Build for the future? Or build the bank balance?

Will we be cashing a Cheik in January?
It’s the time of the year again. Well it is once we get Christmas and New Year out of the way anyway.

The transfer window is nearly here, and once again it brings feelings of trepidation and dread which haven’t exactly been helped by Alan Pardew saying that only silly money bids for our players would be considered.

Now on that subject alone, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. As I wrote here it shows a noticeable change in stance from being a club that wasn’t in a position to resist bids to now being a club that can demand top dollar for its stars. That’s a good thing right? Progression?

Anyway it does raise an interesting point, not for the first time I’ll add. If we’re in a position to resist bids unless it’s silly money then are we not also in a position to resist bids full stop? At what point do we draw the line and try to build something at Newcastle? Is there even any intention of doing that?

To me that is part of the problem. The fact is that we don’t know what the future holds so we can only speculate, but going by various mission statements and from a brief look at the history books you would have to think that every player has his price and will be sold if that price is matched.

It’s nothing new in football and it happens all over the place – every club is a selling club, for the right price, but sooner or later it has to stop and we need to start looking after ourselves instead of being a feeder club for the couple of clubs at the top of the table. If we don’t how will we ever get the chance to dine at the same table as them?

It’s actually hard enough to do without a tanker full of oil money but we seem to be doing a decent job of progressing on the cheap. I don’t care how much it costs, never have done, as long as we’re moving forwards I couldn’t care if we’ve spent 20p or £20m.

However there needs to be an upside to this frugality. We’ve gone from feast to famine in terms of transfer activity and whilst it has needed a tough approach to get our financial house in order and turn a business that was losing £30m plus a year to one that is breaking even there has to be an ultimate goal.

I mean, so we’re told anyway, we are on the verge of breaking even which means that we aren’t costing Mike Ashley a penny to run. We’re doing well on the football field and have several well sourced players that, if left to grow together, could form the basis of an excellent team for us.Why can’t we stick with what we have an improve it?

I know people will say that getting however many millions for whatever player is great business, but we’re never going to progress if we sell key players every time somebody waves a fist full of notes in our face.

It should be about building a team now, yet I get the feeling that the bank balance is the main priority.

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

74 thoughts on “Build for the future? Or build the bank balance?

  1. We’re in the same boat as most clubs, if a top team wants your best player you have to sell and we are no different. Mike and Derek have the common sense to sign players on long term deals so when players like Tiote are wanted we can recieve a massive fee which you could say puts the ball in our court when it comes to Tiote. I would accept nothing less than 25 million for him probably 30 with if he was wanted in January.

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  2. It’s very hard to trust the board at the moment with regards to sales (and everything else!)

    but with regards sales – maybe we need a large bid – i’m not good at evaluating players but – £20-30 million for tiote and for them to turn that down. maybe that would show us that we’re trying to move forward as a club. ❓

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  3. Good read, as you say every player has his price and that applies at every club. Getting £35m for a player that cost nowt is great business but I don’t follow the Toon because it’s a great business, I follow them because it’s the team I love and I follow the team only not the business side. Therefore from my point of view getting £35m and buying 2 £12m players and £11m towards Ashley or whatever is better business. Obviously the club has to be well run and is from a business point of view and so far from a football point of view, but buying in cheap will only take us so far and no matter how good our scouting network is, a large slice of luck is also required for these transfers to come off and work. As you said sooner or later we need to hang onto our best players, but if we do sell for mega money then a large chunk of that needs to be invested in players to have any chance of us getting to where we want to be…..for example, being in the top 4 at this stage of the season and expecting to stay there 😉

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  4. I don’t think there is any control over the situation.

    If a top club comes calling, the player would be mad not to be interested.

    Once that happens then the player is as good as gone.

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  5. At this moment in time, i believe we have to start trusting the transfer policy.

    It working. 😯

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  6. “At what point do we draw the line and try to build something at Newcastle? ”

    When did “we” ever get a say in that?

    “Is there even any intention of doing that?”

