We need to spend £ 150 million..............

[Parky]

Which strikers of £20m-rated calibre would come here right now?

 

It's not happening man.

 

If we build it Dave they will come. 

 

We will have to offer gazunka wages for one or two top performers, but we'll have to bite on that for now.

[Dave]

I just don't see it. If anyone is so good that they'd cost £20m, the top clubs will be interested. And we'll have no chance.

[TRon]

We could always pay £20m for a £15m rated player, that way we'd have more chance.

[Parky]

We could always pay £20m for a £15m rated player, that way we'd have more chance.

 

It will be something like that as Chez alluded to earlier.

 

KK won't let the summer go without exploring all opportunities.

[BlueStar]

From Ronaldo's interview on possible retirement

 

"Logically, no club wants a 31-year-old player who has had two operations, suffered terrible injuries to his knees and is doubtful to play again. "

 

Don't bet on it Ronny 

[jarralad]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

[Karjala]

From Ronaldo's interview on possible retirement

 

"Logically, no club wants a 31-year-old player who has had two operations, suffered terrible injuries to his knees and is doubtful to play again. "

 

Don't bet on it Ronny 

[brummie]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

 

I'd imagine he'll want some of his cash back at some point, mind.

[BONTEMPI]

As long as we don't waste it on other peoples cast offs

[ChezGiven]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

 

I'd imagine he'll want some of his cash back at some point, mind.

 

He could probably sell it for a tidy profit already.

[Martin Lol]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

 

I'd imagine he'll want some of his cash back at some point, mind.

 

He could probably sell it for a tidy profit already.

 

When you add together the original cost, the cleared hidden debts and the cost of new players subsequently brought in, I'm not convinced MA could sell for a tidy profit right now.  He must have laid out the thick end of £200m now.

[brummie]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

 

I'd imagine he'll want some of his cash back at some point, mind.

 

He could probably sell it for a tidy profit already.

 

As MJ said, I doubt it has gone up in value by an amount in excess of the debts he has cleared.

 

Although this is football, so normal sanity goes out of the window.

[ChezGiven]

If we have no debts now that much mean mike wont have to put as much of his own cash in for transfers and use whats left of the season ticket sales and sponsership money.

 

I'd imagine he'll want some of his cash back at some point, mind.

 

He could probably sell it for a tidy profit already.

 

When you add together the original cost, the cleared hidden debts and the cost of new players subsequently brought in, I'm not convinced MA could sell for a tidy profit right now.  He must have laid out the thick end of £200m now.

 

And a debt free football club with 52,000 regulars is worth what?

 

Its worth whatever someone in willing to pay for it* and i'd say he could get a lot for it from the right buyer. Wrong time now though, these sort of deals are at the whims of market and brand sentiment. He could, imo, get more than 200m now. Having observed his spending closely, thats why i said he could make a profit.

 

Thats not enough to make him want to sell now though.

 

*rule of thumb is 3 x revenue.

[Parky]

My mate at Coutts says the medium term value of the business is £260m.

 

An interested party buying now (£200m) would have a profit in 3-5 years.

[ChezGiven]

My mate at Coutts says the medium term value of the business is £260m.

 

An interested party buying now (£200m) would have a profit in 3-5 years.

 

I bet he is using the 3 x revenue rule. This years was £87m or something, which is £261m. Fair enough to use that now the debt has gone imo.

[Dokko]

My mate at Coutts says the medium term value of the business is £260m.

 

An interested party buying now (£200m) would have a profit in 3-5 years.

 

I'd say the £250m is about right.

 

What did he pay? £135m? plus £100m clearance of debts, spent about £7-10m, so he'd certainly be looking over £250m mark to make a return.

 

Now would be the exact wrong time to sell us imo.

[NE5]

So we've got it, if Ashley spends £48.1 million in 12 months and we get relegated he will be more ambitious than Shepherd was when we had our best ever CL finish, or Sir John and Shepherd when we finished 2nd twice.

 

That sounds stupid but it's what we've been told for long enough.  

 

except nobody is talking about a specific 12 month period. The ex board showed their ambition many times over. The new board has not shown it and Allardyce is the first manager to complain about lack of backing from his board since before the Halls and Shepherd took over the club. Fact. I realise you will ignore this as usual.

