I'd like to be the best we can be, sustainably. This means living within our means financially. It means always striving for improvement. It means having a top class academy, supplying not just the best footballers, but also well-rounded people to our first team. All these things are what the regime led by Cortese seem to aspire to, and so I am completely supportive.
The relationship analogy is always a good one to use CBK, I like it. It seems to be me that we both "love" this club. I don't know your age, but would guess you are a little older than me, maybe not a whole generation, but maybe part of one. I was brought up having football and my club ingrained in to me in the mid 70's to mid 80's. I certainly have always been committed to the club "full stop" and I believe you are too. We both have seen good and bad times, we just differ in our acceptance of the attempts to portray a new image. What I don't understand in your response is the referenced to being committed to the vision or ambition. I am loving that apparent ambition, but I'm committed to the club and want the best for it. Your second to last line says it too ... "and hopefully good times" after all, that is what we want isn't it? Your posts come across with the feeling of negativity towards the modern style of club with, to use your word, a corporate image, but it is still a club that has fans and supporters that have chosen to support it. They may have been attracted by the bling or the low cut dress, but as long as they realize that there won't be a shag on the first few dates and that maybe after some petty and courting, we may just have that big bang night, then they are welcomed by me.
I agree. Cortese wants success, but also to achieve it in the right way by building a team with a good academy. He's made no secret of his liking for the Barcelona model. With his a finance background, he wants it to be sustainable.
Barcelona are massively in debt (£500m or so, although they do have a lot of assets to partly offset this) and have a strange "the fans own the club" but in reality, its still just a handful of local rich fans who run it. (maybe the new Pompey model that!?) As much as it may gall people, the likes of Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaw & Ward Prowse etc... were all scouted & signed by the club in its previous guise before Liebherr & Cortese. It will be many years yet before we see if the current 8-12 year olds will match them under the new structure that Cortese has put in place. I also don't doubt for a moment that if we do have a year or two without good enough nippers coming through, that hole will be filled with simply buying in youngsters developed by other clubs. Still a couple of things financially that seem out of kilter with "self sustaining finances". Firstly, the loan Cortese got last season for the training ground redevelopment (allegedly). Also, the recent putting a gun to the head of Katherine Liebherr. I honestly think that was quite a desperate move by Cortese and he had no back up plan if it hadn't of worked.
Don't think the training ground loan was an issue. It was offset against the Sky money, so was basically a pay day loan. I think the need for it came about because of the promotion to the PL meaning that Nicola was faced with spending at a PL level before we'd earnt any income. Markus said that we would never have to borrow from a bank again, but he is sadly not here to bankroll us (as I'm sure he would have done had he lived to enjoy the last couple of years).
To follow the Moody Blues 'analogy', I was a fan as well.. Didn't they make an album called 'A Question of Balance'. Is it possible that you can feel 100% support for the club without agreeing 100% with the management methodology employed? I support the NHS 100% but suspect it currently managed by a bunch of dickheads who make videos like yesterday's revelation. There is no doubt that NC has been largely responsible for turning an organisation in administration into a thriving premier league club in a very short space of time, and as a fan he has my gratitude, (and my money). I share the dream he espouses. If he had left a few weeks ago I would still have that dream. Some see ruthless ambition and admire, some see unnecessary aggression and scant regard for man management skills and voice concern. Some see 100% focus, some see tunnel vision. Some see playing 'a hard game', some see brinkmanship. Surely, whatever game you play balance is important..
I want world domination, obviously. But failing that, I'll take beating Arsenal and Man Utd at home next season. And Gaston Ramirez to set the league on fire.
Good post, and it would be a boring forum if we all thought the same. As to the Moody Blues album A Question of Balance, unlike the others in the series where they could do no wrong - I refer to: Days of Future Passed In Search of the Lost Chord On the Threshold of a Dream [Godder's ref] To Our Children's Children's Children Every Good Boy Deserves Favour Seventh Sojourn I hadn't heard the album at all until about 2 years ago. Those above I bought a few weeks after release. AQoB just got past me, all those years ago, and it never happened, yet it is one of their best. Easily up there in the famous first 7 albums. Of course, it got me listening to the others again. I'd forgotten just how good they were.
Each one was superb but I have another called Sur la Mer which is a bit of a let down. You have certainly listed the best and each contains at least a couple of brilliant songs.
