Backroom & executive staff

[Dokko]

Patronising comments with this best by 2030 talk. Must think it's our 1st rodeo. Still yet to see any actions from pif that they are serious about making that happen. If so the infra projects would be well under way.

 

Just be honest. Well keep growing as much as we can and see where it takes us and the infra stuff might happen in the next 20 years as everything goes at a snails pace.  

[timeEd32]

Quote

"We have to have the courage to ignore those that doubt us, and even those that laugh at us. Because there will be some."

 

It's certainly a lot better than hearing things like "we can't compete" and "we need to understand our place in the game." Aim for the top and if we end up revenue wise more like Spurs than the Manchesters then we're still competing at the right end of the table, playing in Europe, and with a genuine chance to regularly win things.

[Scoot]

19 minutes ago, Dokko said:

Patronising comments with this best by 2030 talk. Must think it's our 1st rodeo. Still yet to see any actions from pif that they are serious about making that happen. If so the infra projects would be well under way.

 

Just be honest. Well keep growing as much as we can and see where it takes us and the infra stuff might happen in the next 20 years as everything goes at a snails pace.  

 

[Lush Vlad]

1 hour ago, Magpie Mover said:

Try reading the comments on the BBC linked to the article. Everyone seems to find the statement extremely funny. I think it just makes us look delusional and stupid.

Aiming high and missing isn’t always a bad thing. Missing could still mean we’re one of the biggest and best clubs in the world. 
 

The Saudis might want to speed things up a bit, mind. Moving at the current coastal erosion/Shola pace. We might get somewhere near by 2050. 

[Pilko]

Reading that statement, you can tell he's applying some well known business principles - loads of it reminded me of "Traction" if anyone's ever read that before.

 

Putting a timescale on it is a good thing and his reasoning for doing so correct too IMO, I just think 2030 is a very tight timescale to achieve the things he's talking about. If you say it's til end of 2030 that's ten transfer windows. Even with really astute recruitment and increased commercial viability I don't see us firmly being at the top table that quickly, unless the rules designed to stifle us change in a big way.

 

 

Edited December 4, 2025 by Pilko

[TheBrownBottle]

To me it’s about actually doing something to make it happen and not just saying it.  No issue at all with stating ambitions and not achieving them - but stating them and doing nowt to get there is a problem. 
 

There seems to be a tendency compare the current ownership to Ashley, and then to forget what Ashley was being criticised for.  Ashely shrank commercial revenue - it wouldn’t take genius to increase it.  Ashley was criticised for having the club averaging lower midtable finishes - now we’re ’spoiled’ for thinking that isn’t good enough. 

[Keegans Export]

9 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

To me it’s about actually doing something to make it happen and not just saying it.  No issue at all with stating ambitions and not achieving them - but stating them and doing nowt to get there is a problem. 
 

There seems to be a tendency compare the current ownership to Ashley, and then to forget what Ashley was being criticised for.  Ashely shrank commercial revenue - it wouldn’t take genius to increase it.  Ashley was criticised for having the club averaging lower midtable finishes - now we’re ’spoiled’ for thinking that isn’t good enough. 

This is where I'm at too.

 

Occasional games/spells aside it's mint being a Newcastle fan at the moment and has been for nearly four years now.

 

The problem is that the talk from the top hasn't fully been matched by action. If they came out and said "Look, these rules are in place to try and stop us but we're going to do everything we can. That might just be consistently competing for Champions League places and domestic cups but we'll always spend what PSR allows to aim higher" I'd be absolutely fine with that.

 

Saying you think we'll be arguably the top club in the world in four years suggests you either don't fully understand how football (and particularly football finance/rules) work or you're just trying to talk about big game to impress someone. 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2025 by Keegans Export

[GideonShandy]

7 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

There seems to be a tendency compare the current ownership to Ashley, and then to forget what Ashley was being criticised for.  Ashely shrank commercial revenue - it wouldn’t take genius to increase it.  Ashley was criticised for having the club averaging lower midtable finishes - now we’re ’spoiled’ for thinking that isn’t good enough. 

 He got us relegated.  Twice!!

[STM]

Must have missed us finishing lower mid table under Howe.. well apart from that time he managed to drag us away from relegation.

 

Comparing the last 4 years, breaking our transfer record multiple times, creating countless amazing memories, European football, cup finals.. a fucking trophy... to the Ashley era is utterly laughable. 

 

It spoilt to suggest that in a highly competitive sport, we should have it all our own way and that any sticky period should result with fans questioning everyone and everything thats brought us these amazing times.

 

Our ownership have done brilliantly, our manager has done brilliantly, our players have done brilliantly and if we continue to back them, im sure that will continue.

[STM]

To be fair, the vast majority of our fanbase are acutely aware of how good the past few years have been, especially the older generation who've seen so much shite over the years. You will always get modern fans who expect everything now and criticise, even in the best of times.

