Ashley has no one else to blame if we go down

[dcmk]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

Pretty sure there is a legal case going on mate and he is encouraged to keep his mouth shut when it comes to the club.  It is a similar situation to the recent stint he had as manager too

[madras]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

Pretty sure there is a legal case going on mate and he is encouraged to keep his mouth shut when it comes to the club.  It is a similar situation to the recent stint he had as manager too

cuts both ways as it means the club are similarly silenced. it also looks like all parties will work out a plan to stop the fans actually finding out what went on.

[Skirge]

Newcastle's players believe the current caretaker management duo of Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood is not good enough to keep the club in the Premier League and want former England boss Terry Venables brought in as an emergency manager. (The Sun)

[TRon]

Ashley's plan is guaranteed to fail because it does not and never will do in its current form place any real value on the manager, which is why they let KK go. Afterall, he was only the motivator and any fucker can do that hence Joe Kinnear and now Chris Hughton.

 

Which leads me to seriously question the motive behind KK's appointment....

 

Was it to recreate the whole Entertainers era? Was it f***, KK was appointed to keep fans happy during transfer windows where the bare minimum would be spent and to sell season tickets - in advance!

 

We have all been sold a lie, none more so than KK who I guarantee would not have returned if he thought he wouldn't have been given the kind of funds required to turn this club around, funds that were promised to him, funds Ashley has said several times himself would be made available to the manager.

 

And before anyone starts... we are not talking mega money. First of all KK despite popular misconception is not and never has been a chequebook manager but he can not deliver results on a shoestring budget, not consistently and nor can any manager really.

 

When he took us to promotion back in '93 the likes of Derby County and Wolves spent more than we did. When we finished 3rd we were one of the lowest spenders in the league and I remember very vividly big concern among fans during the close season that we were not spending enough.

 

The following season we were once again a low spender compared to some of our rivals (bringing about more fears on the stands) and even though we spent big the following season, we were not doing it in a fashion akin to the modern day Chelsea or Man Utd who can and have spent far and away more than anyone else could. Remember we did make £7m from the sale of Andy Cole.

 

Of course we broke the world record for Shearer in 96 which was massive money but not something a Man Utd, a Liverpool or an Arsenal couldn't do, even Chelsea were starting to spend big back then.

 

Most clubs were. Middlesbrough for example spent a fortune on their Brazilians and Ravanelli. Villa were spending big on the likes of Mark Draper, Milosovic etc. (that was £10m there, or Sir Les and Warren Barton - £7m of that outlay came from the sale of Cole) so again it wasn't like we were several financial steps up on the ladder, we were not, every club was spending "big" for their day (due to all the money pouring into the game) but only a handful of clubs were winning as many games as we were. The end result of that spending was wins and success. Basically money well spent.

 

KK would have wanted money to spend but you have to measure that want by the need to spend, and he like any manager needs money and NUFC especially needed to spend money to get back up into the top 6 and Europe. Ironically to get there now would require even more money than what was needed under Kk which wasn't fantasy figures but decent money, maybe 20-30m a season.

 

And for that (which is a lot of money) KK would guarantee you results like any top manager would which is what he is.

 

Ashley had within his grasp a top manager, one that understands this club and knows what it takes and more importantly knows how to go about achieving success here and he f***ing blew it just like he blew his money when buying us and we are paying for it and my how we are paying for it, with the likely result relegation to a level of football KK worked damn hard to make sure we never ever contemplated again.

 

Well thanks Mike.

 

Amazingly he gets credit for his financial "plan" for the club...

 

Well when we go down that plan of his will lie in absolute tatters, like our f***ing club and like poor KK's reputation among several of the deluded on here and on the stands and f***ing shame on you all. I sincerely hope your shame lasts a lot longer than the damage done to our club by Mike Ashley, Dennis Wise, Derek Llambias and Joe Kinnear NOT KEVIN KEEGAN or even FREDDY SHEPHERD.