 

I also realise you will defend the idiots who left the club staring at relegation to the 3rd division for the Halls and Shepherd to pick up the ropes though as usual. Simple fact is the last 15 years has been the best the club has had for half a century by a million miles. Fact.

 

 

 

 

[Mick]

 

except nobody is talking about a specific 12 month period. The ex board showed their ambition many times over. The new board has not shown it and Allardyce is the first manager to complain about lack of backing from his board since before the Halls and Shepherd took over the club. Fact. I realise you will ignore this as usual.

 

I also realise you will defend the idiots who left the club staring at relegation to the 3rd division for the Halls and Shepherd to pick up the ropes though as usual. Simple fact is the last 15 years has been the best the club has had for half a century by a million miles. Fact.

 

 

 

 

 

Have you a link to these complaints about the backing.

[NE5]

 

except nobody is talking about a specific 12 month period. The ex board showed their ambition many times over. The new board has not shown it and Allardyce is the first manager to complain about lack of backing from his board since before the Halls and Shepherd took over the club. Fact. I realise you will ignore this as usual.

 

I also realise you will defend the idiots who left the club staring at relegation to the 3rd division for the Halls and Shepherd to pick up the ropes though as usual. Simple fact is the last 15 years has been the best the club has had for half a century by a million miles. Fact.

 

 

Have you a link to these complaints about the backing.

 

pathetic

 

 

[Mick]

 

pathetic

 

 

 

That link doesn't seem to work.

[NE5]

 

pathetic

 

 

 

That link doesn't seem to work.

 

pathetic and you know it

 

 

[Mick]

 

pathetic and you know it

 

 

 

That ones no better, I wonder why?

[hakka]

Which strikers of £20m-rated calibre would come here right now?

 

It's not happening man.

 

Exactly.  Anyone who is rated at the £20m calibre at that amount is either already at a better club or is being lined up as a transfer club by a better club than us.

[hakka]

Now would be the exact wrong time to sell us imo.

 

unless we get closer to the relegation spot!

[Guest Knightrider]

Do you believe its right to get rid of Owen and Given in the summer? or should we be building a team around these guys and writing off how s**** everyone has been this season?

 

I can't believe anyone would be mad enough to build a team around a player like Michael Owen, who looks a. distinctly like he doesn't give a s*** and b. past it.

 

I worry that his name/reputation will convince Keegan to give it another go rather than move on.

 

If KK has a chance to sign a better player, or someone he feels will be more beneficial to the team and the way he intends to get us playing, Owen will make way. He may not peddle him but he will drop him or have him fighting for his place like everyone else which will be based on merit. I don't think Keegan will have been impressed with Owen, a player he has never really rated even when he was in his pomp. I can see the two parting ways, club and player. It wouldn't surprise me to see Sven come in for him and for us to take a loss.

 

I'm not so sure.  I mean he made Owen captain, plus Owen has scored a couple of late (and more which have been unfairly ruled off-side).  Plus he's a good selling point for bringing players in... especially when you don't have European football. 

 

I personally believe his decision to make Owen Captain was more of a peace gesture and to thwart the media from causing trouble between the two and their much publicized difference of opinions relating back to their time together with England. That and to motivate Owen, a player who Keegan would need onside to make his job a little easier and to fire in the goals to take us through to the end of the season. Hasn't quite happened like that but I would hazard a good guess those are very good reasons behind his decision making. Make no mistake about it, KK can be very ruthless. He got rid of the player (David Kelly) who saved us from relegation and whose goals helped fire us to promotion because he didn't believe he was good enough for the Premier League or quite what he had in mind as to how he'd have us playing once we got there. He also sold fans' favourite Andy Cole to our then rivals Manchester United because he wanted to change the way we played which would mean bringing in a player with those different qualities and a different presence we talked about. Sir Les. And on that subject, KK took his number 9 shirt off him and handed it to Shearer, which is something Shearer stipulated if he was to sign for us. Don't be fooled by the nice guy image and the media persona.

 

None of which means anything. History doesn't always repeat itself you know.

 

Of course not, but then we are not asking him to repeat that kind of history, we are asking him to stay true to himself which I'm in no doubt he will because why change the habit of a lifetime? He's always been a ruthless person and always will be. Perhaps this facet of Keegan may explain the disappearance of Viduka and Enrique from the scene...