Excellent Interview with Pardew...

[Blacker-than-Knight]

Owners do not like managers giving them unpleasent truths, I was working for the owner of a business last year, his son came in as Managing Director and then put in a Op's Director over me, I initially discussed my concerns about this and about the person who was intentionally nasty with the son, he fobbed me off with a load of bullshit and things got worst, when I went to the owner with whom I had previously had a good working relationship he told me that this was the way the business was going to work from now on and that I was out of order as they had a chain of management and I should only be dealing with the Op's Director. I was sacked a week later on the day I was going on holiday.

Pardew has no say in how Ashley wants to run his business, the only thing he would get is dismissed and I am sure that the lawyers would find a way of reducing any compensation.

 

[Albert's Chip Shop]

I make this comment every time someone attempts to be rational and philosophical about our position. "Fan" is short for fanatic, when have you ever known a fanatic to be rational and philosophical about things? We have ambition, it's in our nature, and I don't think it's ludicrous that a fan yearns for more, especially a Newcastle fan at this moment, when clubs which don't have anywhere near the same support or potential for mass market exploitation are actually intent on building and achieving something.

ACS is happy with watching a team in constant transition, and seeing good players achieve nothing here, but I am not. We've got a system in place to sign good players, why the f*** wouldn't you just fill a squad with them and go for something?!?!?! Champions League is profitable Mr Ashley

There's degrees of happiness fella.
I've love a rich Arab to roll in and splash the cash again but equally I've seen once great clubs like Leeds go to the wall and be in a situation where there fans are watching journeymen week in week out.
We've gone from buying ready made players for stupid sums (and nearly going pop ourselves) to buying reasonably price 'prospects' and having a sound financial footing. I'm therefore happy with the financial side of things 100%.
In terms of players, I've seen some ****e wear our shirt... and I've seen some great players... most recently I'd say it's more of the latter than the former.... and if that means we only get 2-3 years out of them I'll accept that.
As a dual ST holder I believe I'm treat fairly by the club and pay just over £450 for two tickets... a rareity in the PL (Arsenal are charging the dippers almost the same as my daughters ST for just one cup game I note).
I hate the owner as a person, the DofF as a position and a person and don't think Pardew is the right man to lead the team long term at all.
I am however a realist and will wait and see who comes in, and judge the impact (positive or negative) of Cabaye going at the end of the Summer window as I would rather use the funds wisely rather than knee jerk now and pay inflated prices.. given everyone knows we have a few quid to spend.
After that you may see me carrying a coffin outside of Shearers one match day....

 

[TheJudeanPeoplesFront]

There's degrees of happiness fella.
I've love a rich Arab to roll in and splash the cash again but equally I've seen once great clubs like Leeds go to the wall and be in a situation where there fans are watching journeymen week in week out.
We've gone from buying ready made players for stupid sums (and nearly going pop ourselves) to buying reasonably price 'prospects' and having a sound financial footing. I'm therefore happy with the financial side of things 100%.
In terms of players, I've seen some ****e wear our shirt... and I've seen some great players... most recently I'd say it's more of the latter than the former.... and if that means we only get 2-3 years out of them I'll accept that.
As a dual ST holder I believe I'm treat fairly by the club and pay just over £450 for two tickets... a rareity in the PL (Arsenal are charging the dippers almost the same as my daughters ST for just one cup game I note).
I hate the owner as a person, the DofF as a position and a person and don't think Pardew is the right man to lead the team long term at all.
I am however a realist and will wait and see who comes in, and judge the impact (positive or negative) of Cabaye going at the end of the Summer window as I would rather use the funds wisely rather than knee jerk now and pay inflated prices.. given everyone knows we have a few quid to spend.
After that you may see me carrying a coffin outside of Shearers one match day....

But, if we're talking realistic, now we're in a situation where we genuinely can't afford to have a good second half of the season... Because we'll get Europa. The squad has shed more and more weight over the last few windows now, and now we've lost one of the better players. If we replaced Cayabe, bought a striker AND Remy, we'd still be woefully short of numbers again! That means another season of disappointing premier league performance... Can you really be satisfied with that? £450 is still a lot of money to most people, and it's a bit rich creaming off that when our genuine ambition, for the good of the team now, is to finish outside the European places!

