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

[peasepud 59]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

And why exactly was KCGs analogy flawed, its a subject Ive tried to get my head round many a time and always end up coming back to the car analogy (never been as well put as KCG did though).

 

Ashley bought a football club to have fun (in his words, even though this was bollocks and it was, in the words of John Hall, a vehicle for pushing SD)

I buy a Ferrari (I fucking wish) to have fun.

Ferrari costs me £3k per year in insurance, £2k in maintenance and £100 in petrol every time I take it to the shops. Do I expect Enzo to pick up that tab? do I fuck, its my car, I used the petrol so I'll fork out for it.

 

If I then go out and drive the fucker into a wall the day after the insurance has ran out do I expect the owner of the wall to pay? nope I fucked up I bear the cost.

 

Why should a football club be any different?

[Asprilla 96]

Tired of seeing this "he's pocketing the cash" nonsense as if it's gospel truth. The club owes him a lot of money. The idea that we're selling off all our best players is so far a fallacy too. Carroll went for the most ridiculous sum ever in football. We didn't want to sell Enrique, he wanted to leave. Big difference. We hardly look worse off without Nolan and Barton and there are reasons for them leaving anyway.

 

You're so blind it's untrue and I have no idea why I'm getting involved yet again.

 

Well, the question that perhaps should be asked if why enrique wanted to leave. Sure, europe and all that, but could just as well be the unwillingness to spend money.

Yes we owe him alot of money, but part of that is due to the fact that he has placed alot of debt in the club, debt that we perhaps would not have if he did a due dilligence instead of paying 3 times the going rate. Thats not the clubs fault.

 

He might not have pocketed the cash, but when fans see us selling players for 50 million and buying replacements for 5 its a valid question where the money went. There might be a reasonable explanation but in most fans eyes - and rightly so - that seems wrong.

 

We are not really investing in the squad, just getting the best players we can within the ( very limited ) framework of what Mike is willing to pay. Nothing wrong with that. Well, there is - but thats how the cookie crumbles.

 

None of which was disputed or agreed with by what I said, was debating Leazes' two comments (that Ashley pockets money irregardless of a debt situation and that we're selling off all our best players) comments on a very basic level and nothing else.

 

Not an actual word.

[Tom 14013]

And if it was it would be a double negative

[Monroe Transfer 0]

I know this thread is past saving, but come on guys...

 

... debating a dubious word?

[ChezGiven 0]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

exactly

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably. Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

And why exactly was KCGs analogy flawed, its a subject Ive tried to get my head round many a time and always end up coming back to the car analogy (never been as well put as KCG did though). Ashley bought a football club to have fun (in his words, even though this was bollocks and it was, in the words of John Hall, a vehicle for pushing SD) I buy a Ferrari (I fucking wish) to have fun. Ferrari costs me £3k per year in insurance, £2k in maintenance and £100 in petrol every time I take it to the shops. Do I expect Enzo to pick up that tab? do I fuck, its my car, I used the petrol so I'll fork out for it. If I then go out and drive the fucker into a wall the day after the insurance has ran out do I expect the owner of the wall to pay? nope I fucked up I bear the cost. Why should a football club be any different?

Maybe a car is like a player, with a limited lifespan, depreciates in value and can be exchanged. The club itself could then be like a car dealership. In which case forget the analogy, call it a business and you have your frame of reference. To compare ownership of a football club to an expensive (even luxurious) consumer product and then expect him to have the same attitude towards it (on the basis of some spurious quote) is a bit odd.

 

Its an investment not a plaything. If you need an analogy to understand it then think of it like buying a house. You can buy one of them to have fun in to but no one would expect to buy one to run into the ground so it lost its value.

 

Re: KCG's post, he gave Sir John and Shepherd £80m, other investors around £58m (£138m in total), took on around £100m of debt and has covered around £40m in losses. If he starts to pay back the £138m to himself then it is like buying anything (a car if you want) then paying himself the acquisition price back. Accountants on these forums assured us there is no evidence of this back in September.

[ChezGiven 0]

What bugs me is people in my view care more than they've been proven right someone else proven wrong, than how much they actually care about the team winning football matches. I can just imagine someone like Baggio after a 4-1 home win against Chelsea, "what did I say 4 years ago what did I say???!?!" "No-one cares what you said ya daft cunt".

