Interesting bit about Ashley..........

[Benwell Lad]

on nufc.com

On the day that Ashley's shambolic ownership of the club has been clearly documented it was interesting to see the following piece on nufc.com in relation to the Pompey problems. They usually adopt a very anti-Ashley stand.

Does this mean that he deserves at least some small credit from us ?

P.S. I can't wait for Ashley to sell the club and for us all to move on - so lay off before you start you usual suspects.

 

With further revelations in the press concerning the financial meltdown at Portsmouth, the fact that the Premier League have been aware of their plight for a considerable time has us twitching a little bit.

 

As well as providing a "what if" scenario for what could have unfolded at SJP had Mike Ashley & his cash not come on board in 2007 (we've never got as far as defaulting on player wages) it's also a moot point as to whether the administrators should be in at Fratton Park.

[Guest dover]

Which part of that is interesting?

[LiquidAK]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

 

By clearing our debt he subsequently got us relegated

[LiquidAK]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

 

By clearing our debt he subsequently got us relegated

 

Yes, that's the only thing that got us relegated. Nothing to do with the terrible transfer dealings, the undermining of Keegan, the ridiculous appointment of JFK. Clearing our debt was the sole reason behind our relegation.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

 

By clearing our debt he subsequently got us relegated

 

Yes, that's the only thing that got us relegated. Nothing to do with the terrible transfer dealings, the undermining of Keegan, the ridiculous appointment of JFK. Clearing our debt was the sole reason behind our relegation.

 

played a big part!

[LiquidAK]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

 

By clearing our debt he subsequently got us relegated

 

Yes, that's the only thing that got us relegated. Nothing to do with the terrible transfer dealings, the undermining of Keegan, the ridiculous appointment of JFK. Clearing our debt was the sole reason behind our relegation.

 

played a big part!

 

No it didn't. Clearing the debt was a good thing. The horrible mismanagement and unwillingness to back his manager and go for the targets he really wanted is what screwed us, and even that is tenuously related to the debt wiping, if at all. If you can really justify how clearing our debts actually hurt us then I'd like to hear it.

[Guest toonlass]

It's pretty much acknowledged that the one thing he did right was clearing out debts. Of course then he went about being as frugal as possible with transfers and consequently screwed us, but the debt thing was a positive, no getting around that.

 

By clearing our debt he subsequently got us relegated

 

Yes, that's the only thing that got us relegated. Nothing to do with the terrible transfer dealings, the undermining of Keegan, the ridiculous appointment of JFK. Clearing our debt was the sole reason behind our relegation.

 

You forgot to mention that the players didn't win enough games either. Reckon that had a massive part in it myself like.

[Dave]

Clearing the debts hurt us because it took far more money than stupid Mike was expecting. He then refused to spend any money on transfers.

[LiquidAK]

Clearing the debts hurt us because it took far more money than stupid Mike was expecting. He then refused to spend any money on transfers.

 

Spent a lot on Colo, Xisco, Nolan etc. Surely we'd be in a much worse situation now than had the debt remained? Still think the way he completely cocked up the Keegan stuff, then hiring an idiot almost as thick as him hurt us more.

[Dave]

If he'd not fully cleared the debt he might have been willing to spend the £10m in January that would have kept us up. So no, I don't think we'd be any worse off at all.

 

Just one of a number of ridiculous 'I know best' decisions from the person in charge.

[Frazzle]

Clearing the debts hurt us because it took far more money than stupid Mike was expecting. He then refused to spend any money on transfers.

 

Spent a lot on Colo, Xisco, Nolan etc. Surely we'd be in a much worse situation now than had the debt remained? Still think the way he completely cocked up the Keegan stuff, then hiring an idiot almost as thick as him hurt us more.

 

I'm sure Nolan was paid for by the Given and N'Zogbia sales.  Likewise Colo and Xisco from other sales (Milner? etc.).

[LiquidAK]

If he'd not fully cleared the debt he might have been willing to spend the £10m in January that would have kept us up. So no, I don't think we'd be any worse off at all.

 

Just one of a number of ridiculous 'I know best' decisions from the person in charge.

