Mike Williamson has always been a very positive player, and in his interview today, he is again very positive and has said that Newcastle want to be a top seven team, but that top six is out of our reach because of the budgets involved.
Mike Ashley – top seven club?
That’s the first time we have heard that Newcastle wan to be a top seven team, but of course that may be perfect for Mike Ashley, because we don’t think Mike wants to compete in the Europa League, because it would be like the local cups, and put pressure on our Premier League games.
The very last thing Ashley wants is for Newcastle to be relegated – remember that – and it even seems to explain a lot of the owner’s actions.
This is what Mike Williamson has said today in an interview with Shoot magazine:
“The strength of the league is phenomenal and I think if you look at the budgets we’re miles apart from the top teams, but it’s a target for the not too distant future because we’re looking to build every year.”
“We want to cement ourselves as a top-seven team, and the manager and everyone else is working so hard to make that a reality.” “He certainly has the right credentials. He’s come in and in terms of the teams, we have been building.”
“We’ve had some difficult periods over the last four or five years, but in terms of consistency, training discipline, structure and mentality, he’s the right man and there are exciting times ahead.”
“He’s a fantastic manager. He’s got a wealth of experience at every level and he’s the focal point of the club, so he is going to come in for criticism at a big club with the expectations we have.”
“People are entitled to their opinion because they come along and support the team.” “Sometimes it can be a bit fierce, but that’s the industry we are in, and we’re just trying to communicate that we’re trying all we can to get that win.”
“We’ve got the same goals as the fans and if it’s a case of blocking it out then that’s what we need to do.” “The manager has actively been trying to rectify this because we want St James’ Park to be a fortress.”
” It’s a fantastic stadium and the fans are incredibly loud.”
It’s not by accident that Mike mentions we want to be a top seven club, so that’s what Alan Pardew must be telling the players during his training and talks with the squad.
And we’re a little surprised there are exciting times ahead, and to think we were thinking we will have another hard and long season through next May, and even fighting relegation this season.
It’s something Alan Shearer even talked about yesterday.
But hey, we hope Mike’s right, and that we get an uptick in our results over the next few games.
If we can get away from the bottom of the table, we’d be a lot happier and a lot more relaxed too. :D.
What do you think?
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107 comments so far
70TWO
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:30 PM
Comment #81magscar ’65
A different topic, but I don’t believe the transfer blue print is ‘outdated’. IMO it is the same as any other European club that is not challenging for the CL. However it does rely too heavily on untypical excessive fees and the nonreality of a limited supply of potential young players with the right quality to attract CL clubs. Plus does not recognise that young players are improved through the experience of good senior professionals.
Small World
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:33 PM
Comment #82Ancient optic
What do you not understand about running a business? (Sorry to be so rude – simply echoing your phrase). The loan was repaid as soon as he walked in the door. He put his own cash into His own business by the most tax efficient means. Unless he pays himself back – which hasn’t appeared to have done to date (we need this years accounts) to prove that -it is a nominal soft loan done for tax purposes.It was adequately explained by 70Two. As long as it is tax beneficial he’ll keep it that way and have the ‘loan’ appear as a liability to the person he sells the club to. In other words he paid it off and he’ll have the next owner pay for it. The club have the debt removed. Again FWIW I have on occasions loaned money to myself from by business and on other occasions have loaned the business money from my own pocket. Nothing like onthe Ashley scale, but I can see what he is doing. What about you?
Toon-Prodigy
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:38 PM
Comment #83The problem with Mike Ashley is he does not want to spend unless he seriously has to do it. There is a lack of consideration for the footballing side of the club.
He is not a football man and is in no way worthy of running such a club.
He has made billions through his advertising scheme through other channels of using NUFC which completely offsets his loan that benefitted himself anyway. Which he wants back from the sale of the club.
This debt is his reasoning and grip on the club but is completely bollocks for me.
He is not taking good care of this football club and has zero ambition. He only wants to stay in this league to take the spoils, totally unnacceptable.
toonking
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:42 PM
Comment #84mike williamson is probably right when he says we’ll be a top 7 infact we already are top 7!
TOP 7 for SD advertising and PROFIT.
but top 7 for premier league should be bottom 7 more like and it will stay bottom 7 until ashley himself leaves.
toon kk
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:43 PM
Comment #85We can’t compete for the simple reason we have a sh.t squad and a manager not upto the job. The table doesn’t lie we belong in the bottom three.
Mash took a gamble but not all bets win.
MA doesn’t deserve a premier league club anyway.
optimistic prime
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:44 PM
Comment #86JFA
I reckon Ashley’s saving up to buy Messi and Bale.
Wayayman
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:48 PM
Comment #87What you are all not mentioning regarding the ‘debt’ that Ashley paid is that
1) The debt the club had only came to light too late for Ashley because of his failure to do due dilligence.
2) Regardless of who runs what Ltd Company (I do as well) a debt paid by one of it’s directors then means that THE COMPANY owes that director.
This debt that we’re arguing over (or picking bones out of) DOES mean that Ashley will want it repaying when he sells the club. He will just add it to the value of the club. That prices us out of the market for and good businessman/women to make a viable offer.
70TWO
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:48 PM
Comment #88Small World
Someone said yesterday that the TV money equates to the squad wages and there would be very little remaining. I think they did not realise that the wages were approximately the same as the previous year, in which we made a profit. Presumably we will make about the same profit again, plus the extra TV money (that has been added to the previous season) and with previous profits equals a healthy bank balance. The only large outlay is for the new training complex (£26M?) and as you say potentially replacing the coaching staff (£10M?).
Ancientcoptic
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:49 PM
Comment #89Small World – All very interesting, but the point at hand was the use of “Ashley has paid off the debt.” Which he hasn’t.
