The last two years have been pretty good in footballing terms (although let's not forget one was in the Championship), mainly thanks to Rafa and very much in spite of Ashley, but one would have to be pretty shortsighted to not see the bigger picture when it comes to NUFC. In the decade Ashley has been our owner we've regressed from being regularly qualifying for European football to being a yoyo club. It doesn't bear thinking about where we would be if Rafa hadn't seen us as an interesting project. I'm not glorifying where Sunderland are at this point in time, but they have a clean slate which they wouldn't have had if they were still clinging on in the bottom half of the Premier League and it probably took a double relegation for Short (who was out of his depth but had the right intentions as opposed to Ashley) to cut his losses. It's going to take something similar for Ashley to do the same I fear, and whilst he's here we will just continue to gradually drop down the football pyramid. Rafa will eventually leave unless he gets what he wants (highly unlikely under Ashley) and we will be back to square one. If given the choice I would swallow the bitter pill now and built afresh under new ownership who have the right intentions and the ability to let this club fulfil its potential, rather than continue to be driftwood for the benefit of one very rich individual.
Let's wait and see how their new owners do before we laugh them off as chancers. As it stands they have an opportunity to steady the ship and by this time next year be a newly promoted Championship club with the finances in place to make a push for the Premier League again. They could fail spectacularly, and I would laugh my bollocks off if they do, but it's much to early to say either way. And besides that, as you implied we could just as easily get taken over by somebody with the right intentions and financial means to make it happen. As for our best chance of a change of ownership being in the Premier League I don't see why at all. We're just too valuable as a Sports Direct advertisement hoarding for Ashley to consider to pay at a price somebody else may see as reasonable. It's just not going to happen unless we end up in a similar situation to Short, who was prepared to cut his losses in the end to avoid further damage.
I don't believe that for a second. There is a reason why we only ever invest significantly in the January window (and even then, not always) when we're in trouble or after we've dropped to the Championship; he's desperate to hang onto the exposure and TV money that comes to being in the PL. If we're bleeding money in the lower leagues without exposure for SD he'll want shot pretty sharpish.
But what you are suggesting is that you want us to fail in order to progress. It is totally illogical thinking. I agree that Ashley is suffocating the club with his lack of ambition. I get that but wishing us to do a "sunderland" just can't be right. I actually think the dirty mackems will gain promotion to the Championship but they will be away from the Premier League for a very very long time, if they ever get back at all is questionable.
