Time for an Ashley olive branch?

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KidCanary said:
So... No criticism of Ashley and Pardew for lying to the fans about not getting a striker this window?
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I never really bought the concept that we were not in the market for a striker considering we'd spent 7 months chasing a striker.
Pardew simply covered our tracks so when we went for a player, we could bid unhindered. Good tactics.
 
overseastoon said:
i never really bought the concept that we were not in the market for a striker considering we'd spent 7 months chasing a striker.
Pardew simply covered our tracks so when we went for a player, we could bid unhindered. Good tactics.
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mr p kept his cards very close to his chest ,you have to admire his style
 
Obertan's Rancid Toe said:
The club deserves a lot of credit if what Cisse says is true, that he was set to move in the summer to us and Freiburg blocked the transfer.

How tempting must it have been for them to try to appease us fans who so badly wanted a striker, to say how close we had been and try and gain some support.

Instead they have acted perfectly and waited this one out til January, nobody saw it coming and we've nicked an awesome player for £7.5m.

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I think this is where the fact MA and DL not really giving too much of a **** about the fans has actually paid off... They don't feel obliged to announce to us (and therefore the world, I think people forget that!) that we were going for XX and got so far but we fell down at a certain stage and effectively giving away our bargaining power
 
I have got to admit that some of MA's decisions since taking over the club have infuriated me. At the same time he has decided on how he wants to run the club. He has not taken cognisance of the fans, which has got under all of our skin. Yet I can't help but feel that his plan is coming together, a lot of it through trial and error. I have to say that looking at the standing of our club financially, signings, and general morale throughout the club, I can't help but tip my hat and say well played. You have brought me on side, with a small sense of reservation. But on side, which I never thought would happen.
 
Jonny5ok said:
I completely agree, he is running the club the right way... but that doesn't mean I like him :emoticon-0110-tongu !
Perfectly happy to just carry on letting him do his thing.
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True, well perhaps asking everyone to like him is a bit strong but it's nice to take a chance to acknowledge them doing some good stuff.

In an ideal world I think it would just be good one day for the NUFC regime and fans to be on friendly terms I suppose, and united. I'm not saying it'll happen but perhaps getting into Europe or winning something would prove a significant enough turning point?
 
tommytoonAA said:
I think this is where the fact MA and DL not really giving too much of a **** about the fans has actually paid off... They don't feel obliged to announce to us (and therefore the world, I think people forget that!) that we were going for XX and got so far but we fell down at a certain stage and effectively giving away our bargaining power
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Yup!
 
But 6 months ago you lot were banging on about how they have an obligation to tell the truth to the fans. Consistency, chaps.
 
2SilverSeahorses said:
True, well perhaps asking everyone to like him is a bit strong but it's nice to take a chance to acknowledge them doing some good stuff.

In an ideal world I think it would just be good one day for the NUFC regime and fans to be on friendly terms I suppose, and united. I'm not saying it'll happen but perhaps getting into Europe or winning something would prove a significant enough turning point?
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Yea, I am pleased with what he's done/doing, and I'd love for him to one day come out with a heartfelt letter to the fans proclaiming his love for us.... actually, that probably would make me like him!
 
Jonny5ok said:
Yea, I am pleased with what he's done/doing, and I'd love for him to one day come out with a heartfelt letter to the fans proclaiming his love for us.... actually, that probably would make me like him!
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Hahaha – yeah maybe that would do it. Thing is, I just can't accept that he has no care for the club in his own way. You know, as a successful businessman he would know that when he bought the club that really there are much easier ways to make money so it can't of all been about the cash.

I believe that the bad feeling he started to get from fans (abuse at matches etc) did make him more cynical and bloody minded and he started to view it more and more in a cold and business-driven way.
I also think he never ever had intentions of bankrolling the club with his own funds and he then had to in order to bail out the investment and ensure we bounced back from the Championship.

In short, a combination of these things soured the experience of owning a football club and maybe now we're seeing his enthusiasm stoked up again...
 
