Mike Ashley Exclusive Interview

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I also think by developing our own talent if you like therefore reducing the outlay to buy it in, a lot of the money saved will go towards lowering prices and making SJP more accessible and affordable to fans, which Ashley talks about in his interview. For example some tickets were increased, in order to decrease others, namely the family enclosure tickets.

 

All good stuff HTT but we also need to think of the here and now and invest further in the first team. There hasn't been enough investment yet in the starting 11, this pre-season, if Colocinni is the last one trhough the door, then yet another season of mediocrity awaits and that could hurt the club financially more than signing another 10mill player would.

 

As long as the club do not neglect that while focussing it's efforts on the youth, then the ownership will get my backing.

 

 

 

We are though, we've signed 4 players to date with the chance of some more coming in too. There is no rule in football saying you have to spend X figure on each player or have to bring in X number. Remember even if we signed 10 players at 10m each there is no guarantee things would change just because we add more bodies and spend more. As Ashley and KK keep saying its about the right players and of course opportunity. No point spending for the sake of it and I'm sure we're working as hard as any to go into the season on the best terms possible.

 

I never suggested we should spend for spending's sake. But we have two gaping, and I mean gaping holes in our squad, they have been there all close season TBH, but the pre-season games probably emphasised the scale of the problem. A creative midfielder and a big strong lad who can stay out of the physio room and is of premiership standard. We can get by without a back up LB or RB,  and although not perfect the DM situation will suffice but if we go into this season without rectifying that, then I will me mighty disappointed with the recruitment team. This could cost 10mill per player, even more but it could also be 3 or 4 million per player, I don't really care which as long as it's done.

 

And if such players aren't available or don't want to come? Every side goes into a new season short in one area or another. We need to buy into the long-term plans for the club sooner rather than later as a good few will be disappointed. And by that I mean there won't be any quick fixes or close season makeover. It will come in stages. If we fail to land a playmaker this close season, we'll just have to make do and get one in Jan, same with other "holes". Not that we specifically need a playmaker as such or even a target man. I'm easy going me, just sign good players. I'm sure KK can nit them into a good outfit without the need to add specific players to this position or that position. Jonas looks a creative type in different ways, he's certainly going to provide us with an outlet which we lacked more than anything from midfield if Zoggy wasn't playing, on form or was at LB. i guess I'm saying not covering every possible angle doesn't necessarily mean failure in the transfer market and thefore lets condemn people.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Midds, agreed. I think we'll add ready made quality to the side, indeed due to saving fortunes on talent because we'll be bringing most of our own through the ranks, we'll have more money to buy the ready made talent that somehow escaped our clutches. That's the idea anyway.

 

 

That's the way forward. Broaden the scouting network, identify the players, get them into the club for next to nothing, coach them well, hoy them into the first XI. That's the golden goose and every club knows it. Spend is minimal and the potential rewards are huge. 

 

I just hope Keegan is as good as Wenger.  

 

At player development once they make the team I think he's as good as. He turned SWP from a struggling full-back into a devastating RW. Lee from a right sided wide man into an earlier day Lampard/Scholes type player. Cole need I say more. Anelka found his feet again under KK. Distin developed into a class centre-back, Dunne too. He's pretty good at getting good players to perform, often above themselves or to reach new levels if they already have the ability. Look at Owen last season as a midfielder? Duff this pre-season actually looks like a 5m player which may not seem a lot but its better than minus 5m which is what he's looked since we signed him. Martins I imagine will excell too as KK will remove some of that fear or over indlugence, i.e. when he blasted at him to take on the Spurs player at WHL, which he dully did. KK will remove the dithering from his game and give him the confidence and freedom to run at players safe that even if he fails to beat his man or doesn't always get it right, KK won't hang him for it. Same with others too. All about trust.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

Watch KK on the touchline, rarely a negative instruction, lots of confidence building and encouragement. Last season he would urge Enrique forward and Enrique would look at him like Manuel from Faulty Towers, YES YOU ENRIQUE, GO FORWARD. He shouted at Ameobi a few weeks back if he is going to go, GO. I.e. take your man on. Must be great to play for, that freedom, trust and encouragement. No wonder players love him and no-one has a bad word to say about him. Anelka's comments when he come back to Newcastle were telling, hailed KK as a special coach who everyone will like to work for, this a supposedly sulky player who people find hard to communicate with. KK keeps it simple.

