Thumbheed

Any kind of firesale would suggest he's selling like, very out if character.

How does he directly benefit from a firesale if he's selling the club?

What the f*** is his game here like? Even by his own standards this is fucken ridiculous.

 

Is it really that unexpected? It has been widely reported that Pérez had itchy feet and we all know Ashley’s love for making a few Bob regardless of the consequences.

 

Wasn’t one of the main sticking points for Rafa that he wasn’t given enough control over transfers? If that’s the case then this is exactly what was expected: f*** whichever desperate dupe they appoint, he’ll be given what to work with and told to get on with it (see “Pardue).

 

As for the takeover, not sure anyone would sit back and see the value of the club diminish after already having agreed a price. He’s just getting on with things isn’t he...I’d be amazed if a deal goes through now. This just looks like every other close season / transfer window now, only worse

I know it's easy to say "but it's Ashley, it doesn't have to make sense" but to leave your squad with 1 actual striker (Joselu is not a striker) is beyond crazy, it just makes no sense on any level.

My guess is he's looking to buy big in the hope it appeases us on some level - those Joelinton rumours make more sense with this sale.

The helicopter was probably picking perez up

 

Didn't go to Leicester though did it?

Would you go to Leicester in a helicopter?

Fucking hell

Right, sell the best players, take the tv money out, low wages etc, still a full stadium. Then we get relegated, do parachute payments still exist?

 

I reckon he’s asset stripping then will sell next year for £250m

 

We won’t be worth 250 mil in the championship

 

Why not? Bet we are.

The revenue drops significantly in the Championship.

That is unusually low.

Suppose this is asset stripping, does anyone know how exactly Ashley would benefit directly from this? I'm struggling to make the pieces fit here for a positive outcome.

Just relegate us. We don’t need to bother with the season

 

January is the real test.

 

Of course all potential bad news is nailed on and nothing positive will happen, ever.

Yeh, I appreciate all his is premature but I'm struggling to remember anything positive the past few years so I'll stick with precedent and just keep my fingers crossed for a takeover.

Even if he doesn't go, we're still fucked without a takeover.

Just relegate us. We don’t need to bother with the season

January is the real test.

No Ayoze, no Rondon, no Joselu.

Am I losing my mind here? What the fuck is going on??!

No pressure, Muto.

Another pointless group formed that will amount to nothing and saying season ticket holders get free beer if they dont go

 

It doesn't matter if you dont go all season you've already gave Mike your pound of flesh ffs. Dont renew season tickets dont go dont buy merchandise its simple you dont need some group to do that

 

Right so how are u spreading this message to people that don’t visit the forum

Well this is the salient point. The very first thing these groups should be doing is getting on these message boards and spreading their message in a respectful and diligent manner. They should be uniting the fans first before they act. All I've seen so far is "We're doing this, who's with us?". It's a terrible way of uniting fans.

Surely it can't be that hard to get the local media/bloggers to spread the same message? There's a huge amount of apathy built into the culture of this club after the past 12 years, we need more than what is being offered to stifle that lethargy.

How long  did he sign for in china

 

2.5 years I think I read.

I'd be massively surprised if there wasn't a clause or 2 in that.

Rafa went from managing the biggest club in the world to fighting relegation with Newcastle fucking United then staying to get us promoted. Let's not pretend we have any idea what his motivations are or should be. The man has never deceived the fans in all his time here, so when he say he wanted to stay - he wanted to fucking stay.

His motivations for a potential move to China are totally irrelevant - the club had every opportunity to keep him and they failed. There is absolutely no tangible evidence to suggest Rafa was asking for anything that even we as fans weren't asking for.

My respect for the man has gone up 10 fold, he didn't compromise on his beliefs like the majority of the fans do. If you're more honorable and principled than Rafa then do us all a favour and boycott every aspect of Newcastle United - message boards included.

I wondering Ashley would buy a club like Bolton? It would fit his MO - buy a declining brand on the cheap.

He'd have to spend a huge amount money to get the same profile he has with Newcastle - theres no club that serves his purpose better than us.

If the situation with Ashley makes fans turn on other fans, then that's the saddest thing of all.

 

Go or don't go but do what you want. He doesn't care. Some refuse to stop going because they see that as giving in to Ashley. They don't believe for a second he intends to sell the club. Why should they stop doing what they've always done because of him? I respect that. Some are older and might not have many years left to go to football games. Some have never had the chance before. All kinds of people go to a game.