 

If you genuinely believe KK or even FS is to blame for this then you deserve what is coming your way, but please, spare all us other sufferers your pain. Go and take it to Mike, he'll fix you up with a nice replica shirt in his tatty store I'm sure.

 

Of course the money KK needed (and any manager for that matter, even Kinnear needed money) just isn't there but we all know why. Because the idiot buying the club didn't have a clue what he was buying and he has even less of a clue how to run it.

 

KK paid for that and so are we.

 

Ironically so will the man himself, when we go down. I keep telling myself we won't go down but who the f*** am I kidding 

 

PS I'm halfway through listening to a track called when love breaks down, by a band from Durham of all places. 

 

Like all things success is a cycle and identifying when within that cycle one may be proactive and when one should hold fire. Football is a business where identifying this is more precarious than most other types of concerns as even when the investment is in place, a myriad of other things need to go your way as well. All one can do when dealing with these challenges is limiting risk during the investment phase, at a football club this would mean having an inferstructure and personell that as much as they can limit risk. In plain terms the most important person at a football club is the manager of the football team and if he is right, then you have gone a long way to reducing all other risk eventualities. A lot of things can be fixed if you start by hiring a good manager and let him get on with it.

 

I think that's probably the best review of what has been wrong with Ashley's approach regarding finance. The problems with the lack of investment in the squad are not just down to Mike, he obviously inherited those and anyone who was watching the throwing of good money after bad players year after year must know that it couldn't continue.

 

My beef with Ashley is that on football matters he clearly hasn't got a clue and obviously neither has anyone in his team. The fact that we are are on the verge of being relegated while we wait for an over the hill manager to recover from heart surgery is testament to Ashley's inability to grasp the reality of what is happening. We talk about the media hating us but we have got off lightly so far on this one because it is an absolute joke.

[colinmk]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

You think we'd be in this state if he'd have stayed?

 

No, but then i'd say that if he'd not brought him back in the first place we'd not be where we are now.

 

Still his own decision/fault either way though.

 

True, but I reckon any manager of decent standing within the game would of ultimately been forced to go about it similar to Keegan and therefore we were always going to be in this state.

[Parky]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

You think we'd be in this state if he'd have stayed?

 

No, but then i'd say that if he'd not brought him back in the first place we'd not be where we are now.

 

Still his own decision/fault either way though.

 

True, but I reckon any manager of decent standing within the game would of ultimately been forced to go about it similar to Keegan and therefore we were always going to be in this state.

 

Well I suggest Mike should have done better to keep him.

[Syrette]

Decent Teamtalk column. Doesn't really say much new but it is good to see more media outlets having empathy for us (the fans) whilst agreeing with the general consensus of who is to blame for our plight.

 

http://www.teamtalk.com/football/interactiveEditorial/0,16398,3016_5089810,00.html

 

Ashley's gamble so unfair on fans

 

TEAMtalk's Jon Holmes feels Newcastle owner Mike Ashley's failure to act over the club's management situation may have doomed them to the drop.

 

The ship is sinking, the captain is in the sick bay and the crew have no idea where the lifeboats are. Newcastle are plunging towards the Championship and unless decisive action is taken during this two-week break, it's hard to see how a salvage operation can be mounted at St James' Park.

 

Ashley's dithering over the most pressing issue on Tyneside - who will guide the Magpies through the final stages of the season - has to be the worst of all his offences since he waddled into the club in June 2007.

 

While some sympathy must be extended to boss Joe Kinnear as he convalesces from a heart bypass operation, the decision to hang on and wait for him to recover from such a serious health scare is folly in the extreme.

 

In any case, Kinnear has only won five league games in his stint as Magpies manager - four if you count the fact he was taken ill on the morning of the 3-1 win at bottom club West Brom.

 

There is no indication that having him back in charge will spark the turnaround in fortunes that Newcastle need to survive in the top flight.

 

Yet Ashley continues to leave team affairs in the hands of Chris Hughton, assisted by Colin Calderwood.