[midds]

Midds, agreed. I think we'll add ready made quality to the side, indeed due to saving fortunes on talent because we'll be bringing most of our own through the ranks, we'll have more money to buy the ready made talent that somehow escaped our clutches. That's the idea anyway.

 

 

That's the way forward. Broaden the scouting network, identify the players, get them into the club for next to nothing, coach them well, hoy them into the first XI. That's the golden goose and every club knows it. Spend is minimal and the potential rewards are huge. 

 

I just hope Keegan is as good as Wenger.  

 

At player development once they make the team I think he's as good as. He turned SWP from a struggling full-back into a devastating RW. Lee from a right sided wide man into an earlier day Lampard/Scholes type player. Cole need I say more. Anelka found his feet again under KK. Distin developed into a class centre-back, Dunne too. He's pretty good at getting good players to perform, often above themselves or to reach new levels if they already have the ability.

 

We're on the same page.

 

I'll back his judgement in the market and I'm sure he wouldn't bring in players he wasn't totally sold on. I also think the players he's let go are pretty much spot on too. He knows a good player who can enhance the squad, he also knows a shit player who gives nothing. He'll peddle the shite and draft in the quality, given enough time.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I trust KK more than anyone when it comes to players. I was surpised we signed Guthrie but my instinct told me KK must see something and having seen him a bit now, he's clearly got ability, can KK develop that and bring it out of him consistently which a LFC fan I know reckons was a problem with Guthrie? We'll find out. Jonas looks like he could light up SJP.

[midds]

I trust KK more than anyone when it comes to players. I was surpised we signed Guthrie but my instinct told me KK must see something and having seen him a bit now, he's clearly got ability, can KK develop that and bring it out of him consistently which a LFC fan I know reckons was a problem with Guthrie? We'll find out. Jonas looks like he could light up SJP.

 

I like the look of both players and to get both of them here for very, very small amount of money (relatively speaking) is good going. They'll both play a lot of games this season and will contribute. They're not top quality but they'll serve us well until we can replace them with the 'real deal'. Stepping-stone signings if you like.

[Mr Logic]

They're not top quality but they'll serve us well until we can replace them with the 'real deal'. Stepping-stone signings if you like.

 

Either one may well turn out to be the real deal with a season or two under KK's 'encouraging'.

 

Another thing not mentioned about KK (recently), if any player is not going to make it Keegan won't hang around dithering about wether he'll maybe 'get it' next week. He'll dump them first opportunity and find someone that can take it up to the next level.

[Dave]

They're not top quality but they'll serve us well until we can replace them with the 'real deal'. Stepping-stone signings if you like.

 

Either one may well turn out to be the real deal with a season or two under KK's 'encouraging'.

 

Another thing not mentioned about KK (recently), if any player is not going to make it Keegan won't hang around dithering about wether he'll maybe 'get it' next week. He'll dump them first opportunity and find someone that can take it up to the next level.

 

That's why the Smith stories are confusing.

[Mr Logic]

I think he has offered him around discretely, hence the Everton rumours. But he's never going to slag him off in public, not his style.

[kirkwdavis2001]

Watch KK on the touchline, rarely a negative instruction, lots of confidence building and encouragement. Last season he would urge Enrique forward and Enrique would look at him like Manuel from Faulty Towers, YES YOU ENRIQUE, GO FORWARD. He shouted at Ameobi a few weeks back if he is going to go, GO. I.e. take your man on. Must be great to play for, that freedom, trust and encouragement. No wonder players love him and no-one has a bad word to say about him. Anelka's comments when he come back to Newcastle were telling, hailed KK as a special coach who everyone will like to work for, this a supposedly sulky player who people find hard to communicate with. KK keeps it simple.

 

Yep, 100%, I love you King Kev 

 

Can't wait for this season to start!

[Mick]

Bump

[ChezGiven]

Bump

Just reminded me of how much HTT likes the sound of his own typing.

[Mick]

Just reminded me of how much HTT likes the sound of his own typing.

 

He's probably got it as his ringtone on his phone.

[mattypnufc]

NE5 posted regarding this yet?

 

Quite interested to hear his thoughts.

[themanupstairs]

NE5 posted regarding this yet?

 

Quite interested to hear his thoughts.

 

and shine a positive light or other on mike ashley??? never!!!

[thomas]

NE5 posted regarding this yet?

