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

[Happinesstan]

https://twitter.com/LukeEdwardsTele/status/1102164282207338496

 

"Like all of you" Has every single one of his followers expressed boredom? Could be true, Is'pose. Or he could jus be saying, show's over folks, move along now.

But don't stop following me, pleeeeease.

[Sean]

Think Kenyon’s got a few questions to answer too about his ‘bid’.

 

The whole thing is a bit fishy to me. I’d probably be a bit less cynical if fat boy hadn’t performed in that horrendous interview on Sky where he did a 5 year old’s impression of someone trying to think. ‘Hmmmmmmmm.....’

 

Kenyon is on Ashleys payroll, lets be honest here.

 

These crazy comments really need to stop. The way people go about Ashley and Bishop as if they pull the strings on everyone in the world.

 

Kenyon is a nothing really, far from everyone in the world. It''s either that or Kenyon is so stupid that he didn't realise Ashley is not for selling, but it's gone past the point of that being believable now tbh 

 

Also, he wrote a fucking letter thanking Mike for great progress blah blah, it fucking stinks.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Did anybody in the media ever bother to ask Kenyon about it? It strikes me as strange that nobody reporting on the matter thought to ask the horse's mouth.

 

As for the suggestion that thinking a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" get tae f***, what services do you think PR firms provide? I swear people just put "conspiracy theory" in their arguments as a protective measure.

 

Exactly. You only have to read that letter from Willie McKay to Emiliano Sala to understand the smoke and mirrors that go on in the football world.

 

Suspecting that Kenyon may possibly have been part of Ashley’s f***ing around with is not crazy or tinfoil hat.

 

Thinking Ashley isn’t an inveterate liar is more crazy iyam

 

Except that no one suggested that thinking 'a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" - which if you've been in the chat section is basic Sadnesstan straw-manning - or said that Ashley isn't a liar - which would obviously be nuts and literally no one has suggested. In fact Ashley being a liar was put forward as the obvious, non-conspiracy theory, theory.

[huss9]

Think Kenyon’s got a few questions to answer too about his ‘bid’.

 

The whole thing is a bit fishy to me. I’d probably be a bit less cynical if fat boy hadn’t performed in that horrendous interview on Sky where he did a 5 year old’s impression of someone trying to think. ‘Hmmmmmmmm.....’

 

Kenyon is on Ashleys payroll, lets be honest here.

 

These crazy comments really need to stop. The way people go about Ashley and Bishop as if they pull the strings on everyone in the world.

 

Kenyon is a nothing really, far from everyone in the world. It''s either that or Kenyon is so stupid that he didn't realise Ashley is not for selling, but it's gone past the point of that being believable now tbh 

 

Also, he wrote a fucking letter thanking Mike for great progress blah blah, it fucking stinks.

 

as soon as that letter was leaked, it immediately became obvious the whole episode was a stunt.

[Ketsbaia]

Should we start a protest now or something?

 

As if our fanbase does proper protests :lol:

[Unbelievable]

Sunday Times reporting club is no longer available for sale.

 

Not that I believe Ashley was ever a willing seller unless someone came in with a bid way over its actual value (not going to happen).

 

Well fuck me sideways, never saw that coming...

[Raconteur]

I know that there's a danger of picking and choosing what you believe in social media/newspapers, but I'm sure there was a report that Ashley wanted stupid terms regarding future advertising and other untold terms and conditions. The "sale price" was never really the actual"walk away, no-strings sale price". Anyway, I remember reading such a report, and I firmly believe it.

 

It makes me query the investors who signed NDAs to access the due diligence data cube or whatever the fuck they called it. The "books". I understand that process is quite expensive and therefore any investors who paid for access to that data have made a significant investment. It makes me wonder if any such investors have an actionable claim against Ashley for those monies, in that they invested in good faith whereas Ashley demonstrated bad faith with regards to the "sale price". It wouldn't be the first time Ashley was sued by erstwhile or would-be partners. And would the NDAs still apply if bad faith was demonstrated?

 

If any such investors exist, of course.

[Odear]

The financial crash circa 2008/9 exposed the chancers in business, funnily enough that was around the time Chelsea got rid of Kenyon.

 

He did 6 years there and 6 at Man Utd. His career has been all downhill for the last decade.

 

I think Ashley would sell if any genuine buyers were to bid.. Staveley and Kenyon don’t have a pot to piss in between them so it’s anyones guess why they put themselves out there like that.

[Happinesstan]

Did anybody in the media ever bother to ask Kenyon about it? It strikes me as strange that nobody reporting on the matter thought to ask the horse's mouth.

 

As for the suggestion that thinking a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" get tae f***, what services do you think PR firms provide? I swear people just put "conspiracy theory" in their arguments as a protective measure.

 

Exactly. You only have to read that letter from Willie McKay to Emiliano Sala to understand the smoke and mirrors that go on in the football world.

 

Suspecting that Kenyon may possibly have been part of Ashley’s f***ing around with is not crazy or tinfoil hat.