    Judge them by their actions – not their words

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  7. I fully expect a late deal on big money to happen in this window. It’s the way is t not? It’s almost like we say that the deal mustvbe completed on the blast day, silly thought I know but that’s how it feels. I would like to see all the key players stay with the likes of smith gone etc. That I can understand.
    The subject of breaking even seems strange to me as lambiarse said that our player wage was at 65% now but the highest it ever went to under FFS was 62.5% and that was the year we bought that waste of Owen. Before that year we were 60% highest and mostly in the 50,s. Never mind, it’s all pointless anyway as the club will do what they feel is the best deal at the end of the day. It is business I guess these days. It’s a vicious circle as it is the players themselves who have made it money orientated with their out of control wage demands. Who is to blame… Club or players themselves?

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  8. I don’t think we stand much chance of holding onto any player really. Tiote would be sold for 20+ mil although I’d rate him at 25-30 and even then wouldn’t sell him. Simply its about profit to the boys at the top. Then again you can always run into the enrique problem and have a club tap them up during january, let the player have a ***** half season and then join them cheaper in the summer.

    Maybe this is what Pards meant about Abeid being the Tiote of the future? Tiote is only 25, but if we sell him within two years so we still get a massive wad of cash then Abeid will be ready to take his place…and be sold in turn, right?

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  9. Troy @4… but what’s a top club? Is Liverpool a top club or was it the lucre that enticed Carrol and Jose?

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  10. Not in agreement here Toonsy. You present it as a black and white alternative. a) we are a selling club. b) we must hold on to our best players to progress. Neither is true. It’s a completely different paradigm, which has worked for several clubs. I started writing some articles at the start of the season but you didn’t use them so I stopped. Never mind.

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  11. @lesh

    A top club is a club with copious amounts of money. You generally find they are guaranteed European football. Liverpool? Yes.
    😕

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  12. What pardsdid with his statement was a double whammy and I expect he said because of that January shambles. In one sentence he told every club in the universe that all our players are for sale and at the same time told the fans that he is powerless to prevent a top draw player from leaving. He has in essence already primed us for the departure. Perhaps the deal is already in place for tiote to head to Stamford bridge and ap is merely getting us pre-primed? Time will tell.

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  13. Trouble is, the destabilisation following the departure of key players. A high asking price can dissuade most clubs, unfortunately, the grinning russian :
    thinks nothing of splurging big bucks on a whim, millions are mere small change to this wrecker of the game. I want, I get, is his philosophy.Remember how the Torres deal enabled the scousers to make their move for Carroll? If big Gus is his next appointment, a very large wodge will be made available in January. No mistake!

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  14. Prem – I’ve actually used everyone you’ve sent in. And still have e mail where you asked about making it into a series to which I said fair do’s, just don’t leave it too long between articles as the series dries up. I never got a reply to that one.

    I suggest having a search for the term “guest blogs” in thr search box. You should find every article you’ve ever sent to me published in their glory.

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  15. I totally agree with you ED. My fear is that we start every season with a new team as we have sold off good players and hope that the next ones are as good too. Then they are sold off if they are good. It means we are without a nucleus of veteran and experienced players. Time will tell….

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  16. @Craig

    I don’t think we can keep hold of any player if an over the top bid comes in. And that is not down to the regime but the player.

    Money talks not only for the club but also the player. Once a player has his head turned then he is no good to us.

    Do you agree/disagree?

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  17. “I don’t think we can keep hold of any player if an over the top bid comes in. And that is not down to the regime but the player.” ….is that what happened with Judas then Troy? 😉

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  18. Rich – I bought a Vespa especially 😆

    I’ve noticed that its been kept really quiet about fanzines like True Faith and The Mag aswell as nufc.com have actually met with the club. Wonder why?

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  19. @Richie

    Lambias accepted liverpools bid for Andy Carroll.

    He accepted that was the case when he was pissed in the bar the other week. No mention of transfer requests. 😯

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  20. Surely anyone would accept £20-£25m for Tiote?

