Lee Charnley

[Stifler]

charnley absolutely does gives a fuck about the club and the city. he has no power to do anything about it. he's basically ashley's bitch.

Does he fuck.

[Si]

charnley absolutely does gives a f*** about the club and the city. he has no power to do anything about it. he's basically ashley's bitch.

Does he f***.

No he makes love.

[huss9]

charnley absolutely does gives a f*** about the club and the city. he has no power to do anything about it. he's basically ashley's bitch.

Does he f***.

 

he's well aware of his reputation. he would do all in his power to do the best for this club, but he's absolutely at ashley's beck and call. he may be spineless and a s*** chief exec, but he does care - just not enough to resign, though.

[Pons Alias]

Is Moncur still on the 'board'?

There's a talk-in coming up soon....

[Guest Hog]

Is Moncur still on the 'board'?

There's a talk-in coming up soon....

 

Yes, him and Beardo have been backing Ashley in the press again, saying how hard it is for the fat wretch.

[Pilko]

http://www.nufc.com/html/2003-04html/2003-09-03sacriston-res-a.html

 

Played for the Toon once!

[Incognito]

http://www.nufc.com/html/2003-04html/2003-09-03sacriston-res-a.html

 

Played for the Toon once!

Pity he wasn't a striker  [emoji106]

[Darth Crooks]

I think Barnes has probably ended up being involved because Charnley was getting too cosy with Rafa for Mike's liking.

 

Definitely this.

[Altamullan]

New respect for Charners. Apparently his dad used to manage NUFC in the 70s...

 

 

[Paully]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5768091/amp/Lee-Charnley-reveals-gamble-Newcastle-win-promotion-Premier-League.html?__twitter_impression=true

[Ikon]

We haven't spent 46m net in the last two windows have we?

[Geordie Ahmed]

We haven't spent 46m net in the last two windows have we?

Not even close, the loan fees wouldn't have amounted to much and I'm sure it was about £11-12m net in the summer

[Ikon]

Thought there was something thumby about it. Not just about the money but I'd be happy if Rafa got 70m plus whatever he can from player sales

And total control.. (wishful I imagine..)

[Ikon]

Cunt.

 

You don't even know me, but tbf you're probably right

[Guest firetotheworks]

Cunt.

 

You don't even know me, but tbf you're probably right

 

Armand Van Helden's alternative mix.

[Big Geordie]

It's typical Keith Bishop revisionism and spin isn't it?

[Dave]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5768091/amp/Lee-Charnley-reveals-gamble-Newcastle-win-promotion-Premier-League.html?__twitter_impression=true

 

It would be great to be able to read that and believe every word.

[Guest ElCid]

Just shows that fuck all is going to happen if that useless cunt really believes that they have actually backed Rafa in the transfer market - fuck off you ugly bald prick and take your fat cunt of a mate with you

[toontownman]

Fishing with Ashleys end of season statement now this.

 

To me it screams, cover our arses and "we tried", "gave all we could" when Rafa walks.

 

Hate to be a skeptic but what other thoughts do those crooks inspire?

[Ikon]

Just leave Rafa, save your and our time and energy. Closure needed, burn the club to the ground.

(Would be extremely surprised if they back him even near enough)

[Dave]

Newcastle went on to win the title - prize money was just £50,000 - and promotion bonuses of £10m were paid. Charnley, though, did not accept his own.

 

‘In simple terms, I accept my share of the responsibility for us going down,’ he said. ‘Steve McClaren was my appointment. Given the owner’s approach in terms of supporting the manager, me and the club, it just didn’t fit.’

 

[LoveItIfWeBeatU]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5768091/amp/Lee-Charnley-reveals-gamble-Newcastle-win-promotion-Premier-League.html?__twitter_impression=true

 

It would be great to be able to read that and believe every word.

I'd have asked Charnley why there were no relegation clauses in the player contracts. That's why our wages and bonuses we're so high in the Championship. You'd think they'd have learned from the last time we were relegated. That mistake limited the budget for the season just gone and probably next season too.

[Twinport53]

How thick have you got to be to regurgitate the PR bullshit?

 

[Yorkie]

Makes me quite uneasy when someone high up in the club gives a 'rare interview'. There's always some ulterior motive, always something being spun. The headline figures in the press release have already been easily debunked and exposed as propaganda. Deliberate misleading.

 

Does make one worry that they're simply getting their case out there, prior to an inevitable catastrophe. It's worked before I suppose, if the pre-Rafa attendances are anything to go by. Doesn't take em much effort to keep the punters coming.

[Conjo]

Newcastle United are now reaping the reward after revealing they took the biggest gamble in Championship history and say they would have spent years outside the Premier League had they failed to win immediate promotion.

 

In a rare interview - and with what serves as a warning to relegated clubs - managing director Lee Charnley invited Sportsmail into the St James’ Park boardroom to pore over the latest accounts and explain the extent to which they rolled the dice and the implications had they not gone up under Rafa Benitez, who was backed with £55million in transfers and a wage bill of £80.3m.

 

‘It would have been a catastrophe, a bloodbath,’ stated Charnley. ‘The manager would likely have gone. This was a one-season gamble from his view as well.

