The long road ahead. What next for Newcastle United?

[The Prophet]

Sitting top of the Championship is currently the only glimmer of light in a particularly cloudy sky. Sitting bored silly it's interesting to wonder what comes next for the club.

 

Given the points return from the beginning of the season promotion is a real possibility but as much as we want to be back in the top flight will it hold any benefit for the long term future of the club? Ashley has already made it clear he'll make an attempt to sell should we earn promotion, a notion that doesn't bold well for our prospects. Come the New Year Hughton can expect a shoe-string budget while any attempt to sell up in the summer will see the squad neglected. Going into the Premiership with little change to the current crop is the stuff of nightmares, having togetherness and team spirit is one thing but it takes more than that to prevent a good hiding from the quality in the top flight.

 

Even those able to charm the birds from the trees would struggle to shift a club saddled with a sizeable overdraft and a squad destined to be mired in a relegation scrap, let alone Ashley. Most self respecting business men will baulk at an inflated price, the only possibility another idiot with more money than sense.

 

What if the masterful appointment of Hughton fails and we remain in the second tier? Will the club go up for sale or can we expect further asset stripping and minimal investment?

 

It's difficult to speculate with such an unpredictable regime in charge but it's tough not to wonder what the future holds. Our best bet of removing Ashley could mean a humiliating relegation from the Premier League but many would argue it is a price worth paying. However given the squad depth and the man in charge of organising them we might not even get that far. It's just so difficult to be positive when all the answers are either shrouded in negativity or simply leave us posed with another question.

 

[David Icke - Son of God]

 

Given the points return from the beginning of the season promotion is a real possibility but as much as we want to be back in the top flight will it hold any benefit for the long term future of the club? Ashley has already made it clear he'll make an attempt to sell should we earn promotion, a notion that doesn't bold well for our prospects. Come the New Year Hughton can expect a shoe-string budget while any attempt to sell up in the summer will see the squad neglected. Going into the Premiership with little change to the current crop is the stuff of nightmares, having togetherness and team spirit is one thing but it takes more than that to prevent a good hiding from the quality in the top flight.

 

 

I missed that meeting. Link.

[The Prophet]

 

Given the points return from the beginning of the season promotion is a real possibility but as much as we want to be back in the top flight will it hold any benefit for the long term future of the club? Ashley has already made it clear he'll make an attempt to sell should we earn promotion, a notion that doesn't bold well for our prospects. Come the New Year Hughton can expect a shoe-string budget while any attempt to sell up in the summer will see the squad neglected. Going into the Premiership with little change to the current crop is the stuff of nightmares, having togetherness and team spirit is one thing but it takes more than that to prevent a good hiding from the quality in the top flight.

 

 

I missed that meeting. Link.

 

It might just of been speculation but I can't be arsed to trawl the internet trying to confirm it. It's a thread based on specultion anyway. Ashley putting the club up for sale in the summer is a possability,  which is essentially what the thread is about.

[Dave]

In a way if we get promoted I hope he doesn't try and sell again. I want him out ASAP, don't get me wrong. It's just that he'll no doubt ask too much, move the goalposts all over and ruin the summer, pre-season and any plans the manager has (whoever the fuck it is) in the process. Then we'll probably end up not being sold again to boot.

[Jayson]

I must be one of the few finding it easy to be positive. We're top of the league, we've got young players coming through playing for their countries who i expect to improve. We've a great chance of getting back in the premier league, doing much better than i expected. Ashley looks like hes trying to leave, or had been & i expect him to in the future. Even the prospect of going into next season with this same side isnt that worrying to me, i like the idea of being back in the prem regardless. Worse comes to worse & we get relegated, then ill expect us to get back up yet again. At some point soon Ashley will be gone & everything will look far better.

 

Worse case situation to me is us not getting promoted & losing most of our players. Thats about the only real negative i see. If we do badly next season ill worry about that then, but i wouldnt write it off now when so much about the club is still able to improve with time. We might have a great goalscoring partnership by the time we go up for all i know at this point.

[The Prophet]

In a way if we get promoted I hope he doesn't try and sell again. I want him out ASAP, don't get me wrong. It's just that he'll no doubt ask too much, move the goalposts all over and ruin the summer, pre-season and any plans the manager has (whoever the f*** it is) in the process. Then we'll probably end up not being sold again to boot.

 

I know what you mean but what be best for the greater good of the club? Getting rid of Ashley or the potential of a humiliating exit from the Premier League? The latter would probably damage our egos more than anything.

[Guest Heneage]

Guy at work who's a Sunderland fan reckons we'll become a YoYo club like they were.

[madras]

if we get promoted we will be a much better proposition to buy. it all depends on how much ashley wants.

[Guest palnese]

If promoted I think we will go down straight away, unless a new owner / manager comes in early next summer.

[EthiGeordie]

    I know I sound crazy but I don't think all this pessmesim really help us all...... Regarding of everything lets see the future brightly...