 

Well seeing as neither of us (I'm assuming ) has a time machine, we'll never know for sure.

[Wallace]

Clearing the debts hurt us because it took far more money than stupid Mike was expecting. He then refused to spend any money on transfers.

 

Spent a lot on Colo, Xisco, Nolan etc. Surely we'd be in a much worse situation now than had the debt remained? Still think the way he completely cocked up the Keegan stuff, then hiring an idiot almost as thick as him hurt us more.

 

I'm sure Nolan was paid for by the Given and N'Zogbia sales.  Likewise Colo and Xisco from other sales (Milner? etc.).

 

At the time, they said they paid for Nolan up front and we were told that the first payment for Given would not be for a few months.  But as we have all learned, we cannot believe anything the club says, so who knows.

 

 

[hakka]

If he'd not fully cleared the debt he might have been willing to spend the £10m in January that would have kept us up. So no, I don't think we'd be any worse off at all.

 

Just one of a number of ridiculous 'I know best' decisions from the person in charge.

 

Well seeing as neither of us (I'm assuming ) has a time machine, we'll never know for sure.

 

I have a time machine.  Send me a PM.

[Guest toonlass]

Clearing the debts hurt us because it took far more money than stupid Mike was expecting. He then refused to spend any money on transfers.

 

Spent a lot on Colo, Xisco, Nolan etc. Surely we'd be in a much worse situation now than had the debt remained? Still think the way he completely cocked up the Keegan stuff, then hiring an idiot almost as thick as him hurt us more.

 

I'm sure Nolan was paid for by the Given and N'Zogbia sales.  Likewise Colo and Xisco from other sales (Milner? etc.).

 

 

 

At the time, they said they paid for Nolan up front and we were told that the first payment for Given would not be for a few months.  But as we have all learned, we cannot believe anything the club says, so who knows.

 

 

 

Once the finances are released for the past year I am sure people will have a looksee and it will come out whether that is right or not.

[bealios]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

When you take the emotion away from it, you are essentially dealing with a bloke who has invested more of his own cash in NUFC than any other person in the history of the club. He was also responsible for the appointment of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. And he liked a few beers in the away end. If someone told us 5 years ago that we would end up with such an owner, but he would become perhaps the most criticised owner in the clubs history, we would have thought them a bit mental.

 

I don't have any ill feelings towards Ashley, I just think its a shame that he couldn't get some proper advice and make it work. I saw him on Wednesday night and he just looked like a broken man, but couldn't help admiring the fact that he still comes to the games, he could quite easily think fuck it and not bother at all.

[Guest toonlass]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

When you take the emotion away from it, you are essentially dealing with a bloke who has invested more of his own cash in NUFC than any other person in the history of the club. He was also responsible for the appointment of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. And he liked a few beers in the away end. If someone told us 5 years ago that we would end up with such an owner, but he would become perhaps the most criticised owner in the clubs history, we would have thought them a bit mental.

 

I don't have any ill feelings towards Ashley, I just think its a shame that he couldn't get some proper advice and make it work. I saw him on Wednesday night and he just looked like a broken man, but couldn't help admiring the fact that he still comes to the games, he could quite easily think fuck it and not bother at all.

 

Or you can end up with embittered souls like NE5 who still cannot bring himself to say McKeag without spitting.

[Tooj]

I'm glad he still comes to the games. Just so he knows how despised he actually is.

[Robster]

I'm glad he still comes to the games. Just so he knows how despised he actually is.

I am intrigued to know what kind of reaction he going to get today and if there is going to be loads of "Keegan" chants

[jdckelly]

I'm glad he still comes to the games. Just so he knows how despised he actually is.

I am intrigued to know what kind of reaction he going to get today and if there is going to be loads of "Keegan" chants

how much worse can the reception he usually has get?

[Chris_R]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

When you take the emotion away from it, you are essentially dealing with a bloke who has invested more of his own cash in NUFC than any other person in the history of the club. He was also responsible for the appointment of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. And he liked a few beers in the away end. If someone told us 5 years ago that we would end up with such an owner, but he would become perhaps the most criticised owner in the clubs history, we would have thought them a bit mental.

