Ashley "laughing all the way to the bank"

[Happy Face 29]

The Toon Army were determined to have a laugh last night.

 

In addition to the obligatory shirtless contingent on a cold, wet Merseyside night, one fan was dressed as the Honey Monster and another as Sesame Street’s Big Bird.

 

But what isn’t a joke is that Newcastle are now a model Premier League club because of their transfer policy.

 

The prolific days of Mike Ashley funding Geordie Messiahs with tens of millions of pounds have gone and instead the Newcastle chairman has introduced a more hard-nosed approach.

 

Who can blame him. All the days of plenty achieved was the humiliation of relegation in 2009.

 

Now Newcastle are all about living within their means.

 

Just look at their transfer dealings this year. Out went Andy Carroll, Kevin Nolan, Jose Enrique and Joey Barton for just under £45million. They were replaced for a fraction of that amount.

 

Demba Ba didn’t cost a penny in transfer fees and the Senegal striker, with 14 goals in his last 14 league starts, hustled Daniel Agger into putting through his own net last night.

 

Apart from £10.3m Fabricio Coloccini, bought in the times of largesse, last night’s starting line-up at Anfield cost peanuts compared to Liverpool’s.

 

Is it any wonder Ashley is laughing all the way to the bank?

 

The doom merchants who predicted relegation for Newcastle in January when they sold Carroll have been shown up.

 

Instead the Magpies spent most of this season in the top four. Other Premier League chairmen, sniggering three years ago when the Toon changed manager as often as they changed their socks, now see them as the way to run a club which isn’t bankrolled by some rich foreign owner.

 

Of course it helps to have a good manager and after the excellent work on a shoestring by Chris Hughton, Alan Pardew has taken them to even greater heights.

 

He understands Newcastle are now a selling club and next through the St James’ Park exit is likely to be the much-coveted Cheik Tiote.

 

Tiote exemplifies Newcastle’s transfer strategy. Picked up for £3.5m from FC Twente in August 2010, his price-tag now is several times higher.

 

Newcastle will feel the loss when he eventually goes, but, just like before, they will replace him – and make a profit.

 

http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/blogs/mirror-football-blog/David-Anderson-s-Big-Match-Verdict-Liverpool-3-1-Newcastle-How-Newcastle-have-exchanged-false-prophets-for-real-profits-article847335.html

Edited December 31, 2011 by Happy Face

[Happy Face 29]

Never heard of the bloke but he's a thick twat.

 

Could barely stomach this bollocks when we were performing above expectations. After 2 months of relegation form its infuriating.

[ewerk 31221]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

[Howay 12496]

Oh dear. Agree with Ewerk that it's not sustainable at all. The Tiote comment at the end is a blatant example of this, if we sell Tiote does this bloke really see us going out and getting another player as good as him for a similar low amount to what we brought him in on that can slot right into this league the way he did?

[Guest CabayeAye]

I take it this was written by one of Ashley's media pals to try and soften the blow for when Tiote goes.

[Park Life 71]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

 

You clearly haven't met enough journalists.

[toonotl 3116]

Stringing words together semi-coherently and possessing intelligence does not require as much intelligence as one would think. Stevie for example.

[Guest CabayeAye]

Stringing words together semi-coherently and possessing intelligence does not require as much intelligence as one would think. Stevie for example.

 

Intelligence is irrelevant to become a journalist. What you do need to work in the media is a complete lack of integrity.

[toonotl 3116]

Definitely helps. I imagine the strange sense of self-importance that only a true moron can enjoy also goes a long way.

[Guest CabayeAye]

Definitely helps. I imagine the strange sense of self-importance that only a true moron can enjoy also goes a long way.

 

I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Some of the stuff the media prints is truly shocking. Not just with football, but everything. Funnily enough, from personal experience of certain events that have been reported on, the worst paper of the lot is the Daily Mail. They don't even attempt to establish the facts, they really do just make shit up very loosely based around an often irrelevant event. Total scum of the lowest order.

[LeazesMag 0]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

 

and according to you, buying good footballers and paying the going rate isn't sustainable. You should make your mind up.

[ewerk 31221]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

 

and according to you, buying good footballers and paying the going rate isn't sustainable. You should make your mind up.

 

From a footballing perspective, selling your best players and hoping to replace them on the cheap (if that is what we do in this window) isn't sustainable.

 

From a financial perspective, paying money we can't afford for players isn't sustainable.

 

I would like us to find a middle way. However, that doesn't appear to fit in with your black and white view of the world.

[manc-mag 1]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

 

and according to you, buying good footballers and paying the going rate isn't sustainable. You should make your mind up.

 

From a footballing perspective, selling your best players and hoping to replace them on the cheap (if that is what we do in this window) isn't sustainable.

 

From a financial perspective, paying money we can't afford for players isn't sustainable.

 

I would like us to find a middle way. However, that doesn't appear to fit in with your black and white view of the world.

 

Simply put and all the more utterly spot on for it.

[Asprilla 96]

I really don't understand it. Surely you need to have a reasonable level of intelligence to write for a daily national newspaper? This article ignores nearly all the facts and infers that Ashley has achieved anything at all with Newcastle.

 

Our current 'strategy' is not sustainable.

 

and according to you, buying good footballers and paying the going rate isn't sustainable. You should make your mind up.

 

From a footballing perspective, selling your best players and hoping to replace them on the cheap (if that is what we do in this window) isn't sustainable.

 

From a financial perspective, paying money we can't afford for players isn't sustainable.

 

I would like us to find a middle way. However, that doesn't appear to fit in with your black and white view of the world.

 

Simply put and all the more utterly spot on for it.

 

There really is no more that needs to be said on the matter than this.