No Ashley transfer funds! Yet!

[The Bonk]

I blame this thread on Parky and his "We can finish above Arsenal next season" thread.  Too many people bought into that.  You should be ashamed, Parky!  SHAME!!! 

 

Relax people, he's only owned the club four weeks!!!  Glad to see the optimism last about half that time, probably much less. 

[Guest Brazilianbob]

What if the result of the review by Mort is this.

 

"Mike this club is on a downward spiral and it will take far too much of your money to turn it around, lets just get the hotel complex built, float the company on the stock market to make a killing, then flog the whole thing after we have got our outlay back,with the usual profit on top of course"

[Guest black]

What if the result of the review by Mort is this.

 

"Mike this club is on a downward spiral and it will take far too much of your money to turn it around, lets just get the hotel complex built, float the company on the stock market to make a killing, then flog the whole thing after we have got our outlay back,with the usual profit on top of course"

No way in hell. Laura maybe regarded as someone who doesn't like the limelight but you can bet your last tupence anyone that wants to own a football club wants to make it a success.

Even the fat man knew he'd make more £££ by making the club successful, he just wasn't smart enough to know how and in the end it was far easier for him to just load his pockets.

Laura, although we will never know it, must have some attachment to the club otherwise he would of been like Thaksin Shinawatra and bounced from club to club until someone sold to him.

If you think about it being a part owner of JJB he could have easily just invested in Wigan, don't worry it's not about asset stripping.

[Guest Knightrider]

Newcastle United arguably has the most potential of any sporting brand on the planet and for a man renowned for tapping into largely moderate brands and making them not only successful but profitable, I'm pretty confident our man Ashley and his team will do just that with Newcastle where the potential to do both is huge.

[Dr Venkman]

another morning,absolutely no transfer news, i'm sick of checking now.

[Guest alex]

Newcastle United arguably has the most potential of any sporting brand on the planet and for a man renowned for tapping into largely moderate brands and making them not only successful but profitable, I'm pretty confident our man Ashley and his team will do just that with Newcastle where the potential to do both is huge.

You've gone a bit overboard there but the potential is huge. Think back to when KK was manager and (in the old 36,500 seater) SJP we were playing Liverpool. Drew 1-1 and Rob Lee scored a screamer. Anyway, it was reputed that around 70-80k tickets could have been sold for that match. I know you were talking about more than just attendances but it gives an indication as to what is possible.

[KaKa]

Any movements on transfer targets appears to be so dead now that even the papers aren't bothering to speculate.

 

Not worried yet, but slightly concerned as I am a big believer in getting players in early so that they can settle in well before the season starts.

 

We have got some players in early already, but I really would have prefered it if it had been the defenders who came in first as that really is the area of concern and the players who we really need to gel together as soon as possible.

 

Sigh ...

 

[Guest Knightrider]

Newcastle United arguably has the most potential of any sporting brand on the planet and for a man renowned for tapping into largely moderate brands and making them not only successful but profitable, I'm pretty confident our man Ashley and his team will do just that with Newcastle where the potential to do both is huge.

You've gone a bit overboard there but the potential is huge. Think back to when KK was manager and (in the old 36,500 seater) SJP we were playing Liverpool. Drew 1-1 and Rob Lee scored a screamer. Anyway, it was reputed that around 70-80k tickets could have been sold for that match. I know you were talking about more than just attendances but it gives an indication as to what is possible.

 

Maybe, but I wouldn't know Alex, there are some huge sporting brands out there of course, but given football's popularity and global reach - making it the world's number one sport - I don't see many clubs out there with our as of yet unfulfilled potential. In that sense we could well be the sporting brand with the most potential, or at least football brand.

 

Going back to that Liverpool match you mention (great goal BTW), in one of the Black & White mags at the time, there are quotes from Freddie Fletcher saying how leading up to the Barca match, the club fielded something like 30,000 enquiries for tickets from all over the globe and he reckoned we could have sold out 3 times over. I could quite believe it.

 

There is that potential and then there is the financial potential and playing potential (which all go hand in hand of course).

 

What are your thoughts BTW Alex on Ashley?

