🙄 
I have listened to the Mike Ashley’s speech whilst Toonsy has reacted to it on a general level I’d like to pick up on the financial implications.
First off he said that we can now punch above our weight. Well historically we have been back in the pack, best of the rest along with Villa, Sunderland & Everton. There has recently been a 50% gap up to spurs recently. And then to Liverpool with over twice the revenue of ourselves before the big jump up to the big 4. The other thing to consider is that with the new TV deals the revenues each club has is not clear, or more accurately I haven’t done the research. Also does FFP still apply or can he work on the assumption that by the time any sanctions would be applied in three years time the rules will have changed. So what does punching above our weight actually mean. Well closing the gap on Spurs would do that, and Spurs Had a wage bill of £100m in the 2014 season (we spent £78m). Given the new deals I can assume that is going up for the 2016 season. So lets assume that we are going to increase expenditure on the footballing side by say 100%. Lets say that we are going to spend £150m on the squad, and assume that that is an increase of £75m. We will let our increased TV revenues just cover that. Our Turnover was about £130m. We had £35m in Cash, and I see no sign that we have spent it so let’s be gung ho, but reasonable. This is Mike we are talking about.
He said win something, and which like Wenger before him includes coming 4th in the EPL. Now I don’t see tripling squad expenditure to challenge for top 4 as an equal as being a target. Arsenal, Cheapskates of the top 4 had a turnover of £300m and a wage bill of over £165m. I think it’s more if we get lucky, and others have bad years sort of thing.
He said that he won’t be choosing the manager he will be leaving that to Lee Charnley and the football borad, so Lee’s job is safe. But since he did not say anything about John Carver I can assume that he is gone.
He also said that he will provide the maximum available resources but expects the boad to get the best pound for pound value from them. So I don’t think he is going to throw money at the problem big time.
So if we did start to punch above our weight I’m going to assume that we have £35m in Cash with an additional £10m from player sales to spend on transfer fees, and that we are looking to increase our wage bill by £75mpa. This will stretch our finances but not break them.
First up and most important we need a top manager. What will that cost. Looking at the salaries of the top earning EPL managers, Rogers on £3.25m, Pellegrini on £3.5m then Wenger, LVG & Mourinho on £6-10m. So we need to match that and spend maybe £5m to get a top man. Obviously we would like Kloop, Anchelotti or Rafa, but would settle for Moyes. Personally I would go for Bielsa, Emery or Garcia if they were available. Maybe Frank de Boer. Or Bert VanMarwijk. We need to build.
Assuming we do the right thing and ditch the 1st team coaching squad I would like to use some explayers to get a bit more experience and balls into the club. I would bring Ketsbia in as an assistant manager and give Jonas a coaching role. Build to the future. So the staff would be another £5m. However FTSOTB – YCMIU. This would still leave thick end of £65m for Players wages.
Players. Well top players cost money. A top player, a purple to use the venacular, would cost at least £15m in fees so that 3. However, at £100k pw a player costs £5m per year each. So that is £15m of the wage bill gone. We still have £50m to go so we could get 10 free’s however they still require a signing fee which we would have to put through increased wages but still we are likely to be restricted by the quality out there more than the finances.
So 3 top signings and cover wherever we need it. So where do we need it?
GK we are fine although Alnwick is out of Contract.
Defence is the problem but only Raylor, Streete and Satka are out of contract. Our 3 main centrebacks all starting the final year of their contracts So we need to start again basically. We need a CB as one of our Big Three. If we could get Micah Richards on a free as well that would do it for this year. However, he may be on massive wages from his time at Citeh. Actually this is one area where McLaren would not be too bad a shout, he can organise a defence.
Midfield we are losing Jonas & Sammi. But have the Rangers Loanees and Marveaux back. Bit more width and creativity would not go amiss. Again we have been linked with Ayew amongst many others.
Up front we need to find real goalscorers. Ayoze looks good and Cisse can score on his day but we need a 20 per year man. I see Luuk de Jong got that this season. Funny that. There is a 20 year old Latvian Vladislavs Gutkovskis who got 28 this year. Would only cost £½ m. Worth a shout.