If everyone tells you that you are wrong and that you are a cunt for thinking it then the tone has been set. If people's opinions were respectfully acknowledged and this was some sort of gentleman's club then aye, you've got a point. Its not though, its got one poster who says nothing but i told you so, its got plenty who love backing their opinions up with strong predictions and even laying money on it. If you said something and everyone jumps all over it calling you a wum cunt then there can be no complaints if that person returns with an extended finger. You cant have it both ways.

 

I say that as a matter of principle, i couldnt give a shit who says what tbh.

[Toonpack 9927]

Can I just say the club doesn't owe Mike Ashley any fucking money. I bought a car for £2,500 I have spent lets say for arguments sake £1,000 on petrol and servicing and such. Does the car owe me money? No cos it's my fucking car if I didn't want to spend money on it I shouldn't have bought the fucker. I also don't expect to make all my money back on it either. However if I had bought a bentley or ferarri at a knackers yard and spent say £10,000 pound on it doing it up the car still wouldn't owe me any fucking money but because I had returned a past great car to glory I could look forward to making money on it. Not however if I had been conned into paying three times what the original car was worth however. But that would have been my fault and I should learn to live with it not bleat on about it all the time.

 

exactly

 

Hhhmm agreeing with Leazes

 

Don't worry about it, your argument/analogy was seriously flawed and utter bollocks, that's why he agreed, probably.

 

Maybe the Greek PM should try a similar argument with the Eurozone

And why exactly was KCGs analogy flawed, its a subject Ive tried to get my head round many a time and always end up coming back to the car analogy (never been as well put as KCG did though).

 

Ashley bought a football club to have fun (in his words, even though this was bollocks and it was, in the words of John Hall, a vehicle for pushing SD)

I buy a Ferrari (I fucking wish) to have fun.

Ferrari costs me £3k per year in insurance, £2k in maintenance and £100 in petrol every time I take it to the shops. Do I expect Enzo to pick up that tab? do I fuck, its my car, I used the petrol so I'll fork out for it.

 

If I then go out and drive the fucker into a wall the day after the insurance has ran out do I expect the owner of the wall to pay? nope I fucked up I bear the cost.

 

Why should a football club be any different?

 

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Toonpack

[Asprilla 96]

I know this thread is past saving, but come on guys...

 

... debating a dubious word?

 

At least some good has come out of it now though....!

 

Also, it's not dubious, it's actually not a word. You either want irrespective, or regardless.

Edited November 24, 2011 by Asprilla

[Asprilla 96]

What bugs me is people in my view care more than they've been proven right someone else proven wrong, than how much they actually care about the team winning football matches. I can just imagine someone like Baggio after a 4-1 home win against Chelsea, "what did I say 4 years ago what did I say???!?!" "No-one cares what you said ya daft cunt".

If everyone tells you that you are wrong and that you are a cunt for thinking it then the tone has been set. If people's opinions were respectfully acknowledged and this was some sort of gentleman's club then aye, you've got a point. Its not though, its got one poster who says nothing but i told you so, its got plenty who love backing their opinions up with strong predictions and even laying money on it. If you said something and everyone jumps all over it calling you a wum cunt then there can be no complaints if that person returns with an extended finger. You cant have it both ways.

 

I say that as a matter of principle, i couldnt give a shit who says what tbh.

 

 

Amen.

[LeazesMag 0]

What bugs me is people in my view care more than they've been proven right someone else proven wrong, than how much they actually care about the team winning football matches. I can just imagine someone like Baggio after a 4-1 home win against Chelsea, "what did I say 4 years ago what did I say???!?!" "No-one cares what you said ya daft cunt".

 

 

Aye, good point like. Bairns mentality for a bairns board. Wish it could all be kept over there but sadly not.

 

unfortunately, even a bairn can admit when they get something spectacularly wrong, and even give an opinion now and again.

 

Do YOU think the club will build on this "good platform" ? [2nd request]

But sadly a grown man can't stop endlessly repeating the "I'm right and always will be" mantra that you spew out with Tourette's -like regularity.

 

You're as bad as them, if not worse.