And let's not forget for all the exciting talent that has been unearthed in Ashley's tenure, we still have players like Sammy Ameobi and Shola frighteningly close to a first team spot...

 

[Albert's Chip Shop]

But, if we're talking realistic, now we're in a situation where we genuinely can't afford to have a good second half of the season... Because we'll get Europa. The squad has shed more and more weight over the last few windows now, and now we've lost one of the better players. If we replaced Cayabe, bought a striker AND Remy, we'd still be woefully short of numbers again! That means another season of disappointing premier league performance... Can you really be satisfied with that? £450 is still a lot of money to most people, and it's a bit rich creaming off that when our genuine ambition, for the good of the team now, is to finish outside the European places!

And let's not forget for all the exciting talent that has been unearthed in Ashley's tenure, we still have players like Sammy Ameobi and Shola frighteningly close to a first team spot...

You're assuming the club doesn't want to get into Europe.

Higher prem places = more ££
European entry = more ££
Fat Mike will sell his own granny for a few bob.

Personally I'd push for Europe, but use it to blood the U21's so they can get the experience, thereby not creating the issues with first teamers having to travel.

It's not always about bodies on the pitch moreso our ability to get bodies on the pitch. Up until this week (Cisse/Gouff/Bigi) we had one of the top 3 injury records (according to physioroom) in the PL... a stark contrast to the flirt with relegation last year. The bulk of the reason is the new physio we recruited. I remember starting a thread preseason saying she could be the best signing we made. My point here is... 'if fit' we have a decent squad... so we've at least gone and done something about it.

All eyes are on NE1 right now to see if/how we react to the Cabaye departure.

 

[Keith Fit]

All eyes are on NE1 right now to see if/how we react to the Cabaye departure.

Might be an exciting deadline day, for the right reasons!

 

[TheJudeanPeoplesFront]

You're assuming the club doesn't want to get into Europe.

Higher prem places = more ££
European entry = more ££
Fat Mike will sell his own granny for a few bob.

Personally I'd push for Europe, but use it to blood the U21's so they can get the experience, thereby not creating the issues with first teamers having to travel.

It's not always about bodies on the pitch moreso our ability to get bodies on the pitch. Up until this week (Cisse/Gouff/Bigi) we had one of the top 3 injury records (according to physioroom) in the PL... a stark contrast to the flirt with relegation last year. The bulk of the reason is the new physio we recruited. I remember starting a thread preseason saying she could be the best signing we made. My point here is... 'if fit' we have a decent squad... so we've at least gone and done something about it.

All eyes are on NE1 right now to see if/how we react to the Cabaye departure.

No no no! The club may very well want to get into Europe, and finish as high as possible (by spending as little as possible), but we as fans can surely not want us to get Europe and have another season like the last one?! It was disastrous, because the policy is not to reinvest winnings, because they go straight in the owner's back pocket. Next summer is not going to be miraculously different, so our ambition, as of the current situation, has to be to miss out on the Europa competition

 

[Warmir Pouchov]

You're assuming the club doesn't want to get into Europe.

Higher prem places = more ££
European entry = more ££
Fat Mike will sell his own granny for a few bob.

Personally I'd push for Europe, but use it to blood the U21's so they can get the experience, thereby not creating the issues with first teamers having to travel.

It's not always about bodies on the pitch moreso our ability to get bodies on the pitch. Up until this week (Cisse/Gouff/Bigi) we had one of the top 3 injury records (according to physioroom) in the PL... a stark contrast to the flirt with relegation last year. The bulk of the reason is the new physio we recruited. I remember starting a thread preseason saying she could be the best signing we made. My point here is... 'if fit' we have a decent squad... so we've at least gone and done something about it.

All eyes are on NE1 right now to see if/how we react to the Cabaye departure.

I'd question this bit ACS. Over a two year term looking at the results of clubs who qualify for the Europa, I'd say it actually costs you money. You're better off finishing 7th-9th. Also its ok to use the U21's but that is not the main problem according to the managers. Its the lack of preparation time for league games which is the killer. Teams are so well organised and trained now that any physical and mental preparation edge is crucial.

 

[Keith Fit]

No no no! The club may very well want to get into Europe, and finish as high as possible (by spending as little as possible), but we as fans can surely not want us to get Europe and have another season like the last one?! It was disastrous, because the policy is not to reinvest winnings, because they go straight in the owner's back pocket. Next summer is not going to be miraculously different, so our ambition, as of the current situation, has to be to miss out on the Europa competition

So trade places with Mike Ashley - what would you do?

