Shadow Puppets

Short memory

Guardian journalist who broke the story about the WTO report said should be decision within days. Fixed your post ?

I somehow doubt the PIF and Reuben brothers would go into a deal with a "hustler/chancer/self-promoter"

So Duncan Castles say indications from the PL are that they'll make their decision this week. But speaking to the buyers, they haven't heard that. So basically he doesn't know if it's true or not. My gut feeling is that it will be rejected, challenged, and the buyers will make the necessary steps to satisfy the PL by officially dealing with the piracy issues. Before eventually getting approved. But who fucking knows any more!

I’ve just read through a bunch of the report, and to me it DOES say that Saudi state are complicit, so I’m not sure why people are moaning at the BBC?

Literally every NUFC fan should be able to see that Saudi Arabia are well out of order in all of this. It's clear as day. Human rights. Piracy. The lot. Why anyone would feel the need to defend them or blame others for scuppering the deal is beyond me. If the deal fails, it's absolutely unequivocally the fault of Saudi Arabia... no one else. Any NUFC fan defending them or blaming it on anyone else just proves that sportswashing works. Or just proves that blind loyalty trumps common sense. For the record, I still hope it goes through from a sporting perspective, but I'd struggle to criticise the PL or anyone else if it didn't.

But we’ve known that they’re behind the piracy for months. I don’t understand why this report will make any difference. The PL will be using it as leverage to end piracy in that region. Still 100% believe the takeover will happen...just have no idea when.

Clown or not, he is ultimately right though isn't he?

This takeover is bringing out the absolute worst in people like I try to check this thread once a day (or a couple of times max)... every day it's the same few voices shitting themselves about the tiniest little snippet from any journalist going, a few more voices dismissing the takeover due to human rights abuses (trying to display their moral superiority over the forum), and a few more voices falling over themselves to dismiss the views of people with genuine concerns (proving that sportswashing does work, and we haven't even been bought yet). Is it not possible for anyone to just remain level headed about the whole thing? What will be will be. Whilst at the same time having a balanced view on it. Personally, I want the takeover to happen, but I can COMPLETELY understand the reasons for the delay and wouldn't be shocked if it was rejected, nor could I argue much with the reasons.

So basically he knows pretty much nothing then Yep he’s as much in the dark as every other journalist. He, and Chris, are by far the most ITK, but of course they won't know every little detail.

Well put. This has nothing to do with us being NUFC...this is an incredibly difficult thing for the PL to manage their way through. It’s nonsensical for our fans to expect this to be rushed through simply because the fuckwit of an owner we currently have isn’t refunding money. It has huge implications for the PL whichever way they do with it.

In my opinion, the tests have "unofficially" been completed and no red flags have emerged, and now it's a case of making it legally watertight.

Where does it say that? George Caulkin has just said it on twitter. No he didn’t, and that’s clearly bollocks.

I'm sorry like, but that's really embarassing. The Premier League won't, nor should they, give a fuck about any of those things he writes.

There's literally nothing to be taken from that interview at all.

Hard to disagree with anything there

I mean, maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but none of this information seems new to me. Seems like another story that is attempting to throw a spanner in the works, but in reality shouldn't have much bearing on it.

Did you not watch the documentary? They were losing money left right and centre, had to pay three times as much as they wanted to spend to get Will Griggs. I vaguely recall Mathven saying they needed £17million income to break even per year (which they weren’t on course to do) and I believe he said the Checkatrade prize money was £2m. So yeah, it would have been a big financial windfall for a club that desperately needed it. Link above says winner gets £100,000 but estimates Sunderland made a total of £1million from gate receipts and tv. That’s not what Methven said on the show like, but if that’s what is true that’s what’s true. Either way you could see why they’d want to win the thing and get that money into the club.

Did you not watch the documentary? They were losing money left right and centre, had to pay three times as much as they wanted to spend to get Will Griggs. I vaguely recall Mathven saying they needed £17million income to break even per year (which they weren’t on course to do) and I believe he said the Checkatrade prize money was £2m. So yeah, it would have been a big financial windfall for a club that desperately needed it.

I’d be ecstatic with either Rafa or Poch to be honest, for different reasons.

Financially it would have been huge if they’d won it, to be fair. To be honest, if we were in League 1, we’d probably love a day out at Wembley too.

What’s up with everyone? There is literally nothing to worry about... it’s happening. People losing their shit over a meaningless throw away sentence about a subject he clearly wasn’t wanting to talk about publicly.

No? Should I?

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/mauricio-pochettino-gives-newcastle-boost-22071671