Anyway enough fantasy, my point is that spending the money on a top coach is not that expensive and we have enough talent in the squad if properly motivated and used. A few for the first team and a couple on the bench should do it. We can afford it.
Who knows things may be looking up.
By Premandup
KIM this is toon we are talking about mate 🙁
icedog(Quote)
On the subject of the coaches, what is the problem with sacking the whole lot of them? They have shown they are inept and Pardew’s comp would probably pay off them all. I can’t really imagine Carvs is on more than about 200k and that is 199k too much.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Richards would be perfect, Good competition for Janmaat & cover at CB to boot
Hoping there is genuine interest in him & Mbodji whose in the Abdolaye Faye/Koyate CB/DM mould
CC(Quote)
Prem – That is the same ‘better’ players we had this season and last season and we couldn’t create anything! I’m not sure just strikers and defenders will be enough. In my view we need a creative centre midfielder too along with a right winger.
Stuart79(Quote)
And wouldn’t Carver’s affiliation and longevity with the club undermine any new coach’s authority? They are setting up a powder keg and a power struggle. I just don’t get the way NUFC board think.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes but I’m assuming that we have a decent coach. Apparently, all evidence to the contrary, Pardew is a **** league one failure who was out of his depth, whilst Carver actually is.
Premandup(Quote)
http://thecelticblog.com/2015/05/news/ashley-to-unleash-the-dogs-of-war
oh the fun they have in Glasgow
Premandup(Quote)
So Good Old **** won’t be taking Sunderland up on their offer. So that’s three clubs looking for a manager. Who thinks we will get the best out of the three clubs and who will it be?
Stuart79(Quote)
The Chronicle End of Season Review:
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/chronicle-season-review-sports-writers-9340907?
About as watered down as it could get. They slightly address one elephant in the room (almost literally, Ashley) but completely ignore Charnley and Carver. It is like they have an agenda not to upset the fatman too much. He has them all in his pocket and they should all hand in their journalist’s badges and apply for jobs at Sports Direct. But we knew that anyway.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Normally I look at the player stats to find out who was our player of the year. Forgive me if I skip it this season. I’ll settle for Jonas without the stats.
Premandup(Quote)
Correct, Prem.
Stuart79(Quote)
Prem: Jonas has to be the feel good story. They had f-ed him over, he knew they weren’t bringing him back and he still busted a gut for the club and fans on Sunday. What a man.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Sorry PREM good thread,enjoyed read as you say free speech
icedog(Quote)
I see Joey Barton is a free agent.
Shamrock(Quote)
Joey may get a club that has just came up,otherwise its down the lge he goes imo SHAM
icedog(Quote)
Yeah we’ll see Ice. I reckon he will chuck it in if he does not stay at the top. He will not want to see his Twitter following dwindle. Whilst it’s high, he will likely be a shoe in for a pundit job somewhere. Interesting to see what he does.
Shamrock(Quote)
Shamrock – I think you summed McClarens potential appointment up perfectly @5. Decent but wouldn’t blow me away.
Reading the papers today & we’re linked with James Chester, Charlie Austin & Patrick Bamford. Austin would be a cracking buy – but the other 2 wouldn’t blow me away either.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Is it just me or does anyone else need convincing about Austin? I’m not blown away to be honest. Don’t know much about Chester but he’s had good reviews.
Still, it’s all about the coach for me and McClaren would be a tad underwhelming as it would be the easy option in my opinion and if he turned us down twice I wouldn’t go again.
I still hope for a rabbit out of the hat but it’s only a hope.
Stuart79(Quote)
Sunderland now after Clement according to reports. Wouldn’t fancy him to be honest. Bit of a risk as he’s not had the main job before. Nobody has McClaren on their shortlist – apart from us that is…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – I can understand why you say that about Austin. I don’t think he’s the most technically gifted player, but he’s certainly a talent and has an excellent work ethic. He’s had a tough season with QPR but his head has never dropped. I think he’d be a great fit for us personally.
Chester isn’t a bad player, I’m just not sure he’s that leader we desperately need – but then I’m not sure who that CB is to be honest.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Stu – I don’t see the hype with Clement like. I’d go with Zidane maybe if Benitez got the Madrid job.
