Various: Mike Ashley in talks with Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nehayan

[jdckelly]

not much point speculating on something that no journalist has any clue on. Ultimately the only person who knows how close Ashley is to selling is Ashley and god knows what he ultimately thinks.

[Guest firetotheworks]

The sun lol

 

Not really a lol when it comes to sport unfortunately. They broke the curry thing last year.

[Toonjam88]

What pisses me off the most is how smug Steve Wraith seems about the whole takeover off story just because it proves him right.

[ToonArmy1892]

What pisses me off the most is how smug Steve Wraith seems about the whole takeover off story just because it proves him right.

 

Bloke is just a pure embarrassment, the mock funeral ffs, there is no way of getting your credibility back after that shit

[Nobody]

No one's going to be shocked if/when any takeover attempt collapses, but there's no reason to think either of those reports are true.

 

Like said, probably just an Ashley negotiating tactic.

Unfortunately there's no reason to believe Ashley's quotes about selling the club in the first place either

[Robster]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

[sempuki]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Me neither.

[The College Dropout]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

 

Really?

[Robster]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Really?

Yep. Every time i allow myself begin to think that something might be happening, I ask myself why would he sell? I've never been able to answer it.

There is no incentive for him to sell when his wealth and power increases all the time.

[HaydnNUFC]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Really?

Yep. Every time i allow myself begin to think that something might be happening, I ask myself why would he sell? I've never been able to answer it.

There is no incentive for him to sell when his wealth and power increases every day.

 

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

 

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

[Away Day Gadgie]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Really?

Yep. Every time i allow myself begin to think that something might be happening, I ask myself why would he sell? I've never been able to answer it.

There is no incentive for him to sell when his wealth and power increases every day.

 

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

 

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

 

The only problem with this theory is that you’re assuming that Ashley is rational, logical thinker who likes to plan ahead, and not a fat idiot who would much rather gamble and do random shit.  It’s also pretty obvious he enjoys trolling the fans which doesn’t help either.

[HaydnNUFC]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Really?

Yep. Every time i allow myself begin to think that something might be happening, I ask myself why would he sell? I've never been able to answer it.

There is no incentive for him to sell when his wealth and power increases every day.

 

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

 

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

 

The only problem with this theory is that you’re assuming that Ashley is rational, logical thinker who likes to plan ahead, and not a fat idiot who would much rather gamble and do random shit.  It’s also pretty obvious he enjoys trolling the fans which doesn’t help either.

 

I'm not saying it's what I think, it's the only answer I can come to in regards to him actually selling. No one can second guess the fat cunt.

[Robster]

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

That's a very fair answer.

 

My fear is that his ignorance/arrogance/gambling instinct will tell him that we will come back at the first time of asking with the need only for minimal investment in the squad. He already tried it in the January window of Rafa's promotion season and unfortunately, his penny pinching was proved right (in his eyes) as we still went up and subsequently stayed up. We know that that was down to Rafa, I think he'll assume any old chancer will be able to do it because we are Newcastle United.

 

This all brings me back to the thought/hope that only a sustained period in the lower divisions will get him seriously thinking about selling. That's at least 3 or 4 years away, minimum.

I also think he won't sell because he knows that's what the fans want. I think he's enjoying teasing us with the potential sale.

 

I hope you are right, I really do, but I remain cynical of his current intentions.

[HaydnNUFC]

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

That's a very fair answer.

 

My fear is that his ignorance/arrogance/gambling instinct will tell him that we will come back at the first time of asking with the need only for minimal investment in the squad. He already tried it in the January window of Rafa's promotion season and unfortunately, his penny pinching was proved right (in his eyes) as we still went up and subsequently stayed up. We know that that was down to Rafa, I think he'll assume any old chancer will be able to do it because we are Newcastle United.

 

This all brings me back to the thought/hope that only a sustained period in the lower divisions will get him seriously thinking about selling. That's at least 3 or 4 years away, minimum.

I also think he won't sell because he knows that's what the fans want. I think he's enjoying teasing us with the potential sale.

 

I hope you are right, I really do, but I remain cynical of his current intentions.

 

We have every right to be cynical and what you've just said there is probably how this'll all unravel if he doesn't sell.

[Away Day Gadgie]

I don't believe he's ever wanted to sell it.

Really?

Yep. Every time i allow myself begin to think that something might be happening, I ask myself why would he sell? I've never been able to answer it.

There is no incentive for him to sell when his wealth and power increases every day.

 

I can try and answer: he won't back Rafa so Rafa is gone in the summer. When Rafa goes he'll need to spend significantly on the squad in the summer as the moron who's next in charge won't be fit to tie Rafa's shoes. That'll cost money. If we go down, we have zero saleable assets to finance a promotion push, plus a reduce in TV revenue and advertising for his shite shops. He'd have to finance a push himself, again costing money, and third time lucky there are no guarantees.

 

The 'it's a cash cow for him, why would he sell' argument only washes with Rafa here imo.

 

The only problem with this theory is that you’re assuming that Ashley is rational, logical thinker who likes to plan ahead, and not a fat idiot who would much rather gamble and do random shit.  It’s also pretty obvious he enjoys trolling the fans which doesn’t help either.

 

I'm not saying it's what I think, it's the only answer I can come to in regards to him actually selling. No one can second guess the fat cunt.

 

I know  ?

[Ketsbaia]

Yeah, the theory makes sense to us but 'speculate to accumulate' also makes sense.

 

If Ashley committed £100-200m to signings, we'd be a Champions League cash cow that's worth far far more money and would be attractrive to prospective buyers. But he doesn't see that.

[r0cafella]

Not defending him but money spent can't guarantee champions League as too many clubs have and are spending vast amounts with the same goal in mind.

[tinoasprilla]

Ashley is a gambler.  Benitez goes and he will gamble on someone like Sam Allardyce keeping us up

 

I don't think he is serious. Name any other club, house, car, pet, holiday or even a second hand dildo that has been on the market for ten years

 

Even the mackems went in a few months

[r0cafella]

Oh he's clearly not interested in selling us right now

[r0cafella]

But until the fans become less apathetic we are stuck with him.

[Nobody]

Come summer, he'll have two years of PL TV money in the bank. Should we go down, there should be about £200m to fund a promotion push.

[r0cafella]

Come summer, he'll have two years of PL TV money in the bank. Should we go down, there should be about £200m to fund a promotion push.

 

No doubt he will spend money if we go down and suddenly the debt to him will increase again.

 

 

[loki679]

It'll be interesting to see how they try to fudge the accounts to make us look poor this year.

[r0cafella]

Last year was hilarious like.

 

The media and everyone else going a long with such nonsense too.

[Hhtoon]

What do we reckon is in the books that makes bidders offer £100m under the asking price? I know it's over valued, but he's always said £300m and Staveley last year proved he wouldn't lower that. So surely anyone looking would be expecting to have to pay £300m or thereabouts or not bother.

 

Its got to be something a little under the radar as surely discussions from the outset would discuss Ashley's loans and sports direct advertising before bothering with a detailed due diligence.