TheBrownBottle

Beefy is still the number 1 rotund Newcastle fan with an NUFC tat across his stretchmarks, then. Unless of course he shows up on a Facebook National Front forum.

That bloke is troubled - there is clearly something off.

Yeah, I completely agree on all points

Tbf Cookie wasn’t saying that we have to sell - more that it’s probable that we will sell at some point. Which I think is true to an extent - though I think if Isak continues in the same vein as last season we’d be asking for more than double what we paid

Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Man Utd and Chelsea have all regularly traded players. The idea that we’ll not is unlikely. It’s also likely that due to FFP constraints we would be more willing to offload players for serious profit in the next few years. The problem isn’t selling players - even your current best ones - it’s having an ownership which wouldn’t want to replace them ambitiously. If Bruno or Isak were sold it would be because everyone at the club think it is the best move for the club, not their bank balance. This isn’t Ashley’s NUFC. But sponsorships and commercials will take years to catch up with the current ‘big boys’.

Tbf we signed some good players under Ashley. Keeping them, training them, surrounding them with other good players was more of an issue

Probably best that some of our support gets that into their heads. People talking about competing with Man City are crackers

FFP is why players like ASM may be moved on sooner than we’d like. And we aren’t likely to be competing with Man City for a while yet.

Aye, 100% agree. It always was. You mentioned Sheffield FC and of course early football clubs were all ‘amateur’ - but the FA would regularly have to fine clubs for payments to players. Still, the intent was for that not to be the case

It was against FA regs for the clubs to pay dividends to shareholders until the 1980s. The clubs could not be run for profit until then. The clubs could gain an income of course - that’s not the same as being a business which makes money for shareholders.

Football clubs don’t generally, as they weren’t set up to be businesses and weren’t run for profit until relatively recently. The rules and regs which govern football clubs most probably would test legislation for most businesses. Threatening the UK govt if they don’t get to buy a football club cannot be said to be playing by the book. Yes, we know that many of the PL clubs were acting in their own selfish self-interest. But at the same time, why should KSA be allowed to buy a member club in an organisation who’s IP they’d sanctioned the stealing of?

Perhaps, but the owners certainly can’t be said to have went by the book. Applying pressure to the UK govt is about as bad as it gets - it’s only a football club at the end of the day.

Well, if ‘playing by the book’ includes the HoS threatening the UK govt with economic consequences if the takeover is blocked. That’s pretty normal in any football club takeover I reckon. https://theathletic.com/4375454/2023/04/06/saudi-newcastle-boris-government/?amp=1

I think it’s the opposite - we need players in those positions who can finish more than anything; the midfield and two of our defenders create a hell of a lot of chances - and not one of our wingers is a particularly convincing finisher (Miggy purple patch aside). A good finisher on the wing in this side bags 15+ goals if they stay fit, easily. Wilson and Isak don’t need a tricky winger whipping crosses onto the foreheads constantly.

Loved it in 2003 - I didn’t get the ‘shit hole’ vibe at all. Same with Milan - though obviously the mass piss-up in Duomo square was were most spent their time. Getting ‘Peter Andre’ to dance, etc.

Yeah, that looks about right to me

We’ve got very little FFP wiggle room this year - and wages vs turnover are also high. I reckon the club will try and offload at least a couple of players towards the end of the window - once we’ve brought in our targets.

The criticism of signing Barnes - if he does - is bizarre for me. The lad is a good player, and potentially better than what we have. If ASM stays, great. If he’s sold, then that’s the choice of the manager and DoF - both of whom have my full trust. I’ve never been particularly clingy to individual players - it is all down to what’s best for the club.

Joelinton played all his best football LW last season.

Just on the Shearer / Chiesa injury comparison, it’s worth remembering that when Shearer came back after half a season in 97/98 he looked miles off the pace for the rest of that campaign. He scored only two league goals - against teams that would end up relegated. He started scoring regularly again the following year though - and did more or less until he retired (despite more surgery in 2001). Chiesa being less sharp than previous might not mean that he can’t still do the business

? Yeah, sorry mate He was up there with the Ronaldos, Batitstutas and Weahs of the world prior to that injury. Sadly not afterwards. He was still international class, mind. Also, I know I was pissed at the San Siro that night - but I must have been sozzled to have missed Shearer’s third

Yeah, I know what you mean - both him and Maddison could be just that. But we’ll soon find out - I think it’s a good signing tbh

Yeah, goals are a good thing

You might be right. But I won’t be watching the Saudi league to find out.

It’s a good player for a good price if true. ASM sale looks likely if true