Newcastle’s Defensive Record Will Be Key To Where They Finish This Season

24 Responses

1. Though the present side is basically a second tier side, one has to give Rafa credit,for getting them to play hard and achieve a little success.

   The lack of a natural goal-scorer is obvious, however it appears Loic Remy is available in this current window, just what we need, sign him !

   A combination of Remy & either a young prospect on loan or perhaps a veteran who is not getting playing time with one of the rich clubs, that plus a couple of full backs , should keep the club up, a couple of veterans would be my choice..

   Which is all we need at present, the rest can be taken care of following survival in the PL, which will give the club enough cash to begin the process of rebuilding.

   This current opportunity must not be wasted, being another relegation would adversely effect the clubs ability to once again make an instantaneous return to the PL, plus retard the overall plan, which I believe to be that of a constant top ten PL side.

   Of course by a top ten side I mean a more or less guarantee to a top ten finish that could be any number of spots in the top level of the league, depending on the depth of the new owners pockets I suppose, being we should all be aware of how money dominates modern day football.

2. Yes it does appear that Rafa is depending heavily on his defensive units to avoid relegation, fair enough, though what we desperately need now is someone to put the ball in the net..
   It’s become painful, watching our present attempts, whenever the side breaks from defense relying totally on Shelvey, who IMO was a poor buy, sure he has a reputation as a playmaker and supposedly passer and for his dead ball efforts.
   It appears his problems are in his head, with two recent bans for fouls and perhaps he should be let go, it certainly wouldn’t surprise me if Rafa got rid of him following the seasons end.
   For that matter everyone in the entire squad should watch out , being none of the present players are untouchable and would expect if we survive this season without being relegated and with new ownership, to replace most of this present side.
   It appears Rafa is hanging in, desperately hoping the takeover is completed soon, which with wealthy new owners could begin the re-establishment of NUFC as a top EPL side, for the future and i’m positive fifty two thousand Geordie fans agree.

3. I realize there are big bucks involved in what most fans consider the most serious of proposed sales and that yes Ashley obviously has called it a day in this his venture outside of retailing.
   It only took ten years for him to realize running a big football club in the worlds most expensive league, was for multi billionaires and is a hobby that is unrewarding unless you spend first, the rewards of free advertising and selling on for profit was no longer a valid reason for ownership, something learned by those owners who have already sold out to the multi billionaires over the last few years.
   Of course the fact that (SD) has taken some hits of late, that and the current takeover negotiations with (Bob’s Stores) in the USA requires more cash than he can afford without selling NUFC, which makes it essential, that and the fact that big box retail stores are becoming a drug on the market, with such giants as “Sears” and “Pennys” about to go outta business in the near future.
   Being most sales are now coming from those using the internet, other than those who formerly bought from both big box stores and catalogues.
   Which suggests .he may end up broke by betting on “pile em high and sell them cheap”, lets see who has the last laugh in this situation.
   However the sale will eventually take place and regardless of who buys NUFC, they will have to invest heavily in players, (the infrastructure being fine) being it’s a game for billionaires, actually multi billionaires, not tightwad “johhny come lately’s”.
   Which may be good or bad according to how much they are prepared to invest
   but it certainly will be a relief for most fans to see the back of our present owner, hoping for a big investment in players and an escape from years of fighting relegation, with some of the worst (read cheap) management in the EPL.

   suggesting he may be behind the curve in his belief he can regenerate

4. I don’t know if most followers of the EPL realize during this winter window how the BIG clubs dominate the leagues of most countries, especially those of the high paying EPL.
   And it becomes more understandable around the transfer windows, where the weaker (read poorer) clubs attempt to borrow players from the overstocked top clubs, often having to subsidize both the loanee’s wages and a fee, allowing the players involved (mainly younger future stars to be subsidized by the poorer clubs)
   Not a fair system nor one that should be allowed.
   Yeah we are all aware of the number of registered players allowed in clubs squads, but it’s a flawed system that, allows say Chelsea to have a massive number of players available, mostly on loan (being both paid and trained by their loan sides) totally unfair.
   The rules on loanee’s is due for changes or the rich clubs will remain the plaything’s of oligarchs with big ego’s and deep pockets and little change will occur in the EPL apart from the same elevator clubs up and down movement from the Championship to the Premier.
   Which is both boring and unfair !
   Change the loan system by reducing the number of players owned by any one particular club, which could eventually even the playing field.
   This problem appears to one unnoticed by most fans, at least no one has recently remarked on it as being a major problem.

