A very good thread, and although there are mentions across other threads about where the club are going, its good to get it in one place and hear everyones views. Overall, I am happy with the way the club is progressing. The current playing squad alone is now worth much more than you could buy the whole club for 3-4 years ago. Other (off field) things are taking a bit more time, and progress being made.
Success though, is subjective. I would be quite happy to be a solid premier league outfit with a squad of players who genuinely look like they want to play for us, and maybe a sniff of a cup/europe now and again. An alternative is to gamble with mercenaries, who could take you to the next level, or take you down 2 divisions in the blink of an eye (which has been done and then we were made to watch the whole thing again on TV.....)
I also think that the way the club interacts with the community is important - from engaging with the fans, to having an academy to capture the talent, and other community projects which gets young lads and lasses in the NE involved.