 

[YankMag]

Just hold your horses, man! Cabaye's bog seat's still warm and you're moaning! He wasn't God, he was a talented midfielder. If we use that money to bring in Cabella, Grenier and De Jong, how have we not strengthened? If Sep 1st comes around and we're weaker, then moan away. But I guarantee we'll be either marginally or markedly stronger.

I don't think there is a shot in hell that we get all three of those players. If we did however, i think it would change just about everyones mind on this board about the clubs ambition.

 

[TheJudeanPeoplesFront]

So trade places with Mike Ashley - what would you do?

I'd recognise that the Arsenal model I was supposedly working off is a lot more financially viable than the knock-off SportsDirect shop I am actually running us like

Arsenal build around key players and do add quality. Their fans are upset it's usually not in sufficient numbers to challenge for a title, but let them have our circumstance of not signing sufficient numbers to challenge in two competitions simultaneously, and they'd soon stop whinging. If Mike Ashley can't see that a bare bones squad has twice in two seasons been right up there, and that some actual investment could be repaid treble with Champions League places, then he really is a thick f***.

But let's be fair. I actually give two flying badger's about the club. Not doing jacks***, keeping our squad costs as low as possible and hoping we stay in the league is a marginally safer investment. By the way, every-time I think about our owner, and owners in general, treating a football club like a business for increase of their capital and nothing more, a little bit of my soul dies.

 

[Keith Fit]

I'd recognise that the Arsenal model I was supposedly working off is a lot more financially viable than the knock-off SportsDirect shop I am actually running us like

Arsenal build around key players and do add quality. Their fans are upset it's usually not in sufficient numbers to challenge for a title, but let them have our circumstance of not signing sufficient numbers to challenge in two competitions simultaneously, and they'd soon stop whinging. If Mike Ashley can't see that a bare bones squad has twice in two seasons been right up there, and that some actual investment could be repaid treble with Champions League places, then he really is a thick f***.

But let's be fair. I actually give two flying badger's about the club. Not doing jacks***, keeping our squad costs as low as possible and hoping we stay in the league is a marginally safer investment. By the way, every-time I think about our owner, and owners in general, treating a football club like a business for increase of their capital and nothing more, a little bit of my soul dies.

First, your basis for us being "like Arsenal" is what, exactly? Have you been privvy to the club's business plan? Are you actually the Orange Tree landlord? Perhaps Mike Ashley was best man at your wedding? Or are you taking comments from odds and sods as the de facto standard our club strives to be?

Ask yourself, in what dimension can we ever compete with Arsenal, ever? When have we ever shown ourselves to be as big, as rich or as profitable a club as they? I could claim I'd like to model myself on Richard Branson's entrepreneurial ability, doesn't mean I actually can, though.

Their fans are as fickle as any other. If I'd asked you a few years ago if you'd be happy 8th in the league with the squad we had, you'd have feckin snapped my hand off. I'm talking about us being in the Championship and subsequently just getting promoted. In fact, the year we went down you'd have given your right bolock for what we have today. Same as Arsenal fans - how many times did they whinge about wanting Wenger out in the past couple of years? How many moaned that finishing fourth was showing no ambition at all, how selling RVP was a sign of the times, and so on. Repeat this season for Man Utd. In fact, last season when City's title defence whimpered (relatively speaking) out so early, the calls for Mancini's head could be heard across the country - where's the ambition, they cried.

We cannot and never have been able to afford two players per position. Ever. When we finished second all those years ago, we didn't have two per position - we had a less rigorous league and limited competition elsewhere, as Liverpool passed through the pits of despair passing the mid-table mediocrity that was Chelsea, Everton, Spurs and Man City. It was us and Man U. Then Arsenal came back. Then Chelsea got bought. The rest is history. The club has been left behind - a fiercely loyal and proud club, but hamstrung by geography and government/corporate tunnel-vision.