   in other words boring

5. A draw with both Swansea and Stoke is no indication Newcastle can or will survive relegation this time, if you can’t get points from those in the relegation zone, you don’t deserve to be in the top league..
   It appears Ashley has no intention of laying out one thin dime in transfer fees, as the non negotiations continue, obviously he has been in the US negotiating seriously in his latest attempt to expand there, best of luck with that, being to open new big box stores while some of the biggest names in retailing are closing hundreds of stores, really doesn’t sound such a great idea, guess no one has informed “wor Mike” aboot it.
   Then there is the rumor that a second party, with interests in the UAE has joined or is about to make a bid for the club, which I find hard to believe and still think Amanda will end up buying the club.
   Sure it’ looks bad with neither party willing to finance the much needed infusing of fresh blood into the side, as this side is heading for the championship if nothings done soon.
   And with that (relegation once more) the clubs worth will plummet, which of course Ashley is aware of, it’s time for both sides to stop the games and do some realistic bargaining, while the opportunity is still available for both parties, or Amanda can withdraw her bid and pick up he club for the price of a second tier side, because there is no doubt, that as clever a manager as Rafa is there’s no way he can survive with this the worst side I can remember playing in the black and white.
   I have no idea what Ashley is attempting, apart from refusing to spend another penny on the side, it appears he will lose his ass if he is not careful and not one fan of the club would give a rat’s ass, apart from hating to see another relegation and end up with the same cheap-ass owner.

6. Chuck!

   You’re worse than Hedda Hopper with your gossip and Cassandra with your prophecies of doom, as usual.

   They’re a lower mid table side, I worked it out before the season, and they’re currently lower mid table so overall, they’re abput where they should be. For a manager of Benitez’s achievements though, they should be doing better. Managers like Sean Dyche and Chris Hughton have considerably less to work with than Benitez and Newcastle, so whilst Newcastle deserves much better, we shouldn’t really be worried about relegation for lack of players, though at Newcastle of course, any catastrophe is possible.

   Why pick on Shelvey? I seem to recall that other radgie, Mitrovic was even more expensive.

   As for Ashley’s business affairs, it’s still pile ’em high and sell ’em cheap, but it’s pile ’em high and sell ’em cheap on Amazon. Clothes and shoes still have a reason for being in an actual shop though, because people usually have bigger bellies than they think they do and it’s hard to tell if something fits from hundreds of miles away.

7. It’s quite hard to tell with trousers. Advertised waist sizes and inside legs vary considerably between brands. And clothes manufacturers seem to think that if you have waist bigger than 32 inches you must be an 8ft tall beanpole who plays professional basketball.

   As to this NUFC takeover malarkey. Well, Ashley’s had the for sale sign up and down more times than a stripper’s knickers and I refuse to get my hopes up of a sale until someone’s actually signed on the dotted line. I wouldn’t be surprised if Ashley’s stringing everyone along only for him to take it off the market in a few months’ time.

8. What a time for “The Blog” to come out of hibernation! It’s that silly season when we are linked with any and everyone who has ever kicked a ball. Add to that “The Takeover” and you’ve got rivers of rumours, opinions, tripe, garbage, and down right lies. There is no bounds to the agony and stupidity of being a Toon supporter.
   It is very hard to feel anything good about Nufc and its situation at the moment even the blog’s are depressing and not as they used to be. Having said that its good to have you back Worky.

9. Well Ashley is the master of the fake sale, you only have to look at the pretty much permanent ‘Closing Down Sale!’ signs in his shops.

