Has anyone on the forum looked at Newcastle accounts (as much is publicly available) and has a sense of what the financial situation is like? I'm trying to understand where we were pre Covid to now to try and get a sense as to how much the Pandemic has impacted us (presuming it's to the same level as other Clubs). We were in a position to spend £35million on a young midfielder in January and now seem to have nothing to spend, whilst other clubs make investments. I am also aware that Ashley may either a) be risk adverse now because of the wider situation and b) especially because he's got wider investments spread across the economy. Also aware on who he is both as a person, and an owner! Pandemics aside.
Other clubs are spending what they can't afford I assume... If they go down they're finished in many cases. If we go down it's not such an issue.
There was talk of 35m to spend on transfers at the beginning and then no spending. Ashley just spent a good deal on buying into a company owning gyms for 37m. I think he is upset about the takeover failing and doesn't want to spend. I think the money is definitely there if he wanted to truly invest.
Is it always a case of stay up or bust? The highest profile team that's gone bust in recent times is Bury, and before that I can only remember the likes of Rushden & Diamonds going bust years ago. The likes of Leeds, Portsmouth and now the Mackems have plummeted down the league in recent years with a **** tonne of debt and still stayed afloat, it takes a lot for the club to go under. And in answer to the OP, while there is still any hint of a potential take over, I don't see Ashley splashing the cash, loans and bargain basement buys is all we can hope for.
I'm not saying go bust, but not many couldn't withstand it enough to bounce straight back up. Yes Ashley is the same now as he has been for the full 13 years... Tight. I'm always interested to know why so many fans keep acting shocked at the lack of funds, although I admit this time its quite a come down given what we could have been signing this summer..
He's just done with the club.. He isn't going to spend.. He'll get a few frees in if possible, but otherwise he's plucky enough to ride it out and believe the club can stay up.
We have absolutely **** all because the club isn’t being run like a football club. We were due a big boost this summer from new commercial deals including new sponsor and shirt maker. The lack of positive affirmative action that has hamstrung us for so long is worse under this ****ty stupid takeover than ever. We won’t touch the serviced overdraft and are being hit by a Sky refund and no guarantees on future payments either. Our match day income has been decimated both now and for the foreseeable. The £35m we did have will be likely half that to cover costs. Ashley as usual won’t pay or invest and won’t allow a competent exec team to maximise profit nor will he allow SD to spend the going rate on advertising in the ground. We are reasonably well protected against relegation, with the irony being that running a club like this will inevitably end in relegation. I’m not sure what’s the most depressing fact - the lack of life or the fact that Ashley remains impervious to blame from the media or more importantly the Premier League. Either way it’s pretty embarrassing for all involved.
Mike ashley buys struggling brands and over time he sucks the life out of them. Respectable brands that were once cool get rung out as long as the brands reputation is still intact until eventually it becomes dogshit and the reputation is completely destroyed forever. Nufc is no different. Take Starbucks for example..you get the name on your cup, the fancy facilities the froth on your coffee... Its the bells and whistles, the look at me I'm drinking Starbucks.. Its the full experience... If Mike ashley bought Starbucks the prices would drop and over time the facilities, staff and the coffee would deteriote until the only people that would be seen dead in there would be the type of people that hung around in metroland into their 20s and spend their time collecting coupons for wilkensons
It's certainly looking a strong chance unless Bruce manages to come up with something that works better. It's more about hoping 3 sides are worse though.
Whole host of better managers would see us be bottom of the league. We need to play dog football and fight every game. What Newcastle need is a scrappy manager, I think offering Dyche a much larger pay package is the best we can do.
I'm no Bruce fan, but I'm hoping he gets off to a good start.. The first 2 games are not too bad, but of we lose them it won't go down well.. At the end of the day I want us to stay up more than I want to be proved right about Bruce's inadequacies.
Agree. I think the stars have aligned again for Ashley. He again just wants to do the minimum to stay up and he has got the perfect excuse of Covid/no crowds and failed sale to justify it.
By that logic, the most likely reason for our lack of transfer funds is that Mike Ashley bought Starbucks about five years ago.
Ashley's ownership philosophy will never change, its been consistent for 10 years. If Bruce can keep us up two seasons in a row he's done good work at Newcastle. Thats the barometer of success init.
This season for me is Bruce's season for proper judgement.. He's had enough time to influence the way we play and is going to have made several changes... I hope he does the job.. I don't particularly want him here, but I don't understand the people that want him to fail because that means we get relegated... I just don't understand that
I don' think we are as skint as it seems to be honest. We have been very frugal over the last decade and kept money back to make the club self sufficient. My take is thus: MA doesn't want to spend and is hoping to God he isn't owner come next July. Saving funds a) makes the club a better prospect and b) saves him more work and expenditure while he's trying to work a way out the door. Getting in free transfers and loans is a good short term option whilst he looks to sell and tbh Hendricks is a better CM than Bentelab, Gillespie a better third choice than Elliot so we are improving the squad on those two so far. Just needs a striker, LB (£5m greek lad) and winger (Brewster on loan or Fraser on free again improves the squad) and is retaining funds to get the much needed striker. I do think however if Muto wasn't trying to force a move and Gayle injured we would only be going for a LB and winger. The less he spends now the more the club will have come January if we are looking in trouble and then further ahead, this season could be make or break for a lot of teams here and abroad - if say 5-10 clubs across the top 5 divisions in Europe go to the wall this year there could be some massive bargains out there next year and if for example Everton and Leeds have spent £100m each this year and not seen a return on it they won't be in a position to take advantage if there are some once in a lifetime deals out there. Saving funds to bring in Messi on a free....
Ashley makes a nice chunk of change every year no doubt, not from us, his other ventures. The Fraser Group is now massive billion dollar company. Newcastle United is one of the Prems most financially stable clubs producing a profit. Not a single thing about Newcastle and its ownership can't afford players to compete.