 

Newcastle are now reaping the reward after taking biggest gamble in Championship history

 

Managing director Lee Charnley invited Sportsmail to pore over the latest accounts

‘Some of the players would have wanted to go. Matt Ritchie, for example, bought into this on the basis of, “One year in the Championship then I am going to the Premier League”.

 

‘And then we would have had Financial Fair Play. You cannot operate a business continually that has a wage bill higher than its turnover, it’s not sustainable.

 

‘We’d have had no choice but to recruit Championship players. Three teams then come down with more money than you and you end up on this cycle of trying to catch them. You have to reset financially. It would have taken years to get out of the Championship.’

 

Charnley, though, says the exceptional management of Benitez and support of owner Mike Ashley meant a mass cull of players and staff was avoided.

 

The club remains in talks with the Spaniard over committing to next season and, given their financial stability on the back of finishing 10th this month, it is thought an agreement will be reached. Both parties are said to share an ambition to challenge in the top half of the Premier League and they are planning on the assumption Ashley will be owner, Amanda Staveley having been dismissed as a viable buyer.

 

Accounts for 2016/17 filed this week reveal that Newcastle’s wage bill in the Championship actually increased by £6m to a Football League record of £80.3m, some £20m more than the second highest at Aston Villa and enough to put them around 12th in the Premier League for that season.

 

Charnley explained  the extent to which they rolled the dice and the implications had they not gone up under Rafa Benitez ®

They spent £55m on 12 signings and, while sizeable fees were recouped for Moussa Sissoko (£30m) and Gini Wijnaldum (£25m), the payment of those deals over several years meant just £44m was received on total sales.

 

The club were struggling to meet running costs in December and Ashley made another interest-free loan of £15m, taking his lending to £144m. They finished the campaign with a pre-tax loss of £47m.

 

But Charnley traces the decision to ‘put all their chips on the table’ back to the final day of the relegation season when Newcastle beat Spurs 5-1 in front of Ashley, who made a bee-line for Benitez after full-time.

 

Charnley says the exceptional management of Benitez and support of owner Mike Ashley meant a mass cull of players and staff was avoided

‘There should have been a negativity around the club given what had gone before,’ said Charnley. ‘It was surreal watching us beat a team who were going for second place and beat them like we did.

 

‘We had planned a conversation with the manager after the game. The thinking could have been, “We have to scale back because the revenues have gone down”, whereas Mike was, “We are going for it”.

 

‘We talked through the game, “If we could get the manager to stay, get off to a decent start, fans behind you, you build momentum and it can develop a life of its own”.

 

‘So Mike’s priority was to keep Rafa. He said, “I am going to leave you two to get on with it, I’m going to support you and, come next year, I do not want to be in this league”.’

 

Newcastle won immediate promotion back to the Premier League in the 2016-17 campaign

There was tension in January when Benitez wanted to re-sign Andros Townsend from Crystal Palace for £12m but the cash in the bank was not there to do the deal. Newcastle tried to come to a loan arrangement with an obligation to buy if promoted, but they were also mindful of being left with a £70,000-per-week player in the Championship.

 

‘It’s not like we’re sat on a big pot of cash keeping it for a rainy day,’ said Charnley. ‘Money comes in, money goes out and what’s left is available to spend, it’s that simple.’

 

Newcastle went on to win the title - prize money was just £50,000 - and promotion bonuses of £10m were paid. Charnley, though, did not accept his own.

 

‘In simple terms, I accept my share of the responsibility for us going down,’ he said. ‘Steve McClaren was my appointment. Given the owner’s approach in terms of supporting the manager, me and the club, it just didn’t fit.’

 

There is no trophy cabinet in the oak-furnished room in which we sat this week. It will be 50 years next season since the club last lifted silverware.

 

Benitez was backed with £55million in transfers and a wage bill of £80.3m during that season

But Charnley revealed: ‘The players are now hugely incentivised when it comes to the cup competitions. We’ve made our view clear on the cups in the past but now - and we’ve said this to Rafa - it’s, “Have a go, try and win a cup”.’

 

For Newcastle to achieve that - and to challenge the European places - they will need Benitez at the club.

 

Charnley could not speak any higher of the manager, but he has also warned that progress must be gradual.

 

‘This year was about staying in the Premier League and now it’s about growing and improving year on year, but doing that within our means,’ he said.

 

‘Thats not to say there is a lack of ambition, because there definitely is ambition, it will just take some time.’

 

Club remains in talks with Benitez over committing to next season after securing 10th this year

Of the manager, he added: ‘He, and the talented staff around him, are incredibly professional, meticulous and focussed. We have seen the benefit of that.

 

‘What Rafa has certainly done is improve the group of players on a whole. I look at Jamaal Lascelles from when he came in and he’s made huge strides.

 

‘We have got a group now who have an incredible spirit, work ethic and a real togetherness.

 

‘If you look to improve going forward, it’s a real fight to get the balance between improving the quality of the individuals and also retaining that team ethic. To find the two is not always easy - and potentially very expensive.’

 

I believe it, but it's for all the wrong reasons. Let us hear the same "honesty" from Charnley of what Ashely says about this and next season instead. Of course he didn't want to be in the championship, he wants to slowly marinate in PL mediocrity but there is no real positive spin on the ambitions going forward as the ambitions to get promoted was...oh and its his own fault having no money available in december due to the stupid "full payment out, partial payment in policy" which him himself have initiated.