Happy Face

All watched over by machines of loving grace. Last weeks was about how your playststion 2 was the cause of millions of deaths in africa. Great music too.

I'm not on the DD but my credit card bill is in already.

I don't think anything he does is part of an evil plan. Again, I've given him credit for a lot of his financial decisions. I just think he talks utter shit and misrepresents any of the good he's done as a result. People like this Chris Gray and you perpetuate it. As discussed, in the 5 years before Ashley we lost £0, £0, £2m, £15m and £33m. The last couple are worrying and not sustainable. There's nothing to suggest Shepherd would have tried to sustain it though. On 7 June '07 we signed Viduka on a free. Being a free suggests to me Shepherd was looking for proven Premier League players on a budget with the intention of cutting the losses of the previous season. His wages were a twat, but he only got a 2 year contract. He'd already sold Scott Parker for £7m too. Ashley took a controlling share on exactly the same day though. We went on to sign Barton(£5.8m), Rozenhal(£3m), Smith(£6m), Enrique(£6m), Faye(£2m) and Beye(£2m) - as well as a free Geremi, but on a 3 year deal at huge wages. That's just short of £25m he spent. Losses for the year went on to total £20m, which can't be laid at anyone elses door, as Ashley sanctioned all those buys. Yet all we hear from the propaganda machine is how Ashley has inherited a mess, as if he hasn't contributed to it himself at all. The above 'waste' pales in comparison to then getting us relegated. I don't want to hear about not taking a penny out of the club, or how much he's pumped in, because he's just as much to blame as the last lot...the difference being 12th would have been a failure in their eyes for the level of investment. He absolutely inherited a mess, no doubt in my mind, similarly there is no doubt he deepened the hole (as I've said before) BUT it's cost no-one but himself, hence my "thanks" for, or appreciation of, his deep pockets. We were unsustainable, we needed deep pockets, we got some. We could have done better or been luckier, undoubtedly. I reckon it's cost supporters too like. We have to watch James Perch.

The Oliver Hardy version is the best one tbh

http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-United..._highlights.pdf Last page 3rd last bullet. Like I said somewhere else, I have no idea how they arrive at those figures.

I don't think anything he does is part of an evil plan. Again, I've given him credit for a lot of his financial decisions. I just think he talks utter shit and misrepresents any of the good he's done as a result. People like this Chris Gray and you perpetuate it. As discussed, in the 5 years before Ashley we lost £0, £0, £2m, £15m and £33m. The last couple are worrying and not sustainable. There's nothing to suggest Shepherd would have tried to sustain it though. On 7 June '07 we signed Viduka on a free. Being a free suggests to me Shepherd was looking for proven Premier League players on a budget with the intention of cutting the losses of the previous season. His wages were a twat, but he only got a 2 year contract. He'd already sold Scott Parker for £7m too. Ashley took a controlling share on exactly the same day though. We went on to sign Barton(£5.8m), Rozenhal(£3m), Smith(£6m), Enrique(£6m), Faye(£2m) and Beye(£2m) - as well as a free Geremi, but on a 3 year deal at huge wages. That's just short of £25m he spent. Losses for the year went on to total £20m, which can't be laid at anyone elses door, as Ashley sanctioned all those buys. Yet all we hear from the propaganda machine is how Ashley has inherited a mess, as if he hasn't contributed to it himself at all. The above 'waste' pales in comparison to then getting us relegated. I don't want to hear about not taking a penny out of the club, or how much he's pumped in, because he's just as much to blame as the last lot...the difference being 12th would have been a failure in their eyes for the level of investment.

Thanks chaps, that's more like it.

Looking at the Satechi Soundfly BT http://www.amazon.com/Soundfly-Bluetooth-T...d/dp/B001DDE4VY but worried it looks a bit...brittle. And some people reckon it struggles with more than 20 folders.

And how does that negate anything I've said? You were saying he's yet to break even and I was just giving you a gentle reminder that they did forecast in March (I think) that they were on course to break even for the season just finished. In case you had forgotten Thought it might cheer you up on your birthday I hadn't fporgotten at all. Of course, breaking even won't get the finances looking immeasurably better either. It'll just stop the rot. Which as TP illustrates above is progress. Which I illustrate above is not.