 

unfortunately, if posters like mancmag, toonpack etc continue to say I post "crap" [word to that effect], don't you agree it therefore gives me the right to point out that he/they have in fact, been the one that has been getting it all wrong for at least the last 4 years, and longer, rather than myself ?

[LeazesMag 0]

YOHAN CABAYE sees no reason why Newcastle United cannot remain in the top four after the next two tough Premier League encounters – despite facing champions Manchester United and title contenders Chelsea.

Read More http://www.chronicle.../#ixzz1eYbt9E9A

 

 

I wish I shared your enthusiasm about the next 2 games Yohan but it's nice to know such a quality player has faith in the current team.

 

A top quality signing that totally transformed the team.

 

Baggio here until he flounces off again ie when his idiotic predictions bite him on the arse.

[LeazesMag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

[LeazesMag 0]

Tired of seeing this "he's pocketing the cash" nonsense as if it's gospel truth. The club owes him a lot of money. The idea that we're selling off all our best players is so far a fallacy too. Carroll went for the most ridiculous sum ever in football. We didn't want to sell Enrique, he wanted to leave. Big difference. We hardly look worse off without Nolan and Barton and there are reasons for them leaving anyway.

 

You're so blind it's untrue and I have no idea why I'm getting involved yet again.

 

Well, the question that perhaps should be asked if why enrique wanted to leave. Sure, europe and all that, but could just as well be the unwillingness to spend money.

Yes we owe him alot of money, but part of that is due to the fact that he has placed alot of debt in the club, debt that we perhaps would not have if he did a due dilligence instead of paying 3 times the going rate. Thats not the clubs fault.

 

He might not have pocketed the cash, but when fans see us selling players for 50 million and buying replacements for 5 its a valid question where the money went. There might be a reasonable explanation but in most fans eyes - and rightly so - that seems wrong.

 

We are not really investing in the squad, just getting the best players we can within the ( very limited ) framework of what Mike is willing to pay. Nothing wrong with that. Well, there is - but thats how the cookie crumbles.

 

None of which was disputed or agreed with by what I said, was debating Leazes' two comments (that Ashley pockets money irregardless of a debt situation and that we're selling off all our best players) comments on a very basic level and nothing else.

 

Not an actual word.

 

Fish will pick him up on his English

[LeazesMag 0]

What bugs me is people in my view care more than they've been proven right someone else proven wrong, than how much they actually care about the team winning football matches. I can just imagine someone like Baggio after a 4-1 home win against Chelsea, "what did I say 4 years ago what did I say???!?!" "No-one cares what you said ya daft cunt".

If everyone tells you that you are wrong and that you are a cunt for thinking it then the tone has been set. If people's opinions were respectfully acknowledged and this was some sort of gentleman's club then aye, you've got a point. Its not though, its got one poster who says nothing but i told you so, its got plenty who love backing their opinions up with strong predictions and even laying money on it. If you said something and everyone jumps all over it calling you a wum cunt then there can be no complaints if that person returns with an extended finger. You cant have it both ways.

 

I say that as a matter of principle, i couldnt give a shit who says what tbh.

 

thats about right, and one or two people who do nowt but complain about me ought to take note.

 

I don't really care what people say either, but if they are wrong I'll say so, and I'll make a prediction and give a view rather than sit on the fence like some do, who don't have any views on anything other than telling us what we already know.

 

I'll also admit if I'm wrong, which comes with giving views, its no big deal, if Mike Ashley suddenly changes his spots I'll be as pleased as anybody and I'll say so. But I believe what I say, and always have.

[jaythesouthernmag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

[LeazesMag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

[sweetleftpeg 0]

[jaythesouthernmag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

Still no answer to the question then and the usual drivel too

 

I will leave it there then and let other posters judge you by those responses

[peasepud 59]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

[trophyshy 7084]

[LeazesMag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

Still no answer to the question then and the usual drivel too

 

I will leave it there then and let other posters judge you by those responses

 

 

you can judge me by how well the team do in the long term, however 4 years have passed and to date, Mike Ashley has got nowhere near his predecessors, despite adopting "better" policies.

[jaythesouthernmag 0]

A bairn also has the capacity to forget they were right and move on to other things.

 

''The historian looks backward, eventually he also believes backwards'' - Joey Barton

 

I'm only replying to posters like manc mag. If I don't reply, posters like Fish and JAysouthernmag ask me why I haven't responded ?