But to say "jacksh!t" is being done is fcking ludicrous. One year ago we'd signed FIVE players, players we all staunchly support. We were the most active in January by some distance, even if our outlay was sub-£20m. We should have done more in the Summer, but were only two players short of a pretty remarkable squad, the best since SBR. We remain only three short, because Luuk De Jong has all but signed. Everton, lauded for their efforts, rely more on loan players than we do - Deulofeu, Traore, Lukaku to name just three. And where are they? Touching distance away. We remain, with 23 games played, in with a shout - albeit remotely - of CL football and still you fickle ficking people complain, but that's what football is - corporate greed, over-exposure, expensive PR and fickle fans, from the very top to the very bottom.

 

[TheJudeanPeoplesFront]

First, your basis for us being "like Arsenal" is what, exactly? Have you been privvy to the club's business plan? Are you actually the Orange Tree landlord? Perhaps Mike Ashley was best man at your wedding? Or are you taking comments from odds and sods as the de facto standard our club strives to be?

Ask yourself, in what dimension can we ever compete with Arsenal, ever? When have we ever shown ourselves to be as big, as rich or as profitable a club as they? I could claim I'd like to model myself on Richard Branson's entrepreneurial ability, doesn't mean I actually can, though.

Their fans are as fickle as any other. If I'd asked you a few years ago if you'd be happy 8th in the league with the squad we had, you'd have feckin snapped my hand off. I'm talking about us being in the Championship and subsequently just getting promoted. In fact, the year we went down you'd have given your right bolock for what we have today. Same as Arsenal fans - how many times did they whinge about wanting Wenger out in the past couple of years? How many moaned that finishing fourth was showing no ambition at all, how selling RVP was a sign of the times, and so on. Repeat this season for Man Utd. In fact, last season when City's title defence whimpered (relatively speaking) out so early, the calls for Mancini's head could be heard across the country - where's the ambition, they cried.

We cannot and never have been able to afford two players per position. Ever. When we finished second all those years ago, we didn't have two per position - we had a less rigorous league and limited competition elsewhere, as Liverpool passed through the pits of despair passing the mid-table mediocrity that was Chelsea, Everton, Spurs and Man City. It was us and Man U. Then Arsenal came back. Then Chelsea got bought. The rest is history. The club has been left behind - a fiercely loyal and proud club, but hamstrung by geography and government/corporate tunnel-vision.

But to say "jacksh!t" is being done is fcking ludicrous. One year ago we'd signed FIVE players, players we all staunchly support. We were the most active in January by some distance, even if our outlay was sub-£20m. We should have done more in the Summer, but were only two players short of a pretty remarkable squad, the best since SBR. We remain only three short, because Luuk De Jong has all but signed. Everton, lauded for their efforts, rely more on loan players than we do - Deulofeu, Traore, Lukaku to name just three. And where are they? Touching distance away. We remain, with 23 games played, in with a shout - albeit remotely - of CL football and still you fickle ficking people complain, but that's what football is - corporate greed, over-exposure, expensive PR and fickle fans, from the very top to the very bottom.

A) That was one of the first soundbites of the Mike Ashley regime. How he admired Arsenal's financial and practical business model and planned to do the same thing here.

B) We got relegated under Mike Ashley, mostly because of his f***wit decisions effecting the running of the team.

C) Stop crying Because I'm utterly frustrated the way this deal has been done (selling a player everyone knew would go, yet we have signed no replacement and have only three days left to do so this window, which makes it unlikely, and thus cripples the team's effectiveness... If you can't understand why that's frustrating, maybe look up the definition of frustration, robot), and feel the way that Newcastle is not being run to it's potential, makes me fickle? How hilariously arrogant. I'm not calling you fickle for bumming Mike Ashley's bank balance, am I?

 

[Hugh Briss]

...I'm not calling you fickle for bumming Mike Ashley's bank balance, am I?

That's my highlight!

 

[Albert's Chip Shop]

No no no! The club may very well want to get into Europe, and finish as high as possible (by spending as little as possible), but we as fans can surely not want us to get Europe and have another season like the last one?! It was disastrous, because the policy is not to reinvest winnings, because they go straight in the owner's back pocket. Next summer is not going to be miraculously different, so our ambition, as of the current situation, has to be to miss out on the Europa competition

The fact is our injury record was ****e last year and we finished in a dog **** position.
This year it is decent, plus we have improved our squad and et voila we are decent again.
That sexy physio lady is rubbing something correctly.
We all need to line up and start giving Fat Mike the piping he deserves.
Or alternatively we reserve judgement until the Cqbaye money is spent (that includes of course wages too)...