   As for matters on the pitch, we’re not getting slaughtered and are holding things together at the back, but we just can’t score enough goals. I don’t know what he’s doing with Dwight Gayle. On the subject of goals, I notice that another one of my tips for Newcastle to buy when he was at Basle, Mohammed Salah, is scoring quite a few right now.

   Hugh, I’ve found that the more expensive the trousers, the more eccentric the fit is. My last pair of Diesels were tighter than a gnat’s chuff; like a cheap hotel, they no ball room and made me walk like the people in those jerky old Victorian films because the legs only started half way down my thigh. I dabbled with buying a pair of trainers online, they were the same brand as ones I already had in exactly the same size but when I received them, I couldn’t get them on. Same with a jacket before that which I had to return for another because it didn’t fit.

10. It’s good to see you back on here as well, Nutmag. I just don’t read those transfer stories anymore, I hardly know anything about all the specious stories they are discussing on the Chronic and all the rest, I’ve gone back to reading proper books again. My current theme has been Capitalism. I’ve finished Max Weber’s ‘The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism’ and Francis Wheen’s book about Karl Marx’s ‘Capital’ and I’m on George Orwell’s shorter journalistic pieces for newspapers such as ‘Tribune’ now. I’m a bit like you with your painting, how’s that gannin’ by the way?

11. Yes, I agree regarding a striker and some goals. You’re right, we’re holding things together reasonably well elsewhere, at least most of the time. If we had someone (or preferably a few someones) who could hit the back of the net a bit more frequently, I reckon we’d be 6 to 9 points better off this season and up roughly where Leicester (or at the very least Everton) are with little risk of relegation.

    It’s too close for comfort just now.

12. Sure here are those who look like world beaters on gaining promotion to the EPL, though apart from the oddity of Leicester’s winning the league immediately following promotion, one can almost guarantee that most will end up back in the second tier sooner than later.
    C’mon folks we all know the reason, which is “money,” which has been spent at Newcastle, but not to improve the side, but add to Ashleys pile.
    France and Holland or wherever the best deals are available being the main providers .
    Talking about the Sissoko’s and other players sold for well over the prices paid by NUFC.
    Of course there was possibly an understanding between the club and players involved, most of whom I believe used the Toon as a stepping stone to the EPL, where salaries are much higher than those paid by the continental clubs.
    Yes Ashley could be considered to have been somewhat successful, during his early ownership, hiring cheap managers, cheap everything, with operating costs among the lowest in the league and a bonus of retaining a spot in the worlds most wealthy league, in terms of tv based revenue.
    The present threat of another relegation and it’s cost, a major reduction in the clubs asking price, plus no hope of making a profit, if there is a going to be another attempt to gain promotion.
    As for the recent attempt to sell the club, who knows what that was all about, an attempt to see who was interested and for how much ?
    Whether Ashley sells or not will depend on the new tv revenues which are about to be made known, IMO they will have more to do with events than the recent Amanda Staveley farce and it’s now my belief that our owner will spend enough to keep the club in the premiership, but I certainly don’t see Benitez leaving, at present, being there’s a six million figure we have been informed, either payable by any side attempting to hire him, or by Benitez himself should he decide to f**k off, which is the reason he is still here.
    However it’s almost a guarantee that he will leave as soon as possible, for Christ sake we have already been informed who will replace him, the recently fired Stoke manager Hughes, hell maybe Pardew will also have been fired by then and return to manage.
    Hey ! no one said it’s easy to be a Newcastle fan.

13. Hmmm ! nice of you to refer me as a ‘Cassandra’ who alongside of the original, was the ‘nom de plume’ of ‘William Connor’ who wrote a column in The Daily Mirror, until his death in the sixties, unfortunately Hedda Hopper which may not be so well known on these pages I recognize as a babbler of Hollywood gossip.
    As for your recent reading list, if you don’t know the difference between the Calvinistic work ethic approach, which is often quoted as an essential part of the reformation as opposed to Marxism, I think it may be too late for you.
    Of course the Mirror I am talking about was once a decent paper, in comparison with to-days version.
    I find it interesting fact that there are meetings between the UK and individual elected EU members leaking various offers, bit’s of information in regard to Brexit, certainly things have become more serious and both sides appear to want some sort of mutual agreeable settlement that reflects what may be best for both sides.
    Though I have little regard for referenda’s in general and very little regard for the
    knowledge of most countries electorate, or for that matter leaders, it’s obvious that Brexit could and probably will cause more problems than not.
    If thing’s don’t work out perhaps we could offer to loan the UK our hard working leader here in the US, to help drain the swamp that has become the British parliament .

