Mike Ashley - Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner.

[NE5]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a fucking joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

[Syrette]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a fucking joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

 

They've only been here for just over a year. They've messed up severely in that time but I still think that makes it a lot harsher to compare the previous regime with this one as they had much longer - and greater resources - to do both positive and negative things for the club.

[NE5]

For about the 100th time, everybody makes poor choices of manager sometimes, and nobody picks a winner every time which is of course logically impossible.

 

 

But only a real wanker gets it wrong four times out of five.

 

you supported Allardyce and Souness didn't you ?

 

 

[fredbob]

How people can defend him is beyond me, he is clearly a lying, conniving, manipulating and wholly untrustworthy owner when confronted with the truth or some kind of responsibility, a man whose motives are pure self interest as we are now finding out. I mean it took the grievances of the players to get him to act in appointing an interim manager, it took the angry protest of fans to get him to own up to his true motives and it took a good man with Newcastle United in his heart to expose the sham that was his ownership of Newcastle United for what it is - another business trip at the end of the day, one in which he'll walk away from all the more richer, as he intended from the outset. KK or no KK, protests or no protests.

 

Impossible to argue with.

 

When you use emotional language like 'it took a good man with Newcastle United in his heart to expose the sham', seriously, what can I say. You have a very sure view of Ashley, that he is clearly 'lying, conniving, manipulating and wholly untrustworthy', but for me there is very little about his intentions or the events that led to where we find ourselves that is particularly clear and straightforward.

 

Oh, and I think most of the defending of the guy is only in reaction to some of the over the top attacks, not in any sense of loyalty to the er... fat cockney b******. 

 

It's true that it isn't clear what his intentions have been and people can put all sorts of interpretations on the various things he's done:

 

- investing nothing in the first team squad for two consecutive transfer windows

- sacking Allardyce (and paying him off with several million in the process)

- the clumsy handling of the courtship of Redknapp that followed the sacking of Allardyce

- appointing Keegan

- appointing Wise, Jimenez. Llambias etc,

- focusing on bringing young players in

- the rumours about attempts to sell off first team squad members are just that, rumours. But Milner was sold for a very good price and from what KK was saying at the time it looks as though he thought that money was there for him to reinvest as he saw fit. So either KK was playing some sort of devious end game or he was duped I think.

- backing Wise and praising him for his efforts in the Summer transfer window. I've not yet met a fan who wasn't seriously underwhelmed by our business in the window, maybe someone on here  has got something to say on that?

 

So is Ashley schizophrenic or what?

 

My view is that he started out with good intentions but has found himself involved in a business in which he is way out of his depth. And by out of his depth I mean his abilties to run a sustainable business as well as his financial resources. The fact that he did no due diligence before he shelled out £130m says it all for me. He hadn't got a clue what he was buying. He is gifted at making money for himself though and will do so again when he sells on - but what a mess he has created.   

 

Finally, a post which actually has something to it. All of what you've said is fair enough, but theres always alternative lists which paint different pictures- theres also not enough in either list which gives anyone enough evidence to force him to leave. There are 2 major points for the anti Ashley brigade one is the keegan episode but he was replaceable and we still dont know what occured here, theres also the major and unilaterally agreed notion that enough wasnt invested in the squad, even though the squad HAS improved in quality there isnt enough depth. But the issue here is that it cant be said that categorically that Ashley was tigth with the purse strings or that he had no intention of investing becasue we dont know - it also can be said that we dont know how much of the keegan/wise saga actually effected our transfer plans. Can anyone point me to some solid evidence that Ashley had no intention of spending money, can anyone say that had we not got an extortionate bid for Milner we would of sold him? I can always point out that there is tedious evidnece that money was there - Woodgate, Modric, Colo etc, but obviously nothing solid becasue we didnt sign them in the end. If Ashley had these evil masterplans - there would be absolutely no reason to sign Colo for a club record, none whatsoever, he could of gone the bassong route...

[NE5]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a fucking joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

 

They've only been here for just over a year. They've messed up severely in that time but I still think that makes it a lot harsher to compare the previous regime with this one as they had much longer - and greater resources - to do both positive and negative things for the club.

 

Well, they MAY not get it.

 

And that is because, they didn't know what they are doing, and whats more, had an opportunity to admit it, but they didn't.

 

 

[Syrette]

For about the 100th time, everybody makes poor choices of manager sometimes, and nobody picks a winner every time which is of course logically impossible.

 

 

But only a real wanker gets it wrong four times out of five.

 

you supported Allardyce and Souness didn't you ?

 

 

 

I think most people supported Allardyce at first, I know I did. In the end I was wrong about him, and I (as many others will too) will admit to that.

 

I was also willing to give Souness a chance as I'm sure many others were too (I soon lost patience despite a surprisingly decent start to his time here). You went on record as calling Souness a "top boss" for instance.

