Come here to laugh at Nu-Castle

[Jenny Talia]

Reports today that the deposits paid and we're just waiting for the PL and FA to ratify the deal. Could take 3-4 weeks though.

I can't see on what basis they would refuse to ratify, so I guess it is a done deal.

It will be interesting to see what the new owners have in mind. Depending on what they are planning there is a "case for the defence". A lot of the media and social media reaction has been a bit knee jerk, the anti-Saudi feelings run pretty deep and Saudi public diplomacy is generally a disaster.

 

[This Fish]

I can't see on what basis they would refuse to ratify, so I guess it is a done deal.

It will be interesting to see what the new owners have in mind. Depending on what they are planning there is a "case for the defence". A lot of the media and social media reaction has been a bit knee jerk, the anti-Saudi feelings run pretty deep and Saudi public diplomacy is generally a disaster.

They'll just flat out not answer questions about the regime. Or they'll trot out some carefully prepared non-answer answer. I'd assume.

The Saudi regime should answer for it's actions, but to governments and international courts, not Barry Glendenning after a midweek game at Wolverhampton.

 

[superstaryid]

They'll just flat out not answer questions about the regime. Or they'll trot out some carefully prepared non-answer answer. I'd assume.

The Saudi regime should answer for it's actions, but to governments and international courts, not Barry Glendenning after a midweek game at Wolverhampton.

It's all political, these football takeovers and Anthony Joshua fights are the Saudis attempting to improve their image through sport's washing

 

[Blanchflower]

Not going to be as easy as they think to get Newcastle up to CL standard - Man Utd have basically had an unlimited budget and are a big draw to the current age group of players from past successes and they still can't crack it on any consistent basis.

They will perhaps get to the same level as Wolves easily enough, although Everton have failed to do this despite spending shitloads, but the next step is huge.

 

[Brian Fantana]

What the buy a bloke a yacht way?

The tax exile furloughing staff way.

Neither are a good look but pale into insignificance when compared to countries where it’s illegal to be gay or women get stoned to death for being raped for example.

 

[Airfixx]

Neither are a good look but pale into insignificance when compared to countries where it’s illegal to be gay or women get stoned to death for being raped for example.

scott & John Thomas have shown time and time again they refuse to acknowledge the difference.

JT openly welcomes a blood-money/human rights abuse regime.... Anyone that doesn't is just a slut for the so-called zero-net spend trophy and a Levy apologist apparently.

 

[This Fish]

It's all political, these football takeovers and Anthony Joshua fights are the Saudis attempting to improve their image through sport's washing

It 100% is sportswashing. Don't think many thinking Newcastle fans would argue any different. There'll be three camps, a decent sized minority who'll leap to the defence of the Saudis in a "SUPPORT THA TEEM" response, a small minority who can't stomach it (and fair play to them and the courage of their convictions), and the vast majority who can will happily criticise the Saudi regime, while still wanting the blood money to propel the club from the doldrums. I'm in the latter camp. don't get me wrong, I'd love to be taken over by an owner who made untold fortunes through altruistic good deeds, but lets be honest, few billionaires are wealthy by virtuous means.

Not going to be as easy as they think to get Newcastle up to CL standard - Man Utd have basically had an unlimited budget and are a big draw to the current age group of players from past successes and they still can't crack it on any consistent basis.

They will perhaps get to the same level as Wolves easily enough, although Everton have failed to do this despite spending shitloads, but the next step is huge.

You're definitely right, the CL may be a leap too far for the foreseeable. The best models are yours (to a point), Leicester and Wolves. Appoint the right men, recruit well and make progress. From an outsiders view, your issues seem to lie with those with ultimate power being unwilling, or unable(?) to kick on? I thought Pochettino was a match made in heaven for you, but he either wasn't trusted, or wasn't supported in the transfer deals.

He's certainly a manger I'd love to see manging our lot, whether he'd join a midtable club in flux with ambitions and aspirations, but no European football on the horizon, is another thing entirely.