Ashley can either start taking the debt he is owed back out of the club, or he can sell the club with the debt. If he sells the club with the debt, the new owner/owners will then either retrieve the debt from the club, or again, sell it to somebody else with the debt.
Or maybe Ashley wiped out all our debts, and we are debt free?
I have to say, you seem to be confusing quite a simple issue.
Wayayman
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:52 PM
Comment #90While we’re at it Top 7? That means there are siz clubs with more financial clout than us in the league at the moment. I can think of these four who definitely have,
Man U
Man C
Arsenal
Chelsea
the rest have less gate receipts than us, smaller stadiums, higher wage turnover (cos we pay less than a lot of prem clubs) so who are these other 2 or 3 teams we’re competing against? We’re only less competitive in the market because we have a tight owner. That’s all.
Ancientcoptic
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:54 PM
Comment #91Just to add, it is the fans that will pay for these debts, debts that will stagnate longer while the club is lumbered with a relegation form manager & no income from advertising.
Some of the income will come from TV deals, but those deals are high because other teams in the league are entertaining, not us.
If the club/business is in debt, the customer pays for it. (Unless you believe Ashley is in the charity business)
Go toon gooooo
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Comment #92Everybody in this club at the moment fights about surviving in the PL,Mike fighting for Champions League.Realistic boy.
70TWO
Oct 14, 2014 at 2:59 PM
Comment #93Wayayman
I am not an accountant, businessman or lawyer and agree with most of what you say, you seem to suggest that it is common place for the debt to continue to exist with the director supplanting the bank. Is it possible for you to explain why it is still considered to be a debt when it is the owner of the asset that payed it off at the bank?
I think my confusion is derived from the difference between a director and an owner and that not all directors have ownership?
toon kk
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:03 PM
Comment #94Saying we’re going for top seven is absolutely ridiculous, I suppose some gullible fans might believe it.
We have a squad that would struggle in the championship.
I used to think we had a average squad, now you can clearly see its sh.t.
lesh
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:18 PM
Comment #9570TWO
Think of Ashley and the debt this way:
You have a loan with Wonga – say for an initial £1000;
Wonga’s charging you massive interest on the outstanding balance each month, even though you’re paying off say £200 each month. It’d take some time and a lot of money to clear that debt;
Mike Ashley, a knight in shining armour comes to your rescue and offers to help you clear the outstanding balance and whatever charges result – say £700 in total by lending you the money to do so. (What a kind man he is)
Now kind Mr Ashley, unlike that nasty Wonga, won’t charge you any interest on the £700 he loaned you and says he’s on no hurry to have it repaid.
You’re quids in, oooh thank you Mr Ashley!
But you’ve got him hanging around your neck, a millstone, an albatross. He’ll not let you go coz he cares so much for you and doesn’t want you ever to get into debt again.
What a nice, kind Mr Ashley.
mag92
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:21 PM
Comment #96Keeping the same two statuesque centre halves that were in the Championship side, will prove to be the difference between staying in the premier league and a return ticket to the championship.
lesh
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:22 PM
Comment #97If memory serves correctly and I may be very wrong, but didn’t Ashley clear the bank debts and the £130m was what he put in during the relegation season?
As I said, I may well be wrong
bills-son
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:24 PM
Comment #98JFA,
You’ve done that Hitlet and Stalin one to death.
🙂
mag92
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:27 PM
Comment #99Surely if you accrue debt on something that you own then isn’t the debt yours? Ashley owns Nufc so he is the debtor.
Klatoon
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:32 PM
Comment #100so is Rolando aarons back in contention?
70TWO
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:40 PM
Comment #101To summeries the opinions about the debt and conclude the topic:
Bill-son was pointing out that MA had removed the threat of ‘creditors’ and subsequent potential of insolvency, not that the debt did not still exist.
Ancientcoptic believes that it is an injustice that the debt still exists and that eventually, whoever the future owner, that it will need to be payed for by the club and by abstraction the fans.
Small World informs us that owners often loan money to their own businesses and is incentivised by tax relief.
70TWO thinks the continued level of the loan is an illusion only to alleviate minimal tax payments from his personal fortune.
Wayaman declares that money placed into a company by an owner is still considered debt that needs to be returned.
I would probably declare my own input to be the most ridiculous.
firebug666
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:40 PM
Comment #102The Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust have won the right to have the ground protected as an “asset of community value”
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/newcastle-united-fans-win-bid-7933688?
Small Victories are what wins the war.
70TWO
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:42 PM
Comment #103lesh @95
I am mentally scared by your analogy.
magscar
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:44 PM
Comment #10470wo@83
What I was driving at was that unlike most other blueprints ours doesn’t allow for importing for purely football reasons. For example a seasoned defender in his early 30’s with no resale value.
The blueprint is too rigid possibly because Ashley got his fingers burnt with Campbell under Hughton.
I was saying yesterday that it was a pity Ashley couldn’t identify a decent Football man whose judgement he could trust. IMO that would be a fantastic signing which would take us forward. JFK and similar is not what I am thinking before someone goes there.
magscar
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:46 PM
Comment #105Firebug666
Good on them. Wondered what had happened to that battle.
firebug666
Oct 14, 2014 at 3:48 PM
Comment #106magscar
I think NUST have been quiet because they are working on protecting the club and it’s remaining assets through legal channels.
But well done to them for a step in the right directions.
chuck
Oct 14, 2014 at 4:55 PM
Comment #107Williamson ?
What is this guy doing at the club, never mind what kind of mind altering drugs is he taking.
A guy who aught to be playing in the lower leagues, I mean why is he still here at this club ?
Obviously coming out with the statements, such as his belief that Pardew is a great manager, may have something to do with job security, as he is aware that any Parew replacement will likely sell him immediately.
It belies belief.