[jimmymag]

 

It's true that it isn't clear what his intentions have been and people can put all sorts of interpretations on the various things he's done:

 

- investing nothing in the first team squad for two consecutive transfer windows

- sacking Allardyce (and paying him off with several million in the process)

- the clumsy handling of the courtship of Redknapp that followed the sacking of Allardyce

- appointing Keegan

- appointing Wise, Jimenez. Llambias etc,

- focusing on bringing young players in

- the rumours about attempts to sell off first team squad members are just that, rumours. But Milner was sold for a very good price and from what KK was saying at the time it looks as though he thought that money was there for him to reinvest as he saw fit. So either KK was playing some sort of devious end game or he was duped I think.

- backing Wise and praising him for his efforts in the Summer transfer window. I've not yet met a fan who wasn't seriously underwhelmed by our business in the window, maybe someone on here  has got something to say on that?

 

So is Ashley schizophrenic or what?

 

My view is that he started out with good intentions but has found himself involved in a business in which he is way out of his depth. And by out of his depth I mean his abilties to run a sustainable business as well as his financial resources. The fact that he did no due diligence before he shelled out £130m says it all for me. He hadn't got a clue what he was buying. He is gifted at making money for himself though and will do so again when he sells on - but what a mess he has created.   

 

That's my view of Ashley as well, especially the bit in bold!

 

I feel he is/has been very naive with regards to football in general and our club in particular, and he's been very poorly advised from the outset. This is the only conclusion that can be drawn from the series of poor decisions he has made, especially his decision to bring Keegan back with false promises and then not backing him in the transfer market. That situation was always going to backfire on Ashley.

 

There's no doubt that his situation at NUFC is untenable and he has to go, but I'm very nervous of where we go from here and who the next owner will be.

[fredbob]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

 

They've only been here for just over a year. They've messed up severely in that time but I still think that makes it a lot harsher to compare the previous regime with this one as they had much longer - and greater resources - to do both positive and negative things for the club.

 

Well, they MAY not get it.

 

And that is because, they didn't know what they are doing, and whats more, had an opportunity to admit it, but they didn't.

 

 

 

Why dont you start a thread asking people there views on the old board? Maybe you'll actually see how wrong you are in your assumptions that everyone thinks the old board were evi and shit, they dont.

 

 

[Mick]

 

mick always said that Ellis was a good chairman, better than you know who.

 

Sound like Ashley is cut from the same cloth, which explains something anyway.

 

 

 

I've never said that Doug Ellis was a good Chairman.

[NE5]

For about the 100th time, everybody makes poor choices of manager sometimes, and nobody picks a winner every time which is of course logically impossible.

 

 

But only a real wanker gets it wrong four times out of five.

 

you supported Allardyce and Souness didn't you ?

 

 

 

I think most people supported Allardyce at first, I know I did. In the end I was wrong about him, and I (as many others will too) will admit to that.

 

I was also willing to give Souness a chance as I'm sure many others were too (I soon lost patience despite a surprisingly decent start to his time here). You went on record as calling Souness a "top boss" for instance.

 

oh dear. Not this again. No I didn't.

 

I did support Allardyce, in fact I wanted him for ages, I admit it. He may have succeeded, same as Dalglish in fact. But I wouldn't dispute that they had to go, at the time.

 

 

 

 

[OzzieMandias]

continue demeaning the one man blah blah blah

 

Aw! Did the nasty man say bad things about Uncle Freddie? Poor baby!

 

Here's a new dummy. See how long you can keep this one inside the pram.

[OzzieMandias]

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club

 

Making them different from Hall, Shepherd and every other owner/chairman we've had... how, exactly?

[fredbob]

continue demeaning the one man blah blah blah

 

Aw! Did the nasty man say bad things about Uncle Freddie? Poor baby!

 

Here's a new dummy. See how long you can keep this one inside the pram.

 

Is Freddy NE5's uncle? I know theres some link between the 2 somewhere....

[UV]

continue demeaning the one man blah blah blah

 

Aw! Did the nasty man say bad things about Uncle Freddie? Poor baby!

 

Here's a new dummy. See how long you can keep this one inside the pram.

 

Is Freddy NE5's uncle? I know theres some link between the 2 somewhere....

 

He's clearly talking about Keegan there like.

 

One track minds some people 

[madras]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this.

[UV]

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner".

[madras]

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner".

we didn't have those injuries all season and we were pretty crap even with a fit squad .

 

i'll go on record as saying the hall/shepherd board until the end of 2002/3 has been the best i've known. but since then it's been a nose dive and a one from which i couldn't see that board pulling round.

[TRon]

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner".

 

I'm pretty sure you and NE5 were warning of relegation after we didn't strengthen last January, and that was with Keegan in charge. Regular doom-mongers really.

[TRon]

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner".

we didn't have those injuries all season and we were pretty crap even with a fit squad .

 

i'll go on record as saying the hall/shepherd board until the end of 2002/3 has been the best i've known. but since then it's been a nose dive and a one from which i couldn't see that board pulling round.

 

I'll go on record to second that.