 

Whether Kinnear is attempting to manage the team from his hospital bed is unclear, but on matchdays Hughton does not carry any air of authority whatsoever and the uncertainty is filtering through to the players.

 

Newcastle were admittedly unfortunate in Saturday's 3-1 Premier League defeat at home to Arsenal. The injuries sustained by Sebastien Bassong (groin) and Steven Taylor (ankle ligaments) came at crucial times in the match and their defence was then easily breached by the Gunners' craft and power.

 

But if Ashley believes it is just bad luck and circumstance that is pushing Newcastle towards relegation, he is deluded. He should have recognised by now that his team is rudderless without Kinnear at the helm, and that they lack the organisation and discipline necessary to survive.

 

There are various managers available who have kept teams up in recent seasons against the odds - Alan Curbishley, Roy Keane and David O'Leary, to name but three. Whatever you may think of those men and their previous spells in the game, their CVs at least suggest they would stand a much better chance of saving Newcastle than the current stand-ins.

 

Neither Bassong, Taylor nor presumably Kinnear are expected to be fit for the visit of Chelsea on April 4. After that, the Magpies travel to the cauldron that is Stoke's Britannia Stadium - a tough place to go. Then it's a trip to in-form Tottenham.

 

By the time relegation rivals Portsmouth come calling on Monday April 27, it seems probable that Newcastle's current plight will have worsened.

 

Even if Kinnear comes back fighting fit and gets a response from the players, the damage done by this period of indecision could prove insurmountable.

 

There can be no guarantees appointing a new manager would have improved the club's chances of survival, but it was worth a shot.

 

Waiting for Kinnear to ride back into Toon and save the day is a risk Ashley should not have taken, and it's putting the fans through even more agony.

[Guest fading star]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

KK’s not likely to have anything positive to say about Ashley and his cronies. If he’d gone public with his side of the story you’d no doubt be accusing him of pouring petrol on the flames.

 

Ashley never excepted to sell the club. He said as much when he announced he was putting it up for sale. He appointed JFK because he was the only person desperate enough to take the job. He gave him the job to the end of the season because Joe proved to be a most willing puppet. He wants to keep him on next year because he doesn’t give a shit about NUFC.

 

Like HTT said. Ashley gambled on buying the club without undertaking due diligence and lost. He’s trying to get his wager back by shafting the supporters. He thinks we’ll pay to watch any old shite in any old division, and under normal circumstances he’d be right. But these aren’t normal circumstances. No owner in our history has treated the club and it’s supporters with such contempt.

 

Ei ei ei o

Down the football league we go

When we get to Gateshead

This is what we’ll sing

We are the Geordies, Fuck off Ashley

Keegan is our king.

[Offshore]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

You think we'd be in this state if he'd have stayed?

 

No, but then i'd say that if he'd not brought him back in the first place we'd not be where we are now.

 

Still his own decision/fault either way though.

 

True, but I reckon any manager of decent standing within the game would of ultimately been forced to go about it similar to Keegan and therefore we were always going to be in this state.

 

Possibly, but again we're back to who did/said/promised/demanded etc what - all been done to death but resurrected many times.

 

Until both sides have their say, we'll never know the true story.

 

However and regardless of who started it, it all comes down to the fact that Ashley wanted KK and made the appointment, if he thought KK was his man he should have had the guts to follow it through.

 

I don't go with the concensus that Ashley is out to intentionally fuck us over, I think he has a genuine want for us to do well, but he's surrounded himself with key personnel who don't really know what they're doing.

[Guest fading star]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

You think we'd be in this state if he'd have stayed?

 

No, but then i'd say that if he'd not brought him back in the first place we'd not be where we are now.

 

Still his own decision/fault either way though.

 

True, but I reckon any manager of decent standing within the game would of ultimately been forced to go about it similar to Keegan and therefore we were always going to be in this state.

 

Possibly, but again we're back to who did/said/promised/demanded etc what - all been done to death but resurrected many times.