    My argument with Carroll was based on him being a Geordie number 9. They come along once in a generation. 😕

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  21. I think if any of the so called top teams come in for any of our players with silly silly money the Then MA will listen just like the Andy Carroll money 👿

    Lets wait n c wot happens, I just hope its not a deadline day deal that will leave us short 😳

    HWTL :mrgreen: 😀

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  22. Woo hoo hoo hoo
    Premandup 😛 😛

    I think you need to grovel more than that. 😛

    The bad thing about having your own face on your avatar is that we all have a good image of you now hiding behind your settee with your head in your hands ! Yikes! 😛 😆

    It’s like Thud, only that I imagine Thud hiding behind someone else’s settee with his bob in his hands! 😛

    Cheeses wept! I actually checked behind my settee there!!!! 😯

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  23. Troy – To a point, but then we’re just going to go round in circles. Buy a player, sell player etc etc.

    At some point that needs to stop, and if the finances are at the point now where we can resist buds then why shouldn’t that be now?

    I fully accept that if a player wants to go there is little anyone can do about it, but we could at least try rather than just accepting it meekly 😯

    Prem – No worries. Just didn’t expect your little shot about not publishing them when I’ve published every other one you’ve sent, including one just a few weeks back.

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  24. Dear Toonsy,

    I am so sorry for getting in a strop and accusing you of not printing my articles.

    I realise everyone is howling at me now that you have told me that everyone was actually printed and you were waiting for the next in the series.

    My face is as red as my top.

    Soooo sorry to you Toonsy.

    Regards

    Premandup 😳 😳

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  25. Troy – Enough **** taking. I think we got the gist the first time. The second time was over the top and the third time just makes you look silly, or like you’re attention seeking 😛

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  26. Thanks Troy saves me the trouble.

    It was just the series thing. I know you’ve printed everting else. anyway. back to thread.

    It’s not about not selling our best players it’s about continuity. This season we have, Ba, Obertan, Cabaye & Raylor in our new starting 11. Is that too many? I would argue maybe, but if we had had a good preseason? As it is I feel we have got away with it to a degree. The other point about continuity is having players in place ready to step up, which we obviously do in CM. There are lots of areas to juggle which respond to a central policy which I think we can now begin to see.

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  27. @toonsy

    I believe at this moment in time, extortionate amounts of cash should be seized from the top clubs. I say this based on the great dealings done by the club in the last two seasons.

    I will hold my hands up and accept that there are players out there which are excellent buys in terms of quality for a relatively cheap price.

    Our squad is too thin on quality and we need to keep this going as long as other clubs are paying way over the odds. Arsenal have shown that it’s a successful formula.

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  28. Yep troy I do agree. The players are as bad as the club often. If tiptoe goes though I would say not as he has said about a billion times he wants to stay. If the club accept a bid only then can chelski etc talk to tiote. Therefore just never accept the bid, end of story. Carroll was different story as he wanted a huge pay bump to stay. Tiote wants nothing and is happy.

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  29. Troy – But no matter how much money we get it doesn’t change the fact that we need continuity on the playing front.

    No matter how much money you have it won’t buy understanding between a group of players. That comes with time served.

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  30. @Craig

    Andy Carroll was happy with his contract until Liverpool showed him what he could potentially earn.

    Likewise, Tiote may be offered the same temptation and up pops an agent. Do you think Tiote will just say, no I’m staying at Newcastle for the same cash as I’m on and I’m not going to ask for a payrise?

    Basics of modern day life and football. 😯

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  31. Troy.., how could Liverpool offer Carroll anything if they had not been given permission to talk to him in the first instance?

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  32. At what point are the finances stable enough to be able to keep our top players? It’s all very well cashing in if we are in debt and in danger of going bust, but when does that stop, and when do we actually start to build a top team of our own?

    I suspect never, as pound signs are all that matter in the world of the fat man.

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  33. @toonsy

    I agree but those are the pitfalls of modern day football which Arsenal have successfully exploited.

    Arsenal have got to where we want to be. Top 4 side, season in season out and self sufficient.