 

I've probably came over since it took off as pro-Ashley and blindly so but I have my reservations too. Ultimately though I believe he will want to make a big success of the club in terms of actual silverware and financial reward and the only real way to do that is by way of investment and expertise in managerial departments. Whether the success materialises, remains to be seen. Beats the outlook under the previous mob though. Fingers crossed eh.

[Parky]

I blame this thread on Parky and his "We can finish above Arsenal next season" thread.  Too many people bought into that.  You should be ashamed, Parky!  SHAME!!! 

 

Relax people, he's only owned the club four weeks!!!  Glad to see the optimism last about half that time, probably much less. 

 

No rest for the wicked.

[Mowen]

Newcastle United arguably has the most potential of any sporting brand on the planet and for a man renowned for tapping into largely moderate brands and making them not only successful but profitable, I'm pretty confident our man Ashley and his team will do just that with Newcastle where the potential to do both is huge.

You've gone a bit overboard there but the potential is huge. Think back to when KK was manager and (in the old 36,500 seater) SJP we were playing Liverpool. Drew 1-1 and Rob Lee scored a screamer. Anyway, it was reputed that around 70-80k tickets could have been sold for that match. I know you were talking about more than just attendances but it gives an indication as to what is possible.

 

It shows you the gulf between teams. Selling 70-80k tickets is massive, and yet ManU sell that every week. HTT I presume you mean unfulfilled potential? There's no way we have anywhere close to the potential of ManU, just they're realising theirs a lot more.

[Guest alex]

If you're talking about unfulfilled potential you may well be right. As for Ashley, I'm cautiously optimistic. I can't see why he'd have taken over the club and bought it outright unless he really (and I mean really) wanted to challenge for honours. I also think the club will be run more professionally from top to bottom than it was before with nothing being left to chance etc. When you look at what we achieved under Shepherd and the Halls, it was a case of so near, yet so far. With moments of pure inspiration like appointing Keegan tempered by decisions like getting rid of Robson and replacing him with Souness. I'd like to think we'll see a bit more stability and a bit more of a long-term outlook now.

[Guest Knightrider]

If you're talking about unfulfilled potential you may well be right. As for Ashley, I'm cautiously optimistic. I can't see why he'd have taken over the club and bought it outright unless he really (and I mean really) wanted to challenge for honours. I also think the club will be run more professionally from top to bottom than it was before with nothing being left to chance etc. When you look at what we achieved under Shepherd and the Halls, it was a case of so near, yet so far. With moments of pure inspiration like appointing Keegan tempered by decisions like getting rid of Robson and replacing him with Souness. I'd like to think we'll see a bit more stability and a bit more of a long-term outlook now.

 

Sums up my feelings 

[Guest Knightrider]

Newcastle United arguably has the most potential of any sporting brand on the planet and for a man renowned for tapping into largely moderate brands and making them not only successful but profitable, I'm pretty confident our man Ashley and his team will do just that with Newcastle where the potential to do both is huge.

You've gone a bit overboard there but the potential is huge. Think back to when KK was manager and (in the old 36,500 seater) SJP we were playing Liverpool. Drew 1-1 and Rob Lee scored a screamer. Anyway, it was reputed that around 70-80k tickets could have been sold for that match. I know you were talking about more than just attendances but it gives an indication as to what is possible.

 

It shows you the gulf between teams. Selling 70-80k tickets is massive, and yet ManU sell that every week. HTT I presume you mean unfulfilled potential? There's no way we have anywhere close to the potential of ManU, just they're realising theirs a lot more.

 

Aye, I meant unfulfilled. If we had Man Utd's team and were competing for the honours they do, we'd fill 76,000 seats too. Would they get 53,000 if they'd went without a league title since 1927, a domestic cup since 55 and any kind of trophy since 69? Doubt it.

[Skirge]

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

[Mick]

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

 

Always glad to help.

 

http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4940/cashdv2.jpg

[Guest Knightrider]

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

 

Is £130m already spent, not showing you the money?

 

Be patient my man, once this review/due diligence is sorted, he'll spend, maybe not now but in January and the following window. Not ideal I know but Big Sam will just have to wheel and deal for a while longer, which won't kill him as he's done it successfully throughout his career.

