Is Mike Ashley the worst person ever to have been associated with NUFC?

[colinmk]

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/lukeedwards/100018321/what-does-mike-ashley-actually-want-to-achieve-with-newcastle-united/

 

Good read.

 

Probably pretty much correct, and what TRon says about his motivation changing is also near the mark IMO. When he arrived he probably had great hopes, but it went wrong so drastically and quickly that he's now going for much more modest aims.

 

That said, I don't think you can conclude that he "only wants to keep us in the premier league". I think it's more likely that he wants us to be competitive and make progress, but now that has to be within certain financial limits. Which will obviously make it harder. He;s a competitor and a gambler, I don't think he will be specifically aiming for low mediocrity.

 

And the profit in the transfer market is pretty irrelevant unless reported alongside the wider profit and loss for the whole club over a number of years. Not sure why Edwards feels the need to include it, wilfully ignoring the bigger picture really.

 

 

 

A decent gambler will know when to cut his losses. He has been on a non-stop losing streak with us. Let's just hope the next person is someone who wants to lay decent foundations rather than constantly gamble with the clubs fortunes.

 

 

You could argue that "laying decent foundations" is exactly what he's doing now.

 

You could, but I would argue that he is trying to salvage what he can from the destruction his dodgy bets have caused. For him to sell the club on as soon as possible so he can get as much of his money back as possible.  

 

Also if I look at the club as a whole, if a new owner did take over then we will certainly be a better business model for making money I'm sure but I would say in other areas of the club, good foundations are just not there.

[JH]

They don’t care about books being balanced, they care about what happens on a match day and this is a club which once aimed for far more than a shot at a top ten finish.

 

[TRon]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegan’s resignation so, it seems, did Ashley’s enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they don’t like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of piss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

[timnufc22]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegan’s resignation so, it seems, did Ashley’s enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they don’t like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of p*ss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

 

If I had cocked up as badly as he has I'd take the critism and dislike on the chin, because theres an obvious point behind it. Its about motives for bing here though isnt it? Yes I'd put money in (aswell as actually showing that little thing called respect to fans & players) and attempt to turn things around because the chances are people might start warming to me again. If he dosent put money in because people react to his conduct that is just childish, this is the running of a football club not some social club, but it obviously shows the character & ego of the man, which was revealed years ago anyway.

[TRon]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegan’s resignation so, it seems, did Ashley’s enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they don’t like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of p*ss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

 

If I had cocked up as badly as he has I'd take the critism and dislike on the chin, because theres an obvious point behind it. Its about motives for bing here though isnt it? Yes I'd put money in (aswell as actually showing that little thing called respect to fans & players) and attempt to turn things around because the chances are people might start warming to me again. If he dosent put money in because people react to his conduct that is just childish, this is the running of a football club not some social club, but it obviously shows the character & ego of the man, which was revealed years ago anyway.

 

For an owner to invest his own money into a football club rather than run it as a business needs real commitment and love for the club. Ashley has made too many cock ups and has turned the fan base against him which for me has torpedoed any chance he will invest with any risk to himself, if he ever was going to. I think the best chance of him doing that are if he gets excited about the club again rather than be viewed as a villain. Which is why I won't support NUST or Supporters for Change as the only way things will change is if someone buys the club, not through agitators who piss the current owner off.

[Cronky]

They don’t care about books being balanced, they care about what happens on a match day and this is a club which once aimed for far more than a shot at a top ten finish.

 

 

For the sake of balance, it should be added -'but failed and ended up in considerable financial trouble.'

[timnufc22]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegan’s resignation so, it seems, did Ashley’s enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they don’t like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of p*ss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

 

If I had cocked up as badly as he has I'd take the critism and dislike on the chin, because theres an obvious point behind it. Its about motives for bing here though isnt it? Yes I'd put money in (aswell as actually showing that little thing called respect to fans & players) and attempt to turn things around because the chances are people might start warming to me again. If he dosent put money in because people react to his conduct that is just childish, this is the running of a football club not some social club, but it obviously shows the character & ego of the man, which was revealed years ago anyway.

 

For an owner to invest his own money into a football club rather than run it as a business needs real commitment and love for the club. Ashley has made too many cock ups and has turned the fan base against him which for me has torpedoed any chance he will invest with any risk to himself, if he ever was going to. I think the best chance of him doing that are if he gets excited about the club again rather than be viewed as a villain. Which is why I won't support NUST or Supporters for Change as the only way things will change is if someone buys the club, not through agitators who p*ss the current owner off.

 

The ball is in his court to prove his credibility and show some enthusiasm for the club in response to those mistakes - some of which involve leading fans & managers down the garden path.

 

If he is unwilling to do that because the fans took, and take, exception to his actions then it is his own childlishness that has torpedoed any chance of investing some of his own money... if he wants to get excited about the club again then its well within his capability to change people's opinion of him by putting that money in, change his structure of having an MD completely unsuited for the role for example, and create more of a buzz.