    The criticism of arsenal fans is that they have money in the bank, are a top 4 side and they decide not to pay extortionate prices.

    I would love to see us emulate them.

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  34. Craig – Agents talk. Things go on behind closed doors.

    Like Maiga. I doubt he guessed about our apparent interest on went on strike whilst naming us in the process based solely on a whim.

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  35. @Craig

    Oh yes. I’m so naive . Agents and clubs don’t talk to one another cos it’s against the rules. 😯

    Silly me. 😯 I’m still being silly Toonsy.
    I must learn. 😛

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  36. Troy….that’s all anyones ever said, Judas went for the money, his choice. He may have been nudged in the general direction by DL but he had a choice, hometown club or money 👿 …….and we’ve had 2 Geordie number 9’s in a generation 😉

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  37. @Craig

    I’m being accused of all sorts today.

    Attention seeker. 😯 Silly 😯 Argumentative 😯

    Wow.

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  38. Tbh, I don’t care who goes or stays. Life goes on. I was all naffed off when we sold big name players in the last year and replaced them with freebies etc. Was I right to be pissed off….. Nope. We are playing well and a 7th-10th place is looking on the cards for us this season. So on that thought train, if tiote and colo go I dare say we will get in another freebie or cheap alternative and just carry on in the same vein.

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  39. “Troy Stavers
    November 24, 2011 at 09:47

    @Craig

    Andy Carroll was happy with his contract until Liverpool showed him what he could potentially earn.”

    Troy I thought you said Carroll was pushed out? Now you say money turned his head. Or am I confusing you with Bobby? 😉

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  40. Though I don’t ’emotionally” like the buy sell policy – I like identifying with certain players – for example I will be gutted if Colo goes – pragmatically its the policy that’s drastically improved us on the field and financially.

    So on that basis we have to say – more of the same please.

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  41. its the agents and the press who are the cancer of football,they turn the players heads towards bigger wages etc,Then players, who were happy to sign a new contract just a few month earlier, try to hold club to ransom.If the club gave in and changed its wage structure.Then all the hard work getting into this position goes down the pan, because every player is going to want the same sort of deal.This is why i mentioned financial fair play league,on previous thread,how will this effect us?

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  42. @JJ

    You say;
    Troy I thought you said Carroll was pushed out? Now you say money turned his head. Or am I confusing you with Bobby?

    I say;

    No you are just confused full stop. 😛

    All Andy Carroll asked for was an improved contract by NUFC. He was then pushed. 😯

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  43. Ah ha.

    Stardust the rat returns ! 😛

    Be off with you you horrible little rodent.

    You arent wanted round here! 😈

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  44. “I’ve always rated Alan Pardew. He’s galvanised Newcastle… he’s done a great job.”

    Sir Alex Ferguson

    Think it’s safe to say Suralex won’t be on Wanky Tissue’s Xmas card list this year then. 😉 😆

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  45. We would only lose continuity if we sold half of them at the same time otherwise it’s just the same as having an injury except you have money to replace them. Having said that we have about five changes to the team this year as last and had a **** poor pre-season and it all seems to have worked out ok. If we get big money let them go, might not even work out for the player some only thrive in certain environments. My issue has always been can you replace them with a player anywere near as good and we’ve shown we can so onwards and upwards

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  46. TC 😆 I don’t think Wanky will need many cards this yr.
    On Topic we need to try to keep our best players, as we will just have to keep building just to maintain or position rather than climb higher.
    I do understand that if a silly offer comes in or a player gets his head turned there is not much you can do.
    But the way the club has been run up till now, I think we should just be prepared to see our best players go each yr 👿

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  47. I’m with you on that one Dave, and Richie@3. Must admit I couldn’t really give a fk about the bank balance, and always find it quite amazing how so many NUFC fans talk about the club’s finances so often. I don’t want to see big pound notes running around the pitch, I want to see blokes in football strips.

    How football has changed. Even as few as ten years ago fans just didn’t discuss finances. That fkn **** Abramovich has steamed in and turned the game on its head.

