PIF and RB Sports & Media

[Optimistic Nut]

1 hour ago, Stifler said:

They absolutely were not.

They had a couple of big name stars at intervals, but always sold them. They were never one of the biggest clubs in the world, they weren’t even in the top 2 biggest clubs in France.

 

 

 

 

Before they became rich we were buying their best defenders for £4m a pop (Domi, Goma, Rozehnal)

[Menace]

4 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Tbf he’s temporarily been replaced by Howe’s nephew - it doesn’t get more jobs for the boys than that  

 

You make a good point - Andy Howe and Nickson had a play in past signings didn't they? No issues with that going forward they unearthed some gems.

 

Just find it odd people are quick to criticise Amanda/Mehrdad for past spending but Eales gets away relatively scott free 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

Before they became rich we were buying their best defenders for £4m a pop (Domi, Goma, Rozehnal)

Goma having played for Guy Roux’s Auxerre was as notable from memory 

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by TheBrownBottle

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, Menace said:

 

You make a good point - Andy Howe and Nickson had a play in past signings didn't they? No issues with that going forward they unearthed some gems.

 

Just find it odd people are quick to criticise Amanda/Mehrdad for past spending but Eales gets away relatively scott free 

They did - no real issues with recruitment nor Howe’s nephew for me

 

Agreed re Eales - that was on his watch, and he should’ve been across it.  His ‘everyone is available’ statement was probably the only destabilising moment at the club post-takeover, and seemed to result in a complete communications shutdown.  I think I heard Penfold talk as much during the Ashley era - comms have been poor and slow. 

[TRon]

4 hours ago, Stifler said:

They absolutely were not.

They had a couple of big name stars at intervals, but always sold them. They were never one of the biggest clubs in the world, they weren’t even in the top 2 biggest clubs in France.

 

 

 

 

I don't follow French football so not about to argue. I just assumed because they represented Paris that made them the biggest club in France. Even so, I imagine that's what attracted the Qataris when they wanted to buy into the French league. 

[TheBrownBottle]

7 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

I don't follow French football so not about to argue. I just assumed because they represented Paris that made them the biggest club in France. Even so, I imagine that's what attracted the Qataris when they wanted to buy into the French league. 

They bought PSG due to the WC bid - Nicholas Sarkozy is a fan of the club and wanted them to buy it, and Platini had a key vote on the 2022 WC bid, along with the Al-Thani ties with France.  
 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/jun/18/sarkozy-psg-bein-sports-questions-michel-platini-qatar-2022-world-cup

[Stifler]

 

39 minutes ago, TRon said:

I don't follow French football so not about to argue. I just assumed because they represented Paris that made them the biggest club in France. Even so, I imagine that's what attracted the Qataris when they wanted to buy into the French league. 

Marseille are the most popular team in France in terms of support. If you didn’t support your local team, you supported OM, they were France’s version of Man Utd, or Bayern Munich.

They had won the joint most amount of titles, along with St Etienne, although OM had won the Champions League.

 

Monaco were the 3rd most successful side in France, and had recently had their own big money takeover.

 

Lyon had just came off the back of winning 7 league titles in a row and competed well in Europe. Nantes were another club who were more successful than PSG before their takeover.

 

In their final full season before their takeover, PSG’s average attendances didn’t even break 40k.

In fact they only broke an average attendance of over 40k 6 times prior to their takeover. A low attendance when you could argue that they had the whole population of Paris to themselves considering Paris FC and Racing Club de France languished in the lower leagues and in and out of professional status.

[Ghandis Flip-Flop]

3 hours ago, Menace said:

 

You make a good point - Andy Howe and Nickson had a play in past signings didn't they? No issues with that going forward they unearthed some gems.

 

Just find it odd people are quick to criticise Amanda/Mehrdad for past spending but Eales gets away relatively scott free 

Were there not comments from Eales last summer that Eddie just needs to focus on "his job on the grass" or similar? Certainly seemed as if Eales was making a power play last summer, prior to his diagnosis understandably changing his focus.

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, TRon said:

 

I don't follow French football so not about to argue. I just assumed because they represented Paris that made them the biggest club in France. Even so, I imagine that's what attracted the Qataris when they wanted to buy into the French league. 

PSG are uniquely positioned to be a global force in the way we aren’t. The city and the local talent pool is insane. 

[Unbelievable]

6 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

I agree with this. I think the Saudi league is long term more important for them but thr World Cup is massive and gigantic worldwide statement. 
 

I made the point that NUFC are not their main footballing priority and some others have disagreed.  
 

Bankrolling the CWC and some of our ‘rivals’ and spending big on castaways from our rivals - serves bigger priorities. 
 

Where we stand in their footballing priorities will dictate how much non-direct money and effort they will invest in us. Multi club, fucking around with assets, shmoozing UEFA etc. is a lot of effort.  

 

No you did not. If that's what you would have said not too many would have disagreed. It's blatantly obvious their 2034 World Cup bid was their main priority and set the whole football thing off for them. Then their own league is probably their second priority as it directly affects their key stakeholders. We are in the end "just" one of their many investments, albeit a high profile one even their top brass have taken a particular personal interest in.

 

What you did say to start this whole thing off though was:

  

On 15/06/2025 at 19:28, The College Dropout said:

im at peace that we are not PIFs top 5 footballing priority.  

