***Official Mike Ashley Euro express thread***

[Baggio 0]

I'm off to Swansea this weekend with a group of Villa fans to watch the game, a good chance to do some scouting of a club some think can challenge us for Europe, along with Everton.

 

Personally I don't think they're anywhere as good as us, they're already 10 points behind and have Man Utd, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea to face before Christmas.

 

Everton are the team to watch.

[manc-mag 1]

"do some scouting"

[Guest alex]

The game is on Sky. Just a coincidence, obviously.

[Ken 119]

Everton are the team to watch.

 

For what reason?

[ChezGiven 0]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

Then the point still stands, Keegan got pissed off and walked out under the present and previous boards. You're attempt to divert attention from this was unsuccessful.

[Toonpack 9121]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

 

Meanwhile in the real world. Shareholding (without a seat on the board) is irrelevant to involvement in running anything, the Chairman/CEO and the board run the club (or any other business for that matter) with the chairman making, and being responsible for, day to day decisions and policy etc.

Edited November 25, 2011 by Toonpack

[Guest alex]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

 

Meanwhile in the real world. Shareholding (without a seat on the board) is irrelevant to involvement in running anything, the Chairman/CEO and the board run the club (or any other business for that matter) with the chairman making, and being responsible for, day to day decisions and policy etc.

That was his original point though, Shepherd wasn't the chairman back then.

[Baggio 0]

The game is on Sky. Just a coincidence, obviously.

 

 

Actually Alex the missus old man is 50 on Monday and is a Villa season ticket holder, he's also good friends with the guy that runs Sin City club in Swansea so he's lucky the game fell on his birthday weekend.

 

A nice weekend drinking followed by a game with 5 Villa season ticket holders, better than sitting on here working on the 57,000 post count if you ask me.

[McFaul 35]

The game is on Sky. Just a coincidence, obviously.

 

 

Actually Alex the missus old man is 50 on Monday and is a Villa season ticket holder, he's also good friends with the guy that runs Sin City club in Swansea so he's lucky the game fell on his birthday weekend.

 

A nice weekend drinking followed by a game with 5 Villa season ticket holders, better than sitting on here working on the 57,000 post count if you ask me.

Pipe down you obvious OOT.

[Guest alex]

Pipe down you obvious OOT.

Lives in the Black Country iirc.

[manc-mag 1]

[Monroe Transfer 0]

Enough of the OOT-bashing, Stevie.

 

With that said, I can't believe he pulled out the 'mock the post count' card.

[Toonpack 9121]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

 

Meanwhile in the real world. Shareholding (without a seat on the board) is irrelevant to involvement in running anything, the Chairman/CEO and the board run the club (or any other business for that matter) with the chairman making, and being responsible for, day to day decisions and policy etc.

That was his original point though, Shepherd wasn't the chairman back then.

 

The original point was about the demarcation between SJH and FS, see bolded bit.

[Baggio 0]

With that said, I can't believe he pulled out the 'mock the post count' card.

 

Would I have been better off going after his bald head or his asymmetrical face?

[Guest alex]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

 

Meanwhile in the real world. Shareholding (without a seat on the board) is irrelevant to involvement in running anything, the Chairman/CEO and the board run the club (or any other business for that matter) with the chairman making, and being responsible for, day to day decisions and policy etc.

That was his original point though, Shepherd wasn't the chairman back then.

 

The original point was about the demarcation between SJH and FS, see bolded bit.

I meant Leazes' original point.

[Toonpack 9121]

The previous board was in charge, unless you only want to compare Mikey boy's regime to after Sir John stepped down. Then you can't claim the average positions or all of the EU qualifications. Can't have it both ways.

 

it isn't me who is stupid enough to think a minority shareholder runs the football club single handed.

 

Meanwhile in the real world. Shareholding (without a seat on the board) is irrelevant to involvement in running anything, the Chairman/CEO and the board run the club (or any other business for that matter) with the chairman making, and being responsible for, day to day decisions and policy etc.

That was his original point though, Shepherd wasn't the chairman back then.

 

The original point was about the demarcation between SJH and FS, see bolded bit.

I meant Leazes' original point.

 

And I didn't

[Guest alex]

With that said, I can't believe he pulled out the 'mock the post count' card.

 

Would I have been better off going after his bald head or his asymmetrical face?

[McFaul 35]

Pipe down you obvious OOT.

Lives in the Black Country iirc.

Strites??? Why doesn't he support Wolves, Walsall or West Brom then?

[ChezGiven 0]

[The Fish 10674]

haha, we sold our best players and pocketed the cash under the Halls and Shepherd did we ? Have you been drinking again ?

Ferdinand, Ginola, Woodgate. All our better players, all sold by the previous regime.

 

PS...if anything, if what you say is true, rather than absolute shite, it only escalates the job they did, being a selling club and qualifying for europe more than any other club bar 4 in 15 years, breaking the world transfer record, buying all those "trophy players", running for the league title and finishing 2nd twice, playing in the champions league, transforming the stadium into one of the best in europe and the turnover 14th in world football ?