    …to comment more on this article’s theme, I think it’s fair enough to accept the fact that big money offers are always gona be accepted, as Troy mentions they not only alert the club, but the player’s head is also turned which is effectively end of story – the big bucks are always gona come in from the ‘big clubs’.

    I’d just like to see a little less of an exodous next time – one-in one-out, and in that order; not 4-out 2-in or such like. We need to consolidate what we have, and not keep changing it every season. Use Arsenal as a model, yes, but don’t try to achieve it too quickly.

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  48. For ****’s sake. New article. What a waste of 5 minutes that comment was. My fucking timing is impeccable. 😈

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  49. troy… am I wanted around here?

    i hope i am… i’m not wanted anywhere else. especially worr lasses mam’s cupboard with a video camera. apparently. 👿

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  50. “But the way the club has been run up till now, I think we should just be prepared to see our best players go each yr”

    I think this is a bit disingenuous. Did our best players go after relegation? No.
    The club has been going thru a period of change in order to stabilise the finances. That has inevitabley involved player sales to balance the books.
    We are almost at break even this season, so perhaps we are about to begin a new chapter at the club.
    Is there any point in always being so pessimistic.
    TBH as much as we all despise Ashley and co, we have to face the reality of the situation, that he has stuck to his plans to turn the club into a self sustaining one. Brought in a good manager, invested in the youth setup and scouting policy.
    Perhaps it is time to put a little faith in the fat ****** for a change.

    I’ll get me tin hat. 😕

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  51. BB i’ll let you keep faith in him,
    I believe that if we get rid of Colo and Tiote, we will struggle, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that happened.
    I think we should be adding to the squad yr on yr, not having to try to replace our best players every yr

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  52. I agree with what you say Dave, (I think we should be adding to the squad yr on yr, not having to try to replace our best players every yr) but I hope you are wrong re Colo n Tiote.
    At the end of the day, seriously now, is Tiote really all that good. ie is he so fantastic that chelsea or whoever are almost bound to put in a massive bid. I’m not convinced he is…….yet.
    I’m not dissing the lad either, just not convinced that it is preordained that a big offer will be coming ourway.
    It will be interesting to see if any offers are knocked back 1st. But no way will there be a statement that our players aren’t for sale at any price. ala modric. ( I still think that deal will happen in Jan, or summer).

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  53. Imagine the board rejected the 30m bid for carroll and liverpool didn’t come back with a bigger offer

    Also most players get sold at some point, it’s a matter of getting the timing right

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  54. My fear is if MA thinks we can just sell and replace every year, i think we got lucky this year with Cabaye/Ba, doesnt mean you can expect to find 2 similar players just at the drop of a hat. Although over the moon with this season, i do think we’ve been punching above our weight and fortunately have no major injuries so far (barring marveux).
    Personally i just cant see this board wanting to build, i think if the offers come in, the players will go.
    Players like Tiote/Cabaye/Colo could be our backbone for 5 years but i doubt they will have the chance. With the lack of communication/trust regarding the board, i just dont believe we’re gonna be a building club, always a selling club.

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  55. There was a sting in the tail of the judas deal tho. The wrath of the fans.
    I’m not convinced that ashley will want a repeat of the same thing by selling at the last minute again. Dont forget that season tkt renewals are up sometime between feb and may 😕
    Then again he doesn’t actually give a **** does he?
    Time will tell.

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  56. This is my take on the scenario that has been Newcastle United since being promoted.

    First of all I think Ashley took a gamble with Hughton and with the high earners , basically keeping them all here on the wages they were on, whilst as we know, shipping out the real want away mercenary has beens.
    The gamble he took was to get us back to the Prem in short order besed on Hughton’s obvious affiliation with the players who wanted to fight back up.

    Ashley won the battle and also grew a nice big pair of balls by taking the bull by the horns , against the fans and most of the players wishes by not giving Hughton a contract, because in my opinion, I don;t think Hughton could be trusted in bringing in the type of players we needed on a budget of what we had.
    In effect, what I’m saying is, Hughton would have probably done panic buys and brought in championship type players that he has watched in our championship season.

