Mike Ashley - Newcastle

How do you view Mike Ashley...

1) Killing Newcastle...no idea of football and simply want him to leave...

2) Bringing some reality back into the wages and spending of the club...instead of just paying rediculous wages for average players...and actually taking the club forward. £35m for Carrol...was a fantastic deal that most chairman would have accepted and was right not to meet Nolans demands etc

or

3) He is doing a good job bringing common sence back to the clubs wage (financial) structure etc...but has made mistakes...sacking Hughton...hiring Denis Wise, should have done everything to keep Nolan etc

It's a tough one. I personally always looked upon Newcastle as a major player so to speak up until Ashley arrived. I don't think they ever had the means to challenge for the title but they should be sniffing around the Europa league places.

Now it just appears that the board's aspirations reach no higher than staying in the league which is sad in a way.

I don't know the full extent of the financial situation up there so I can't really comment on that but from what I've read Nolan has left for an extra 10k a week which is interesting though I may be wrong on that figure?

You are right about the Carrol business. I doubt any chairman outside the top six would have turned that down. You just hope that a large bulk of that money goes back into enhancing the squad.

Also is Ashley still looking to sell the club?

Around the time of the Hughton sacking I didn't like Ashley at all, but he's won me over. He recognises that the club is in debt and wants to try and reduce that by setting up a good business model- signing young players for cheap and selling on to bigger clubs if they offer big money. Whilst I don't necessarily see us as a 'selling club', I wouldn't want to stop someone like Jose Enrique moving away to playing for Champions League football.

I don't think the aim is to just stay in the league, that's shown through the calibre of the signings we've made and are looking to make. Ashley/Carr/Pardew have it right by not giving Nolan an extension on his contract, not giving Barton a huge contract until he was 33 and by selling Carroll. If we can get around £5-6m for Joey Barton (hopeful), then that would be just over £40m for three players.

It's estimated the club made a profit last season without the Carroll cash, but if it was it would be around £7m or less. This money has been invested in the board in improving the training facilities amongst other things at the club over the summer. The money we received for Nolan almost covered what we paid for Cabaye, and Pardew has said he expects 6 new faces through the door this summer. We've seen three so far, but if we make sure we replace Nolan and Barton then boosting the squad with 4 new faces is good enough. However, if the club elect to sell Barton, Smith, LuaLua, Routledge, Ranger and Best (All been talked about leaving) then we would have just replaced the players with slight improvements, but no bigger squad. The key is adding to the squad, not just making replacements. If, by the end of the summer, Ashley and Pardew have achieved this then I'll be very happy.

Churchill wrote:Around the time of the Hughton sacking I didn't like Ashley at all, but he's won me over. He recognises that the club is in debt and wants to try and reduce that by setting up a good business model- signing young players for cheap and selling on to bigger clubs if they offer big money. Whilst I don't necessarily see us as a 'selling club', I wouldn't want to stop someone like Jose Enrique moving away to playing for Champions League football.

I don't think the aim is to just stay in the league, that's shown through the calibre of the signings we've made and are looking to make. Ashley/Carr/Pardew have it right by not giving Nolan an extension on his contract, not giving Barton a huge contract until he was 33 and by selling Carroll. If we can get around £5-6m for Joey Barton (hopeful), then that would be just over £40m for three players.

It's estimated the club made a profit last season without the Carroll cash, but if it was it would be around £7m or less. This money has been invested in the board in improving the training facilities amongst other things at the club over the summer. The money we received for Nolan almost covered what we paid for Cabaye, and Pardew has said he expects 6 new faces through the door this summer. We've seen three so far, but if we make sure we replace Nolan and Barton then boosting the squad with 4 new faces is good enough. However, if the club elect to sell Barton, Smith, LuaLua, Routledge, Ranger and Best (All been talked about leaving) then we would have just replaced the players with slight improvements, but no bigger squad. The key is adding to the squad, not just making replacements. If, by the end of the summer, Ashley and Pardew have achieved this then I'll be very happy.

Do you think this is why Ashley brought Pardew in on a five year deal then? Because he understands the long term strategy of the board and is less likely to throw his toys out of the pram if and when players are sold against his will?

At the time of Pardew's arrival were you guys happy with the appointment?

Im in agreeance with you Churchill.

I think he has made mistakes....but in general is trying to sort the club out. We had a serious reputation for paying silly money and wages for rubbish players.

He's got on top of this and is showing that he will not be held ransom even by the clubs biggest players...ie Nolan, barton etc.

I also think that the signings...Tiote last year, Ben Arfa, Cabaye etc... signal his itent that he wants us be strong and he will pay money for the right players if they are quality...whilst also making full use of our academy players...who i think have one or two very good players coming through.

I dont think any fans were happy about Pardews arrival at the time...but i think people are coming round. It will depend on the signings this season and how we play next....

FreekShow wrote:Do you think this is why Ashley brought Pardew in on a five year deal then? Because he understands the long term strategy of the board and is less likely to throw his toys out of the pram if and when players are sold against his will?

At the time of Pardew's arrival were you guys happy with the appointment?

In all honsty I think it's because Ashley and Carr know they can manipulate Pardew a lot easier than they could Hughton, but I think Pardew understands that he has his limits to work with and looks as if he'll be able to spend some money this summer. At the time I wasn't happy at all. I knew his man management skills would be key after the success of Hughton, but I didn't think Hughton deserved to be sacked.

As long as we don't end up paying ridiculously huge wages and OTT prices for awful players and don't sell players for less than they're worth then it could be a successful summer.

I actually think Pardew is a better manager than he has been credited for. Done a great job at West ham and should never have been sacked there. He was also unlucky to lose his job at Southampton.

I have always had a soft spot for you Geordies ever since your 'entertainers' days. The Premier League would be a poorer place without you.

That 96 team was arguably the best team never to win the title and who knows? That day may come again.

I didnt agree with the sacking of Hughton and thought Pardew was only brought in to be Ashley's puppet so Ashley can pull the strings behind the scenes as they are mates. I still think that's the case, but if Pardew brings in the results with the team then that's most important.

Id like to see some sign of intent from Ashley with the cash he got from Carroll, he may do, but until the geordies see him bringing in players with the cash they will always doubt him.

Were they actually legitimate buddies before the appointment or was that just the London media stirring things up?

I think the guy's a joke, and is selling the players who rallied to get us out the fizzy pop league.

if this was our team for the Arsenal game, i think we have more than a fair chance of getting past the Everton's, Fulham's, Villa's into the top 7, however Jonas, Jose, Cheick, Tayls will all go imo.

1. Krul, 12. Simpson, 27. Taylor, 2. Coloccini, 3. Jose, 37. Ben Arfa, 4. Cabaye, 24. Tiote, 18. Jonas, 19. Ba, 9. Erdinc