Playing with Fire

From the day that Keegangate erupted, our relationship with the Ashley regime has went through stormy seas with very few calm waters in between with feelings in our cap not far from boiling point at the best of times...

The feeling that they think we aren't intelligent fans who know business and maths is probably not far from the actual truth with their attempts at justifying the business plan not wasted in a 'Carry on' film script. The difference being that we remember what we write or spout.. They don't with their stories changing with the wind..

Anyway,the feeling on our forum is best summed up in the words of the poster who wrote their piece and this from Platini is an example of the mood.

Talking about the article in relation to where the Andy Carroll fee is going he said [i]'I noticed that at no point in that article did they mention the £2.5mill p.a. they are saving on Carroll's wages.

The Tiote wage increase is more than covered by the savings on Carroll's wages. So strike that.

Nolan's outgoing transfer fee is a kick in the arse off Cabeye's incoming fee, so strike that too.

We'll have to do some guessing on wages here, but savings on...

Nolan 45k?

Campbell 30k?

Kuqi £10k?

So £75k a week saved there + whoever else leaves.

Now, the wages cost of Ba, Cabeye, Marveaux & Abeid. Speculative to say the least.

What is our ceiling now, because the alleged Tiote deal seemed to have blown away the figure for new contracts?

Ba must be on decent, as his agent is a twat and he's a money grabber. Free's generally get a better deal. £40k

Cabeye - French international with good prospects £40k?

Marvelous Marveaux the magician - Knackered and on a free. Not so much interest around the world. £25k?

Abeid - just a kid £5k?

A total of £110k

So that's 110-75 = £35k a week extra = £1.8mill

I'm not going to include years 2-5, as Smith's enormouis contract coming off the wage bill will more than cover that.

So we've basically spent £1.8mill + agents & signing on fees (which as Pedro mentioned is something we weren't going to be held to ransom to) + work at the ground.

Maybe £2-3mill? fees + £1mill pitch + £1.8mill =£5-6mill approx.



There seems to be this view that we on this board are demanding that all the £35mill be spent on players, and right NOW! I can't speak for anybody else, but I'd guess most of us would be satisfied with spending a fair chunk of it at some point this summer on good targets at a decent price.

The issue most of us have is not that it isn't all spent, but that there's this constant need to lie, and continually change the goalposts.

And spin such as this which tries to go some way to making out that we've already spent a fair chunk of this £35million is what sticks in the throat.

Don't make out that it's ok to include the work on the pitches etc. as part of the £35mill.

Don't casually forget the saving of £2.5mill a year on Carroll's wages.

Don't say you aren't prepared to be held to ransom by agents fees and signing on fees, and THEN claim that they are a massive part of the expense.

STOP FUCKING us about and playing spin games, and maybe we 'might' start to trust you.

And incidentally, I don't care if you start paying yourself back some of that £100+mill... Please feel welcome to do it, if we can have a few decent singings out of the £35mill, as I know it will hasten your departure.

The smaller the price tag we are, the more attractive a buy we become.[/i]



Platini continued in the same thread with.. [i] This is the same man who said he wouldn't be held to ransom on transfer fees, wages, agents fees and signing on fees..

Now suddenly we're supposed to believe he's lashing out millions left right and centre on these very things?

How many different ways does he want to have all this?

'We're not going to be held to ransom on players wages and fees'

'We've shelled out millions and billions on players and agents fees'



Take your pick...

/i]

Anyway, pro Ashley or not, join the debate in the thread linked below or join in on our forum for many other debates serious or other..

Read more: http://www.newcastle.vitalfootball.co.uk/forum/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=12261&posts=33#ixzz1RQX5G0nD

Click here to join in the debate on the club forum.