 

[Seabass]

This is about so much more than mikes ambiton etc. How do you bridge that gap to the European places? Are you telling me it would not be good for the finances to be in the champions league? I'm sure that is what everyone wants but unless you have a trillionaire owner or the commercial clout of Manure for instance it is extremely complicated. I truly believe before Ashley took over we were not all that far away from doing a pompey at one point. we have made progress its just unfortunately we are at a very difficult place where we potentially have the foundations in place but building the sustained success the fans want requires finding a way of financing it without crippling the club.

 

[Hugh Briss]

This is about so much more than mikes ambiton etc. How do you bridge that gap to the European places? Are you telling me it would not be good for the finances to be in the champions league? I'm sure that is what everyone wants but unless you have a trillionaire owner or the commercial clout of Manure for instance it is extremely complicated. I truly believe before Ashley took over we were not all that far away from doing a pompey at one point. we have made progress its just unfortunately we are at a very difficult place where we potentially have the foundations in place but building the sustained success the fans want requires finding a way of financing it without crippling the club.

It's my belief that Mike Ashley is clawing back a massive amount of money every season.

Some may think that's perfectly fair considering his initial outlay.

You just need to ask yourself some fundamental questions.

1) Why did Mike Ashley buy Newcastle United in the first place?

2) If it was to try and be successful, why isn't he trying anymore?

3) If he's not trying to be successful anymore, why is he still here?

4) If he's still here to simply reclaim the money he invested, why are most Toon fans backing his 'strategy'?

It's all beyond me i'm afraid.

 

[Keith Fit]

A) That was one of the first soundbites of the Mike Ashley regime. How he admired Arsenal's financial and practical business model and planned to do the same thing here.

B) We got relegated under Mike Ashley, mostly because of his f***wit decisions effecting the running of the team.

C) Stop crying Because I'm utterly frustrated the way this deal has been done (selling a player everyone knew would go, yet we have signed no replacement and have only three days left to do so this window, which makes it unlikely, and thus cripples the team's effectiveness... If you can't understand why that's frustrating, maybe look up the definition of frustration, robot), and feel the way that Newcastle is not being run to it's potential, makes me fickle? How hilariously arrogant. I'm not calling you fickle for bumming Mike Ashley's bank balance, am I?

First, how many other chairman could say exactly the same? Second, this conversation has fck all to do with being relegated - this is about how you think the club has no ambition under this owner, when he had the ambition to get promoted and did enough to get the team to 5th. We're now 8th, can aim higher and still have a cracking squad. Third, you've every right to feel frustration, if you wish - my opinion is that there's nothing to feel frustrated about anymore; when wealth and commercialism began to embody the game, I signed off in terms of really, actually caring about it. Now I just get simple pleasure from the 90 minutes the lads take to the field, and hope they win. If we ended up doing a Pompey, Leeds or Wimbledon, I'd still do the same. That's the only bit of soul the game has left - I pity anyone who, in the current environment, feels any level of frustration at not winning trophies, or not spending billions on players.

And, honestly, I have no idea why/how/what "bumming Mike Ashley's bank balance" is?

 

[Keith Fit]

It's my belief that Mike Ashley is clawing back a massive amount of money every season.

Some may think that's perfectly fair considering his initial outlay.

You just need to ask yourself some fundamental questions.

1) Why did Mike Ashley buy Newcastle United in the first place?

2) If it was to try and be successful, why isn't he trying anymore?

3) If he's not trying to be successful anymore, why is he still here?

4) If he's still here to simply reclaim the money he invested, why are most Toon fans backing his 'strategy'?

It's all beyond me i'm afraid.

1) Cos he could?

2) Define "successful"?

3) See (2)

4) Because it might mean he sells to Bill Gates. And if he doesn't, the club can take care of itself. And if the bubble bursts on foreign cash, we'll be top of the league. And we have a classy team. And we're doing everything honorably, with a sense of strategy, with a sense of purpose and - dare I say - soul.