[Guest Chris P]

I am determined that Newcastle United is not only here today, but that it is also there tomorrow for your children who stand beside you at St James’ Park.

 

I still belive that the fat cunt meant this. It's part of his origional "the clubs on the market statement". Thats why he wont sell.

 

So the future is better than most people think. If he did give up custodianship . then things could be far worse. Just think , owing 450 million in a personal loans to a guy wanted by the Kremlin

[thewellander]

Call me optimistic, naive, or stupid, but I feel that this relegation will be seen in a few years as the best thing that happened to us.

 

I think we'll win promotion this year and will have cleared out a lot of the rot (ie, Owen, Duff, etc.), get sold to a better owner, and have the opportunity to build the team that the fans deserve.

 

Surely we are a well-enough supported club to move forward from this, learn from our mistakes, and have the financial stability to secure a permanent place in the EPL.

 

Right?

[Yorkie]

In a way if we get promoted I hope he doesn't try and sell again. I want him out ASAP, don't get me wrong. It's just that he'll no doubt ask too much, move the goalposts all over and ruin the summer, pre-season and any plans the manager has (whoever the fuck it is) in the process. Then we'll probably end up not being sold again to boot.

 

I hope he does cos Hughton will be in charge if not and we'll go down anyway.

[Guest Chris P]

In a way if we get promoted I hope he doesn't try and sell again. I want him out ASAP, don't get me wrong. It's just that he'll no doubt ask too much, move the goalposts all over and ruin the summer, pre-season and any plans the manager has (whoever the f*** it is) in the process. Then we'll probably end up not being sold again to boot.

 

I hope he does cos Hughton will be in charge if not and we'll go down anyway.

 

So nobodys allowed to learn anymore (from their mistakes) It has too be immediate gratification now or it doesnt work.

[Guest BlacknWhiteArmy]

If Ashley does decide to try to sell up in the summer if we get promoted, I can see what will happen. He will take the whole summer trying to sell, we'll be stuck with Hughton, no transfers will be made and no manager or owner will come in (Maybe not at all) in time to add new players/have a pre season with the squad.

[madras]

i honestly think had we been midtable we'd have been sold. ashley will be thinking if we do up with what we have he can get a lot more.

[Guest BooBoo]

Looking more short term, it wouldnt surprise me if Ashley agreed to off loading someone like Enrique or Jonas in January and replace them with another loannee. Just a hunch.

[Dave]

Looking more short term, it wouldnt surprise me if Ashley agreed to off loading someone like Enrique or Jonas in January and replace them with another loannee. Just a hunch.

 

I'd be surprised if both of them are here when the window closes, albeit for different reasons.

[Guest BooBoo]

For me, although things like changing the stadium name are grossly disrespectful to the club, for Ashley to derail a promotion bid by selling players to scrape back some coin would be the most heinous act. Don't put it past him.

[Segun Oluwaniyi]

For me, although things like changing the stadium name are grossly disrespectful to the club, for Ashley to derail a promotion bid by selling players to scrape back some coin would be the most heinous act. Don't put it past him.

If Enrique goes, it will likely be because he wants to, and the same can be said of Jonas. The question might just be replacing them, imo. Similar to the summer, it would have been nice to keep Bassong, Oba, etc., but they had ambitions and suitors in higher places. The problem is that we brought no one else in. However, at that time Ashley was still "actively trying to sell the club"

[Cronky]

I don't think Ashley will need or want to sell any players in January. Unless he gets a really silly bid, he won't want to jeopardise the £30 million or whatever bonanza of promotion.

 

The problem is that players are now quite powerful if they really want to force a move through. They can develop a mysterious back injury, or be a disruptive influence in the dressing room.

[EthiGeordie]

Call me optimistic, naive, or stupid, but I feel that this relegation will be seen in a few years as the best thing that happened to us.

 

I think we'll win promotion this year and will have cleared out a lot of the rot (ie, Owen, Duff, etc.), get sold to a better owner, and have the opportunity to build the team that the fans deserve.

 

Surely we are a well-enough supported club to move forward from this, learn from our mistakes, and have the financial stability to secure a permanent place in the EPL.

 

Right?

 

 

This is what I think everytime since last May. We will be stronger becuase of what happen to us this past year. The players already being strong I don't know when we the fans start looking forward rather than backwards about the owner. Giving him nice thoughts how we move forward than just calling his name here and there. I am not saying he doesn't deserve it but we are not helping the club with out constructive dialog.

[cubaricho]

I think we'll get promoted this season and Mike Ashley will try and sell again and be successful in his attempt to off-load us.  I feel that all he really wants back is his initial investment and if we are a Prem club he can achieve that.

[merlin]

If promoted I think we will go down straight away, unless a new owner / manager comes in early next summer.

 

This.

[Ronaldo]

If anyone thinks that midfield and attack is anywhere near fit for the premiership, you're out of your mind. Massive investment needed in the summer unfortunately.