[madras]

NE5--Would you mind answering the question "would you rather fred were still here or would you rather take the risk with ashley ?"

 

i've read your previous answers and they don't seem to make sense,you see when i asked my wife to marry me i'd have been pissed off had she replied "well my answer depends on how you treet me in our first few years" when i voted at the general election there was no box marked "depends on what happens in the next couple of years."

 

it's a question for now,i wish we could do it your way,no-one would ever make a mistake.

 

 

I didn't hear Ashley say he was going to bankroll managers, did you ? Has he had any previous experience of owning football clubs so we can judge him ?

 

If you did, please show me a link.

 

I wouldn't have liked that hedge fund though, and quite a lot of chairman at other premiership and big city clubs around the country either.

 

 

can i take it you would have preferred fred had stayed and ashley never took over then ?

 

please don't answer anything about seeing what ashley does as what he does in the future has sod all bearing on feelings now.

[brummie]

Is it daft to suggest that the reason Ashley hasn't spent big money on the transfer market yet is because either Allardyce hasn't decided where he wants to spend it, or he has, but the players in question (or the clubs they play for) have knocked you back?

 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of movement in the transfer market as a whole this summer, to be honest. Maybe with the big tv money, clubs who previously would have capitulated at the first sight of a decent wedge no longer have to do so, so are either keeping their assets, or playing hardball when talking figures?

 

I'm just as worried about my club's lack of activity, but I'd be more worried if it were only us. Except it isn't.

[madras]

Is it daft to suggest that the reason Ashley hasn't spent big money on the transfer market yet is because either Allardyce hasn't decided where he wants to spend it, or he has, but the players in question (or the clubs they play for) have knocked you back?

 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of movement in the transfer market as a whole this summer, to be honest. Maybe with the big tv money, clubs who previously would have capitulated at the first sight of a decent wedge no longer have to do so, so are either keeping their assets, or playing hardball when talking figures?

 

I'm just as worried about my club's lack of activity, but I'd be more worried if it were only us. Except it isn't.

i've stated several times in this thread that allardyce has said things get so far with a player then "fall on stony ground",which to me sounds like the preliminaries get sorted ie "you've made a bid that can be negotiated on so you can appraoch the player" then it stops.my thinking is the selling club jacks the price because of us having a billionaire backer or allardyce/mort thinks the player is asking far too much.

 

the fact that allardyce says things get "so far" strongly suggests bids ARE being made.

[merlin]

I've gone on record here as saying there wil be a different approach to transfers(and most other things!)at the club now, and I still stand by that - i would rather everything was done on the quiet and announced when its in the bag.Also, i believe, as i've said before, that changing the club(AND its image with top players)will take time.

 

Having said that, there are a couple of things which do concern me slightly over the current situation.

 

I find it strange that Allardyce should be hinting quite so openly that in effect, his hands are tied with signing players - this can only mean one of two things ; either Allardyce ISN'T getting the necessary cash, OR he has found it difficult to sign the players he actually wants - it may even be a mix of the two...

 

If he ISN'T getting the cash, then the situation is slightly worrying, because there can only be one conclusion - that he doesn't have the full confidence of either Ashley or Mort.

The problem with this situation is that it will lead to an impasse in building the team. esp this season.

We have to remember that Sam was NOT Ashley's man, he was Shepherd's - Ashley has inherited the situation and in my view, he has no alternative , at this point, but to persevere with the situation.

 

My biggest fear is that Ashley MAY be thinking that Dein will leave Arsenal, come to NUFC as CE, and bring Wenger with him - with Ashley being VERY successful in business, you would hope that he isn't going along this track because unless he has cast-iron assurances from the people involved, I would bet that Dein will end up back at Arsenal after a takeover - where would that leave NUFC as the season draws on...!!??

 

On the other hand, if Sam has found it difficult to sign the players he really wants - and that wouldn't be a surprise to me - maybe this is a way of keeping the pressure off him AND the Board by using the Financial review to excuse lack of money...

 

No-one should under-estimate the size of the task ahead for all at the club - we have fallen far from grace, and other , previously viewed as 'smaller' clubs than us, now have big money too...

