PIF and RB Sports & Media

[AngelofTheFourth]

14 hours ago, The College Dropout said:

Villa’s biggest issue is that it’s a super old squad and very few of their Emery era transfers have been major successes. 
 

7 of the 11 starters in the Europa league final were there before Emery - which is damning.  Considering Emery has had European pull and good wages for nearly all of his transfer windows.  
 

It might also be an Emery thing too. Of the 4 Emery era signings that started the final they are aged:

29

31

29

23

 

It’s not an Howe situation of inheriting an old squad.  Emery has been allowed to sign older players and insists on playing them and it’s not sustainable. Emery inherited a class young spine and has just let it age. They do have younger options but he’s choosing to start a 31yo loanee CB in Lindelof over 24 yo Onana (no idea of the story there) and starts 30 something Digne over Maatsen.  
 

Emery might leave Vila checkmated when he runs to Real if they allow it to continue.  Given their position allowing Emery to sign Abraham for £18m is insane.  They need a level headed Duran.  I can really see a checkmate situation because I’ve seen no signs of it ending.  They replaced 24 yo Guessand with 28yo Abraham.  Don’t give Elliott a chance and preferred another loanee they would never sign permanently. As it stands they only have 1 £50m+ valued player - purely down to age and not developing younger players. 
 

Big summer for them.  They need to sign players 21-25 and play them.  
 

We really had a great thing going with Ashworth. He only signed 1 outfield player 25 and over I believe. Maybe 2?

 

Emery has done a brilliant job no doubt. But Villa have invested a lot of money in his time and the squad profile is very old. 
 

Ive been very complimentary of Villa and Emery but I have a doomsday scenario for them. They continue as they have been - signing older players, high quality loans and compete well on all fronts. But because teams like Bournemouth and Sunderland are in Europe, new manager City, Slot etc. PL doesn’t get 5th CL place. Stronger seasons from Alonso’s Chelsea, DeZerbi’s Spurs and us without Europe mean Villa do well, maybe finish 5th but don’t qualify for the CL. Emery leaves to replace Jose at Madrid - maybe the Spain NT job.   Villa are left with an old squad with no wingers, low market value so they return to midtable the next season, lose twice to newly promoted Birmingham City who miraculously qualify for Europe. 
 

- end novel.  

Tbf their older players have just simply been better. Even last season they were much better once they brought in rashford and asensio are who were both older signings.

 

Emery is a technical manager which is why i think they handle european football so well because it not all based on high energy. I can see they continue to just keep on getting older technically gifted players who have top level experience like trippier was for us.

 

Real would be stupid to get Emery with the type of players they have he left PSG for that exact reason.

[The College Dropout]

24 minutes ago, AngelofTheFourth said:

Tbf their older players have just simply been better. Even last season they were much better once they brought in rashford and asensio are who were both older signings.

 

Emery is a technical manager which is why i think they handle european football so well because it not all based on high energy. I can see they continue to just keep on getting older technically gifted players who have top level experience like trippier was for us.

 

Real would be stupid to get Emery with the type of players they have he left PSG for that exact reason.

No matter what Villa do have a ceiling mind. If Real came calling he would go.  
 

McGinn, Tielemans, Watkins, Torres, Konsa were like 25-26when Emery joined or signed them.  But he’s also using players like Lindelof 30something and Abraham 28 as backups.  Preferring a short term unspectacular loanee like Sancho to Harvey Elliott.  
Rogers aside he’s not brought through a single player in 5 years.  

[The College Dropout]

1 hour ago, KetsbaiaIsBald said:

Me neither.  You have to think who is the target for the message?  The fans?  Maybe.  The players?  I would guess more likely.  There is noise that they dont consider us "elite", that the project is going stale etc.  They need to hear this sort of thing more than the fans to be honest.

You think the players, their agents and entourages are stupider than fans?

 

It’s aimed mostly at fans imo. 
 

 

i don’t think PIF are genuinely serious about making us #1.  So that impacts how I see the squad, signings etc.  I’ll not be mad at players wanting to leave for clubs that genuinely want and to be #1.  I’ll prefer Europa league to champions league positions because we can actually win it. CL is only useful if we are serious about consolidating ourselves there and eventually trying to win it. 

[The College Dropout]

I also fear their rhetoric leads to poor decision making from the staff.  Like the fear in the transfer market last summer.   Staff in fear that a lack of immediate results would lead to sackings. 
 

I wonder if Howe knew he could finish 12th and keep his job, would he still sign Wissa for £55m and Woltemade for £60m odd? 
 

Sadly I think he signs the rest regardless. 

[TRon]

2 hours ago, GEFAFWISP said:

I hope PIF fuck right off out of our club irrespective of how comes next and of course it's nothing to do with the current running of the club or their seeming spend versus inaction debate.

 

 

Would you be happy with another Mike Ashley type owner or do you have higher expectations?

 

 

[GEFAFWISP]

1 hour ago, TRon said:

 

 

Would you be happy with another Mike Ashley type owner or do you have higher expectations?

 

 

Next owner is irrelevant to the point that PIF or the people behind it are heinous cunts like.

[TRon]

2 hours ago, GEFAFWISP said:

Next owner is irrelevant to the point that PIF or the people behind it are heinous cunts like.