[Scoot]

5 minutes ago, STM said:

To be fair, the vast majority of our fanbase are acutely aware of how good the past few years have been, especially the older generation who've seen so much shite over the years. You will always get modern fans who expect everything now and criticise, even in the best of times.

 

Some of our fans are just twisty doom mongers who always try and find the negative. Its a lifestyle choice for some.

 

This was always a long term project and the first 4 years have been absolutely brilliant. Unfortunately some base their opinion on the state of the club on a game by game basis rather than look at the overall picture.

 

 

[TRon]

2 hours ago, Magpie Mover said:

Try reading the comments on the BBC linked to the article. Everyone seems to find the statement extremely funny. I think it just makes us look delusional and stupid.

 

 

They can all fuck off far as I'm concerned. I want our owners to be making big statements. I like this guy Hopkinson as well. If you'd prefer a Charnley, well each to his own. 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, STM said:

Must have missed us finishing lower mid table under Howe.. well apart from that time he managed to drag us away from relegation.

 

Comparing the last 4 years, breaking our transfer record multiple times, creating countless amazing memories, European football, cup finals.. a fucking trophy... to the Ashley era is utterly laughable. 

 

It spoilt to suggest that in a highly competitive sport, we should have it all our own way and that any sticky period should result with fans questioning everyone and everything thats brought us these amazing times.

 

Our ownership have done brilliantly, our manager has done brilliantly, our players have done brilliantly and if we continue to back them, im sure that will continue.

I didn’t say we had finished there - I said folks are being called ‘spoiled’ for criticising our current PL standing.  I fully expect Howe to get us into the top half this season - he’s a good manager.  

[TheBrownBottle]

2 hours ago, GideonShandy said:

 He got us relegated.  Twice!!

Yes, I know he did.  Which is why I wrote ‘averaging’.  He was correctly criticised for it, as he was for getting us relegated twice.  The criticism was because it was well short of what even a semi-competent owner with no funds should’ve been able to build at the club. 

[timeEd32]

I know other people associated with the club have made bold claims in the last few years and certain actions (or inaction) have not entirely backed those up.

 

But by all accounts Hopkinson is not someone who stands still and he has a reputation for making things happen (and little patience for those who don't). Whether he succeeds in what he sets out to do and whether or not PIF give him the latitude to do so remain to be seen, but I'm confident these are not just words coming from him.

[Izakaya]

Dude needs to shut the fuck up and let his actions speak for him/PIF organically. 

 

 

[The Prophet]

29 minutes ago, TheBrownBottle said:

I didn’t say we had finished there - I said folks are being called ‘spoiled’ for criticising our current PL standing.  I fully expect Howe to get us into the top half this season - he’s a good manager.  

 

Not so much it's being spoilt and more just a lack of patience mixed with a bit of entitlement.

 

We all know the issues, so does Howe, it might just take a bit of time to rectify them. As it is, we're two points of the top half and five off a Champions League spot. It's far too early to be fretting about where we finish.

[aussiemag]

I think finishing outside of the Top 7 would be a failure this season. 

[timeEd32]

29 minutes ago, aussiemag said:

I think finishing outside of the Top 7 would be a failure this season. 

 

Finish 8th but reach QF of the CL and SF of LC. Failure?

[r0cafella]

Just now, timeEd32 said:

 

Finish 8th but reach QF of the CL and SF of LC. Failure?

Yes absolutely, it's a regression across the board. 

[r0cafella]

Anyways the CEO comments are interesting, it's a bit of a doubling down on what YAR has always said. It's massively optimistic mind but if he's the commercial guy hopefully we can close the gulf between us and the cartel clubs to give Eddie a fair crack at it. 

[aussiemag]

Just now, r0cafella said:

Anyways the CEO comments are interesting, it's a bit of a doubling down on what YAR has always said. It's massively optimistic mind but if he's the commercial guy hopefully we can close the gulf between us and the cartel clubs to give Eddie a fair crack at it. 

 

Ed needs to be taken away from the recruitment though. We cant be wasting money on mid-table premier league players at inflated prices. 

[JT24]

Not listening until they hire a new Chief Communications Officer. 
 

And fix the shocking excuse of a website. 

[Vedder]

I might be negative but I just read this as absolute spin. We’ve just been told that there’ll be no serious move forward with stadium plans for the foreseeable future. Put this within a message of huge ambition and everyone overlooks the absolute lack of ambition to move us forward. 
 

As a few have said, look at actions rather than words. We’re not making the moves to that line up with being amongst the best in the world as things stand. I appreciate it’s not easy to make such things happen but we should at least have commitment from the owners to do something. 

[Jackie Broon]

11 minutes ago, r0cafella said:

Anyways the CEO comments are interesting, it's a bit of a doubling down on what YAR has always said. It's massively optimistic mind but if he's the commercial guy hopefully we can close the gulf between us and the cartel clubs to give Eddie a fair crack at it. 

 

It feels like a bit of a shift from Eales, who always seemed to be more cautious when speaking about our ambitions.