Park Life

not sticking my head up my arse at all. And while I don't particularly care for the thought that other fans see us dismissing being 8th in the table, there is a long way to go yet, this season. I just don't think Mike Ashley will ever harbour any serious ambitions at this football club, a few results [defeats or wins] is neither here nor there. On the other hand, I didn't care when other fans supposedly "laughed" at us, so why give a toss if they think we are "arrogant" ? [ presume that is what you are getting at here CG ] I don't think I'm either anyway, I'm just aware we are one of the biggest clubs in the country, and I'll counter that by also admitting that we have never had the success to justify that to other supporters - hence the reason they aren't aware of how big this club should be. Good post. There is a long way to go and it was only a few weeks back i was brimming with optimism just to come crashing back down to earth when we looked shit again. Yes i do think we might look a bit arrogant by saying we are struggling because others wont look at it the way we do. They dont have the gnawing feeling at the pit of their stomach that things will go to fucking shit without warning (that all too recognisable feeling we all felt last monday) and they havent watched us all season and seen that along with the potential to play well, there is also a team of shite just waiting to dribble out the back of 11 pairs of shorts at a moment's notice. They just see the geordies are in 8th, arent they doing well. The proximity in points to 17th place is rarely mentioned. As for the ambition question, the only thing i can say is that with the new financial rules coming in, business margins and large home crowds will give us an edge over oil men and chicken farmers if expenditure is limited by turnover. A decent manager is the crux of the issue though, so who knows what Pardew will bring to that. Correct my friend a reckoning is coming and with it will come the lightning and all that other shit.

Wages will be about 60%...about what it was the season before Ashley took over. Don't blame Ashley totally for the high wages when he took over. I want to make that clear. I blame FSA partly. In that first period he could have had little clue what was going on with silly wages for Collo, Smith and the like. Not to mention Geremi and Viduka who were paid the gdp of a small banana republic. All signed by fat fucking sam.

People are short of cash I imagine this year.

Given the bar chart what are expecting him to do? I'm expecting him to do nothing, or next to nothing, because it is quite clear he has no serious ambitions for the football club. would be highly ironic if, despite the protestations of those who insist the Halls and Shepherd were taking the club towards administration, that it is Mike Ashley who succeeds in accomplishing it in the end. Which would mean, the Halls and Shepherd having saved the club from administration, rescuing the club from decades of falling revenues and 2nd rate standards, we then see someone else coming in and accomplishing that very thing through reversing everything they put into place which gave us such a massively expanded football club, stadium, and profile in the game. This is the way the club is heading, again, unless he sells out. Charts are by in large for idiots. Smart people look at numbers not pictures. The bar chart shows a massive lump into debt, but anyone looking at the numbers knows the issue encountered was we had a massive wage bill and low income. Now we are back in the premiership and the wage bill is significantly lower, we are actually in a much stronger position. Hopefully Ashley will have learnt from our relegation season and bring in a striker. Charts are for idiots? That's up there with teachers teach you how to be thick. The numbers represented in the chart show we're yet to see any evidence of a wage bill under control.... Wages have not gone down at all, in real terms the amount rose slightly. Turnover has taken a significant dip (and these numbers precede relegation) so the wages to turnover ratio shot up in the last set of results and is likely to increase again, despite the exoudus, because turnover would have been so much lower again in the championship. This seasons fig will be a lot better I imagine.

NO chance. I've added Blackburn to my list of probables.

Gone.

"Cambell shorts too tight - exploit".

Even better second half, proper prem game with two teams attcaking at pace all game. Miles away from the turgid shite the likes of Allardyce, Pulis etc reduce football too by spoiling and being negative. Typical Drogba playing for himself though, wants to prove a point about being on the bench so grabs the pen and misses it when Lampard was there to take it. Despite what Sky Sports said, Terry was poor all game, kept giving the ball away and being absent from his position. While he's not great at the back, Hutton is fucking terrible going forward as well. Aye what's Drogba doing, am joint top of the dream team at work as well and you get £20 for every time you're top at the end of the week, got Lampard and I naturally presumed he'd take it, you're typical of Drogba, class act though. Aye cost me £160 though. Chelsea were superb, honestly Essien is the best in the world in his position, I rate him so highly he could be an all time great, to think we were looking at him in 2003 as well. But fuck Tottenham, Redknapp is an idiot if he thinks they can compete with Chelsea and Man Utd, they're miles away from them imo, will take them years to get the consistency that comes with a title bid. Hopefully saggy neck pipes down that they can win the league now, outclassed and outfought. The title this year is wide open imo. Anyone of 5 could win it (inc Spurs). If Spurs really want it I expect a frenzied Jan window.

Hopefully we'll stay up long enough for Ashley to balance the books. Like Leazes is always keen (and right) to say...there won't be a bus parade laid on if he does though. When do you see said balancing of books if we stay in the PL? £280m of debt...£5m a season profit.....56 years time I prefer to call it investment rather than debt. Don't let Leazes here you say 56 year plan That's a lotta napkins.

Hopefully we'll stay up long enough for Ashley to balance the books. Like Leazes is always keen (and right) to say...there won't be a bus parade laid on if he does though. When do you see said balancing of books if we stay in the PL? £280m of debt...£5m a season profit.....56 years time I prefer to call it investment rather than debt.

Without Tiote nothing would have been possible.

Hopefully we'll stay up long enough for Ashley to balance the books. Like Leazes is always keen (and right) to say...there won't be a bus parade laid on if he does though. When do you see said balancing of books if we stay in the PL?

So is your opinion that if he hadnt bought us we would now have gone. If we hadnt been sold, there would have been no clause but i believe the intention of Sir John was always to sell his stake and he chose the perfect moment to do so, however opportunisitcally. By 2008 we had a business going into 150m of debt with falling revenues. Something had to givem whoever was in charge. Agreed.

Parky man!!! I've telt all the West Ham at work he's been sacked, and he hasn't. Not yet anyway. Definitely gone. Might take a day or two to shake out.

Good stuff. Steve Stone is a good coach by all accounts.

Great news. He must be the bionic man. Breaks were high up the leg apparently which as someone said a few weeks ago is about the best place for them for healing. I reckon he'll be playing in Feb. Just cos youre from frenchyland or somewhere aborad like that you think you know everything about him dont you? Thought YOU would have had photo's by now. That long lense of yours.

Nice breakdown. Cheers.

My spies are everywhere.

Can you explain what you see there Nicos? 2005 debt = £55m 2006 debt = £70m (+27%) 2007 debt = £77m (+10%) 2008 debt = £245 (+218%) 2009 debt = £282 (+15%) I know the mortgage got added to the debt, but whenever Shepherd stretched one season....he could pull the throttle back the next and the revenue would give him a profit. Ashley's already strangled every penny out of our spending....but he's lost us so much revenue we still run at a loss and drive up the debt. You think he paid the outstanding transfer fees off in one go? Also we've started paying up front for all incoming.

Can you explain what you see there Nicos?

Capbreton - South of France. He's already walking.

Great news. He must be the bionic man. Breaks were high up the leg apparently which as someone said a few weeks ago is about the best place for them for healing. I reckon he'll be playing in Feb.

Apparently he's holding out for 60k, which would be madness if true.