 

Yes but we are Newcastle fans so what do you suggest?

 

 

[GEFAFWISP]

1 hour ago, TRon said:

 

Yes but we are Newcastle fans so what do you suggest?

 

 

Head in the sand while hoping they get bored and fuck off eventually. Either that or buy a keffiyeh.

[brummie]

8 hours ago, Superbmac said:

I won’t lie, I’d swap places with your situation. We really blew our momentum.

 

Nah, it is ups and downs, you have to accept that it's not a direct diagonal top right line on a graph, you get setbacks.

 

Missing out on CL on goal difference last season was a massive challenge point for us. That made a huge difference in our plans, so we've had to accept that as a knockback.

 

There will be great seasons but there will also be iffy ones.

 

We didn't get what we wanted last year, but on the positive side, we had a run to the CL QF, we beat Bayern and PSG at home (and came within a kick of knocking them out), but if you look in wider terms, the season was a set-back.

 

We - you and us - moan that we're fighting a rigged system, and we genuinely are, we just need to accept that there are going to be setbacks, it's fucking difficult - if not impossible - to do what we are trying to do, and keep our nerve.

 

And I say that as one who has been saying how amazing this season has been, whilst ignoring all the times during it where i wanted to throw myself off a motorway bridge because we'd put together a 7 match run of absolutely Wolves level.

[RobsonsWonderland]

Arsenal, city, man u, Liverpool and Chelsea should all realistically finish top 5 year in , year out.

Spurs , villa and ourselves are there capitalise on any slips up the Big 5 will make.

 

So I don't think Villa are better run than us but more Chelsea, Liverpool had bad seasons

 

 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, RobsonsWonderland said:

Arsenal, city, man u, Liverpool and Chelsea should all realistically finish top 5 year in , year out.

Spurs , villa and ourselves are there capitalise on any slips up the Big 5 will make.

 

So I don't think Villa are better run than us but more Chelsea, Liverpool had bad seasons

 

 

Spurs are wealthier than some of those clubs - NUFC and Villa are miles behind them financially 

[1881]

As I have mentioned elsewhere theesk.org is an excellent site if you have in interest in the finances of the game.

 

There are many excellent articles within his analysis series and his latest article on Newcastle can be found here:

https://theesk.org/2026/04/14/the-analysis-series-analysis-of-newcastle-united-limited-financial-results-2024-2025/

 

 

[RUHRLYASLEEVESUP]

2 minutes ago, 1881 said:

As I have mentioned elsewhere theesk.org is an excellent site if you have in interest in the finances of the game.

 

There are many excellent articles within his analysis series and his latest article on Newcastle can be found here:

https://theesk.org/2026/04/14/the-analysis-series-analysis-of-newcastle-united-limited-financial-results-2024-2025/

 

 

Thank you 

[r0cafella]

40 minutes ago, 1881 said:

As I have mentioned elsewhere theesk.org is an excellent site if you have in interest in the finances of the game.

 

There are many excellent articles within his analysis series and his latest article on Newcastle can be found here:

https://theesk.org/2026/04/14/the-analysis-series-analysis-of-newcastle-united-limited-financial-results-2024-2025/

 

 

Thanks for sharing, will have a read!

[1881]

Another interesting/depressing article is the one on club branding

 

https://theesk.org/2026/05/23/the-analysis-series-premier-league-club-brand-value-analysis/

[Groundhog63]

15 hours ago, 1881 said:

Another interesting/depressing article is the one on club branding

 

https://theesk.org/2026/05/23/the-analysis-series-premier-league-club-brand-value-analysis/

 

[Harry 209]

So we do have a new front of shirt sponsor according to the Shields Gazette put they aren't telling us who it is.

[timeEd32]

I really hope this is true because 1) I'd feel a lot better about our ability to get real sponsorship deals done and 2) this logo could look great

 

 

[r0cafella]

25 minutes ago, timeEd32 said:

I really hope this is true because 1) I'd feel a lot better about our ability to get real sponsorship deals done and 2) this logo could look great

 

 

Seems like the vision fund is one of the investors on them too. Let's see if we find out how much we are getting which is all that actually matters

[timeEd32]

2 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Seems like the vision fund is one of the investors on them too. Let's see if we find out how much we are getting which is all that actually matters

Ultimately true, but I’m also a sucker for a nice kit.

[JT24]

36 minutes ago, timeEd32 said:

I really hope this is true because 1) I'd feel a lot better about our ability to get real sponsorship deals done and 2) this logo could look great

 

 

I have a lot of time for that kind of snooping. 
 

Respect. 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, timeEd32 said:

I really hope this is true because 1) I'd feel a lot better about our ability to get real sponsorship deals done and 2) this logo could look great

 

 

Never heard of them, and don't care that I haven't - if they've got the readies, that'll do for us

[r0cafella]

4 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

Never heard of them, and don't care that I haven't - if they've got the readies, that'll do for us

They make fitness straps, they are meant to be good anarl. 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, r0cafella said:

They make fitness straps, they are meant to be good anarl. 

Let’s hope they sell a gajillion of them and chuck some of those sweet sponsorship dollars our way 

[Fatwax]

WHOOP have gone from strength to strength over the last 8 or so years. Without checking I'd confidently say that the company is valued in the billions.