But also, if we were looking to give someone their first crack at it – I’d be interested to see how Ginola would fair personally. I’d opt for him over Clement anyway.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Aye, Sharpy he had a good season. Would just hope he’s not a one season wonder in the PL if he came. Would feel better if we got a more experience striker plus either Austin or this Serbian gadgie.
But it will be the centre backs that will be the problem I think as everyone wants one.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – I really think we should have a go at getting Javier Henandez now his loan is over at Madrid – it would be a massively long shot, but why not?!.
Andy Carroll is always an option like 😉
Sharpy17(Quote)
I would take Hernandez but reckon he’s on a fair bit of bunce. Reckon we’ll still be shopping abroad for the strikers.
Stuart79(Quote)
Stu – from the reports I’ve read they seem to think Man U would accept around £8m for him – I’m not sure how long is left on his Man U contract like.
If McClaren came in I could possibly see us going for Luc Castaignos
from Twente. We’ve been linked with him before & they’ve obviously worked together before. Actually, McClaren worked with Austin at QPR before as well.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Good article Prem, but I think you’re wrong about this bit:
“We had £35m in Cash, and I see no sign that we have spent it….”
The cash at bank figure that everybody is talking about was the balance as at 30 June last year. That was BEFORE most of last summer’s signings were brought in. There is a note in the published accounts which reads as follows:
“Post balance sheet events
After the year-end the club invested £29.8m on 6 new players to strengthen the playing squad and realised £12.6m from player sales. In January 2015, Alan Pardew left his post as first team manager.”
The 6 new players referred to were de Jong (who was brought in on 2 July) followed by Cabella, Riviere, Janmaat, Darlow and Lascelles.
Perez and Colback had already been signed in June, before the end of the financial year.
The simple fact is that most of the cash that was sitting in the bank on 30 June WAS spent during July and the beginning of August. What we don’t know (as Eric alluded to @67) is how much cash has been generated during the last 11 months, and for all we know it could be more than £35m. But as far as that so-called “war chest” is concerned (the one that the club is allegedly still sitting on) well, that’s just a load of bollocks spread by a bunch of newspaper hacks who don’t know how to read a set of accounts properly.
Chris G(Quote)
Chris G – I admit I don’t know how to read a set of accounts properly too. But seeing as your the expert, can you tell me how the operating costs increased by £20M ?
Is there any mention of any salary taken by Ashley since becoming a board member ?
I think the published accounts are designed to be ambiguous and hard to understand for normal people. And the figures still don’t add up right.
We sell our best players don’t replace them and the wage bill increases.
How does that work ❓
Boots(Quote)
Chris
I’m no accountant either. But if we allow for the players in then we have to all ow £9m for the sale of Mbiwa and Santon. ?
Premandup(Quote)
Mickey mouse club, typical toon, reactive instead of proactive..
Munich Mag(Quote)
Morning MM. What’s got your goat this morning
Premandup(Quote)
I’m no accountant either, but big fat Ashley said we’ve got a cart full of cash and has given the green light to start spending – so crack on I say!.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Good read prem
until we appoint a decent manager (not SM) I will take NUFC + ambition with a pinch of salt.
We’ve waited months to appoint a new manager. from 85 applicants to a list of 3. now apparently we’re gonna start again? until we stop dragging our feet, we’ll never change…
Gashley(Quote)
Chris G: I don’t know if you are up for it but do you want to do a quick calculation of what was left from last year. I think you did one ages ago and it was 18M or 22M? Remember as well that the overdraft was paid off last year so that it a one off event. Even if there is a modest increase in salary we were still raking it in in 2014/15 – probably 30 mil cash after all is said and done. That is a substantial sum and if Fatty has the balls we could add a few million to that with the GUARANTEED extra TV money if we stay in the PL.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m sure he told Colo that investments would be made last season, convincing Colo to stay.. 🙄 the bloke loves to bullshit.
I’d love to see the season ticket sales take a hit, just so he knows the fans have had enough…
Gashley(Quote)
If I am correct there would potentially be 50-60 mil NOW for transfers before any player sales and the new TV money would cover increased costs in salaries, especially with so many departures as contracts expire.
