Dr Jinx

The view will always be relative. None of us can endorse the human rights abuses that Saudi have committed but at the same time Saudi haven’t taken the soul out of Newcastle like Mike Ashley did. There will never be rational thinking here. I’m not saying it’s right but it’s how it is. Get in a charismatic manager and some fancy players and people will soon stop talking about that side of it and we can all enjoy decent football again in blissful ignorance. If any supporters from clubs that aren’t currently dominating their respective leagues claim they would act otherwise, they are lying. Man Utd supporters were crying out for this deal and now that it’s happened for us it’s all “thank god they didn’t buy us” Fucking hypocrites

I’m ecstatic that this is happening, maybe a little cautious at the same time. I remember feeling this sort of bravado when Ashley bought us.. “a billionaire you say!?” We we’re supposed to be the next force in the premier league. 13 years on and I’m cynical, don’t nearly enjoy football as much and have a resentment that this parasite took my prime years of supporting this club and made them miserable. I’m not too old to get back into it. 40, still plenty of life left in me but would I be going to European games when they happen? Probably not.. it wouldn’t have been a question even when I was in my 20’s and 30’s.. I’d have been there. Ashley took all that from me, from us (of a certain age group) I want to see how things play out with this lot but they will get the benefit of the doubt. I hope we don’t turn into a bunch of entitled fuckers regarding signing players. We should appreciate every positive thing that happens the club from this point and give them time. They will make a few mistakes along the way.

Fuck off Downing Street. You’re in my way

The document mentions 21 days that the deposit is safe for? Does this mean he transfers SJH (the loan) to PCP on the provision that the deal is completed within that time frame, if it’s not then she loses the 13m deposit? So if the documents were signed on the 9th April that would take us up until the end of this month (30th April) which is the likely timeframe that this will be completed in.

Ugh. Loves a slide tackle. Rafa seemed to rate him for some reason. Probably the good work ethic. Willems coming into the team showed us what an actual decent left back could do so since then I’m totally ambivalent to him being in the squad. He’s not shit but he’s nothing special either. We’ve had a few defenders who’ve been happy to just be playing for us. Andy O’Brien, Mike Williamson, Steven Taylor etc (maybe Fernandez might fit into that bracket too) and then the moment they leave they find their actual level which is a league below. Dummett might very well be one of those.

Journos with ticks. Have a look at page 1 of the Mike Ashley thread. I do believe it’s going to happen but I don’t think it’s imminent. Nobody knows jack shit about this which is why I think it’s real this time.

He goes under the radar but he’s solid. Doesn’t affect a game in the way Schär or Lejeune can (they they are playing well) but overall he’s more consistent. Worth his place in the side currently. Will be one of the first to move on if a takeover ever happens. Model pro though, never hear a peep about him off the pitch.

It could be. If he pinched his from Bobby Ewing ?

Imagine.

So could PIF/Reubens/Stavely for that matter, but for the same reason they won't, MIke Ashley won't let go either. Newcastle is a more attractive club, I don't know whether it's the geography, that it's a one club city, or just the Keegan effect. The only other club I think comes close is Leeds. It’s a few things, an already decent stadium. Big local fanbase. And yes the Keegan/SBR effect where a new investor knows the club can compete if the right things are in place. As far as PIF are concerned, they don’t really care about that. They want to appear in a good light globally as they push their nation as a benefactor in sports. Any profits the club would make would be small change to them. They would have preferred Man Utd but that’s obviously a no go. We’re still a massive club in many people’s eyes. A debatable point imho, we’ve won nothing in decades. The biggest point is that the club could be bigger than most of the other premier league teams. Certainly on a par with Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea etc.

That’s just a rehash of a spurious rumour from earlier in the week. It claimed that the Saudis want Allegri as manager and he has a condition that his first signing would be Mauro Icardi who’s currently on loan from Inter to PSG. The Italian journo who made the claim though has been correct about a couple of big managerial appointments before which is the only reason this hasn’t been filed under Indykaila type Twitter nonsense

He could easily buy another team in the PL or say for example, one of the bigger clubs in the Championship and just replicate what he’s done here. Same result. Promotion, mid table mediocrity, relegation, rinse and repeat. Some clubs fans might even be happy with that.

Who gets emotional if something doesn’t happen within 2 days of a story breaking. They haven’t agreed a final deal but that’s coming. The PL know and will be prepared to do their checks. Relax man, if this does happen it will be another month, add pandemic to the issue and it could go on longer. I believe the end is nigh for Ashley. It’s happening. There’ll be no football until next September/October anyway.

Rafa: "How's the Paella did you say?"

Most likely the club has laid them off and there's no new owners The club would need those people more than ever if there’s no new owners.

Perhaps the non playing staff side of things, for example the numerous business development managers they have selling corporate packages won’t be needed by the new owners. I can’t see the Saudi PIF scrounging around for whatever change they can get out of people. Sure there will be corporate boxes still but they will probably go to much higher bidders who will be attempting to do business with the elite. My take on it is that if the club have laid them off. Then new owners come back in, that’s one less headache of letting dozens of people go and having to deal with compensation. Or having to deal with the bad publicity that goes along with it.

So did the buying side leak the story to the WSJ back in January while at the same time stepping back from negotiations? Sounds like they knew they’d be in a position to put the squeeze on Ashley.

Thanks to Coronavirus. I’m not really sure how to feel about that.

The difference between 2008 and now is that the players even at that stage would have known who he was. Young players now wouldn’t have that awe factor from the start. The only thing they seem to buy into now is a resume of winning trophies. I read something recently about a player (might have been at Spurs) who was telling one of the younger squad members about a former club legend, the player hadn’t a clue who he was talking about and had to look them up on YouTube. That’s what you’re up against with these young uns

I think Keegan should be made a lifetime ambassador for the club and give him a wage. Football has moved on and he’s done nothing in over a decade. Let him relax and enjoy watching us if that’s what he wants to do. I think having a young(ish) manager with enthusiasm is important. I like Conte.

Rafa doesn’t break contracts. I can definitely see him coming back at some stage but when depends on who they bring in first (hypothetically) The first appointment will reveal how astute they are.

I think the PIF registered company is enough proof I need that this is genuine. Page 9 of the incorporation statement is the authentication. It’s genuine and the percentages are accurate. Although this was registered back in January so I’m surprised it’s taken until now for someone on the internet to notice. I just don’t see any evidence that it’s moved forward. In George we trust?

You aren’t getting planning permission for a stadium at the racecourse. They built some houses on the site recently, and it had major objections and was only just allowed. At the other side of the racecourse North Tyneside council had trouble getting a housing estate through. The existing site is the only viable option at this stage surely. Hypothetically if we were ever in a position where new owners wanted to invest. We’d have to move for a season or two and have a new stadium built. Perhaps having the pitch at a different position so as to not interfere with the existing surrounding buildings.

Fuck it. I’m biting. It occurred to me that a takeover of nufc by Saudi would be full of negative press. Endless negative press and quotes from human rights groups about how the premier league shouldn’t let it happen etc. So what’s the best time to plough ahead with something like this? A fucking pandemic when everyone is looking the other way. That’s all I’ve got. I’m still 90% on the bullshit side.