourse people are going to be p*ssed off about this latest rubbish.

Pack up and go home shame shit...........after 10 years

Scrabbling around for loan deals, dear oh dear.

When the fans walked out over those couple matches a few seasons ago, that didn't look good on the cameras and the board definitely took note. I agree though, there won't be enough of this t make a difference. Mind if it goes tits up and Rafa walks there'll be the proverbial chaos, be interested to see what happens then.

There's something in this line of thought, actually. He seems to be the only owner constantly being caught off-guard by transfer "packets," wages, commissions and all. What world has he been living in? He's watched every single club pass him by it seems. f***ing nuts. He clearly knows nothing about football and fails year on year to learn from his mistakes. If he dicks Rafa around to the point where he's off at Xmas and we're languishing near the bottom of the table we are basically completely screwed. He stands to risk millions but for some basic sensible decisions on transfers. I've never understood this about Ashley and never will. His methods have failed miserably and even when presented a chance with a top coach he's seemingly making life difficult. I genuinely believe he thinks the fans will turn up whatever and just doesn't really care either way Agree with this except I don't think they're mistakes. I think it's all very deliberate. Makes it worse cos you know it'll never change but that's the situation we're in. I guess he looks at balance sheets and nothing else.