 

[Airfixx]

It 100% is sportswashing. Don't think many thinking Newcastle fans would argue any different. There'll be three camps, a decent sized minority who'll leap to the defence of the Saudis in a "SUPPORT THA TEEM" response, a small minority who can't stomach it (and fair play to them and the courage of their convictions), and the vast majority who can will happily criticise the Saudi regime, while still wanting the blood money to propel the club from the doldrums

So essentially 2 camps then:

1) Those with courage of their convictions as you put it.
2) Those lacking in said conviction.

.....Your 1 & 3 are as good as being one and the same.

 

[scott]

Neither are a good look but pale into insignificance when compared to countries where it’s illegal to be gay or women get stoned to death for being raped for example.

Yeah. I just think you judge it on its own merits. Rather than just say well they are worse. Our owners are bad. Just because some others are worse it doesn't detract from what ours is.

 

[Blanchflower]

From an outsiders view, your issues seem to lie with those with ultimate power being unwilling, or unable(?) to kick on? I thought Pochettino was a match made in heaven for you, but he either wasn't trusted, or wasn't supported in the transfer deals.

He's certainly a manger I'd love to see manging our lot, whether he'd join a midtable club in flux with ambitions and aspirations, but no European football on the horizon, is another thing entirely.

Our entire past under Levy has followed broadly the same pattern where a manager takes us to a certain point, and then either through Levy not backing them, them having their own limitations, or a mixture of both it starts to go wrong and they leave. We often then take one step backwards for a short while, before then taking two steps forward.

Really can't see Pochettino going to Newcastle - he won't have to wait long for one of the really big club jobs.

 

[This Fish]

So essentially 2 camps then:

1) Those with courage of their convictions as you put it.
2) Those lacking in said conviction.

.....Your 1 & 3 are as good as being one and the same.

Not really, group one are wilfully ignorant of the regime, group three are aware and critical.

 

[This Fish]

Our entire past under Levy has followed broadly the same pattern where a manager takes us to a certain point, and then either through Levy not backing them, them having their own limitations, or a mixture of both it starts to go wrong and they leave. We often then take one step backwards for a short while, before then taking two steps forward.

Really can't see Pochettino going to Newcastle - he won't have to wait long for one of the really big club jobs.

Seems like in Ashley we had a bargain basement version of Levy, minus the steps forward.

No, I doubt we'd be attractive to Pochettino unless we became a club with genuine ambitions of competing for the CL Spots and domestic trophies. By the time that happens I'd fully expect him to be already at a top club. Genuniely thought he'd go to Man Utd, but they've inexplicably hitched their wagon to Solskjaer for the moment.

 

[Blanchflower]

Seems like in Ashley we had a bargain basement version of Levy, minus the steps forward.

No, I doubt we'd be attractive to Pochettino unless we became a club with genuine ambitions of competing for the CL Spots and domestic trophies. By the time that happens I'd fully expect him to be already at a top club. Genuniely thought he'd go to Man Utd, but they've inexplicably hitched their wagon to Solskjaer for the moment.

I think it gives their board an easy 'get out' - he's popular with the fans, and they've set themselves as being a club concentrating on bringing through younger players.......a very convenient excuse for not winning things

 

[Col_McCafferty]

It 100% is sportswashing. Don't think many thinking Newcastle fans would argue any different. There'll be three camps, a decent sized minority who'll leap to the defence of the Saudis in a "SUPPORT THA TEEM" response, a small minority who can't stomach it (and fair play to them and the courage of their convictions), and the vast majority who can will happily criticise the Saudi regime, while still wanting the blood money to propel the club from the doldrums. I'm in the latter camp. don't get me wrong, I'd love to be taken over by an owner who made untold fortunes through altruistic good deeds, but lets be honest, few billionaires are wealthy by virtuous means.

You're definitely right, the CL may be a leap too far for the foreseeable. The best models are yours (to a point), Leicester and Wolves. Appoint the right men, recruit well and make progress. From an outsiders view, your issues seem to lie with those with ultimate power being unwilling, or unable(?) to kick on? I thought Pochettino was a match made in heaven for you, but he either wasn't trusted, or wasn't supported in the transfer deals.