    Pardew comes aboard amid all the turmoil and begins to systematically dismantle the team of certain players that probably he and Ashley deemed too influential and too much to say as well as probably feeling that they were indispensable, which they found to their cost that Ashley takes no prisoners and also that Pardew is nobody’s fool either.

    Now, looking back at all of that, some fans can be forgiven for thinking the club was taking backward steps and would continue to keep walking a step forward and stepping back two.

    I don’t see it that way and never have from basically day one because in my mind I could see that a ruthless approach was the only way to grab this club by the scruff of the neck and drag it screaming into the 21st century and to do it by doing a full spring clean of the entire club and it’s ethics on how it was done badly before.

    The club itself is full on Professional now from top[ to bottom and we don’t buy fancy Dan’s just to appease impatience with fans believing we should be this or that in the game.

    We have to earn that right to be a big club , it’s not ours by right and neither is a league position. But to earn that right to play with the big boys and match them, you first have to do your homework and revision without distractions.

    The club are fully focused on development of young players as we can see in the set up we have in place.

    It is also fully focused on scouting top talent that goes under many a big clubs radars and gives us a better than average chance of landing that player and developing that player into the icons that we used to idolize and it’s working as of now.

    Ok so we banked the Carroll money and people say “where’s that money gone”?
    The answer is simply, no one but the club knows but just because it hasn’t been spent “yet”, doesn’t mean to say it won’t be spent.

    The object of a business ( and make no mistake, football is a business now) is to speculate to accumulate but in doing so, you build your business up as big as is humanly possible with the proceeds (profits) until it becomes sustainable in it’s own right and can operate from within whilst also giving back dividends to the people that are the major part of it.

    Ashley has certainly speculated and is ploughing the proceeds back into the club, all through in wages, development, right down to the brass tacks.

    Unfortunately, the club are not 100% self sustainable if we want to go forward.
    We would be self sustainable if we stand still and take no further part in pushing the boundaries of the Prem.

    As we can see though, we are not content on standing still and are moving along with well thought out strategies that no one in the past has really dared think about and that’s to bring in unknowns whilst shipping out the idols.

    In another year , I think we can take another big step forward based on our strategy of buying cheap quality and offloading a once cheap but now expensive player that either expresses a desire to leave or we receive an offer that only Gold finger could turn down.

    In essence, we will bank money in future with our transfer strategy but we will also “in my opinion” be in a stronger position, league wise to be able to attract the odd fans dream signing if required.

    Too many times we tried to build Rome in a day and failed , no matter how many times we were also rans, we still failed and always went backwards because we could not sustain the momentum due to mercenary wages and lack of superstar type funds as well as top class youth.

    This time we are building Rome by setting the foundations on solid ground and building it stone by stone with a time restriction that is feasible and without penalty.

    So my answer is, both.

    We are building for the future and banking for the future where all parties are satisfied.

    I just thought I’d add a few words lads, hope you don;t mind. 😆

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  57. Well there must be a balance. It would be great to keep all our best players but I am always with the side of long term and sustainable view. If bids beyond a players true value come in let them go

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  58. That’s what I have said all along he’s not bothered about football only money. And we are breaking even excluding player sales so in real terms he’s 50 mill in profit. Our success on the pitch can only be short term under ashley and that is a sad state of affairs .

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  59. I don’t mind your opinion wolfie but it doesent make it right ashley has made lots of mistakes and some huge but more importantly doesent seem to have learned from them . He will not spend more than he sells now in a year or ever in my opinion and that is not building its dissmantling and our current good form will not continue .It is allopinionand only time will tell but if someone punched me in the face 9 times I wouldent trust him not to do it a tenth , let’s at least be wary of the ****** trust is earned not given 🙁

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  60. Keith, I know what you’re saying and your view is held by many fans as well but my view of the way we are being run, naturally differs but let’s look at the points of interest.