14. Chuckles, the original Cassandra was the mythical Trojan princess who predicted doom for the city of Troy, and she was right, so it was a compliment! Homer’s story was that she was cursed to have prophesies which were right, but they were bad prophecies which nobody wanted to hear so she was dismissed as bonkers. The Daily Mirror was a great newspaper back in those days, when it was edited by Hugh Cudlipp and had journalists like Connor, John Pilger and Paul Foot.

    As for Karl Marx, he put alot of emphasis on the role of the enclosure acts in England in the birth of Modern Capitalism, where peasants could no longer graze their beasts on common land, which drove them out of desperation to the towns and cities, and into the factories of the emerging industrial bourgeoisie. Karl Marx was a grumpy, awkward old sod who fell out with everybody, except for Freddy Engels and his missus, Jenny Marx. I can’t think who he reminds me of, Chuck? :-)

    I am like my MP when it comes to Brexit, torn between my intense dislike of what lies the core of the EU, combined with my recognition that THIS Brexit will probably be a disaster for many people, pushed by hyper-capitalists who want to turn the UK into a sweatshop with lower wages, lower worker’s rights, lower regulation and lower taxes for the rich, so this will be a negotation where I hate both sides really. I also think that strategically, the idea of trying to ‘negotiate’ with 27 EU countries is flawed anyway, though that could depend on what this government’s real agenda is, though I know that their agenda certainly wouldn’t be mine. We should have swerved negotiations we are only going to lose by going straight into the EEA like Norway, or something like that.

    Whatever happens in the end with Newcastle United, over 99% of that stuff in the papers will be made up guff. The core of the issue is how much does he want to sell it? Even if he didn’t really want to sell, he’s the kind who would dangle it anyway in the hope that he could draw someone, possibly a Sheikh or an Oligarch into bidding so high it would be an offer that he simply couldn’t refuse because as we both know, he loves money more than anything else.

15. Erm yeah !, I am quite familiar with the myth of Cassandra also the enclosure act and the fact the world has changed considerably from that of Marx’s time.

    Just look at the changes since WW2 alone and being technology is subject to the snowball effect, constantly doubling with the present increasing means of computer generated capabilities.

    Remember the days of the ‘Kray’ super computer, which to-day can be reproduced in miniature with hundreds, perhaps thousands of times the computing power.

    There was a tv program very recently, which described our near future, full of the results of modern technology, culminating in the eventual merging of humans and machines, resulting in a race of cyborgs.

    Which will happen fairly soon, along with cures for most diseases, plus the growth of human clones to use as spare body parts and other crazy shit that I just don’t want to be around for.

    And these are in no way a guess at what the future may bring, but what will be the reality of the near future.

    It’s amazing how eager the general public have been sold smartphones, the beginning of a technological future for all, sure it’s based mostly on those who use it for social media reasons, plus business for others, a paperless society plus there’s the attempt to develop a world wide cashless society.

    However once trained each individual will send in one way or another all of their most secret information from where he travels on a daily basis to where he invests and practically everything one may wish to know.
    In other words a much scarier world than imagined in either 1984 or Brave New World.

    But it’s coming soh ! be ready for it.

    Fact is most people believe technology to be fundamentally beneficial, when in fact information can be used either as a means of control or in some cases a harmless advantage.
    My problem has always been with those wishing to control.
    Careful for what you may wish for, but I will guarantee that the future with all of it’s so called aids, will not be the ideal most wish for.