Next year there will be more available because our costs will still be a lot less than our revenue. There is a massive opportunity here and we cannot blow it by retaining the same idiot coaching staff.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Mark: Coloccini had no choice but to stay. He is on about 3.5 mil a year and nobody in Argentina (or the UK) would pay him that and he certainly wouldn’t buy that contract out. The only option, if we think he is of no use, is to loan him for the last year and have a very small fraction of his salary paid.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, regardless of Colo’s choices. it was well documented that Mike had a meal with him convincing him ambition would be shown., all I’m saying is we’ve been here before. tasted relegation 3 times and promises of money being invested. All soundbites at the moment.
If they do want to show they’re serious, a manger needs to be installed asap so we can start purchasing players. After all, Pardew said he had a hand in player recruitment so I’d expect a new manager to also have a say.
Gashley(Quote)
There is always the fear that Fatty will want to be fiscally conservative (tight) and not spend much and miss the boat. As I said earlier there is a bit of a catch 22 because player costs are likely to increase.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Gashley @112: you know you are preaching to the converted 🙂 Until I see the back of John Carver I wont believe anything that is said.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Laudrup is available now. I can see us stalling for a month, see other managers being snapped up and then we strike. SM being installed in 5 weeks time.. a typical case of us never learning.. dragging our feet again..
hope i’m wrong of course..
Gashley(Quote)
😛 Laudrup has said he’d wont go to a mid-table club. we’re probably better than that..
he also mentioned about coaching a mid-table club “They are experiences that I have already lived and, at this stage of my life as a coach, I look for new things”
so maybe our financially prudent, lack of ambition approach may halt his temptations for us..
Gashley(Quote)
Eric I think £50m + is wildly optimistic even for me. Although if you are including wages then That might be doable. We certainly do not have £50m in the bank waiting to be spent.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem: I think the money is there, the issue is whether it will be spent. After months of doom and gloom from me I wanted to offer a positive slant 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’m not sure how the TV money is paid. Is it a lump sum paid at the end of the season or is paid monthly with the facility fee paid on a match by match basis I don’t know. We earned £75.65m this year so if it arrived as a lump at the end of May?
Premandup(Quote)
Gashley, We will go round in one big circle and appoint McClaren.
Stuart79(Quote)
I’m not bothered if we spend £10m or £100m on players, for me the coach matters. Put Carver in charge of any of the top 4 squads and they would be relegated.
Premandup(Quote)
Prem: as I said earlier, Carver has to go or be demoted at the very least. He has an incendiary personality and would undermine any new coach coming in. He has also created divisions in the dressing room. I don’t know if it is all lip service what players are saying about him to the press being a good coach, but we know he had blow ups with Williamson and Jonas and probably a few more.
Has there ever been a case where the new manager is asked to take on the previous manager as his deputy? Remember Carvs said he was manager until told otherwise and seems to think about himself that way. That sounds like trouble to me.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I couldn’t agree more prem @ 121 🙄
There’s a good article on ‘TheMag’ about the cost of winning something.
The article author calculates that we need to spend in the region of £88M
to be competitive again next season. That’s including player wages too though I think.
He rightly states imo that the most important decision is to find a good coach and all new backroom staff.
If that doesn’t happen, then it’s just pie in the sky BS and more of the same for another season.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Well there is talk the scum are going to talk with SM,never mind we have Carver to fall back on 🙁
icedog(Quote)
One thing I don’t understand.
Ashley won’t sell until we win something or achieve CL qualification.
But why would he want to sell if we achieved any of them goals ?
It’s just not logical.
Or am I missing something here ❓
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Icedog – I’ll be well happy if he goes there.
Probably a good fit for them too.
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that interview was total and utter bollix.
Time will tell and the clock is ticking
Beardsleys Boots(Quote)
Oh for FS Beardsley. When was the last time we won anything. He wants to be remembered as a hero who got us to win something. Simples.
Premandup(Quote)
You have to ask what manager in their right mind would accept Carver as their deputy? The Chronicle has 95% against him, NUFC.com doubted him from the off, Ed gave him a break but is now vehemently against him. For God’s sake even the Troysta decided he was **** after he was in charge for 4 months and we were on the brink.
