Saudi Arabia swoop in and buy the club. Talk of winning things in 5-10 years, huge ambitions, UCL regular qualification, etc. We immediately buy Trippier, Bruno G, Dan Burn, Chris Wood and loan Targett for around £80m and survive. Following Summer we're in for Sven Botman, Aleksander Isak, Nick Pope. Gordon arrives, and UCL qualification follows. Then it gets weird. This Summer we spunked our load on Tonali, plus Barnes, Livramento and Hall. At the same time, SELA are on the shirts, Saudia one of many 'key partners' and Adidas our new kit sponsor for around 4x as much as Castore paid. FFP looks at 3 years, so our guaranteed UCL & TV income, increased sponsorship, etc., can all be looked at. UCL qualification was on a plate for players to come to the club, yet we were completely outdone by Chelsea and Spurs (neither in Europe), Vllla (EConference) and West Ham (ELeague). The likes of Maddison, Diaby, Kudus, Alvarez, Torres, Tielemans were all - by amoritisation rules that somehow don't seem to apply to us - available for between £0 and £10m in FFP rules. I just can't work out how the transfers have gotten worse the better we've done. No doubt I'm just wetting the bed again, but something seems a little bit off and I can't put my finger on it, nor will I be able to.
I'm never drunk it's beneath me now and therfore on never on the ropes I'm in full force. Enjoy mate I'm off to the USA in the summer..... captain USA
Howe will most definitely be getting a big say and he's the type of guy that will only buy British potatoes. Following his sacking at Bournemouth he probably learned to buy safe players and is afraid to lose this job because after that it's the lower echelons and the sky studio eventually.
It never was a case of wanting a Club that tries not wins. It was a case of a Club that tries to win. We didn't have that with Ashley. He just wanted to survive in the PL and wasn't prepared to commit to trying to win as he figured it would cost too much. With the current owners they are trying to win but it takes time given where we were squad wise when they took over. I am more than willing to give them time as I believe they are looking to build something to last and not just to win and then have to start again.
I wonder who are the ones who voted not wetting the bed as I’m sure some of those literally wet the bed every game
I honestly don't know. I want to think so. I voted 3 - There's something niggling me that he might not be able to grow to make the adjustments we need in game and vs different opposition, but he's not got all the tools that the other clubs we're aiming to overtake have had for years. Our hands are tied to spending comparatively low amounts while trying to overhaul the entire club. I think he fully deserves to be given a couple more years before anyone even suggests he's not the man, based on what we've see so far. Been totally ****ed with injuries, that has ruined any chance of rotating if he wanted to. I have to believe that once the summer signings were up to speed, it wouldn't be the same 11 week in / out.
Next season will be make or break I think. He's earned a free pass this season and I think Tash is right that inevitably better players will return and results will improve this season. Add in the fact Chelsea & Man U are this seasons Chelsea & Spurs means getting that 5th or 6th spot is very achievable. I think it'll end up 6th which, in the grand plan, is probably about where they thought they'd be. The 4th and UCL was a complete fluke and a free swing, which should - in theory - have helped with finance and player acquisition. Weirdly, it didn't. The club needs to get to grips with FFP and amoritisation quickly, and also needs to go back to Jan '22 transfers rather than Summer '23's disaster. Howe needs to learn, and fast, how to be ruthless (in terms of his players and game management) and how to play a bit smarter than 20 minute hurricanes and 70 minutes in our own penalty area. He may be kept even if it's mid-table, but it won't be allowed again. The 5 year plan would have been something like 10th, 6th/7th, 4th, 4th, challenging with at least one trophy in there somewhere. So it's 6th/7th this season. Any lower he might be questioned. But he'll get til Jan 1st 2025 I think before anything happens.
Sometimes it's better to be drunk and on the ropes, as from time to time, you bump into an equally drunk and seductive lady type. Or so I'm told. Show the me the drink. Show me the ropes. May I encounter fair maidens on my adventures.
2 but he is gonna have to win a trophy within a certain amount of seasons because that's what we are after now.
Good things come to those who wait - patience is the key - we've had 3 transfer windows under the new owners so far and managed to compile an XI of: Pope, Trippier, Burn, Botman, Livarmento, Bruno, Tonali, Gordon, Barnes, Target, Isak with some exciting young players coming through, Miley, Minteh, Ashby, Kuol, Sanusi etc. Compare that XI to the old guard who are still playing here: Dubravka, Krafth, Schar, Lascelles, Dummett, Longstaff, Joelinton, Willock, Almiron, Murphy, Wilson 9 of those are still playing regulars football here - Think we can expect 2/3 signings in January and another few in the summer meaning players like Krafth, Dummet, Murphy, Lascelles, Wilson, Almiron and Dubravka will be replaced in the next 6 months or so with quality additions to the squad.
I don't think Newcastle are far away in terms of bodies but it appears the pot is empty, so it's got to be sales and/orba different approach I guess.
Why does it appear that the pot is empty? I'd be surprised if they didn't spend. Record kit deal, partners here and there. They can write off 10 months of Sandro Tonali to player impairment as he's been unavailable... They'll try some loans, but I'll be very suprised if they don't have something to go at.
Saw something last week that suggested we had between £35-50m due to new sponsorship deals, CL monies etc
Well I know as much as anyone else there but if I use you word 'appears' that's surely reasonable given every journalist and the owners have been saying so for quite some time.