16. It now appears that here now will be a certain amount of funding from Ashley, knowing well that the sale is history and without re-enforcing the side he would be looking at a third relegation under his control.

    It also appears Benitez has installed a decent defensive unit (ten men behind the ball) and what’s needed now is speed and goal-scoring ability.

    In other words a system based on a defensive game, which is also reliant on the quick brake , ergo speed and scoring ability.

    A system that was brought up with Leicester, with a great deal of success and is played by both the lower based clubs through those in the top six at times, an example being Liverpool’s recent win over Citeh !

    Where Guardiola’s side failed to deal with the tremendous pressure applied to their defensive by Liverpool’s high front line making the game one of possession, being the Citeh defense were loath to boot the ball up-field and lost possession in their own end a number of times because of it.

    Yes it’s horses for courses, being each club play a basic style, that represents their managers tactics on that particular day, Newcastle have one of the best tactical managers in the league, but lack players with the necessary technical abilities, resulting in the style we have witnessed in the last two games, that of defending with as many as ten men behind the ball, in the first half, then bring on three attacking players with pace during the last quarter who can apply a speed based attacking pressure to a tired defensive unit..

    Which not only surprises the opposition, used to a playing a side using only a defensive strategy and now showing pace on each quick break and if not dealt with could allow them to earn perhaps a point or three in the last quarter.

    As long as Benitez is receiving his big bucks salary any club attempting to hire him faces a six million quid fee, he will stay of course, but the idea here is to avoid relegation and Ashley is well aware of that.

    The questions are, what will happen if the club survives relegation, the other question is what will happen if we are relegated once more ?

17. Cray still make big supercomputers, Chuck, they are usually used for stuff that needs a huge amount of computing grunt, like predicting the weather and stuff like that.

    Have you read 1984 and Brave New World? The dystopian worlds portrayed in those two books aren’t exactly pleasant. Smartphones are conditioning people’s behaviour, that’s how they’re designed so people are getting completely addicted to them. They reinforce behaviour with constant small rewards, treating people like monkeys in a lab. The psychologist BF Skinner called it ‘Operant Condtioning.’ You walk around over here nowadays and alot of the people are like the zombies in ‘Dawn of the Dead’ only they are looking blankly into smartphone screens, usually as they walk right into you, or, preferably, walking into the path of a moving car or bus. We’ve got our foot right down on the pedal as we hurtle towards dystopia.

    I think I’m too miserable to take on Newcastle United and Mike Ashley after writing that. I do think that Benitez should be doing a bit better than he is with what he has and it shouldn’t all be put on a lack of players. I’m not sure that he’s juggled the strikers around in the right way. Joselu’s no Harry Kane and all the stop-starting with Gayle is frustrating.

18. It’s not difficult to understand, the fact we sold every decent player on the books, prior to our last relegation, nor difficult to understand why, the reason being was Ashley’s stripping the club of any assets prior to his selling it.

    I have to admit I was surprised (along with others) that once again we topped he second tier, but also understood what we had was still a second tier side, not fit for competition in the PL

    Which left Benitez in a tough spot, having to sell before buying with no new funding available.

    Considering the players we now have on the books, Benitez has done IMO a decent job, but without some PL quality reinforcements we are heading for another relegation.

    Ashle’y knows this and obviously wants to sell a PL club as opposed to a second tier side (for half the price) and therefore has to invest to achieve that.

    Their being no law that sez you get your money back, or any amount you may have invested in the side, only the fact that you are selling either a PL or a second tier side.

    Whether he (Ashley) comes up with the money or not is the big question and directly effects him more than anyone, sure he has gambled before and lost in which case it would behoove him to spend if he wants to sell a PL side for a PL price .

    Though it may very well be a waste of time and money if he continues to ask a price that obviously no future buyer will contemplate, ah well I suppose it could be worse.

19. Smart phones have now reached a point where most people’s addiction to social media has rendered it a necessity.

    Constantly used by the majority on subways, busses, bars, even used by some ignoramuses in the cinema.

    An instrument that many use in a vicarious way, that for the most part examines others lives via the various social commentary media offerings.

