Better the devil you know?

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Chappaz

Chappaz

Active Member
Jan 26, 2011
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Am I the only person who would be concerned about a foreign takeover? There are a lot of things which I'd be worried about which I know Ashley would probably never do:

  • Dump Pardew and bring in someone **** (again)
  • Undo all of Ashley's attempts at sorting out our finances by creating a ton of debt
  • Sell all of our best players
  • Destroy the team spirit with unfavourable decisions
  • Interfere with team building when they have no idea what they're doing
  • Ship out all of our English players and turn the team into mostly foreigners
  • Restrict investment even more than Ashley does now
  • Severely underestimate the investment required to improve an EPL team

Ashley has made some **** decisions, but he's also made some good decisions, and at least I (sort of) know what to expect from him. However, I'd have no idea what to expect from a foreign buyer. The person/group could either be brilliant, or they could be 10x worse than Venky's and turn our club into a laughing stock.

Plus, to be honest, I wouldn't want our team to turn out like Man City by being packed out by overpriced mercenaries who couldn't give a toss. I'd actually hate that, regardless of how well we were doing in the league.

So yeah, it could be a case of better the devil you know here. A rich foreign buyer will not always turn into success for the club. It might, but it's a gamble.
 
the exact phrase that I thought when a mate told me about it
it's probably bollocks anyway, but I hope it doesn't happen
I just want someone to own the club who understands the fans and how football works..
 
Sorry but apart from fixing the finances (which sounds like a very good excuse to be stingy with the money and sell players) I would take almost any new owner in an instant. Admittedly I'd prefer an Englishman (especially someone local) to take over but I couldnt say no to a foreign takeover after years of suffering under Ashley. Ashley obviously doesnt want us to do badly, but his lack of basic football knowledge is very obvious and has been too costly for us in the past. Were it not for Hughton's management to get us promoted, we would be stuck in the championship for the forseeable future, so Ashley might well regard himself very lucky to even be in the PL.
 
I know what you mean - it's the fear of the unknown and the concern of being used like a cash-cow. It's a tough one to call, I hate Ashley but it could almost be 'better the devil you know'. Good picture of Kylie!
 
That is exactly what i said in an earlier post mate! Much rather have Ashley than a foriegn owner. At least Ashley is accountable to an extent through him being english.
 
Can't stand ashley but the one thing i think he's got spot on is the academy,i honestly can't remember the academy being this good all the years I've been a toon fan.A good infrastructure if you like (reserve coaches,academy coaches,scouts etc.) probably more from greed and trying to save a few quid.
so the thing that would worry me more than anything if there was a take over would be what would happen to that.
 
the secret ingredient in fat mikes pies said:
Can't stand ashley but the one thing i think he's got spot on is the academy,i honestly can't remember the academy being this good all the years I've been a toon fan.A good infrastructure if you like (reserve coaches,academy coaches,scouts etc.) probably more from greed and trying to save a few quid.
so the thing that would worry me more than anything if there was a take over would be what would happen to that.
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It's when I read articles like this I feel reassured, as much as I care about and support my team I know little of the youth structure with in my club. Added to my shame, I'm a great believer in cultivating young talent and bringing them through the ranks so to speak.
It is well documented that this is the way forward for the likes of Arsenal, let's face it they have been quite heavily criticised for their lack of spending these last few seasons.
 
the secret ingredient in fat mikes pies said:
Can't stand ashley but the one thing i think he's got spot on is the academy,i honestly can't remember the academy being this good all the years I've been a toon fan.A good infrastructure if you like (reserve coaches,academy coaches,scouts etc.) probably more from greed and trying to save a few quid.
so the thing that would worry me more than anything if there was a take over would be what would happen to that.
Click to expand...

This, things are slowly but surely turning around on the Ashley front.
 
We are slowly getting there look at the players we let go

Shearer We played him in goal when he was younger

Carrick Dont know why he left

Cant think of any others at the moment its late
 
I wouldn't want a foreign buyout with no previous ties to the club. Getting a bit of Stockholm syndrome with lord of the pies too, also it probably more of the title of this thread.
 
Gutierrez_right_boot said:
We are slowly getting there look at the players we let go

Shearer We played him in goal when he was younger

Carrick Dont know why he left

Cant think of any others at the moment its late
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We never had Carrick, us, mackems and the Smogs scouted him at Wallsend Boys Club (i think) but a problem with his knee put us all off giving him a contract.
We let Adam Johnson go, that's a biggie.

I think with the supposed buyer (Anil Ambani) while he has no ties to the club he is a Toon fan (alleged) and the 103rd richest man in the world. 8.8Billion according to Forbes 2011 rich list. His brother is even more loaded (28billion or something) and they are in business together for a lot of things.

Saying that, i completely agree. I think Ashley has turned it around, and i am starting to trust him a little... <yikes>
The summer is the test, that is where he will show his true colours.

This is from an interview with Graham Carr, from the Sunday Sun (i know, but it has direct quotes)

MIKE ASHLEY is a “committed and passionate” Newcastle United owner, reckons Graham Carr.

He points to regular meetings with Ashley, managing director Derek Llambias and club secretary Lee Charnley as evidence that scouting and recruitment are near the top of the owner’s agenda.

“The owner and the senior staff are very much interested,” he said.

“I work very closely with Derek Llambias, Lee Charnley as well as the manager and Mike Ashley.

“I have regular meetings with the owner – I have met him on loads of occasions. It is good for me that there is interest in bringing players in.

“I know what the perception is outside of the club but he strikes me as a passionate man who is very committed to Newcastle United.

“They are knowledgeable. It’s amazing how interested they are really.”
Click to expand...
 
Saying that, i completely agree. I think Ashley has turned it around, and i am starting to trust him a little... <yikes>

You'll be believing Santa Claus and clowns next!

Oh, you do believe in clowns!
 
I still don't like Ashley and certainly don't trust him, but the club is more stable than it has been for years. We have a manager who is in a secure position with the owner's support, the makings of a very useful squad, and what seems like the right policy with regards to the type of players that we are looking to bring in and the wages that we are prepared to offer them.

The new financial regulations that are coming in will force football clubs to be run as a proper business, and we seem to be getting into that position quite quickly.

I just want us to have 2-3 years as an improving Premiership club with no major upsets at the club, and a new owner could throw us back into chaos once again.
 
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