 

Quite interested to hear his thoughts.

 

and shine a positive light or other on mike ashley??? never!!!

As if.  I'll save him the trouble --

 

Talk is cheap.  If Ashley is truly ambitious he will let his actions speak for him.  So far he's done nothing to prove to me that he's interested in taking this club forward, although mid table mediocrity is where some people apparently think we should be.  I suppose being the 5th best supported club in the country and having played in Europe more than any other team bar 4 in the last 15 years means nothing.  The underwhelming signings of a Liverpool cast off, an Argentinian whose registration we can't get sorted and a £10m defender in a bad wig do not look anything like forward thinking.  Frankly I can't understand why we would spend so much on a defender anyway when the real gaps are in midfield and attack.

 

But I guess this is good enough for some people.

 

 

p.s. mackems.gif mackems.gif mackems.gif

[themanupstairs]

NE5 posted regarding this yet?

 

Quite interested to hear his thoughts.

 

and shine a positive light or other on mike ashley??? never!!!

As if.  I'll save him the trouble --

 

Talk is cheap.  If Ashley is truly ambitious he will let his actions speak for him.  So far he's done nothing to prove to me that he's interested in taking this club forward, although mid table mediocrity is where some people apparently think we should be.  I suppose being the 5th best supported club in the country and having played in Europe more than any other team bar 4 in the last 15 years means nothing.  The underwhelming signings of a Liverpool cast off, an Argentinian whose registration we can't get sorted and a £10m defender in a bad wig do not look anything like forward thinking.  Frankly I can't understand why we would spend so much on a defender anyway when the real gaps are in midfield and attack.

 

But I guess this is good enough for some people.

 

 

p.s. mackems.gif mackems.gif mackems.gif

 

which thread did you lift this one off??

 

oh wait a minute....never mind

 

p.s. NE5....love you mate...no offence or owt 

[Guest Johan]

Watch KK on the touchline, rarely a negative instruction, lots of confidence building and encouragement. Last season he would urge Enrique forward and Enrique would look at him like Manuel from Faulty Towers, YES YOU ENRIQUE, GO FORWARD. He shouted at Ameobi a few weeks back if he is going to go, GO. I.e. take your man on. Must be great to play for, that freedom, trust and encouragement. No wonder players love him and no-one has a bad word to say about him. Anelka's comments when he come back to Newcastle were telling, hailed KK as a special coach who everyone will like to work for, this a supposedly sulky player who people find hard to communicate with. KK keeps it simple.

 

Hope you are back to posting more, enjoy reading your stuff!

[Theregulars]

I also think by developing our own talent if you like therefore reducing the outlay to buy it in, a lot of the money saved will go towards lowering prices and making SJP more accessible and affordable to fans, which Ashley talks about in his interview. For example some tickets were increased, in order to decrease others, namely the family enclosure tickets.

 

All good stuff HTT but we also need to think of the here and now and invest further in the first team. There hasn't been enough investment yet in the starting 11, this pre-season, if Colocinni is the last one trhough the door, then yet another season of mediocrity awaits and that could hurt the club financially more than signing another 10mill player would.

 

As long as the club do not neglect that while focussing it's efforts on the youth, then the ownership will get my backing.

 

 

 

We are though, we've signed 4 players to date with the chance of some more coming in too. There is no rule in football saying you have to spend X figure on each player or have to bring in X number. Remember even if we signed 10 players at 10m each there is no guarantee things would change just because we add more bodies and spend more. As Ashley and KK keep saying its about the right players and of course opportunity. No point spending for the sake of it and I'm sure we're working as hard as any to go into the season on the best terms possible.

 

I never suggested we should spend for spending's sake. But we have two gaping, and I mean gaping holes in our squad, they have been there all close season TBH, but the pre-season games probably emphasised the scale of the problem. A creative midfielder and a big strong lad to play up front who can stay out of the physio room and is of premiership standard. We can get by without a back up LB or RB,  and although not perfect the DM situation will suffice but if we go into this season without rectifying that, then I will be mighty disappointed with the recruitment team. This could cost 10mill per player, even more but it could also be 3 or 4 million per player, I don't really care which as long as it's done.

 

 

Modric, Aimar, Tiago.... nah, the club's just not making any attempt to sign a creative midfielder.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

Keep the faith

[Dave]

Pack of fucking lies then.