I don't know - for me, it just feels empty seeing Man City in a rich list of football. They've never been there - they got given, for free, the Commonwealth Stadium and the desolate wasteland around it. Essentially the Government gifted City with the biggest and best "FOR SALE" sign ever seen at a football club. Nothing they have done in their history is of their own making, they are the least worthy Premier League winners of all time. They are a disgrace, a black spot on the World of football, they embody all that is wrong with it. I would sooner take our Championship season and all the heart and soul it delivered than an empty title won by the most expensive squad, funded by the richest family. The biggest trick the media pulls every week is convincing the World that somehow none of this matters, and that Manchester City is an actual football club.

 

[Hugh Briss]

1) Cos he could?

2) Define "successful"?

3) See (2)

4) Because it might mean he sells to Bill Gates. And if he doesn't, the club can take care of itself. And if the bubble bursts on foreign cash, we'll be top of the league. And we have a classy team. And we're doing everything honorably, with a sense of strategy, with a sense of purpose and - dare I say - soul.


I don't know - for me, it just feels empty seeing Man City in a rich list of football. They've never been there - they got given, for free, the Commonwealth Stadium and the desolate wasteland around it. Essentially the Government gifted City with the biggest and best "FOR SALE" sign ever seen at a football club. Nothing they have done in their history is of their own making, they are the least worthy Premier League winners of all time. They are a disgrace, a black spot on the World of football, they embody all that is wrong with it. I would sooner take our Championship season and all the heart and soul it delivered than an empty title won by the most expensive squad, funded by the richest family. The biggest trick the media pulls every week is convincing the World that somehow none of this matters, and that Manchester City is an actual football club.

You've successfully managed to miss my point completely.

I'm not interested in super-rich owners or spending beyond our means.

It's my opinion that Mike Ashley is spending just enough to keep us in the division. He is raking in a great income from the club (whether you think that's right or wrong is not my point either) and will continue to do so. He is brain-washing people like your good self to believe that he's operating on a 'sound financial footing' and, to a certain extent, you could say he was as there is absolutely NO danger of us over-spending, ever. Quite the opposite in fact.

We are letting our best players leave (Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique, Yohan Cabaye...) replacing them with players of potential. You could argue that Cabaye was one such player and has paid-off successfully for Fat Mike & Clueless Joe. Happy Sports Direct days eh?

Nope, i'm talking about spending no more than the club produces.

Ok, it would have been difficult to turn down £35m for any player, but Carroll was our number 9, a home-grown local boy who was set to be England's no9 as well. The fact he's had terrible injury problems since leaving Newcastle United could be put down to bad luck, karma or getting what you deserve... depending on your opinion.

While we continue to let our best players leave, the players who remain will never consider us Champions League contenders... players looking from the outside will be exactly the same. The prophecy fulfills itself and we scrape the top 10 each season - whoopee ****e, that's gotta be worth £500 of anybody's money hasn't it?

Simple investment in the squad would be fine but it's simply not going to happen while Ashley is here, I know that, some people don't seem to mind which I find utterly staggering.

'Just pootle along achieving nothing and not upsetting anyone... losing to Brighton or Cardiff in the Cups and finishing mid-table every season'

If you agree then Mike Ashley has already won

 

[Captain Lascellephant]

I always find it quite funny when people roll out the whole 'Pards has no backbone etc'.

He works within the confines of his job and he works very well. We are playing good football and are comfortably in the top half on under half the budget of the other teams. Yes we would love investment and yes we would love a trophy - but who hear honestly walks out on their job to prove they have a backbone unless it is an extraordinary circumstance?

I am a system manager for one of the biggest charities in the UK, and we have had cuts and extra things have been put on my plate and some requests I have made have fallen on deaf ears. Its the way the world works. It is similar for Pardew. He has lost some key players and maybe doesnt get the complete backing he deserves (I believe he has earnt it) however he continues to do a good job. Why should he turn and jack it all in?

Now if my charity decided to only help white people, then I would have a huge problem and I would walk away because I wouldnt be associated with it. However, due to having your hands tied by the people who control the budget and not walking away doesnt mean you lack a backbone. It proves you have one because you get your head down and do the best you can do with the resources available. If Mike Ashley decided that he was going to pick the teams from now on and Pardew had to manage what he picked, then I would understand the need to walk away.

But Pardew not having a back bone for 'allowing' the owner to sell players for over inflated prices? I don't see it.

(By the way, we have managed to sell a near 29 year old midfielder for 20 million, and a young, limited striker for 35 million. I am struggling to think of other times where Ashley has stripped the club and sold off assets? Another myth.....)