Eddy Chibas

Does Kia Joorabchian (I think that's him pictured on the page prior) own his economic rights? Kenedy didn't have an agent, at the time of his transfer to Chelsea, but Kia's firm arranged the move. Kia is normally involved in big money deals - something to consider, because Ashley is in the picture.

His contract expires in 2020 (?) but I'd expect Chelsea to try and load the kid's pockets (assume he has an agent now) with a fresh contract offer this Summer. It's what they have done with other starlets (who are on the loan merry-go-round). Loftus-Cheek is a cautionary tale - big on talent, a physical specimen too, whose career is being flushed down the shitter so far, because there's been little continuity in his development. If he's signed to a new deal that would push him out of Ashley's price range imho. Reckon he'd be a hit in Germany, not at Bayern though - thinking just a rung below them ie. Schalke or Dortmund. In his boots, I'd only consider a permanent move here if Rafa's future wasn't uncertain (which I believe is tied in with Ashley selling/fucking off this Summer).

What happened to Robert after Sir Bobby was sacked? What happened to Ginola after Keegan left? They were cast aside by the next manager pretty much immediately. 99% of football managers imo either aren't capable, or don't want to, work with a flair player of that type, which is why Sir Bobby and Keegan were special since they appreciated them. That's down to the prevalent mentality within the sport, managers are trained and developed to appreciate hard work, teamwork, etc, more than individual talent because it's inherent to the job. The majority of professional footballers are "talented" so the easiest and default thing to do as a football manager is to get them as fit as possible and working as hard as possible on the pitch to try to get three points. A player like Robert / Ginola / Ben Arfa throws a spanner in the works, because their talent far exceeds that of those around them but they come with issues that causes disruption, not only in match day tactics but off the field as well - jealousy from inferior players, resentment from hard working teammates who see someone not pulling their weight defensively, etc etc. So on top of the requirement to be tactically flexible, managers need an additional set of interpersonal skills to deal with the complaints and squad harmony issues. Most managers just don't have that in their skillset or can't be bothered. Ben Arfa is simply unlucky in that he never found the combination of right manager + right club. At Nice he had the right manager and teammates, but the club was too small fry arguably. NUFC was the right club for him because we're a "sleeping giant" in terms of potential (we can afford good wages, have a big stadium with large support, "best league in da world" etc), Hatem himself said "everything is here" just before he left so he clearly understood the potential of the club if it were run well. We're also not able to attract players of his talent level minus the flaws - if Ben Arfa was solid defensively, made more runs off the ball, and released the ball more optimally you can be sure he'd have been snapped up by Real/Barca/Juve/City/Bayern/etc as soon as he was available. We never had a chance of getting Hazard, or Ribery, or Robben when they were in France/Holland for example, we'd only have a chance if there was something off-putting about them. Similarly, a top club won't need to put up with a flawed player like Ben Arfa since they can sign players at his ability level or higher without the flaws. So NUFC was a club where because we're restricted to flawed geniuses the team could have been built around him by putting him in a key position that compensated for his flaws (e.g. wide forward with minimal defensive duties) and having teammates with the necessary skillset to cover for him. But unfortunately we had the wrong manager at the time. Nice had the right manager, but were too small a club to keep him. Just to give one example out of many as to why Pardew was a terrible manager for Ben Arfa, just consider the fact that we played Ben Arfa as a wide forward in a front 3 (in a 4-3-3 system) about a dozen times in his 4 years here. That's a role he seemed to be most suited for, and it meant less defensive responsibility and more freedom to attack. Most of that dozen or so games were during the run of impressive form that had us playing fluid football for a couple of months which ultimately was the catalyst for us finishing 5th and nearly qualifying for the CL. Ben Arfa was our standout player in that period, but before that season had even finished Pardew abandoned that formation/lineup forever, and steadfastedly stuck with his preferred flat defensive 4-4-2 for pretty much the remainder of his time here. I can't recall if we saw Ben Arfa played as a wide forward in a front 3 again after that, but if we did it would have been completely sporadic/random one-offs. What kind of a shit for brains manager abandons a system/formation that gets the best out of not only everyone in the squad but also it's most gifted player who actually produced great form in that system? The Alan Pardew type does. Anyway, more to the point, since Bobby and Keegan were managers who appreciated flair players and understood NUFC as a club (especially its limitations of the type of player were restricted to, i.e. flawed geniuses that the elites don't want), I have no doubts they would have not only incorporated Ben Arfa in their teams but most likely would have built the team around him. With respect to Rafa, he's from the same school of manager as your Pardews, Sounesses, Alladyces, Mourinhos, etc, a negative manager who doesn't like players who don't follow instructions and don't like to take risks, but the difference with Rafa is that he's actually exceptionally good at most things (tactics, transfers, training, player development, etc), so that will compensate for him missing a trick at NUFC of utilising flawed geniuses whilst other clubs avoid it. Class post ? It is a good post. I'm still of the belief that if Obertan hadn't broke a toe, Ben Arfa wouldn't have broken into the starting eleven and that three headed attacking monster (Ba, Cisse & HBA...which Pardoo accidentally stumbled upon as his moment of tactical genius) would never have materialized. Ben Arfa (before he had even kicked a ball under Pards..... when he was still recovering from the broken leg) highlighting the differences between Clairefontaine's football philosophy and Pardoo's wouldn't have sat well with The King either.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCV7pDPR04G/ Throw a large portion of Palace's supporters (in with Wright et al) too, and how they crowed the "they forced out a top manager" bollocks, before the patented Pardew rot set in. Normally i don't wish ill on a supporter base (out of spite) but their carry on, in support of their Cup Hero, is 'the' reason why I hope that Palace are relegated anytime soon.