 

Not bad for a "selling club". When is soopa Mike going to match that then ?

This cracks me up. Being a selling club is bad, unless it's H&S, then it's amazing.

 

I'd love to compare the two owners like for like. I'd love it if we could see into the future to see how the fat prick performs over the same time period as H&S.

I'd love it if the two eras of football were the same (that a club with decent backing could compete, instead of requiring an uber-rich owner), but they're just not.

 

You cite Spurs as a team we should be competing with, fair enough, I think that if the club is run as it is we will still be part of the group of teams who are also-rans in 10 years time. They would need a large injection of cash, or for one of the current "top Four" to tumble from grace. (Abramovich to leave Chelsea and not be replaced, Wenger to leave Arsenal and the scouting system they benefit from collapsing, that kind of thing). Spurs won't crack the top four consistently, despite buying bigger names than we do and despite everything else they have in their favour (being a London club for a start).

 

For the record I don't like the guy, I would rather a football fan owned my club rather than just a man looking to push his own brand. I think it'll be a shock if we win anything, and if we do it'll be despite his stewardship rather than because of it. However, he's what we've got and constantly comparing him to the old regime is pointless. He won't definitely bring ruin to the club and the measures he's taken (for his own selfish reasons) means we won't go the way of Leeds or Portsmouth, or even be in the position Everton are enduring.

 

Do you believe an owner who had the players we've sold would have us in a better league position come the end of the sesason? The only position IU feel we've noticeably weakened is Left Back. I think our midfielder is far stronger this season than last, and while losing Barton for nothing was stubborn and an ego thing, selling Nolan for £4m(ish) and replacing him with Cabaye is looking like a remarkable bit of transfer dealing.

Carroll would still be scoring goals at this club if he were here. However, I don't think we'd be any higher than we are and if that disproportionate sum means we do sign players in January, then that's good business.

 

When we lose to Man U and drop points here and there, we'll slip down the league, however I look at this team, how marshalled that defence is and how strong our centre is and have faith that come the end of the season, we'll be 7th or better. I don't believe that Jose, Barton, Noplan or even Carroll would improve that. Do I think we'll challenge for CL anytime soon? No. But then nobody will, who isn't already. Our ambitions should be Cups gunning for that UEFA cup. We should start measuring our success on the performances of players, on the number of young lads coming through the ranks that actually make it. We can't measure success in this football landscape on how well we performed in the halycon days of the 90s. The gap between the top table and the rest is simply too great.

 

I honestly think the current Spurs team would have won titles back in that period, now they won't even break the top 4. So how can you compare the two periods?

 

Now, can you respond without fabricating a position for me?

[Lake Bells tits 1]

Fantastic reply and I agree with most of it. However, I do genuinely believe Tottenham can smash into the top-4 this season. I can see chelsea stumbling out of it, and Arsenal without Robin Van Persie is barely a top-6 team.

[Baggio 0]

Just a quick point about competing with Liverpool and Spurs, lets not forget that when Mike Ashley bought the club we finished that previous season in 13th, while Spurs finished in 5th and Liverpool in 3rd.

 

I don't see us finishing 17 points behind Spurs and 25 points behind Liverpool this season, we're closing the gap.

[McFaul 35]

Just a quick point about competing with Liverpool and Spurs, lets not forget that when Mike Ashley bought the club we finished that previous season in 13th, while Spurs finished in 5th and Liverpool in 3rd.

 

I don't see us finishing 17 points behind Spurs and 25 points behind Liverpool this season, we're closing the gap.

Very simplistic way of looking at things. Of course it had nothing to do with Roeder having NUFC's worst injury crisis in its' history did it? Particularly in the second half of the season. 12th anyway.

[Baggio 0]

Just a quick point about competing with Liverpool and Spurs, lets not forget that when Mike Ashley bought the club we finished that previous season in 13th, while Spurs finished in 5th and Liverpool in 3rd.

 

I don't see us finishing 17 points behind Spurs and 25 points behind Liverpool this season, we're closing the gap.

Very simplistic way of looking at things. Of course it had nothing to do with Roeder having NUFC's worst injury crisis in its' history did it? Particularly in the second half of the season. 12th anyway.

 

How else would you judge it?

 

How many of that current squad would walk into this first team? Is that a better way to show improvement?

[McFaul 35]

Just a quick point about competing with Liverpool and Spurs, lets not forget that when Mike Ashley bought the club we finished that previous season in 13th, while Spurs finished in 5th and Liverpool in 3rd.

 

I don't see us finishing 17 points behind Spurs and 25 points behind Liverpool this season, we're closing the gap.

Very simplistic way of looking at things. Of course it had nothing to do with Roeder having NUFC's worst injury crisis in its' history did it? Particularly in the second half of the season. 12th anyway.

 

How else would you judge it?

 

How many of that current squad would walk into this first team? Is that a better way to show improvement?

You'd find a place for Milner, and arguably N'Zogbia. Regardless what anyone says Given was better than Krul too who can still improve further though.