2SilverSeahorses said:
Ok, so a few things to get straight before I say this:

1) This is partly because of the Cisse signing tonight, I accept that, plus of course results have softened my thoughts towards the regime – success is what we all want in football and it isn't 'fickle' to be happy with that.
2) I was as gutted as anyone about how Keegan was treat, Dennis Wise, relegation, the treatment of Chris Hughton, flogging Andy Carroll (even Nolan/Barton too) and more recently the SJP name change.

However, as much we criticise we must also give credit for the good things...

Despite it being largely his fault we went down, Ashley did as much as possible to keep the players we needed to come straight back up. Without that Chris Hughton, as great as he was, would have struggled.
Under his regime we've notably signed Coloccini, Tiote, Ben Arfa, Best, Obertan, Cabaye, Marveaux, Santon, Ba and now Cisse. Apart from Obertan, who I think will improve, this is an impressive list that has and will improve us massively from last year.

A big factor here has been Pardew, backed by John Carver who was a massive addition to the backroom staff and the brilliant Graham Carr. But I feel Pardew has been impeccably good – the way he handled the situation when appointed, the way he talks to the media, by and large his tactics in some key games this season and how he has made players like Krul, Ryan Taylor, Steven Taylor, Danny Guthrie, Jonas and Danny Simpson look like world beaters at times.

Now, some will say Mike Ashley and Lliambias have enjoyed luck rather than foresight. There's always an element of that within good decisions but lately they've had too much for it to be totally down to coincidence.

I think most of us can see that 'the plan' is finally working and on a night like this when we can all finally enjoy a new number 9 joining the club (the one the regime clearly wanted) that we can enjoy it without negativity.
It may be that outgoings happen before the window shuts, but perhaps there's starting to be enough trust to see it as part of a longer term scheme and not to panic.

So my main point is, should we at least contemplate offering a metaphorical olive branch to Mike Ashley and Derek Lliambias to say thanks and well done on this news and the season so far?
It's my belief that if the board and fans can wipe the slate clean and unite we'll be far stronger and maybe help to ignite Ashley's passion in the club again to do more of this...
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Goodness, Mike Ashley has allowed Alan Pardew to spend £10m of the £35m we got for Andy Carroll... let's write a thread about how great Mike Ashley is.

Of course, once we have a run of poor results, we can just go back to making him a figure of hate again.

Sorted.
 
I think that MA is saving the club financially but trying to kill the soul of the club at the same time, what with the stadium renaming and the singing section being moved.

I'll never particuarly like Ashley, he may have prevented us from going into administration, and he may want the club to be sucessful, but for a completely different reason to us fans.
 
jOkEr said:
Goodness, Mike Ashley has allowed Alan Pardew to spend £10m of the £35m we got for Andy Carroll... let's write a thread about how great Mike Ashley is.

Of course, once we have a run of poor results, we can just go back to making him a figure of hate again.

Sorted.
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That's not the point at all, you've completely missed it and it's a shame you're determined to see it that way.

Fact is, Ashley could have pocketed ALL the Andy Carroll money but we've spent a pretty decent chunk of it with this and the summer signings.
However much we don't like it, the board have never been obliged to spend out on players the money we get in for selling them – never. We might want and expect it but that's why we're fans and not chairman.

Who says the spending of funds is finished anyway? That might be it for January but there's nothing to say funds aren't held back for the summer.

If you read the first post properly it was about weighing up the pros and cons, raising a debate, not saying how 'great' he is at all...
 
Minty Fresh said:
I think that MA is saving the club financially but trying to kill the soul of the club at the same time, what with the stadium renaming and the singing section being moved.

I'll never particuarly like Ashley, he may have prevented us from going into administration, and he may want the club to be sucessful, but for a completely different reason to us fans.
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I don't believe he's trying to kill the soul of the club, I think he's just trying to get in the maximum amount of money for the club. If someone comes along and offers £40m to call the ground "Let's All Laugh At Sunderland", would you not be pleased (the name is obviously just wishful thinking, but let's say it was the BT Arena or some such)? Everyone who is a Newcastle fan would still call it St James' Park, but the money would be there available for investment in players etc. I really think the name is irrelevant. I would like it to stay SJP, but am not fussed if we can get a decent amount to change it.
 
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