Dave Whelan On 5 Live

[Guest alex]

Couple of points here.

 

First generally about Ashley. He clearly has brought his commercial principles to NUFC. Sports Direct is a cheap shitty brand where there is no investment in its employees and consequently they don't give a fuck about the business or its customers.

 

Whelans comments were the main topic on last nights 606 hosted by the cockney irritant and every premiership footballers self proclaimed best mate 'Spooney'. A Norwich City fan came on with an intelligent and well articulated critique of Ashley's tenure of NUFC. His principle argument was that to allow a club of such assets, standing and potential to falter into our current position took an incredible amount of mismanagement misjudgement and negligence.

 

Spoons and his unable assistant Issy Clarke then to my amazement and annoyance began an impassioned defence of Ashley. Their counter arguements relied primarily on the fact Ashley has spent £240m of his own money on the club, and great emphasis was placed on the fact it was his own money – not any consortium’s money you understand - but his very own and that he had been "hounded out" of “Noocarsel” by the fans.

 

I'm still calming down now.

Spoony's utterly clueless though. Izzy is presumably there to show him what buttons to press. She's a fucking bint as well mind.

[Flair 0]

He is correct though about Ashley.

[ewerk 31203]

He is correct though about Ashley.

 

[Chaser 1255]

Sounded like Bruce is still keeping himself in the shop window if the opportunity comes up. I fear that even if we had a good manager in place, the structure around them would mean that any difference would be negligible. There is a cancer in the club which has spread way too quickly since MA. Better the devil you know with Shepherd. He should have stayed and called in the investors to stave off the receivers.

[Ayatollah Hermione 14053]

Sounded like Bruce is still keeping himself in the shop window if the opportunity comes up. I fear that even if we had a good manager in place, the structure around them would mean that any difference would be negligible. There is a cancer in the club which has spread way too quickly since MA. Better the devil you know with Shepherd. He should have stayed and called in the investors to stave off the receivers.

 

Agree with that. Not that any manager worth his salt would want to work for us but the system in place would prevent it from happening anyway. They'd probably see the "scouting team", realise that they're buying all the players and leg it. I'd imagine we could get a foreign manager in that could work in the system but how desireable would we be in the Championship? It's a depressing cycle.

[Jimbo 175]

Steve Bruce would love to be Magpies boss

 

Mar 28 2009 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

 

 

HIS chairman at Wigan Dave Whelan may like to think he is not interested in the Newcastle United job, but Steve Bruce would love the chance to manage the club he once supported.

 

Whelan launched an extraordinary attack on Newcastle owner Mike Ashley this week as their relationship, already soured by years of bitter competition in business, took another nosedive.

 

As well as claiming Ashley – whose Sports Direct sport store is the main competitor to Whelan’s JJB Sports chain – had dragged Newcastle down with the way he runs the club and his lack of respect for normal boardroom behaviour, Whelan also insisted that Bruce would turn down the chance to manage Newcastle as long as he remained in charge.

 

However, The Journal understands that is not the case. Bruce has privately shown an interest in taking the United job on more than one occasion this season, most notably when Kevin Keegan walked out on the club back in September.

 

He has also told friends he would like to take the job if present manager Joe Kinnear decides he does not want to stay beyond the end of this season following his triple heart bypass operation.

 

That has made the Corbridge-born former Manchester United defender the obvious candidate to replace Kinnear, should the 62-year-old – who has still not signed the two-year contract he was offered before Christmas – decide not to take on the responsibility long-term.

 

A source close to Bruce said: “It is a job that interests him and he hasn’t tried to hide that from Newcastle either. They know how he feels. He is from the North East and it would be like coming home for him.

 

“He’s done an excellent job at Wigan and enjoys working there, but Newcastle are a much bigger club and it is a challenge he would like to take on in the future. I think even Dave Whelan realises that.”

 

Although Bruce, who would even consider taking the job if Newcastle were relegated, was far from popular with United fans during his illustrious playing career at Old Trafford, he would be a popular choice as manager as a result of the excellent work he has done at Wigan.

 

The Latics, despite crowds of under 20,000 for most home games, are seventh in the Premier League, which would be enough for them to qualify for the Uefa Cup – renamed the Europa League from next season – if they can hold on to that position between now and the end of May.

 

Interestingly, given his excellent form at Wigan, Bruce may also look to bring centre-back Titus Bramble back to Tyneside with him in the summer.

 

Despite a difficult four years at St James’s Park where high-profile mistakes shattered his self-belief, Bramble has been a revelation at Wigan and has even been mentioned as a possible England international.

 

Significantly, although Bramble had a fractious relationship with United fans for much of his time at St James’s Park, the 27-year-old would return to his former club if Bruce moved to the North East.

 

Speaking earlier this week, Bruce said: “When you analyse Titus, I think he was probably too young getting a big move to Newcastle. If he went to Newcastle now for £5.5m he would probably be equipped to do it.”

 

Meanwhile, Newcastle midfielder Danny Guthrie has urged supporters not to blame caretaker manager Chris Hughton for United’s poor results.

 

Guthrie has only just returned to action following a hamstring injury, but the former Liverpool prospect argued it is the players who should be criticised.

 

He said: “It’s the players who go out there on a match day, whatever anyone says. For me, what was going on behind the scenes didn’t affect me.

 

“We went out there as fit and as well prepared as if nothing had happened, so I think it is up to the players to take responsibility for results on the pitch.”

[Renton 22001]

I would be over the moon if we could get Bruce.

 

How times change....

[Jimbo 175]

I would be over the moon if we could get Bruce.

 

How times change....

 

A few years ago I'd be ready to hurl myself off the nearest roof at the prospect of Bag-Puss, but right now I'd carry him to SJP.

[Happy Face 29]

Earlier this month Whelan agreed to meet Newcastle United owner and Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley, who has a 22 per cent stake in JJB. Sports Direct finance director Bob Mellors and Ronnie were also present.

 

During the meeting it was suggested Whelan walk away from the deal (£83M property purchase from JJB). This would most likely have led to the collapse of JJB, which in turn would have meant that its assets might have been available more cheaply. 'I said there and then, I have made JJB an offer and I am sticking by it,' says Whelan.

 

However, Ashley has since contacted a number of landlords offering to take over leases that at present are occupied by health clubs that Whelan has now bought. 'We've had a few calls from the landlords saying what's going on?' says Whelan.

 

'Ashley doesn't want me back in the business-obviously.' Whelan and his team believe they have legal recourse should any of the landlords try to switch to Sports Direct. He also says he will consider guaranteeing the leases personally if necessary.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1...ore-bosses.html

 

Ashley wants to buy JJB's assets on the cheap, so he wants to see any deal that could save them fail.

 

Not really analagous to Newcastle where any drop in asset value would surely only hurt him as the sole stakeholder, but really makes a lay person like me wonder about the angles he could be working. Trying to devalue a company he owns 22% of would also have seemed strange, before learning the end game being played.