Settle into the life of the 'also-ran'

I see what you mean but surely if we're keeping our best players by paying them what Liverpool/Man Utd offer, we can get back to the days when we were challenging for honours? The 1990's really weren't that long ago...

 

Good read Joker.

The club has no sporting ambition any more and exists solely to make one man money. The argument that the more successful the club is, the more money we make doesn't really stack up any more because the top six is so strong. You have to speculate to accumulate and Ashley isn't prepared to take risks. It makes little difference financially whether we're 7th or 17th, there's a slight prize money increase but not enough to justify first team investment. When as a fan base we're in a position where we can't even dream of better things, you have to wonder what the point is any more.

 

Sadly, correct.

I get no pleasure from feeling that I made the right decision in walking away last December and it really hurts to see our club STILL in turmoil with an seemingly never ending supply of bad decisions from Ashley et al.

 

Bearing in mind it cost Spurs £150m and Liverpool £60m to finish 5th and 6th do you think with the bail-out we got to keep us in the Championship we are in a position to spend our way back into the top six at present?

You don't see Stoke and Fulham fans complaining because they have spent sensibly to consolidate their position in the league, their model is also less shrewd and less sustainable than ours - as they buy experienced players with no re-sale value, essentially meaning that when they leave the club recoup nothing and have to re-invest altogether once again - eg Danny Murphy.

Looking at the method/model we have employed - which is abundant in Germany, Holland and France - it is more complex and more forward thinking than you would like to believe. Buy and bring through young talent and sell at a profit to buy more, slightly more expensive players and improve youth structure to produce players who make more money, and so on until you have a team that are successful in their own right and a move away from the club is actually no longer a step up, as well as this as the standard improves the more players want to stay. It's a slow, and laborious process, but it is more sustainable and long-term, as we can prove absolutely - than buying success (unless you have Man City money, which will not really happen again).

Whether this is right or wrong is a personal decision, but the entire process is far more complex than simply buying to sell. Personally I think it would work if it was being implemented for the right reasons, however I suspect that Ashley simply wants out and is selling players to recoup his losses in order to sell the club. Fine by me in that sense, however if the next owner won't come in and follow the blueprint - which is unlikely as they'll be out to impress with near-sighted marquee signings and 'big name' managers - then it's a pointless exercise, which is a shame because this model, under better stewardship is a great way to move forward in the current climate.

And as for not going to watch the team because they're not going to win anything, fair enough, but you may as well go and support Manchester City...

 

Do you honestly believe that? ... we hadn't produced a genuine talent in years from our academy and the minute we do he's sold.

You cannot possibly hope to build a successful team if you keep selling them to the 'big clubs'. I can't honestly believe that anyone can be taken in by Ashley this much.

Of course he's not spending big, he never has and never will. This football club will become second class and will lose touch with the front runners.

We still have some pull to players because of our great fans and stadium but if we fall behind and even flirt with relegation again, who will be interested then?

I couldn't contemplate Newcastle United as a feeder club, I consider them an ambition to be aspired to.
It wont happen with Ashley simply looking to reclaim his loan.

 

Who says we will do bad this season , for god sake the season doesn't start till next weekend. Fair enough the pre season hasn't been a great one but i think the team we have has potential. We still have Enrique , Barton , Tiote , Colocini , Ben Arfa , Gutierrez , Taylor . I know Barton and Enrique could go this window but they havnt yet , and its been a good while since the transfer window has been open and less than one month till its shut. We also have bought in the likes of Ba and Cabaye in which we know could prove to be great players. Less negativity please as its getting boring now.

 

my biggest fear and would hate to see it happen

 

I just don't see what we gain by the negativity before the season even starts. We've been also-rans or worse since Bobby went, and for those of us who can remember the days pre Keegan much worse than that. This team is one of the strongest I've seen for a good few years and still seems to be made up of players who actually want to play for us, the likes of Nolan who want to 'secure their future' (read: secure ludicrous salary well into your pensionable years...) can frankly hop it while we replace them with younger, hungrier players, English or not. Can't wait for next week (not expecting a win, but the same can be said of 14-15 other clubs prior to playing Arsenal), and the season to get going. I'm still buying a ticket regardless.

 

Indeed, Mike Ashley is literally banking on it.

 

Looks like you were right about Hughton. The main reason we won the league was because we had a premier league squad.

And as for your selective reading on my post re: the buy to sell model, My point was that this is how it is meant to work, and when properly exercised it's an excellent way to achieve success with limited funds. I even said I don't think that's what's happening, but unsurprisingly you used the classic 'deluded' 'Ashley lover' defence.

If you only support your team when they are doing well, or when you approve of the board/manager, you are a fair-weather fan. I had season tickets throughout the Seymour era, through to today, despite watching dross on and off field i kept going. And why? Because I support Newcastle United and not their success, it makes the good times seem a lot better and when the corner is turned people won't just point the finger - as was the case in the mid 90s - and say that you are jumping on the bandwagon.

 

I have spent a fortune over the previous 17 seasons buying season tickets, merchandise and every else that goes with being a Newcastle United fan. I did this with the vain hope in the back of my mind that all my financial support would make a little bit of difference in the club's attempts to win trophies. Having seen Mike Ashley drag this club through the dirt and make us a laughing stock, I can no longer justify throwing my money into repaying his loan.

You can have all the digs you want at me with your pompous, self-righteous attitude - go right ahead. It will not change the way things are going for this club under Ashley and that's the real point. At least before Ashley there was a genuine attempt to improve the club,(however daft the financial mis-management), and for all the faults of previous regimes, you got the feeling that they wanted to see Newcastle United succeed. I don't believe Mike Ashley shares those interests and is simply looking to get his money back.

As for us having a "premier league squad" after we were relegated is a pretty stupid thing to say isn't it? Obviously all the players that remained,(I shouldn't need to remind you of the extensive list of players that left), were of a decent quality - we'd been in the PL for the best part of 20 years before we were relegated.