 

Finally - if there IS any back-sliding on funds at THIS TIME(I don't believe this will be club policy - Ashley is too shrewd NOT to back his investment), it should stop - the team needs 3 or 4 players even to have a DECENT season(our defence needs reinforcements), and finishing outside the top 8 would be viewed by all as a disappointment.Whether the BIG money comes now or later is immaterial - what is important is PROGRESS this season, so the big funds can be splashed next...

 

Its important not to panic, but an awareness of what needs to be done - even if it means spending 15-20m - is paramount for confidence of the fans - they have seen too many false dawns.

[UV]

NE5--Would you mind answering the question "would you rather fred were still here or would you rather take the risk with ashley ?"

 

i've read your previous answers and they don't seem to make sense,you see when i asked my wife to marry me i'd have been pissed off had she replied "well my answer depends on how you treet me in our first few years" when i voted at the general election there was no box marked "depends on what happens in the next couple of years."

 

it's a question for now,i wish we could do it your way,no-one would ever make a mistake.

 

 

Would you have asked your wife to marry you if she'd never said she loved you, or shown you any kind of affection?

Would you have voted for someone who refused to say what their policies would be?

 

You're asking him to make a risk assessment without any information. You're basically being Noel Edmonds asking deal or no deal. Fred was the banker bloke on the phone - you knew what you were getting. Ashely is the money in the box - it could be a lot or it could be £1.

[Mick]

 

Is £130m already spent, not showing you the money?

 

Be patient my man, once this review/due diligence is sorted, he'll spend, maybe not now but in January and the following window. Not ideal I know but Big Sam will just have to wheel and deal for a while longer, which won't kill him as he's done it successfully throughout his career.

 

Some of what has been said since the takeover has come as a bit of a surprise to me, the debt for one.  Not that we've got it and not the amount becuase we mentioned it when our results were released.  What I'm surprised at is that even without due diligence they only had to do a Google and they would have found a link to the latest set of results.

 

I've read quite a bit of information about Mort (know your emeny) on the Internet and he doesn't come across as being someone to miss out on something as basic as that.

[danswan]

I think we will see a flurry of activity back end of next week. Its just like a game of domino rally.

 

Could someone make a new thread please? If you read through the whole of this one (which has taken me all morning, taking the odd break to do some work), its just different people saying the same things again and again. And again. We need a new thread on here, one with new ideas and a new vision for the future. A thread about Albert Luque.

[Mick]

Is it daft to suggest that the reason Ashley hasn't spent big money on the transfer market yet is because either Allardyce hasn't decided where he wants to spend it, or he has, but the players in question (or the clubs they play for) have knocked you back?

 

There doesn't seem to be a lot of movement in the transfer market as a whole this summer, to be honest. Maybe with the big tv money, clubs who previously would have capitulated at the first sight of a decent wedge no longer have to do so, so are either keeping their assets, or playing hardball when talking figures?

 

I'm just as worried about my club's lack of activity, but I'd be more worried if it were only us. Except it isn't.

 

I hope the clubs are playing hardball when it comes to wages, the players get enough and we all know how wages spiralled when the last TV deal was negotiated.  I'd rather the clubs kept the cash and used it rather than handing it over to the players, tell them to piss off, greedy bastards.

[madras]

NE5--Would you mind answering the question "would you rather fred were still here or would you rather take the risk with ashley ?"

 

i've read your previous answers and they don't seem to make sense,you see when i asked my wife to marry me i'd have been pissed off had she replied "well my answer depends on how you treet me in our first few years" when i voted at the general election there was no box marked "depends on what happens in the next couple of years."

 

it's a question for now,i wish we could do it your way,no-one would ever make a mistake.

 

 

Would you have asked your wife to marry you if she'd never said she loved you, or shown you any kind of affection?

Would you have voted for someone who refused to say what their policies would be?

 

You're asking him to make a risk assessment without any information. You're basically being Noel Edmonds asking deal or no deal. Fred was the banker bloke on the phone - you knew what you were getting. Ashely is the money in the box - it could be a lot or it could be £1.

he has the same information as us all and unfortunatly you can't say i'll make my 23rd july decision based on what i see happening in august.the deal or no deal analogy is agood one in that people make the choice,they don't get to see what's in the box then decide.