    Full of comments from political morons such as Boris and the Donald, it rates in intelligence for the most part with Hollywood gossip, or it’s equals.

    As I stated earlier it introduces everyone through it’s abilities becoming a modern day necessity, which can answer questions, solve arguments, produces information instantly, which are among the many reasons to own one.

    It also informs those who are interested in selling you something, where you have travelled on a daily basis, what you are interested in, and just about any information about any smart-phone owner, such as where you have lived, worked, were educated, criminal record and stuff one would like to see kept private.

    Yes folks there is an enormous amount of information out there stored on both government and private data bases, if you only knew you would be freaked !

    Then there are those who snigger when you mention such negatives about modern day technology, usually stating, “if you are not doing anything illegal, why worry”

    The point is, what kind of society do you want to live in, which if left to governments and corporations will be one which controls your life, through technology.

    Yes perhaps within the next few years, like most other diseases, cancer may disappear, we will grow clones to provide replacement body parts, which most will think of as very positive, we may also increase age levels and our bodies have pieces that are manufactured, such as a boost in brain power, from tiny mini brain boosters, who the fuck knows, the question is will we have any say in what happens in this fast moving technological frontier we are about to enter.

    Being these are the early stages of a world dominated by information, which necessitates one using the technology provided or becoming a non normal functioning outlaw, living on the outer fringes of that required

    You see there are those who have your best interests at heart and know what’s best for you, which is to control your every wish and desire, being they know it’s really in your best interest

20. ‘Dawn of the Dead’ is a classic. They had a George A Romero season on The Horror Channel a while back and I watched a few of his films, including DotD. There are numerous continuity errors of course and I can’t begin to imagine what the editor was smoking at the time, but such things just add to the charm.

21. Interesting interview of Rafa. Benitez by France football, if I remember right.

    Same repeat of questions, why did you stay @ NUFC following relegation?

    Same standard answers, the old, well I believe the club consists of a variety of things, of course a fanatical fan base and all the other bullshit was mentioned.
    However the fact he would have to give up a lucrative salary was never mentioned, plus the fact it would cost any club interested in his services a six million fee to praise him away.

    Look the guy is an excellent manager and I believe we are lucky to have him, but please don’t believe everything he mentions .

    Given the choice, i’m sure he would be much happier managing Liverpool or Citeh, or one of the wealthier clubs.

    However being this close to The Wirral , the family home and earning a nice piece of change at the same time, sounds a lot closer to the truth.

    Of course much of what he said was aimed at any future job prospects that may arise, but survival in the PL is now his only goal, but face it managerial changes are as common-place as under-ware changes in this present league and who knows what may happen in the near future.

    Yes it’s essential that Ashley has to make some signings, he certainly had little reluctance to sell off our only talented players prior to being relegated known in business as asset stripping.

    The alternative is another relegation and obviously he is smart enough to realize he already went through that twice and has figured out it’s not the answer.

    For Ashley the best he can expect is to avoid relegation and sell a bottom ten side in the PL as soon as possible, meaning (hopefully) during this coming summer.

    Whether Benitez stays or is poached by someone else matters, but an established PL side operating in the top league with the lucrative tv funding about to increase once again, is what really matters.

    ps I don’t feel happy with the quality of top management at the club, worrying that any deals done by Charnley even though they can be vetoed by Ashley, is a case of the blind leading the blind and the mismanagement over the last ten years is due to a lack of sound top management.

    Well we shall see what happens, but I and the majority of fans will be happy enough to see the end of this character (Ashley) and see the rebirth of this club
    as a premier league standard, not a club run by a greedy retailer to be used as an additional form of revenue .

22. Oh !
    I believe a follow up movie to ‘Ex-Machina’ a look into the future type movie, not a great movie, though a fascinating subject .

    One that intrigues many , machines that have the ability to learn and something that even Richard Hawkin has expressed caution in developing.

    Sure it’s projected that most humans will have a/robot’s to take care of many of their needs etc. in as short a time as twenty years from now.