Keeping Carver could only end up in his sacking in 6 months and friction in the meantime. It makes absolutely no sense. But, with this lot we will probably see it happen.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Unless there is something happening jabba wants to kick LC ***,he had months to sort all this **** players/coach,then again its maybe what jabba wants to drag it out I don’t trust the slime
icedog(Quote)
I don’t want to go on another Carver rant but wouldn’t keeping him on be like marrying someone and then having their ex-husband living with you?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
If Toon EVER win another cup I suspect it will be in spite of Jabba not because of him. Hero, no, never in my book, too much water gone under the bridge now. He HAS to invest and sign a good coach just to get back on good terms with the majority of fans .
kimtoon(Quote)
Eric – I think it’s just incredible that they will be keeping Carver come what May. 1) Won’t the new coach want his own men? 2) Won’t the players have lost respect for Carver and then have to work with him again? Surely every other club would just allow the new guy to come in and decide if he wants the current coaching staff? Maybe this new dawn isn’t a new dawn and doing the best for the team isn’t as important as the bottom line?
Stuart79(Quote)
Ime sorry but I just cannot see jabba paying up the contracts of five years on 3/4 coaching staff its just not him so IMO we are stuck with them,unless the crafty sod has them on rolling contracts for a 8 yr term which was reported a while back running from sept to sept
icedog(Quote)
Stuart: I think I may have just stumbled on the perfect analogy – that keeping Carver for a new coach would be like having an ex-husband living in the same house. Who in their right mind would accept that unless they knew they could shunt them out?
I think we need a Manager/coach who would demand that Carver is gone. Whether the powers that be would hire such a person is doubtful.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Icedog: How much can Carver possibly be on – 200k, 250k? Paying up the contracts would probably only cost the Pardew compensation payment.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Eric, He could be on 5 bob a week and the greedy **** wouldn’t pay it up 🙄
kimtoon(Quote)
Kimtoon 🙂
Eric Sykes(Quote)
ERIC its hard to say mate I only know he’s a greedy got I mean look what he did with the jorns,no free tea or bics in. the press box to save money no free tickets for playing staff to attend home games,god knows what other cut backs he made,so yes I would say he won’t pay contracts up
icedog(Quote)
I am just thinking more about that analogy. Most on here I am sure are over 30 and have had quite a few relationships that eventually went south. Some might even be divorced like myself. But lets go with it and assume it is Michael Laudrup is the intended for NUFC:
“Well Micheal, we really want you to be our new husband but there are just a few caveats. The ex-hubby, John Carver, will be living in the spare room. His best mates, Stony, Stevo Watson and Woody will be living next door and stopping by for 5 hours a days and 12 hours on weekends, any problem with that?”
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Don’t forget, Eric that the ex Mrs doesn’t like the ex hubby either and could cause havoc with the home life…
Stuart79(Quote)
Stuart: that is not to mention the kids (players). Carver has been so divisive that they will surely be taking sides. What a terrible situation to put a club in, do they not see it!!!!!!
Eric Sykes(Quote)
So SD profits surge again today,hope it puts jabba in a spending mood (not)
icedog(Quote)
Jabba is at SJP today,but don’t worry its only for SD staff bash free food and drink,bet that’s killing him
icedog(Quote)
Ice, Looks after the SD knobs but not the club .YCMIU
kimtoon(Quote)
Icedog: do you think they will be putting any extra signs in for the SD bash? Where would they fit them? Paint the pitch in the SD logo and keep it there for the season opener?
Eric Sykes(Quote)
He will paint the pitch with SD logos like they do in cricket.
Stuart79(Quote)
Don’t worry soon he will make LC ware a tacky SD track suit to work along with tacky trainers
icedog(Quote)
Hope its not Matteo that some rags are saying,hate his type of footy defend defend defend,no wonder he got the sack in Germany
icedog(Quote)
I’m a fan of Laudrup & thought he did well at Swansea and practically everywhere else he’s been but he is a manager
He was by all accounts hands off and not even at the training ground some days & certainly wanted his way in the transfer market, It’s not what they want
Cant See it happening
CC(Quote)