 

I believe a boycott is the only option for the majority but I can't disrespect those who do go. I believe in a boycott because we're a club with no sporting purpose. Everyone knows the goal is 17th next year and our 5 year plan is 17th. Our 10 year plan is 17th. The club purely exists to provide a free advertising vehicle for sports direct on a global stage. Any extra revenue that can be siphoned out of the club is being done so by effectively asset stripping (selling club land for student flats) or player sales. A third relegation is eventually inevitable. While there are even worse owners than Ashley, I'm willing to roll the dice because what faces us is guaranteed pointlessness and, given his age and clear reluctance to sell, it could go on for a very long time.

Great post.

Right now it doesn’t matter whether people actually boycott or not. It’s whether we can get the club to s*** themselves over the prospect of it.  Them in panic mode ideally pushed Ashley over the edge to sell to avoid the hassle of owning a depreciating asset.  Ashley must know getting a decent manager in is going to be very tough and that this season is going to be toxic.  Hopefully from the arsenal game but definitely as soon as the results go bad for the new manager stooge.  Sunderland in the third tier had to be given away with the owner writing off debts.  So worse case in couple years were worth nothing.  The way he runs the it’s never going to be worth more than it is today.

I think it matters this time. With a potential takeover in the making we're at arguably the most critical point in our recent history. There's just too much at stake to even risk any apathy being sniffed out by the scavengers who run our club. They're MO is exploitation of the masses. That's essentially been proven in a court of law.

This is the time to act.

Dreaming of finally grabbing the attention of the world with a boycott then being able to highlight Sport Direct's shady practices on a worldwide stage. He couldn't fight that, he's no way near established enough.

The thing is, for 12 years no press has really got behind the shambolic running of the club and forced the issue like they have with others. We don't have the national profile to warrant it I suppose after years of underachievement. So how many people outside our club truly understand the impact Ashley is having on us?

 

Every week 50k fans turn up and "support the team". Every single week 50k create a great atmosphere for millions of fans worldwide who are totally oblivious to the strife and disarray that is at our club. Every single week 50k put on an almost picture perfect environment for the marketing of his tat. He has a worldwide marketing tool that is being fed by the very people he is trampling on.

 

The biggest impact we can have on Ashley is by showing the world our discontent in the only way we can; an empty stadium. Lets have people worldwide see an empty stadium and question why. If Ashley can use the club to pursue his own agenda, then the smartest thing we can do is to do the exact same thing. We should be doing everything in our power to create a negative brand association as it's literally the only interest Ashley has in our club.

 

For the record, the bit about the protests and flags is not a dig, I think the're fantastic efforts but my point is that stuff like that is only effective if meanigful media gets behind it, which it doesn't.

I don't want to slight anyone who's involved with that stuff. Except for the coffin watchers, they can carry on going to the games for all I care.

The thing is, for 12 years no press has really got behind the shambolic running of the club and forced the issue like they have with others. We don't have the national profile to warrant it I suppose after years of underachievement. So how many people outside our club truly understand the impact Ashley is having on us?

Every week 50k fans turn up and "support the team". Every single week 50k create a great atmosphere for millions of fans worldwide who are totally oblivious to the strife and disarray that is at our club. Every single week 50k put on an almost picture perfect environment for the marketing of his tat. He has a worldwide marketing tool that is being fed by the very people he is trampling on.

The biggest impact we can have on Ashley is by showing the world our discontent in the only way we can; an empty stadium. Lets have people worldwide see an empty stadium and question why. If Ashley can use the club to pursue his own agenda, then the smartest thing we can do is to do the exact same thing. We should be doing everything in our power to create a negative brand association as it's literally the only interest Ashley has in our club.

We don't need protests, we don't need flags, we don't need some bald cunt walking around with a coffin, we need to boycott this club until changes are made.

Imagine paying for music from an artist who's had their best days but keeps churning out shit because they're still getting the money.

That's us.

Sadly, for as long as the fans dont realise that by 'supporting the team's they're supporting the regime', we'll constantly be in this situation.

Don't even care about his ability as a manager. The man was just pure class. There's not many people out there who can engage a club like Rafa does. His managerial ability to replicable but his ability to engage the entire city is not. He's a rare breed.

Absolutely gutted.

So Odin got banned for a bit of fun and decent trolling?

 

No, not yet, doubt he will either. If he has lied, well i'd rather he faced it up and apologised.

 

Then that would be it, we all do daft things to seek attention, it's no biggie to forgive him.

 

We all don't go to those levels though, man.