 

Until both sides have their say, we'll never know the true story.

 

However and regardless of who started it, it all comes down to the fact that Ashley wanted KK and made the appointment, if he thought KK was his man he should have had the guts to follow it through.

 

I don't go with the concensus that Ashley is out to intentionally f*** us over, I think he has a genuine want for us to do well, but he's surrounded himself with key personnel who don't really know what they're doing.

Yeah? So why did Sportsdirect only pay NUFC something like £40k for what amounts to a blue chip sponsorship package at SJP? On the face of it, it looks like great business for Ashley‘s first love, but shocking business for NUFC.

[madras]

Aye , seems Kevin can do no wrong , he's the man.

 

is he still suing his old club by the way?

 

haven't heard one word from him since ,you'd think he'd have

something to say for himself regarding the situation....................

 

perhaps there's no need ,he'll always have his blinkered posse mouthing off   

 

You think we'd be in this state if he'd have stayed?

 

No, but then i'd say that if he'd not brought him back in the first place we'd not be where we are now.

 

Still his own decision/fault either way though.

 

True, but I reckon any manager of decent standing within the game would of ultimately been forced to go about it similar to Keegan and therefore we were always going to be in this state.

 

Possibly, but again we're back to who did/said/promised/demanded etc what - all been done to death but resurrected many times.

 

Until both sides have their say, we'll never know the true story.

 

However and regardless of who started it, it all comes down to the fact that Ashley wanted KK and made the appointment, if he thought KK was his man he should have had the guts to follow it through.

 

I don't go with the concensus that Ashley is out to intentionally f*** us over, I think he has a genuine want for us to do well, but he's surrounded himself with key personnel who don't really know what they're doing.

Yeah? So why did Sportsdirect only pay NUFC something like £40k for what amounts to a blue chip sponsorship package at SJP? On the face of it, it looks like great business for Ashley‘s first love, but shocking business for NUFC.

so why is he putting his cash in ?

[Syrette]

Yeah? So why did Sportsdirect only pay NUFC something like £40k for what amounts to a blue chip sponsorship package at SJP? On the face of it, it looks like great business for Ashley‘s first love, but shocking business for NUFC.

 

Is that your only example?

 

I don't think he is intentionally trying to ruin the club, his heart might be in the right place but his head certainly isn't.

[Guest fading star]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

[madras]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

so lets get this straight...you think ashley paid out over 230mill and then seemingly more each month to pay the bills, in order to shift a few moe £10 tracksuit bottoms ?

[Guest fading star]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

so lets get this straight...you think ashley paid out over 230mill and then seemingly more each month to pay the bills, in order to shift a few moe £10 tracksuit bottoms ?

Yes, by raising the profile of his business in the emerging markets on the back of the NUFC brand, and of course there’s the opportunity for cushy little kit deals. Adidas paid NUFC £25m million to manufacture our kit for five years. What odds Lonsdale getting a similar deal for £100k? Northern Rock paid £25m to have their name on our shirts, what odds Sportsdirect paying £40k for the privilege?

 

Line the pockets of his other companies for five years. Use NUFC to establish the SD brand in the emerging markets. Sell on for roughly what he paid for the club, or more if by some miracle we don’t end up like Sheff Wed.

 

[Syrette]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

 

Sounds like you've just made a bunch of stuff up to me. Oh well.

 

He might not have a clue about how to run a football club, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that NUFC's value will massively decrease if it drops out of the top flight. So it benefits no-one.

[madras]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

so lets get this straight...you think ashley paid out over 230mill and then seemingly more each month to pay the bills, in order to shift a few moe £10 tracksuit bottoms ?

Yes, by raising the profile of his business in the emerging markets on the back of the NUFC brand, and of course there’s the opportunity for cushy little kit deals. Adidas paid NUFC £25m million to manufacture our kit for five years. What odds Lonsdale getting a similar deal for £100k? Northern Rock paid £25m to have their name on our shirts, what odds Sportsdirect paying £40k for the privilege?