[UV]

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

If we have the level of injuries this season that we did that season (and don't do something about it in January), there's absolutely no way we wont get relegated, regardless of who the manager is. That's how much we've "strengthened" the squad under "Newcastle's best ever chairman/owner".

 

I'm pretty sure you and NE5 were warning of relegation after we didn't strengthen last January, and that was with Keegan in charge. Regular doom-mongers really.

 

Yes I was, however last season was the first season since we got into the premiership that I was ever seriously worried about relegation, and I would have been thinking the same thing regardless of who the owner/chairman was.

[fredbob]

continue demeaning the one man blah blah blah

 

Aw! Did the nasty man say bad things about Uncle Freddie? Poor baby!

 

Here's a new dummy. See how long you can keep this one inside the pram.

 

Is Freddy NE5's uncle? I know theres some link between the 2 somewhere....

 

He's clearly talking about Keegan there like.

 

One track minds some people 

 

To be fair - it was a legitimate question. NE5 clearly has links with the old board and Shepherd in particular, I'm just curious. 

[NE5]

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club

 

Making them different from Hall, Shepherd and every other owner/chairman we've had... how, exactly?

 

have you kept up your own consistent standards by emailing that cockney journo to dish the dirt on the club you say you support again ?

 

 

[NE5]

continue demeaning the one man blah blah blah

 

Aw! Did the nasty man say bad things about Uncle Freddie? Poor baby!

 

Here's a new dummy. See how long you can keep this one inside the pram.

 

Is Freddy NE5's uncle? I know theres some link between the 2 somewhere....

 

He's clearly talking about Keegan there like.

 

One track minds some people 

 

indeed I was. Pretty amazing that anybody didn't realise. New heights of dumbness..........

 

I think Ozzie Mandiarse needs serious help to be honest. How old is he ?

 

 

[Benwell Lad]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

 

You know what mate, need to re-read the OP to understand where the title of the thread was coming from.

P.S. I actually liked Freddie, but when he fired SBR,  replaced him with Souness and then seemed intent on bankrupting the club to restore his own popularity I went off him a bit.

[NE5]

In light of the global financial crash, the situation overspending West Ham now find themselves in, unsustainable Premier league wage bills and football's general level of debt,  Mike Ashley's structured plan for the club and it's finances looks quite visionary.

 

Aston Villa and Spurs had a similar "vision" at the start of the Premiership and it set them back 15 years.

 

 

Unless you've been on Mars for the last 6 months you may realise we live in very different financial times to those of the last 15 years.

Ashley's intention was not to stop spending, just to stop spending stupidly.

 

Net spend under his tenure would suggest differently.

 

I think his assumed tenure was a lot longer than one year.

Therefore to judge him (or anyone) else on the one year since taking over a sinking ship would be unfair in the extreme.

But there again what do the angry mob care about fairness ?

 

you know what mate. This whole thread is ridiculous, from the title and the suggestion you are making , right down to the posters who - including yourself - continue demeaning the one man who has shown this club how to behave like a top football club, and drove everybody on in the process when he was given the power and freedom to do it.

 

It was obvious ages ago that profit was the main motivation for them running this football club, and like true non-footballing people, they didn't understand how to go about doing it. They thought that 52000 fans would come and watch the club, come what may, [like a lot of others to be honest, that didn't see the club in the 70's and 80's], and probably wouldn't be told either [same again].

 

I don't suppose you and a few others will EVER admit to the success of the last board and the fact that they understood that they had to compete - much to your discredit - which in terms of "ticked boxes" is the biggest of all, and the reason why personally I will continue to point this out until someone else comes in and also understands. Because for me, no board will have a hope of matching them until they do.

 

Saving the "sinking ship", when you are getting 52000 crowds, doesn't need too much to get it back on the right course again, and I will point out - again - that only 2 years ago they were in the UEFA Cup and finished 7th in the league, and currently most of the clubs top players, including the captain and his striking partner in particular, were also signed under the old board, not the current one. A league position that was only achieved twice in over 3 decades prior to the last board walking into the club.

 

THAT is perspective. The sharp crash in the last year, should really not make it necessary any more for people like me to keep pointing it out.

 

Ashley, best chairman/owner ? What a f***ing joke.

 

We might still get worse again, and thats the frightening thing, but that also means another regime inferior to the Halls and Shepherd. Don't hold your breath if this does happen too.

 

But Keegan has exposed them for the amateurs that they are.

 

 

 

that year we finished 7th did you not think ,like most others, "how did we get up here ? we've been crap,as crap as last year and i don't feel confident for next season either" ( a lack of confidence that was well founded.)

 

we'd been going backwards since robson's penultimate full season but you can't admit this.

 

no. At the end of the day, we finished 7th. What are you trying to demean it for ? Anyone would think you had some sort of personal agenda ? Please tell us if you think the new board will ever finish 7th, never mind qualify for the Champs League, never mind europe more than anybody but 4 teams, 2 FA Cup Finals, and create a level of expectancy and hope that fills the ground every home game.