  

On 15/06/2025 at 19:39, The College Dropout said:

Which is a bit shit.  A football club is only as good as its owners ambition and acumen. 

  

On 15/06/2025 at 19:43, The College Dropout said:

We aren’t the ones with Ronaldo and Kante. 
(...)

If we were top 3 priority they might even think to avoid buying players from our ‘rivals’. Or only do it by exception but nope. 

 

Which in my opinion is just pure nonsense. There is no lack of ambition or acumen on the side of our owners and we are firmly among their top priorities in football, which is obviously also a main priority for them as a whole. To suggest otherwise is simply ignorant or disingenuous. They have spent the best part of a billion on us and in doing so have elevated us from also rans to competing for trophies and CL qualification as the norm, and this is only the start. They are preparing massive investment in our infrastructure and it's entirely plausible that if it were not for rules put in place by the PL to hinder our progression they would have invested much more on the playing side already. I just don't understand this constant nagging every time they do something that does not align 100% with the insular NUFC interest. They have many more interests to serve than only their NE1 one. I can't believe that still needs explaining over three years into their ownership.

[Dr Jinx]

Overall Howe did an excellent job last season although with the same consistency issues.

 

Saying that, between Ashworth and Mitchell, Howe has appeared to use whatever sway to limit the input by both, seeing them off essentially.

 

You can argue that he’s earned that veto but it’s not a good look for anyone coming in that he just won’t work with them.

 

 

[Ben]

3 minutes ago, Dr Jinx said:

Overall Howe did an excellent job last season although with the same consistency issues.

 

Saying that, between Ashworth and Mitchell, Howe has appeared to use whatever sway to limit the input by both, seeing them off essentially.

 

You can argue that he’s earned that veto but it’s not a good look for anyone coming in that he just won’t work with them.

 

 

 

Howe has the Freedom of Newcastle I think its about time we let him choose the direction of the club and the executives he wants to work with

[Dokko]

3 minutes ago, Ben said:

 

Howe has the Freedom of Newcastle I think its about time we let him choose the direction of the club and the executives he wants to work with

 

That's it. Let him chose the person he wants, otherwise we'll be back here next year doing it all again. If he doesn't want one, then we don't get one. 

 

Back the manager and show who is in charge, or peddle him and get one which fits the model you want to implement. No middle ground. That has never worked once in the history of football, it's not going to start with us. 

[SUPERTOON]

6 minutes ago, Ben said:

 

Howe has the Freedom of Newcastle I think its about time we let him choose the direction of the club and the executives he wants to work with

You can’t have a person picking their own boss though, surely ?

[Ben]

9 minutes ago, SUPERTOON said:

You can’t have a person picking their own boss though, surely ?

 

It's Eddie Howe not Steve Bruce, I don't see the problem with him choosing a Sporting Director, the CEO should be chose by the owners but needs to be a Bruce Buck type character 

[SUPERTOON]

2 minutes ago, Ben said:

 

It's Eddie Howe not Steve Bruce, I don't see the problem with him choosing a Sporting Director, the CEO should be chose by the owners but needs to be a Bruce Buck type character 

Disagree, he should be informed in the process but you can’t have him picking the DOF imo.

[Ben]

Just now, SUPERTOON said:

Disagree, he should be informed in the process but you can’t have him picking the DOF imo.

 

He's a control freak he needs someone to help him not butt heads with.

[TheBrownBottle]

1 hour ago, Unbelievable said:

They have spent the best part of a billion on us

Missed this one - when did they spend the best part of a billion on us?

[nufcjmc]

2 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Missed this one - when did they spend the best part of a billion on us?

Not my debate so apologies but must be getting close to that all told.

 

400/450m on transfers then cost to buy club, capital expenditure on current training ground and stadium tidy up, plus womens team etc. Obviously not all of that is funded with them throwing the money in of course. 

[TheBrownBottle]

1 minute ago, nufcjmc said:

Not my debate so apologies but must be getting close to that all told.

 

400/450m on transfers then cost to buy club, capital expenditure on current training ground and stadium tidy up, plus womens team etc. Obviously not all of that is funded with them throwing the money in of course. 

It’s no-ones debate, feel free to  

 

£338m invested so far - the club spends its own money too of course.  It’s not chicken feed, but it’s not close to a billion either.

[nufcjmc]

1 minute ago, TheBrownBottle said:

It’s no-ones debate, feel free to  

 

£338m invested so far - the club spends its own money too of course.  It’s not chicken feed, but it’s not close to a billion either.

You have a head for figures so feel massively under qualified to chip in is the 338m what accounts show they have put in? Assume that doesn't include the club cost?  I think that was 305m? Did we also pay little Mike back his loan money or was that part of the 305 I try not to remember? 

 

Genuinely interested not trying to put you on the spot 😁

[TheBrownBottle]

3 minutes ago, nufcjmc said:

You have a head for figures so feel massively under qualified to chip in is the 338m what accounts show they have put in? Assume that doesn't include the club cost?  I think that was 305m? Did we also pay little Mike back his loan money or was that part of the 305 I try not to remember? 

 

Genuinely interested not trying to put you on the spot 😁

The club purchase is separate - and you’re right, it was £305m (PIF’s share of that was £244m - they have since bought a further 5% from Staveley’s previous stake)

 

Ashley’s loan was part of that number - which was about £140m at that point