 

Line the pockets of his other companies for five years. Use NUFC to establish the SD brand in the emerging markets. Sell on for roughly what he paid for the club, or more if by some miracle we don’t end up like Sheff Wed.

 

230mill to raise the profile of lonsdale etc ?

 

you've been at parky's conspiracy wine haven't you ?

[Guest fading star]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

 

Sounds like you've just made a bunch of stuff up to me. Oh well.

 

He might not have a clue about how to run a football club, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that NUFC's value will massively decrease if it drops out of the top flight. So it benefits no-one.

Howay then. Explain how £40k for a prestige sponsorship package is good business for NUFC?

[madras]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

 

Sounds like you've just made a bunch of stuff up to me. Oh well.

 

He might not have a clue about how to run a football club, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that NUFC's value will massively decrease if it drops out of the top flight. So it benefits no-one.

Howay then. Explain how £40k for a prestige sponsorship package is good business for NUFC?

just out of curiosity can you link me to this ammount and what they get for it ?

[Guest fading star]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

 

Sounds like you've just made a bunch of stuff up to me. Oh well.

 

He might not have a clue about how to run a football club, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that NUFC's value will massively decrease if it drops out of the top flight. So it benefits no-one.

Howay then. Explain how £40k for a prestige sponsorship package is good business for NUFC?

just out of curiosity can you link me to this ammount and what they get for it ?

amongst other things

 

Numerous prominent advertising hoardings around the ground, probably more than either Adidas or Northern rock get.

 

Significant advertising time on the pitch side electronic hoarding.

 

Their name on the Gallowgate.

 

Their logo on the post match interview board. Did you see it on MOTD, just over the left shoulder of player being interviewed. 

 

The club could have sold this stuff for millions, but basically gave it away. 

[madras]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

 

Sounds like you've just made a bunch of stuff up to me. Oh well.

 

He might not have a clue about how to run a football club, but it doesn't take a genius to realise that NUFC's value will massively decrease if it drops out of the top flight. So it benefits no-one.

Howay then. Explain how £40k for a prestige sponsorship package is good business for NUFC?

just out of curiosity can you link me to this ammount and what they get for it ?

amongst other things

 

Numerous prominent advertising hoardings around the ground, probably more than either Adidas or Northern rock get.

 

Significant advertising time on the pitch side electronic hoarding.

 

Their name on the Gallowgate.

 

Their logo on the post match interview board. Did you see it on MOTD, just over the left shoulder of player being interviewed. 

 

The club could have sold this stuff for millions, but basically gave it away. 

so you could say he's paid 230mill for that then.

 

he's been robbed.

[Parky]

One is all that’s needed. Unless you can demonstrate how it’s a good deal for NUFC?

 

Ashley sees NUFC as an unofficial subsidiary of his Sportsdirect empire. Another brand to exploit for the good of the parent company. How NUFC itself performs as a business doesn’t really matter, just as long as it helps SD shift more sportswear. NUFC doing well is a bonus, nothing more.

so lets get this straight...you think ashley paid out over 230mill and then seemingly more each month to pay the bills, in order to shift a few moe £10 tracksuit bottoms ?

 

£9.99 shirley?

[Parky]

The guy is basically a gimp who got in over his head. [threadclosed/]

[madras]

The guy is basically a gimp who got in over his head. [threadclosed/]

wouldn't say over his head (if it were he wouldn't be putting cash in or underwriting the debt) but he's certainly been bit on the arse by not checking out the state the club was in (luckily, some might say)

[Parky]

The guy is basically a gimp who got in over his head. [threadclosed/]

wouldn't say over his head (if it were he wouldn't be putting cash in or underwriting the debt) but he's certainly been bit on the arse by not checking out the state the club was in (luckily, some might say)

 

Underwriting the debt is just protecting his investment no more. We all now realise he knew nothing about a football business...nothing...less than nothing...