 

In fact, I've asked mancmag the same question twice today.......

Correction, you don't answer posts where you can't use your stock responses. Fuck, you won't even answer if you think getting into the Europa league this season will constitute success

 

but getting into the Europa League - and even finishing 5th in the premiership - was booed and regarded as failure not so long ago.

 

I'm not quite sure of the difference, can you explain ? I believe Alex and HF have also pointed this out, so apologies if you have explained already to them and I missed it.

Can't even answer a simple question without mentioning what happend previously. There has been a lot of water under the bridge since then. We are talking about the present.

 

Would you not consider a European place THIS season would be a success?

 

I never said European football under the previous owners was a failure, just for the record

 

As I said, I'm looking for the football club to set itself up and show ambition for the long term, not a flash in the pan run of games after selling its best players and pocketing the cash, which is short term. Please explain why 7th is success for Mike Ashley and failure for others ?

Still no answer to the question then and the usual drivel too

 

I will leave it there then and let other posters judge you by those responses

 

 

you can judge me by how well the team do in the long term, however 4 years have passed and to date, Mike Ashley has got nowhere near his predecessors, despite adopting "better" policies.

I rest my case

[manc-mag 1]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

[McFaul 35]

Incomparable: Multi million pound business versus frippery

 

Maybe all clubs should just tell the banks, "Hey, we don't owe you any money really" and stop repaying.

Thats absolute rubbish statement and you know it is but as usual you attempt to back up your argument by not giving anything valid back and coming up some spurious statement. The amounts involved are irrelevant. A million pound to Ashley is probably the equivalent of a £100 to me so everything is relevant. At the end of the day the argument is that buying something "to have fun" (and its clearly not a tenuous statement Chez as it was in numerous interviews with Mort) should mean that you either pay up for that "fun".

 

See this is the thing for me, he genuinely did buy it to have fun (and ps to flog on at a capital profit at a later date) but largely to play the big spending game and have a hobby in the meantime. Only he found out he wasn't having fun, it wasn't a laugh and he'd paid too much, it owed a lot of money and nobody wanted to buy it off him. That's the reality of it for me. For that reason I have no sympathy for him and he can do one bleating about having to subsidise it, but at the same time you also have to say if nobody does want to subsidise it (meaning a buyer) and clearly nobody else does, then the 'making it pay for itself' standpoint is not massively unreasonable.

 

This is where a lot of what is said is just cobblers:

 

"He bought it principally as a vehicle for Sports Direct" - total cobblers, he's tried to sell it at least once because it was tanking and he didnt start 'logo-ing' us up for years. That has now seemingly become a long term thing because theres no buyer wanting us. To be honest while it's totally obvious the areas where he fucks up and fucks us off and we're well within our rights to bawl him out for this, we're delusional if we just keep saying he 'doesn't realise the potential of Newcastle United' because clearly no other billionaire buyer thinks that way either at the moment. Some leveraged chancer might, but they all disappeared when the banks went tits up-along with FCB's entire exit strategy.

Perhaps that wasn't his initial aim, but when you look at how much of the French sportswear market he's planning on taking, is it any coincidence that we have more frenchman/or black african frenchman like Ba, starting for us than Englishmen? I think his plan has evolved over the last two years, to use NUFC as part of a marketing ploy for his business. I really don't care if he signs decent french players rather than English, as long as they're good and they all are. However, the evidence is there for all to see when you add it all up. If he was that keen on showcasing something as an advert to entice big business for the naming rights of the ground, why didn't he ask UNICEF or Cancer Research if they'd like to have naming rights on the ground till a multi million pound offer comes in from big business?

[Guest alex]

That's about the size of it like, Samuel. The whole 5 year plan thing is laughable because it's changed so often along the way. Early doors it was all about being able to compete in the higher echelons of the game and that's the dream we were sold along with KK when he came back here. Now we're supposed to believe the plan all along was to make the club self-sustaining. As you say, in lieu of a sugar daddy, that's a reasonable enough thing and, so long as the scouting network keeps unearthing gems, it can work (albeit on a limited basis) but lets not pretend the current situation is anything other than a one borne partly out of necessity and partly because things haven't turned out anything like the way the FCB thought they would.

Edited November 24, 2011 by alex