Surprised the stylish silverfox, and studmuffin of the Ibiza party scene, didn't sweep his fingers through his glorious hair (prior to delivering that put down)

The Bishop is diving deep into the fecal bowl this time.

The chances of it happening are remote, I know. Mike Ashley would be smiling from ear-to-ear, with the warm fuzzy feeling inside, if he were to read that post (and others like it).

Is this in someway meant to be a bad thing? It sounds like you're trying to make it out to be... Yeah, f*** that fat b******, how dare he want us to win football matches Okay dipshit. An honorable 1-0, or 2-0 defeat, and Lascelles is solid again. Of course that's a bonus, for an owner who is watching the lad's value rise (with every performance against big teams).

A bonus, from what looms as a potential bumming, is that it's not through a shaky defensive performance from Lascelles. Ashley will be hoping for a solid display on yet another big stage - ££££££££.

Ideal salesman to pimp out Lascelles to potential buyers, if Rafa walks (no takeover).

If Lejeune so much as breathes on his man, in the penalty area, the ref will award a pen against us.

hope he’s getting the dogs abuse on Twitter for that one Great response Couples perfectly with the last line, contained in his original tweet. Destroyed Graves there.

I reckon they'll break up individual singing sections too and the dissident voices, if the anti-Ashley/FCB chants become prominent again, and replace them with a more family oriented demographic. I think that happened once before, not long after Keegangate (?)

Ashley still did business with Whelan however. Parked his tanks on Whelan's lawn, by acquiring a shareholding (and a board position) in DW's weakened business. Wasn't exactly a mutually beneficial arrangement.

No interest in dealing with Staveley, even if she comes back with a better offer. Wouldn't surprise me. Whelan made a bitter enemy, in Ashley, with his "hired help (gardener)" jibe. Staveley called him out, another to brand him a liar, and dented the manbaby's famously fragile ego. Mixing business with vendettas is part of his MO.

Fair play to Rafa, for sticking to his guns - he has to. You'd have to think that deep down he doesn't trust this lot (Ashley & Barnes) when it comes to using any money from a sale to fund player purchases.

There's definitely been a shift (Benitez has endured three shocking windows) since the arrival of Ashley's Mr Fix-It, aka Justin Barnes.

Has the positional awareness, and the danger factor to match (in football terms), of a zonked-out air traffic controller under the influence of heroin.

What's missing from Nut's scene is Justin Barnes hovering in the background, planting a hand on Penfold's shoulders and seizing it with a tight grip, ..... prior to tossing LC a bone (after the conclusion of the transfer summit with Penfold).

Straight from Ashley's "They want X amount, we'll bid Y.... it will be rejected" playbook, as first revealed in the Keegan tribunal hearing.

He probably is TBF. Can't help think that him and Pardew are a perfect match. Pashun and all that. 15m, spread out over three 5m instalments (say 18-24 months) will get this over the line imo. So 5m goes towards Rafa's soopa doopa transfer kitty Edit: no idea why I quoted those two comments lol

An increased bid of 8m to 15m might have some plausibility, if we're willing to accept payment in the form of installments once again. Pretties up the accounts further down the track (if Ashley is hanging around) and by design (because usually we only spend what's in the bank) it hamstrings our competitiveness in the transfer market.

Dembele (Celtic) fits that order imo. Supposedly has a great attitude on the training paddock too.

f*** right off with that s***! Club doesn't have a penny eh, lost the TV money perhaps? Ashley doesn't pay for SD advertising, unless a token pittance. What's that? The club needs a player or two? -- here's SuperMike to the rescue and, and, wait for it, with his OWN money! -- Allow me to repeat - f*** right off! This is where the media should have a field day by calling out a c*** for a c***, but no, they peddle it with it's spin intact. Causal fans lap it up knowing no different. Yup, Ashley's goon squad at Sky (and other publications) will successfully sell the narrative that Ashley is the Savior of Newcastle, a misunderstood & unappreciated football philanthropist harshly judged by a large sector of a supporter base. A supporter base which harbors unrealistic expectations, and needs to be reminded of it's standing (the club's) in English football's heirachy ie. a pitch sold so well in the media by Pardoo

So in your own words a "fair or reasonable" bid is made yet she's a time waster of Barry Moat proportions because Mike Ashley doesn't have the common decency to respond? So your business experitse is essentially throw way more money over and above the valuation of the asset. No wonder the fans can't push for change, when there's still knackers who take Ashley's side. Ashley's goon squad (in the press) must have dished up grape flavoured Kool-Aid, to wash down the s*** sandwiches. It's the tested & proven flavour used by serial bullshit artists and brainwashers.