 

Thinking Ashley isn’t an inveterate liar is more crazy iyam

 

Except that no one suggested that thinking 'a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" - which if you've been in the chat section is basic Sadnesstan straw-manning - or said that Ashley isn't a liar - which would obviously be nuts and literally no one has suggested. In fact Ashley being a liar was put forward as the obvious, non-conspiracy theory, theory.

 

 

I get what you're saying. So Ashley hired a PR man, who's advice was to release truthful statements to the media, in order to diffuse his reputation as a liar. He's fucking good that Bishop.

 

[Sean]

Anyone who thinks Kenyon was genuine: Can you give me a rational explanation as to why he wrote Ashley what was basically a love letter?

 

It's all been a joke, its clear as fucking day man 

[Darth Crooks]

Comments near the end.

 

https://anchor.fm/LMGOutcast

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Anyone who thinks Kenyon was genuine: Can you give me a rational explanation as to why he wrote Ashley what was basically a love letter?

 

It's all been a joke, its clear as fucking day man 

 

TBF it’s equally hard to think of reasons why Kenyon would play along with Ashley in public.

[TooonDoom]

Anyone who thinks Kenyon was genuine: Can you give me a rational explanation as to why he wrote Ashley what was basically a love letter?

 

It's all been a joke, its clear as fucking day man 

 

Ashley says he’s getting hammered in the press as supporters think he’s a fat cunt.  Says to keep negotiations going and access to the books he must write letter.

[Guest firetotheworks]

Did anybody in the media ever bother to ask Kenyon about it? It strikes me as strange that nobody reporting on the matter thought to ask the horse's mouth.

 

As for the suggestion that thinking a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" get tae f***, what services do you think PR firms provide? I swear people just put "conspiracy theory" in their arguments as a protective measure.

 

Exactly. You only have to read that letter from Willie McKay to Emiliano Sala to understand the smoke and mirrors that go on in the football world.

 

Suspecting that Kenyon may possibly have been part of Ashley’s f***ing around with is not crazy or tinfoil hat.

 

Thinking Ashley isn’t an inveterate liar is more crazy iyam

 

Except that no one suggested that thinking 'a PR company releasing things to the press, constitutes "conspiracy theorising" - which if you've been in the chat section is basic Sadnesstan straw-manning - or said that Ashley isn't a liar - which would obviously be nuts and literally no one has suggested. In fact Ashley being a liar was put forward as the obvious, non-conspiracy theory, theory.

 

 

I get what you're saying. So Ashley hired a PR man, who's advice was to release truthful statements to the media, in order to diffuse his reputation as a liar. He's f***ing good that Bishop.

 

Again, typical stan-manning. The conversation was about Kenyon's involvement and whether he was working on behalf of Ashley as an elaborate way to curb protests, not whether Ashley employs KBA, no one's arguing against that.

[huss9]

fucks sake - like clockwork.... rinse and repeat. he's "done with kenyon" and price going up to £350m if we stay up.

 

anyone still believing he's seriously tried to sell us to stavely or kenyon?

at least we know stavely made an actual bid.

[Kanji]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

[Guest covmag]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

Pretty much sure nee one knows a thing in truth, Ashley will be here for years.

 

So the choice is renew or not or still stay away still. :'(

[Minhosa]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

Kanj - agreed. The bid was genuine. That I know for sure.

 

What was never clear and, imho what scuppered the bid, were Ashley's demands. I suspect he's not so keen for a clean break after all and wants to tie the new owners to all sorts of longer term (and self-benefitting) commercial arrangements that AS/PK/whoever would not stomach.

 

Doing a deal with Ashley is virtually impossible as, truth be told, he's probably a very reluctant seller. He buys damaged businesses like NUFC, he doesn't sell them.

 

He's clearly very reluctant to walk away from a profit making enterprise unless the offer is out of this world. The only way you get offers like that is from nation states with huge budgets. Sensible buyers won't work to his terms.

 

I genuinely felt it was different this time from what I knew of the PK bid. I did always caveat that, all along, with 'but Ashley' however.

 

And, once again, he's proven to be the immovable object.

 

Genuinely no idea where things go from here. I wouldn't be surprised if he even gives an interview stating he's staying long term now.

[Sean]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

This first hand knowledge was given along the lines of "clubs gonna be sold, stop protesting else you'll ruin it". Come on now, join the dots 

[Minhosa]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

This first hand knowledge was given along the lines of "clubs gonna be sold, stop protesting else you'll ruin it". Come on now, join the dots 

 

That's not true at all. I was the original source for PK and didn't get involved in any of the protest discussion from memory.

 

The conspiracy theorists among you might not like it but I'm telling you it was genuine.

 

What happened during DD and with funding, I'm not sure, and I'm not privy too but I know there was a significant amount of money spent by both sides in the DD Process with legals/accountants etc. You don't do that if it's not serious.

 

This is what leads me to believe that ultimately MA's demands fucked it because he doesn't sell profit making businesses unless the deal is obscenely in his favour.

