Better the devil you know?

[ghostrider]

Let's be clear about a few things and I believe many would agree.

1. When Ashley goes, assuming it's in the next few months, he leaves the club on a sound financial footing.

2. When Ashley goes, he also leaves the club with a better potential set of players than we've had for a long time, along with a top manager. Basically he leaves the club in a much better state than most owners ever do with any club.

Just imagine if he left like the last owners did, leaving the club in near ruin.

However, once he leaves, that should be it. Any bickering from that point on about bad luck or financial problems or new owners not doing what they promised, or doing what they promised then not following it forward.....is not Mike Ashley's fault.

When he goes he can go with a few words from us all, ranging from, " thanks for saving the club Mike." Or " You could have done a lot better if you were clued up on football mike." Or words to that effect.

If all goes well after he leaves then we can all be happy and hopefully look forward to the future and put the past behind us as just another chapter in a long line of chapters that gave us many mixed feelings, from the good to the bad and the downright ugly.

Was I a fan of Mike Ashley?
The answer is, no.
Did I think Mike Ashley had good intentions for the club.
The answer is, yes.

Do I still think his intentions are good?
The answer is, yes, in terms of leaving the club in a healthy state whatever happens sooner or later.

Do I think he royally messed up in his time.
Absolutely I do, but I also believe he done a hell of a lot of good that will be as forgotten as the needle in that giant haystack that may, in time, be trodden on to give many of us a wake up call as to how things could have been a lot worse. (hopefully not)

Our issue from this point on (assuming takeover) is in not getting too far ahead of ourselves, because the expectation levels will surely rise like a newly built skyscraper and COULD end up becoming a massive let down if promises are delivered in short term and collapse like a pack of cards.

The thing is, where do we really go with any of this?
Look at Liverpool.
Look at the money being thrown about with them.
Look at the players they bought for the fight for the top and are still playing also ran.
Look at Everton.
Fortunate enough to offset their outlay with close to what they brought in, in terms of money, excluding Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Wayne Rooney on a quarter of a million a week.

This is where we will have to tread if we simply want to play around the top 6 scrappers.
Will it ever be enough?

How do we actually move on?

Don't get me wrong, I understand the mindset of " we just want a team that tries and a manager that cares and owners that will spend their fair share."
I understand all of that and also understand that we all want a team that doesn't want to be seen anywhere near the relegation area.
We want a team in the top half as a sort of given.

The issue we will have is when new owners start casting out the net and bringing in the big league players on big wages.
It'll be great for us to watch (probably) but will need to be sustained, whilst also sustaining a top manager to oversee it all.

Is it possible?
What kind of owners can give us even a sniff at battling at the top end on a regular basis...because the only owner(s) I can see doing that in terms of a north east club, would be PSG type owners or Man City.
Even Man United's Glazers couldn't sustain a beg steal and borrow attitude as far north from London as us.

Why am I typing this?
The reason is, I'm in a bit of a turmoil. It bothers me as to where the club could end up with a gung-ho approach to success but also excites me at the prospect of going up against the big boys and knowing that the big boys are worried about us.

I sit here and think....hmmm, am I content with mediocrity and hope or am I scared and excited of what lies ahead?

I'm happy to see Mike Ashley walk away but only happy if we move forward in the right way and not for a quick flash in the pan jump into the top 4 to say hello and now we're right back down below, scenario.

Fingers crossed we get some long term joy.

[pboromag]

I dont thin we will get anyone with the same outlook on purchasing a club like chelsea or city

i think we will get an investment company

someone who will buy us to do like ash thought make quick buck

i dont think ash had thought about the likes of city spending what they do or manure willing to trade at a loss every year

look at arsenal owners not willing to spend

people dont realise the amount neede to even get anywhere near the top 4
squd facilities back room staff ,etc etc

we arent a 400 mill purchase
who ever buys us will ned to be willing to invest best part of 600 mill and more from the go with the purchase of the club included in that figure .

And to get what back
maybe a place in europe

you can nearly double that figure to get into the champions league with the cost of players going up window by window and wages

400 mill for someone looking to get their company in the window or a maybe a foothold in the asian market which is cooloing right off

maybe a yank who wants to bring a american footy team here like spuds are trying for

very very tricky times ahead

[toptoon]

I dont thin we will get anyone with the same outlook on purchasing a club like chelsea or city

i think we will get an investment company

someone who will buy us to do like ash thought make quick buck

i dont think ash had thought about the likes of city spending what they do or manure willing to trade at a loss every year

look at arsenal owners not willing to spend

people dont realise the amount neede to even get anywhere near the top 4
squd facilities back room staff ,etc etc

we arent a 400 mill purchase
who ever buys us will ned to be willing to invest best part of 600 mill and more from the go with the purchase of the club included in that figure .

And to get what back
maybe a place in europe

you can nearly double that figure to get into the champions league with the cost of players going up window by window and wages

400 mill for someone looking to get their company in the window or a maybe a foothold in the asian market which is cooloing right off

maybe a yank who wants to bring a american footy team here like spuds are trying for

very very tricky times ahead

I partly agree with you but I think people are going over board with the numbers. 1.2 billion for us to get from where we are now to the Champions league?
You need money, no question, but finally we are spending it more wisely. Not only in as far as buying overpriced players with sh*t attitudes but (of course) by investing in a good manager. Rafa is the best signing that the club has made since Shearer and the effect of the 4 million paid annually to him multiplies in benefits through the club and transfer dealings, several times over. So, what I mean is, that yes you need money but where you spend it is as important than how much you have.