Of course there is. What would be better, £150 Mill owed to banks or owed to the owner ?? I've given Ashley all due credit, even in this thread, when the banks refused to loan his insolvent business the money to stay afloat, he used his own money to protect his investment. The fact the debt is larger than ever before should put a stop to any suggestion we're financially better off though. We've effectively transferred our credit card balance to a 0% introductory offer and spent more on the new card. The fact we aren't paying interest is great. I'm not having a pop here, but Ashley apologists like you are getting ahead of yourself by insisting the financial mess is well on the way to being resolved. £20-£30m year on year? Up to 2007 we only ever lost over £20m one time....the average loss was £10m a year for the five years before he arrived. Losses were £0-£2m for three out of the five years before Ashley arrived. We went from a £19m loss in 2000 to break ebven in 2003, without the slash and burn approach. I sniffed at that, so I'll sniff at this too.

And how does that negate anything I've said? You were saying he's yet to break even and I was just giving you a gentle reminder that they did forecast in March (I think) that they were on course to break even for the season just finished. In case you had forgotten Thought it might cheer you up on your birthday I hadn't fporgotten at all. Of course, breaking even won't get the finances looking immeasurably better either. It'll just stop the rot.

And how does that negate anything I've said?

I thought the financial information released in around March had us down as breaking even this year and moving into profit next year? How could the books for last year have us breaking even this year? If it said anything about this year, then it was a forecast. Which is basically what Im saying. The forecast in March (I think) had us down to break even for the season just finished and to make profit next season. Im truly shocked you dont have this at your fingertips. Yeah, you're predicting what will happen next year. I'm talking about what has actually happened because none of us know what will happen. Relegation probably wouldn't help with future forecasts, for example.

Aye, and that's the thing. To assume it will (or even err towards the view it will) is fanciful. Hopefully it will but you'd be off your head to see it as already having taken full effect or likely to continue. Additionally, in my view, the Ashley model absolutely relies on the incumbent manager being a 100% 'yes man'. Which restricts your field of good calibre managers considerably (if we're discussing continual progress) Yep, thats the big road block even if everything else goes right. That said and as Chelsea have shown, there are lots of decent managers out there prepared to work without full control. well, most managers would be happy for his owner to buy the likes of Essien, Drogba, Cech, Torres etc behind his back Tell you what CT, if your man buys players like that, rather than James Perch, I'll stop criticising him OK ?

I thought the financial information released in around March had us down as breaking even this year and moving into profit next year? How could the books for last year have us breaking even this year? If it said anything about this year, then it was a forecast.

It can be argued that Ashley has done well to control spending and have us where we were in the league when he took over. And that he's done well to transfer all the debts to himself interest free, so we aren't throwing money away. There's no argument to support the suggestion that "the finances are immesaurably better" right now though, when Ashley has still only been able to add to the overall debt, decrease overall income and is yet to break even in any season after he's been here 4 years.

Cheers all. BL? Aye, been into town and bought a new jacket and walking shoes with my spends. Back home for a bit of dinner.

Forget the toys stevie, you double hard bastard. What you gonna spend your hundred on? The gym? A new puncture repair kit?

He was the epitome of the 80's Tyneside man. Heart of gold too. Wish I'd have been an adult in the 80's to be honest, to escape the rent boy culture which has reached Tyneside these days. People buying pinball machines, and spending time on spreadsheets in their spare time. Oh dear. One minute you're considering a kindle, the next it's moisturiser. Would oz follow Alan Carr on Twitter?

House of balloons - the weekend Not listening yet, but got the album for free from the website. Getting rave reviews.

You live your life by "what would oz do?"? He was a thick pisshead.

Any gadgets or toys of interest?

Not sure, especially if Fabregas goes for a fortune. But aye, especially over the last 5 years I reckon their net spend would be even more ahead of ours, which strengthens my point.

Happy Face what are the above figures from? - And what spendings do they take into account? Soccerbase.