    Newcastle United a re what’s termed in most peoples eyes as basically a big club- a sleeping giant so to speak and we have all over time married into that fact in some way shape or form right.

    Many owners and managers since our yesteryear successes have tried to awaken this sleeping giant and some have actually made it’s eyes flicker from this deep sleep.

    Time and again, money was thrown into the pot and we crashed and burned .

    We broke the bank ‘at the time’ and bought Shearer and we all went along on the crest of a wave and could sense that this was it…..this was Newcastle’s new awakening and we would go on to great things with our home grown idol spearheading the charge.

    Unfortunately the fairy story didn’t quite have the happy ending that we all thought it would because the Author had put a twist in the tale.

    Make no mistake, they were good times but that’s all it was ‘good times’ but those good times brought us the wooden spoon as the prize for all the money, effort and idols.

    We have dined out on that past as if we were actually successful but in actual fact we were simply papering over crack after crack until the foundations gave way and the cracks were too big even to polyfilla.

    We had to have a new strategy and that strategy with Ashley ‘at first’ was to temporarily fill the holes until he could get in the best people to do the job properly but this would take time and time was his enemy with the fans.

    The fans realizing he was a billionaire expected him to rebuild the club up instantly and rode along on that ‘ if we are all honest’.

    We all know what happened with Keegans tenure and Wise e.t.c so I won’t dwell on that because we all know that this was Ashley’s first glimpse of fan fury at it’s best and he won’t forget that in a hurry.

    The strange thing is, whether you agree or not..but In my opinion and my belief.. this is what kick started this club into the start from scratch scenario that went on from the resulting relegation..

    Mistake have certainly been made and in earlier times under him, they were made in abundance and I bet he would be the first to agree to that.

    From that point on, I think Ashley decided that the tough approach had to be taken if this club was to move forward as I explained earlier.

    He didn’t listen to the media, the fans or ex footballers in his fight bring us up to speed…He brought in his own , maybe ruthless and pig headed, tough willed, nasty….whatever you want to call it ….sidekicks.

    Then as we all know he rid the club of anything that was to stand in his way or hamper his efforts..

    It’s paying off slowly but certainly surely.

    Some say that he will sell and always replace with cheaper and always be in the black and this is how it will always go, meaning we sink lower and lower over time…

    I say, you couldn’t be more wrong (my opinion)..

    It’s still early days in the financial existence of Newcastle United football club but we are getting to a stage ‘ and it’s not far off’ that we can actually see a “full squad” meaning “strength in depth” all over the park and not made up of average quality either.

    Of course it still relies on clever scouting, coaching, negotiations and Management both tactical and personal.

    We virtually have that in place and are slowly, steadily fine tuning this squad into what we can class as a squad to be proud of and who will give us the service and heart that we have craved.

    We can literally buy any fair priced player we wanted and even splash out 10/15 million on players at any given time but it will not be done as an appeasement to the fans or a luxury to the club, it will only be done “if” that player or players can virtually guarantee us to be sitting up top fighting it out with the big boys in the top 4.

    Naturally,Ashley, Pardew and even the players themselves, no matter how confident they are in their own ability, know they won’t be knocking the top clubs off their perch in one swoop so trying to fill a team full of potential world beaters would , in effect have more of a negative impact because it would deflate the youngsters who are showing promise, meaning they are now down the pecking order probably for good.

    So on that note, his spending probably won’t exceed his outgoings all the time but that’s down to the fact that our players are no longer sold for peanuts and we no longer pay stupid fees for the one’s that we have identified and done a dossier on.

    There will be times when our spending will outweigh the outgoings but that will only be when we are in a position to keep the squad together with everyone knowing that we are in a prime position to push on and really give it a go at winning some silverware.

    If done carefully ,as it is now, we will eventually have a squad of players all wanting the same thing and that’s to put this club on the map and to employ a new cleaning lady with a brasso kit to attend to the future trophy room..

    I believe what I’m saying from how I see things going but it is just my opinion and I also understand that everyone doesn’t share it. 😀

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