[ex_pat_magpie]

I partly agree with you but I think people are going over board with the numbers. 1.2 billion for us to get from where we are now to the Champions league?
You need money, no question, but finally we are spending it more wisely. Not only in as far as buying overpriced players with sh*t attitudes but (of course) by investing in a good manager. Rafa is the best signing that the club has made since Shearer and the effect of the 4 million paid annually to him multiplies in benefits through the club and transfer dealings, several times over. So, what I mean is, that yes you need money but where you spend it is as important than how much you have.

Now that's real sense. It can be done with the right approach, a hands on owner, or owners's representative and a top class manager like Rafa. The right start has been made and the next step depends on the ambitions of the new owner and as importantly, the reason he/she has bought the club.

[pboromag]

it cant be done with just a top manager a hands on owner etc
liverpool have a decent manager good owners and cant do it
southampton when they had poch couldnt do it

spuds have spent a lot but have also brought wisely but over the years have spen hundreds of millions

arsenal have a great manager arent spendiing and are out of champos league

to me it doesnt take someone who knows anything about footy to see that apart from leicester most years the big spenders such as city manure chelsea and aresnal and liverpool get into the champs league

its the same in most of the other leagues around the world as well

so how anyone can say we can compete on aregular basis without spend ing huge amounts is just gullable

it was only a few weeks back we were all saying we have a championship squa

now with some thought and a decent manager we are going to be able to compete

not a chance

we need 100 odd million just to stay up this season with certainty

and over the back end of last season and the last window prices have rocketed and so have wages so how anyone thinks we can just rely on rafas managment skills and carefull spending is beyond me

if all you need is a decent manager and a hands on approach from an owner
why does the special one need so much money
why does the city manager need so much money
why does potch need so much money

all great managers all have great owners

all spend loads and loads

your kidding yourselves

we will need a couple of hundred million jut on the development side of it (training faciliities coaches health experts etc etc )
at least 190 million plus on players
we aint even got a marquee player

everton have a decent manager spend hundreds and arent guaranteed anything

sorry but i would like to think we can rely on wise old rafa to get us through

but has anyone thought someone spending 300 million plus might want their own manager

[toptoon]

it cant be done with just a top manager a hands on owner etc
liverpool have a decent manager good owners and cant do it
southampton when they had poch couldnt do it

spuds have spent a lot but have also brought wisely but over the years have spen hundreds of millions

arsenal have a great manager arent spendiing and are out of champos league

to me it doesnt take someone who knows anything about footy to see that apart from leicester most years the big spenders such as city manure chelsea and aresnal and liverpool get into the champs league

its the same in most of the other leagues around the world as well

so how anyone can say we can compete on aregular basis without spend ing huge amounts is just gullable

it was only a few weeks back we were all saying we have a championship squa

now with some thought and a decent manager we are going to be able to compete

not a chance

we need 100 odd million just to stay up this season with certainty

and over the back end of last season and the last window prices have rocketed and so have wages so how anyone thinks we can just rely on rafas managment skills and carefull spending is beyond me

if all you need is a decent manager and a hands on approach from an owner
why does the special one need so much money
why does the city manager need so much money
why does potch need so much money

all great managers all have great owners

all spend loads and loads

your kidding yourselves

we will need a couple of hundred million jut on the development side of it (training faciliities coaches health experts etc etc )
at least 190 million plus on players
we aint even got a marquee player

everton have a decent manager spend hundreds and arent guaranteed anything

sorry but i would like to think we can rely on wise old rafa to get us through

but has anyone thought someone spending 300 million plus might want their own manager

So, in the space of one post, your 600 million needed on players has fallen to 190 million. Keep going, you´re getting the idea!

Noone has said we don´t need to spend on players - I called into question the amount that you suggested was needed. Man U, City, Chelsea have spent a lot but look at their managers too! We can debate all day on how much of their success is due to spend and how much on the quality of their managers but it´s fair to say you need both to certain degrees. My point is that NUFC needed the manager more than the spend just now - recent history has surely taught us that.

From now on steady and increased investment is needed in the squad so that, hopefully we can follow in the footsteps of Spurs.

[pboromag]

So, in the space of one post, your 600 million needed on players has fallen to 190 million. Keep going, you´re getting the idea!

Noone has said we don´t need to spend on players - I called into question the amount that you suggested was needed. Man U, City, Chelsea have spent a lot but look at their managers too! We can debate all day on how much of their success is due to spend and how much on the quality of their managers but it´s fair to say you need both to certain degrees. My point is that NUFC needed the manager more than the spend just now - recent history has surely taught us that.

From now on steady and increased investment is needed in the squad so that, hopefully we can follow in the footsteps of Spurs.

im saying straight way they will need that
if they have any hopes of getting into the top 4 600 mill

we needed to spend 100 mill in january just to be confident of staying up
whilst we are doing reasonably well at the moment we are 2 injuries away from the bottom 3

so spurs and the rest are just going to stand stiil are they an wait for us to catch up

nope
we will need to out perform and spend all thos above us and do it over a long period of time

[toptoon]

ll

we needed to spend 100 mill in january just to be confident of staying up

How can you possibly say that without mentioning any player´names? Merino was 10 million - 5 more of his quality and we won´t be confident of staying up????