 

And to be fair, its not like theres people waiting outside for him, and police rushing him through the entrance! Whenever he's had stick its mainly came from the pocket of 3,000 out 50,000 fans in the corner way above him, and again has been in reaction to stupid & offensive decisions.

 

If he's sitting there thinking 'bastards, youve hurt my feelings, you should like me regardless what I do, sing my name please and I might show some passion for the club' then it sums up his ego and arrogance.

[TRon]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegan’s resignation so, it seems, did Ashley’s enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they don’t like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of p*ss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

 

If I had cocked up as badly as he has I'd take the critism and dislike on the chin, because theres an obvious point behind it. Its about motives for bing here though isnt it? Yes I'd put money in (aswell as actually showing that little thing called respect to fans & players) and attempt to turn things around because the chances are people might start warming to me again. If he dosent put money in because people react to his conduct that is just childish, this is the running of a football club not some social club, but it obviously shows the character & ego of the man, which was revealed years ago anyway.

 

For an owner to invest his own money into a football club rather than run it as a business needs real commitment and love for the club. Ashley has made too many cock ups and has turned the fan base against him which for me has torpedoed any chance he will invest with any risk to himself, if he ever was going to. I think the best chance of him doing that are if he gets excited about the club again rather than be viewed as a villain. Which is why I won't support NUST or Supporters for Change as the only way things will change is if someone buys the club, not through agitators who p*ss the current owner off.

 

The ball is in his court to prove his credibility and show some enthusiasm for the club in response to those mistakes - some of which involve leading fans & managers down the garden path.

 

If he is unwilling to do that because the fans took, and take, exception to his actions then it is his own childlishness that has torpedoed any chance of investing some of his own money... if he wants to get excited about the club again then its well within his capability to change people's opinion of him by putting that money in, change his structure of having an MD completely unsuited for the role for example, and create more of a buzz.

 

And to be fair, its not like theres people waiting outside for him, and police rushing him through the entrance! Whenever he's had stick its mainly came from the pocket of 3,000 out 50,000 fans in the corner way above him, and again has been in reaction to stupid & offensive decisions.

 

If he's sitting there thinking 'bastards, youve hurt my feelings, you should like me regardless what I do, sing my name please and I might show some passion for the club' then it sums up his ego and arrogance.

 

I doubt he's sitting there thinking that though, it's probably more along the lines of "If I put more money into the club and it goes wrong will I be seen as a hero or a cockney cunt?"

 

Because putting more money in doesn't necessarily equate with more success as we've seen with Villa's failed experiment. As a fan I would love him to take the chance anyway but I think the Telegraph article is pretty accurate in that he probably just wants to his money back and get out.

[Guest sicko2ndbest]

So under his watch we have got rid of

Given

Beye. Faye Bassong Jose

Milner Nolan Nzogbia

Owen Carroll Martins

 

 

 

[Rich]

And signed:

 

Krul Kuqi

Beye Coloccini Bassong Jose

Barton Cabaye Tiote Jonas

Ben Arfa

Ba

 

Krul was earlier wasn't he? My bad.

[Fenham Mag]

Was about to post something similar Rich.

 

 

[Wallace]

Ashley brought Newcastle to have some fun and he did for the first year, sitting and drinking with fans at away games. He wanted to be one of the lads and he was accepted.

But as soon as that went following Keegans resignation so, it seems, did Ashleys enthusiasm. The knight in shining armour had been knocked off his horse by King Kev.

He is abused and he is resented and he knows it. He is a very rich man, but why should he continue to spend his own money to bring success to a club and supporters who have made it perfectly clear they dont like, thank or respect him?

 

That struck home. Unfortunately it's his club and as it says further up in the article, he now wants the club to be self-financing without putting in any more of his own money. Not a situation which will make fans happy but unless there's genuine interest from outside buyers then we'll just have to suck it and see.

 

That in bold just totally baffles me, it really does. So why do the fans resent him? What are the reasons? Oh aye, because he lied to them for starters when selling those 3year season tickets! If you wanna talk about when his bubble burst, he forced out the manager, a legend who had managed to restore confidence for fans & players, by lying to him and allowing him to be completely undermined by Dennis bloody Wise. Even when he was given the chance to sort it out he chose to keep Wise on. From then he's made one stupid decision to another, with a fair amount of p*ss taking along the way (sports direct on the gallowgate roof, allowing his mate to publically slag off people like Alan Shearer, and the fans regurlaly). The fiasco with Keegan showed the amount of class Ashley & his cronies have, because they still act completely devoid of it up till now. So guess what? He's not respected! Shock Horror!

 

...and guess what? He won't put more money into improving the squad for the benefit of people who can't stand him. Would you?

 

If I had cocked up as badly as he has I'd take the critism and dislike on the chin, because theres an obvious point behind it. Its about motives for bing here though isnt it? Yes I'd put money in (aswell as actually showing that little thing called respect to fans & players) and attempt to turn things around because the chances are people might start warming to me again. If he dosent put money in because people react to his conduct that is just childish, this is the running of a football club not some social club, but it obviously shows the character & ego of the man, which was revealed years ago anyway.