[thomas]

you'd think a world class puppetmaster like that couldn't be bothered selling his services to a two bit tat merchant like ashley NO WAIT THAT'S JUST WHAT HE WANTS ME TO THINK, DAMN YOU BISHOP YOU WIN AGAIN

[Sean]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

Kanj - agreed. The bid was genuine. That I know for sure.

 

What was never clear and, imho what scuppered the bid, were Ashley's demands. I suspect he's not so keen for a clean break after all and wants to tie the new owners to all sorts of longer term (and self-benefitting) commercial arrangements that AS/PK/whoever would not stomach.

 

Doing a deal with Ashley is virtually impossible as, truth be told, he's probably a very reluctant seller. He buys damaged businesses like NUFC, he doesn't sell them.

 

He's clearly very reluctant to walk away from a profit making enterprise unless the offer is out of this world. The only way you get offers like that is from nation states with huge budgets. Sensible buyers won't work to his terms.

 

I genuinely felt it was different this time from what I knew of the PK bid. I did always caveat that, all along, with 'but Ashley' however.

 

And, once again, he's proven to be the immovable object.

 

Genuinely no idea where things go from here. I wouldn't be surprised if he even gives an interview stating he's staying long term now.

 

Genuine question. You say you know for sure the bid was genuine. Why did Kenyon write Ashley a letter thanking him when they weren't even coming to an agreement?

 

This just does not happen.

[Guest covmag]

Makes no difference lads.

 

He’s still here and not shifting, nothing else really matters man.Dont waste time going round in circles discussing the cunt.

[Minhosa]

We've had some people on record here who are trusted NO posters say they had some first hand knowledge that Kenyon was 100% genuine with his intentions; same with Amanda Staveley's bid, backed up by the local respected journos (both for that matter).

 

My assumption is Kenyon's initial backing/backers only were willing to put up X and it was short of MA's valuation, so he was looking to either up his bid with other investors (and failed) or trying to force Ashley to sell at a lower price (NOW) and offer tiered payments and earn outs if certain significant hurdles were met.

 

Kanj - agreed. The bid was genuine. That I know for sure.

 

What was never clear and, imho what scuppered the bid, were Ashley's demands. I suspect he's not so keen for a clean break after all and wants to tie the new owners to all sorts of longer term (and self-benefitting) commercial arrangements that AS/PK/whoever would not stomach.

 

Doing a deal with Ashley is virtually impossible as, truth be told, he's probably a very reluctant seller. He buys damaged businesses like NUFC, he doesn't sell them.

 

He's clearly very reluctant to walk away from a profit making enterprise unless the offer is out of this world. The only way you get offers like that is from nation states with huge budgets. Sensible buyers won't work to his terms.

 

I genuinely felt it was different this time from what I knew of the PK bid. I did always caveat that, all along, with 'but Ashley' however.

 

And, once again, he's proven to be the immovable object.

 

Genuinely no idea where things go from here. I wouldn't be surprised if he even gives an interview stating he's staying long term now.

 

Genuine question. You say you know for sure the bid was genuine. Why did Kenyon write Ashley a letter thanking him when they weren't even coming to an agreement?

 

This just does not happen.

 

I'm not ITK on the detail of the deal nor that specific point but I'd hazard a guess that Ashley wanted to put some of the fire out and told Kenyon that penning the letter would both reflect well on PK AND MA and also be a chance to talk directly to his future client base.

 

PK probably saw it as a positive in terms of keeping the seller on side. When you're in 'deal mode' sometimes you go with the flow to get the thing done. Getting Ashley on side would be a big positive for any potential buyer and it cost PK nothing.

 

In every single deal of this size the buyers AND sellers will have to make concessions in exchange for something. Ashley might have asked PK to put something out in exchange for exclusivity and and agreement that he'd talk to nobody else.

 

If you really wanted to buy NUFC, and thought it could happen, that you were in the box seat, what harm a one page letter?

 

I'd have done it if I thought it would mean the deal was more likely to conclude on positive terms.

 

All sorts of weird shit happens when people are making deals of this size. Politics/Personalities/Ego's/Favours/Manipulation.

 

And that's before you factor in the man-child of an owner we have.

 

PK is probably fucked off that Ashley got him to do that and then effectively changed his mind about a deal.

 

I don't know who PK's backers were but I should doubt very much if pure finance was the reason this fell over. I rather suspect it was the commercial terms/tie-in's that did that.

 

If you broadly know the price is circa £300m then you don't knock on the door when you only have access to £200m. That just doesn't happen.

 

I feel that both sides had done sufficient homework for PK to know the deal stood a good chance of working financially and that MA had done his homework on PK and his backers. For one thing, MA's Lawyers, always ask for proof of funds before sending out the deal packs etc.

 

Just because PK could potentially get his hands on £300m (which isn't that hard btw) that doesn't mean his backers would be comfortable at writing off x% of profit every year because Ashley wanted a cut or a long term incentivised exit.

[Guest covmag]

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