 

I don't have any ill feelings towards Ashley, I just think its a shame that he couldn't get some proper advice and make it work. I saw him on Wednesday night and he just looked like a broken man, but couldn't help admiring the fact that he still comes to the games, he could quite easily think f*** it and not bother at all.

 

Pretty much my opinion.

 

He's fucked up. Repeatedly. But not maliciously. He's lost a couple of hundred million quid so he's probably as gutted as we are that the decisions he's made have been so bad.

 

Some people act like he's doing all these things deliberately, just with the sole intention of destroying the club. He's a walking disaster, but it's incompetence not malice.

[TRon]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

When you take the emotion away from it, you are essentially dealing with a bloke who has invested more of his own cash in NUFC than any other person in the history of the club. He was also responsible for the appointment of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. And he liked a few beers in the away end. If someone told us 5 years ago that we would end up with such an owner, but he would become perhaps the most criticised owner in the clubs history, we would have thought them a bit mental.

 

I don't have any ill feelings towards Ashley, I just think its a shame that he couldn't get some proper advice and make it work. I saw him on Wednesday night and he just looked like a broken man, but couldn't help admiring the fact that he still comes to the games, he could quite easily think fuck it and not bother at all.

 

It's true that he invested his own cash, and let's face it not many other people including Kevin Keegan have done that, but it's the deceit I can't stomach. If he was just up front and stuck to the line that the club was strapped for cash I could support that, but the bullshit and lies spun by his team have been unforgiveable. If it was just incompetence you could at least feel some sympathy.

[Guest Wally_McFool]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

 

You may or may not be right but it would have been interesting to see how Ashley might have decided to run the club with someone like David Dein advising him from the start  instead of  the likes of  his mates Kelmsley, Wobbly Eyes, Derek the Flasher, that laughable old buffoon JFK and the so called foreign talent spotters he brought in.

 

I think he has had ample chances to put things right but he's  fooked it up every time. He put his trust in his so called friends and they consequently  let him down time after time.

 

Its a shame but there you go.

 

[bealios]

I know this sounds a bit daft now, but I think there is a reasonable chance that in 5 years time people will look back at the Ashley era and not have as much hatred for the man that they do now.

 

When you take the emotion away from it, you are essentially dealing with a bloke who has invested more of his own cash in NUFC than any other person in the history of the club. He was also responsible for the appointment of Kevin Keegan and Alan Shearer. And he liked a few beers in the away end. If someone told us 5 years ago that we would end up with such an owner, but he would become perhaps the most criticised owner in the clubs history, we would have thought them a bit mental.

 

I don't have any ill feelings towards Ashley, I just think its a shame that he couldn't get some proper advice and make it work. I saw him on Wednesday night and he just looked like a broken man, but couldn't help admiring the fact that he still comes to the games, he could quite easily think fuck it and not bother at all.

 

It's true that he invested his own cash, and let's face it not many other people including Kevin Keegan have done that, but it's the deceit I can't stomach. If he was just up front and stuck to the line that the club was strapped for cash I could support that, but the bullshit and lies spun by his team have been unforgiveable. If it was just incompetence you could at least feel some sympathy.

 

You're right of course, but football is a dirty corrupt game - anything with that amount of money in it attracts the worst types of parasites. For all we know every club may need to keep the top agents sweet - it wasn't long ago that we lost out on Luca Modric even though he was perfectly happy to come to NUFC - I know in that case it was the selling club's owner who favoured the move to Tottenham, but you can see how in the real world these sort of deals might be the sort of things that need to be done all of the time - there must be a ton of reserves at a number of clubs in the Premier League where the reason for signing the isn't completely apparent. But if they ultimately end up with you getting a top player over another club, then maybe it is worth it. In the past NUFC used to pip clubs like Everton and Tottenham to most players, but we did it by paying £20K a week more, which over a 5 year contract is a hell of a lot more than £1m.

 

Not defending the deal that was done, the important thing is that the final decision on these matters is made by the manager.