Improvements since Ashley came.

[Geordie1974]

We have a thread saying we haven't improved under Rafa.So to balance it out.In the 11 years of Ashley being here.Take into acct the stature and standing of the club when he came,a ground in decent condition,a club established in Europe and the Premier League,a waiting list for season tickets etc.
What has improved under Ashley.I honestly can't think of one thing.


Ashley OUT!!!!!

[ex_pat_magpie]

1) The impatience of having no investment in the club or the manager, the exception being on our getting on to be regular relegation to the Fizzy.

2) The appreciation of it being easier to top the table in the Fizzy.

3) The more unpopular Ashley is the less he attends and thus little of his ugly mug is seen.

4) The only true, real improvement to the club was the appointment of Rafa.

[ghostrider]

Improvements since Ashley came. Hmmmm.

1. Initially saved the club from a fate much worse than what people think it was in just before he took over.

Just the one which basically covers everything, because absolutely everything can be classed as an improvement as opposed to what would have potentially happened had the club went into administration, because nobody else seemed to have the money to take it on or carry it on.

[HughieG]

Financial stability isn't really all that great when there are no hopes of prospering and improving the team. It's great that the club hasn't gone into administration or sailed down the leagues like Sunderland, but we have been relegated twice under Ashley and proper investment is the only way we can move forward.

Ashley out.

[Geordie1974]

Improvements since Ashley came. Hmmmm.

1. Initially saved the club from a fate much worse than what people think it was in just before he took over.

Just the one which basically covers everything, because absolutely everything can be classed as an improvement as opposed to what would have potentially happened had the club went into administration, because nobody else seemed to have the money to take it on or carry it on.

Do you really believe we would have went into administration?It's just something thrown out there in defence of Ashley.
He has registered all the merchandise to go through Sports Direct.So he didn't save us.He bought us to increase his wealth on the reputation of us and loyalty of our fans.
He has doubled his wealth while we have gone backwards.

[toptoon]

I think he did save us from a financial meltdown - the last administration sucked all the money out of the club and we were in real trouble.

Now, though, it feels like we sold our soul to the devil.

[Geordie1974]

I find it hard to believe that he didn't realise the club's debt,that he saved us.Surely if things were that bad word would have been out in the right circles that nobody should touch us.
Why didn't he wait for administration and buy us on the cheap.Because the talk of administration is b0llocks.
He saved us from phuck all as far as I am concerned.He bought us for his own ends.

[ghostrider]

Financial stability isn't really all that great when there are no hopes of prospering and improving the team. It's great that the club hasn't gone into administration or sailed down the leagues like Sunderland, but we have been relegated twice under Ashley and proper investment is the only way we can move forward.

Ashley out.

I don't even know what moving forward means in this day and age of elitist clubs. Seriously.

I think we do well enough to just stay as cannon fodder.
I'd seriously accept championship football for the rest of my time rather than just be cannon fodder for the elites.

I'm absolutely serious.

I am absolutely fed up of having to see this game of who gets the crumbs and having to almost believe that trying to hold out not to get beat is the way forward just to have some kind of brag of being part of a premier league, whilst sacrificing real excitement in doing so.

At least in the championship the football seemed much more real and grass roots.
All this league is is a game of who dares spend the most to get the best of the rest of the players the elites don't want and who can pay the highest wages for a sniff of the elites aris crack.

At the very least whilst we are in the prem, I'd like us to have a go without excuses as to why being careful is the way forward.
I'd honestly expect no owner to do any better with this club because of the above mentioned.

Any different owner would...at best (in my absolute honest opinion)... would do a West Ham type of attack or an Everton flirt, before taking their place back into the pecking order and ready for other chancer teams to have a few sniffs before their fate is sealed.

That's what we're dealing with, it seems.
I have no real option but to endure this horrible football because I chose to be in it for the long haul. But good bad and ugly I'll do just that.
However, my love for the premier league is waning by the day and I honestly find myself being a bit envious of the fight the big clubs in the championship all have, almost every week, where the lottery of that league throws out a much more enjoyable and intense battle to the death up at the top end.

[Geordie1974]

All that might be well and good Ghost,but and here is the but.We are falling behind the spending of Championship clubs.So if we go down as far as I am concerned we will gradually keep going for as long as Ashley is here.So where does it stop.
Look at Wolves.Their owners are worth over 20 billion.Picked the club up for peanuts.See where it's going.
Who is going to pay the price Ashley wants when they can pick up Championship clubs for a tenth of what he wants,with no hidden clause that will continue to line the former owners pockets.Like what Ashley will be putting into the deal as well as the price.


Ashley OUT!!!!!

[ghostrider]

Do you really believe we would have went into administration?It's just something thrown out there in defence of Ashley.

I'm fairly sure we would have. There was nobody serious about buying into us at that time and Hall was not prepared to go any further or borrow any money against his own estate/family wealth, which left Shepherd in an untenable position, anyway.
And no way would Shepherd be able to carry on after that.

He has registered all the merchandise to go through Sports Direct.So he didn't save us.He bought us to increase his wealth on the reputation of us and loyalty of our fans.

He did save us as far as I'm concerned. What you think, is your entitlement.

He has doubled his wealth while we have gone backwards.

I don't see where we've gone backwards.
I'd say we're more evened out over the time by %.