 

For an owner to invest his own money into a football club rather than run it as a business needs real commitment and love for the club. Ashley has made too many cock ups and has turned the fan base against him which for me has torpedoed any chance he will invest with any risk to himself, if he ever was going to. I think the best chance of him doing that are if he gets excited about the club again rather than be viewed as a villain. Which is why I won't support NUST or Supporters for Change as the only way things will change is if someone buys the club, not through agitators who p*ss the current owner off.

 

The ball is in his court to prove his credibility and show some enthusiasm for the club in response to those mistakes - some of which involve leading fans & managers down the garden path.

 

If he is unwilling to do that because the fans took, and take, exception to his actions then it is his own childlishness that has torpedoed any chance of investing some of his own money... if he wants to get excited about the club again then its well within his capability to change people's opinion of him by putting that money in, change his structure of having an MD completely unsuited for the role for example, and create more of a buzz.

 

And to be fair, its not like theres people waiting outside for him, and police rushing him through the entrance! Whenever he's had stick its mainly came from the pocket of 3,000 out 50,000 fans in the corner way above him, and again has been in reaction to stupid & offensive decisions.

 

If he's sitting there thinking 'bastards, youve hurt my feelings, you should like me regardless what I do, sing my name please and I might show some passion for the club' then it sums up his ego and arrogance.

 

I do sometimes wonder if Ashley is resentful of the fact that it is the manager and the players who get the plaudits when things are going well for us.  After all Hughton was reprimanded for "milking" the applause from the crowd in the 5-1 against the Mackems.  Maybe, he thinks he should be getting all the credit for "saving" the club (as Llambias regularly reminds us) but of course he doesn't because the supporters perceive the position the club is in is of his own making.

[mrmojorisin75]

For an owner to invest his own money into a football club rather than run it as a business needs real commitment and love for the club. Ashley has made too many cock ups and has turned the fan base against him which for me has torpedoed any chance he will invest with any risk to himself, if he ever was going to. I think the best chance of him doing that are if he gets excited about the club again rather than be viewed as a villain. Which is why I won't support NUST or Supporters for Change as the only way things will change is if someone buys the club, not through agitators who p*ss the current owner off.

 

this doesn't make any sense man, if you take the 'love for the club' out of it then business wise he's running the club in almost the riskiest way possible right now by not properly investing in players on the pitch and uprooting half the team as he's just done this summer for financial reasons

 

i like the players we've signed, i really do, but continuity is a huge thing in football and in 8 months we've lost carroll, nolan, enrique & barton (if not physically certainly mentally)....that's the backbone of our success

 

carroll has not been replaced, nor are we likely to see anyone as good as enrique which leaves us with questionable FB's on both sides perhaps allied to wingers that are new to the club/country

 

it's not a traditional recipe for fucking success is it?

 

the debt is what it is, i'm pretty confident he could he spent more on players this summer from funds generated by the club (35m!) and not added to the risk to himself

 

 

[maze]

Mr Mike Ashley... go f*** yourself!

 

Seriously

 

At the moment I'm not sure what I am supporting. Can someone please tell me what they mean by "supporting the club"? The brand? The players? The staff? What?

 

Only place they show consistency is fucking it up.

[Ryan_Taylor]

Stop selling players to Liverpool you fat fucking thundercunt

[Colocho]

Around £25 million profit from player ins/outs in 2011.

[maze]

Hey Ashley, this must be looking sweet on the blance-sheet... the balance-sheet for yet another relegation...

 

When have we are we breaking even or "debt free" ? Never ever ever ever ever?

 

Sports direct(ly to hell).....

[Guest palnese]

The cunts in charge will never learn, will they?

 

Incredible.

[Incognito]

How the fuck has this cunt managed to have a successful business career when he clearly has mental shortcomings . Going into the season with no left-back is nothing short of astounding even for this tosspot .

[Skeletor]

Think this is Mike Ashley's national anthem:

 

[Ryan_Taylor]

Every time this thread gets bumped I get the urge to get into a 'Spend some fucking money Fat Man!' rant

[Skeletor]

Every time this thread gets bumped I get the urge to get into a 'Spend some f***ing money Fat Man!' rant

 

You should do it anyway.

[Newcastle Fan]

I think he destroyed what could've  Potentially been one of our best teams ever.

[Ryan_Taylor]

Every time this thread gets bumped I get the urge to get into a 'Spend some f***ing money Fat Man!' rant

 

You should do it anyway.

 

Nah, I'll end up feeling worse when we sign someone shit on the free after the window closes

[cannybagoftudor]

It has been mentioned in this thread and imho is 100% correct. Mike Ashley is a spoilt child who has been spurned. I realised this when, after Barton's tweets, he was immediately put on a free to anyone who would take him. This is against Ashley's normal MO - get as much wonga as poss. He simply took the huff at being criticised and lashed out like the petulant child he is.

 

Bless, but I think he just wants to be loved - unfortuntely he is in a very toxic relationship and it is v unlikely he will get the "love" he craves.