    Don’t believe it ? just look what’s available to-day, there are hundreds or thousands of warehouses where machines that are good for about three or four years, stack merchandise, who work in the dark, no heat needed and are in continuous operation 24/7 .

    Most of to-day factories are operated for the most part by machines, a far cry from the amazement of viewing a fully automated Japanese factory shown first to an incredulous audiencet during the late sixties, which by to-days standards would be considered out of date.

    One constantly hears, ‘it’s all about jobs’ by dumb-ass politicians, when they should realize and be looking at ex workers who will find it difficult to compete with modern day machines that have replaced them. in order to come up with something for those made redundant as workers.

    Yep ! an interesting but scary future where we don’t know exactly where we will fit in, have you ever challenged a chess playing machine that has learned every move possible and is unbeatable, “artificial intelligence”

    But fear not the ability to ensure humans/cyborgs, (we could be either one), given enough time, can also be issued with the necessary addition of extra brain power, simply by using a brain attachment that can be updated by plugging it in whenever it’s not required, you wake up knowing more than you did before you checked out.
    Yep gonna be a wonderful world, but one I feel I can do without.

23. Well I’m sure most fans are somewhat depressed by the latest news, that there will be no sale of NUFC and St. James’ Park to whoever, as it was never to my knowledge disclosed who the actual bidders were.

    The reason being the price was too high, I assume.

    Certainly when one looks at the amount our dear leader paid it appears so, however their are any number of reasons to evaluate what may be a fair price.
    Looking at the amounts of transfer fees and wages now being paid for players,
    plus the astonishing revenue now being distributed among EPL clubs
    why should that not include the cost of purchasing a state of the art stadium, plus a n excellent manager, though stuck with a second tier evaluated side.

    It now appears Ashley has decided to spring for some goal-scoring talent, that could mean survival, which is still a gamble, but it appears he’s been gambling with both the fans and fate ever since he purchased the club, nothing new.

    Then again it could be an agreement with those considering buying the club, that Ashley buy the necessary players and the additional cost would be included in the final price, I believe something similar was suggested previously, eh !
    who knows ?

    What I do know is that Ashley knows little about running a football club and those he has hired (with the exceptions of Hughton and Benitez) know possibly less, undoubtedly the club with the worst top level management in the country which has been proven over the last ten years.

24. Here we are once more slowly sinking into the relegation zone and without any goal-scoring help in sight, or at least non we are aware of.

    Oh ! we did make one signing a Brazilian future star on loan from Chewsea, who can play as a winger or attacking full back.

    Great !

    It’s an unfair ruling that allows the bigger clubs (read wealthier) who are allowed to stockpile future talent at other EPL clubs, even have them pay the loanee’s wages and giving them important PL experience.

    Anyway, with the window about to close, once again there is no sign of any deal being made for our real need at this stage, a couple of goal-scorers.

    Sure the media is full of unsubstantiated bullshit about strikers arriving, but I just have no clue what our great leader has in mind, other than the fact we all know know he is as cheap as they come.

    Is it a case of he believes that Benitez is so good a manager he will guarantee the clubs survival, well I got news for him…..

    Or perhaps he likes living on the edge taking a gamble.

    As far as I can see, we are destined for another season in the second tier, which will reduce the clubs value by half, so he will have no trouble selling.

    Look I know he wants out but to gamble with this present side on staying up is not a good bet, he has been through this scenario twice already but it doesn’t appear he learned anything, I mean what’s up with this guy ?

    Ah well it’s his money, but not really his team, there are hundreds of thousands of Geordies who have invested their lives in this club, who show up at both home and away games week after week, what about them.

    I noticed that following the news that the club was for sale, he (Ashley) became somewhat contrite, apologizing for both he and Llambeas’ treatment of Hughton and others, which is a waste of effort, being there are thousands who still detest him for the way he has used them and his overall management of the club over he last ten years.

    So, hopefully there are those who may still be interested in buying the club, who have the best interest in both the club and its fans, not forgetting enough billions to run it as a top ten EPL side.