A Defining Time For The Club, Players & Fans... And Our Owners PIF.

This is shortened version of a comment Blog member Northumbrianexile has just posted and it struck a real chord with me and I have been drawn into reflection and reality on where NUFC are now.

Here are Northumbrianexile's comments and my replay follows;

Being about the same age as you (Colin) and walking onto the old poplar side of the ground as kid for the first time in 1961 that 24/25 season was one I’d waited for my whole life and the feelings were euphoric and I don’t think anyone could have foreseen such a meteoric crash... It’s very very sad is how I feel about it at the moment

I know how you feel, but unfortunately what has happened isn't a massive surprise to me.

Before PIF were even in the frame my belief was that no mega-rich owner would consider buying us because their ambitions would be the title and CL winners.

Why wouldn't they be interested in NUFC? Because to achieve their ambitions they would need to make a massive investment.. either buying the existing top players that the Big 6 would also want, or keeping those signings who turned into top players.

And IMO there was also another factor...

I know it;s a controversial point - and I used to argue all day long with my mate The Mighty Wyn about this...

But the fact is for the top players and their partners who are already multi- millionaires Newcastle isn't the place to give them the lifestyle they can afford - in fact many overseas players will have hardly heard of the place.

Plus, these young top players grew up watching the likes of Man U, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea dominating the PL and winning the CL - and those are the Prem teams they'll have dreamed of playing for.

My argument was that any new ambitious owner would have to outbid those teams for our targets and possibly have to pay 30%+ more in wages to persuade them to sign.

For those four reasons - status, location, transfer fees and wages - I couldn't see why a mega-rich buyer would choose us. It would carry massive costs and a big risk.

However, I was proven wrong - PIF came along.

But, the PL stitched PIF up by banning inter-company advertising as soon as the takeover went through - that pulled the financial clout rug out from underneath PIF's feet... and devastated their investment plans for the club.

Unfortunately, where my take was right is now coming home to roost.

Our top players - who we have developed - are leaving for the big boys and big wages, and the top players we targeted to take us to that next level are turning us down because we can't compete on wages, trophy potential and lifestyle.

The only way I see this changing is if - somehow - we up our revenues massively and become so consistently successful that top players can win the trophies and be paid top dollar with us - most will tread water on the lifestyle for a few seasons if that happens.

But, if that massive financial and trophy winning turnaround doesn't happen...

I don't see how we won't simply become a stepping stone for the young lads who become top quality... and then want to leave us for the trophies and big bucks elsewhere.

Plus, we will continue to be rejected by our top targets when the elite clubs come calling.

The one thing, Northumbrianexile, that we can find some solace in is that we old lads lived long enough to see us lift that trophy at Wembley.

I'd waited 64 years to see that day - the Fairs Cup win doesn't count because I wasn't in Hungary for the second leg when the trophy was presented.

Seriously, if I'd been on my deathbed and not seen us lift a cup at Wembley it would have been one of the greatest regrets of my life.

Plus, what is happening now isn't anywhere near as gut wrenching as losing the title to Man U in Keegan's time when we threw away a 10pt lead. I was totally devastated.

Now, we need to keep our expectations and emotions in check.

We could yet sign the players who will help us have a good season, we could yet win another cup... but as it stands with what has happened in the past 12 months a title is a non-starter and a CL place a long long shot.

My concern is that PIF may now be thinking the same ie., they are battling against location, club status, transfer fees and wages... and because they can't flex their financial muscle in the way that they planned... their ambitions cannot be achieved with NUFC.

This last 12 months hasn't just been a big reality check for club management, Eddie Howe, the players and us fans... but a massive one too for PIF.

In the bigger picture; how they react could be defining for the future of Newcastle United.

Until plans for upgrading SJP and the training ground are rubber stamped the jury is out.

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