Football's emotive. It's pretty cruel for someone to manipulate those emotions for a 'kick', especially at a time like this. Same as it would be cruel for anyone to do the same in any other emotive scenario.

Regardless of a takeover, Charnley deserves pelters for his part in this. How can anyone claiming to be a local willingly take part in such shithousery

 

Isn't Thumbheed from Blackpool?

I'm not, no.

If Rafa leaves he will have his reasons but I really hope this is a case of him not wanting to deal with Ashley and waiting for the new guys to come in.

 

I’d love to know what was said at that meeting because in the weeks leading up to it they had discussions and he seemed way more positive.

I know it's Darren Gough of all people, but everytime I hear the words "goalposts" and "moved" my heart sinks. We all know he's definitely got a precedent for that. The idea that Ashley may even entertain the idea of jeapordising this sale or the re signing of Rafa does worry me with reagrds to his intentions with BZG.

Murmurings from whom though? The local journos? Some numptie on twitter?

 

We’ve heard nothing from anyone currently connected with the club. Not Ashley, not Charnley and not Rafa either.

 

If Rafa simply thought Ashley was being a c***, he would have made it known weeks ago. But no, he’s been silent. He’s waiting for something

My views were that Rafa was in a win win situation if he signed up, but I guess I hadn't really factored in Rafa's commitment to his principles. There is literally no precedent of him shying away or doing a U turn on any of them.

Murmurings from whom though? The local journos? Some numptie on twitter?

 

We’ve heard nothing from anyone currently connected with the club. Not Ashley, not Charnley and not Rafa either.

 

If Rafa simply thought Ashley was being a c***, he would have made it known weeks ago. But no, he’s been silent. He’s waiting for something

I'm not privy to the kind of information that's available to you, so I have no choice but to base my opinions on the words of those very numpties. I'm very open to the idea that whilst there is clearly a load of horseshit out there, there's also no smoke without fire.

Ashley will be hawking us to the best bidder for him. I don't necessarily mean the highest price but the party that concedes the most to Ashley's side in respect of sponsorship, longer term rights, kit deals etc.

 

This is going to be horrible but I'm taking a punt on Kenyon's being the deal that get's done and for the worse e.g: a new owner with f*** all funds who has scraped the barrel to get us and can barely afford to run us given M.A's ridiculous demands.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if the Sheikh walks tbqh.

 

If the Kenyon deal comes off, that I predicted last time, given some knowledge of it, we'd all rather Ashley. That's how bad I think it'll be.

 

Kenyon’s deal never got off the ground as he couldn’t get the investors on board. Doubt much has changed there. He’s never been owner material.

 

Ashley might very well be playing some last minute asshole moves with BZG, or maybe it’s the other way around..

 

There’s a reason the Bishop machine sprung to life this week. Why?

 

Maybe it’s all good to go and the reports about them wanting Mourinho are true? So they wait and let Benítez walk and Ashley gets all the flack.

 

 

Not read the latest quotes from Mourinho on his next job have you?

 

Odin do you just say this stuff to be popular on here because it seems it.

 

What you going to tell us next the Sheikh wants Rafa out but has Keegan lined up as director football.

 

Or Sheikh wants to re open Shearers bar by the end of the month?

 

What line are you going to feed us next to be popular...

 

I have no interest in being popular. This thread is tiresome. Not unlike having brat children in the back of a stuffy car on the way to the Lake District.. “are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!”

 

Mourinho didn’t say he didn’t want to manage nufc, he said he wanted an interesting project. The reality is he’ll go somewhere that has a chance of winning something and will pay his massive salary. If he doesn’t get that he’ll take a step back and do international management.

 

Back to the main point.

 

Just look at the facts. The statements which have come out. Why would you doubt them?

 

Do you really think Mike Ashley got a leading Dubai conglomerate which is many times the size of Sports Direct to make false statements and risk their reputation just so Mike Ashley could f*** Benitez over?

 

Think about how mental that sounds.

 

Yes Caulkin is a respected journalist when it comes to this club but everything he’s written has been guess work over the last few weeks.

 

He didn’t have the scoop on the takeover, he hasn’t had any direct quotes from Benitez. Everything he wrote earlier is just his opinion.

 

And why not, being negative is the safe call when it comes to this club. Seems to be your safe space too..

I'd been quite optimistic about all this, partially on the basis that we  hadn't heard anything from the club since the news broke, but now that we're approaching judgement day, it's a very worrying sign that we're starting to hear murmurings of discontent.