He's certainly a manger I'd love to see manging our lot, whether he'd join a midtable club in flux with ambitions and aspirations, but no European football on the horizon, is another thing entirely.

What a load of bollocks.

Still if you end up winning a pot or two I doubt most Geordies will give a shit but your proposed new owners are pretty vile.

 

[scott]

It 100% is sportswashing. Don't think many thinking Newcastle fans would argue any different. There'll be three camps, a decent sized minority who'll leap to the defence of the Saudis in a "SUPPORT THA TEEM" response, a small minority who can't stomach it (and fair play to them and the courage of their convictions), and the vast majority who can will happily criticise the Saudi regime, while still wanting the blood money to propel the club from the doldrums. I'm in the latter camp. don't get me wrong, I'd love to be taken over by an owner who made untold fortunes through altruistic good deeds, but lets be honest, few billionaires are wealthy by virtuous means.

You're definitely right, the CL may be a leap too far for the foreseeable. The best models are yours (to a point), Leicester and Wolves. Appoint the right men, recruit well and make progress. From an outsiders view, your issues seem to lie with those with ultimate power being unwilling, or unable(?) to kick on? I thought Pochettino was a match made in heaven for you, but he either wasn't trusted, or wasn't supported in the transfer deals.

He's certainly a manger I'd love to see manging our lot, whether he'd join a midtable club in flux with ambitions and aspirations, but no European football on the horizon, is another thing entirely.

Thats the problem with our model, it won't get you to the next level. You need to back the manager more & invest more to do that. We didn't do that with poch & it all fall apart for us. Only so far you can take a team with our model. I think poch took us to the peak point. We won't beat top 4 most seasons & a CL final without changing our model.

 

[Airfixx]

Not really, group one are wilfully ignorant of the regime, group three are aware and critical.

If you insist upon seeing it that way, then #3 are hypocrites and thus as I defined (much like #1) lack the conviction of #2... Ergo in any significant terms we are back to there being 2 groups.

 

[SpiderSpurs]

The end of the season...


Might as well decide now!

 

[Blanchflower]

The end of the season...


Might as well decide now!

Made me LOL that.....the end of the season might have been 4 weeks ago

 

[This Fish]

What a load of bollocks.

Still if you end up winning a pot or two I doubt most Geordies will give a shit but your proposed new owners are pretty vile.

Which bit is bollocks?

And yes, they are. We're not new to villains, but these are less Dickensian, more Bond.

Thats the problem with our model, it won't get you to the next level. You need to back the manager more & invest more to do that. We didn't do that with poch & it all fall apart for us. Only so far you can take a team with our model. I think poch took us to the peak point. We won't beat top 4 most seasons & a CL final without changing our model.

Had Pochettino been backed, how far do you believe he could have taken you?

If you insist upon seeing it that way, then #3 are hypocrites and thus as I defined (much like #1) lack the conviction of #2... Ergo in any significant terms we are back to there being 2 groups.

3 aren't hypocrites, unless you live in a world of moral absolutism. Don't want to get into whataboutery, but we're all hypocrites unless we don't use Twitter, Uber, Nike, Amazon, Apple, and so on and so forth. The third group are just pragmatists. This is the nature of the world we live in, this is the nature of the sport we love.

 

[Col_McCafferty]

Which bit is bollocks?

And yes, they are. We're not new to villains, but these are less Dickensian, more Bond.


Had Pochettino been backed, how far do you believe he could have taken you?


3 aren't hypocrites, unless you live in a world of moral absolutism. Don't want to get into whataboutery, but we're all hypocrites unless we don't use Twitter, Uber, Nike, Amazon, Apple, and so on and so forth. The third group are just pragmatists. This is the nature of the world we live in, this is the nature of the sport we love.

Sounds like you're trying to convince yourself to me mate.