I'm with you on this. I don't think Kinnear, if skating on thin ice, would have been entrusted with this kind of responsibility in a "sink or swim" ultimatum. Why bother? It had to already be clear to the owner that Kinnear was fcking worthless. To give him the responsibility of driving the Cabaye price up is bonkers, let alone sorting out the intricacies of the deal.
Douglas appears to be the most clued up on the subject and firmly believes that money was available and not spent accordingly. Ashley isn't in this for profit - he's in it for PR and due to overlooking the amounts owed wants his loan money back. He took it last Summer, the £12m, so it does seem logical that money would have been there for a player or two, and especially if we carried over funds into the new spending year 2014.
I think it's as simple as it's Kinnear's fault that we have no chance of CL football. I was thinking that Ashley is about money, that much is true and obvious. But I think he has something else that matters more to him - his pride. I reckon he does want to get Newcastle into the CL, but on his terms. I reckon he'd love nothing more than to say "ha, ha, I fcking told you it could be done" to those who claim his prudence is a hindrance - that includes gloating to the fans, even if not outwardly. I think Kinnear has proven to be a complete fcking dud and Ashley is hurt as a result - money aside, I think denting his pride is the main way of getting to him. He privately, proudly stood by his appointment of his mate believing it would be another masterstroke that would come good. When it turned out Kinnear had told him just as much sh!t as he had told Talksport, the fans and the rest of the media he lost his patience.
