A separate and more focused thread on Newcastle's success this year....

[gene hughes]

We could do worse than just hiring a private detective to find out who Newcastle are looking at buying in the summer.

 

[FoxForceFive]

We could do worse than just hiring a private detective to find out who Newcastle are looking at buying in the summer.

Or just buying that scout dude who scouted their players, that's what I'd do.

 

[Fabio]

I'd it just teams with black and white stripes? Newcastle, udinese... OK that's it


We should kidnap their scouts

 

[livvy145]

I'd it just teams with black and white stripes? Newcastle, udinese... OK that's it


We should kidnap their scouts

We'd end up with Notts County's scouts if that was the case

 

[gene hughes]

Lads try to stay on topic, we're having a focused discussion on Newcastle's success in here. The last thing we want is this thread getting out of hand like the last Newcastle one. If you want to discuss Notts Country or Udinese we can set up separate threads for those.

 

[Rosco]

Gene we're looking for a new mod, you in ?

 

[gene hughes]

No thanks Rosco, although I'm very flattered, I think I can do more good on this side of the thin blue line. I don't need a badge to make me do the right thing, that's what mothers, flags and children's eyeballs are for.

 

[Fabio]

We'd end up with Notts County's scouts if that was the case

... They bought anyone good??

 

[the count]

I'd rather not buy any more players from Newcastle thanks very much.

 

[gene hughes]

I don't think that was suggested in here Count, actually that's probably a discussion for a separate thread. In fact, what was suggested was that rather than buying from Newcastle it might be worthwhile gazzumping them.

 

[the count]

I don't think that was suggested in here Count, actually that's probably a discussion for a separate thread. In fact, what was suggested was that rather than buying from Newcastle it might be worthwhile gazzumping them.

I would sooner gazzump Man City, Barca and Real if you don't mind

 

[livvy145]

I would sooner gazzump Man City, Barca and Real if you don't mind

I think you should start another thread about that

 

[gene hughes]

Ideally three, we can't be talking about three separate clubs in the same thread, it's nonsense.

 

[Fabio]

Ideally three, we can't be talking about three separate clubs in the same thread, it's nonsense.

Tbh I'm struggling to follow what's happening

 

[the count]

I see the competition for the next mod is hotting up.
That will need another thread too I suppose

 

[Fabio]

See, potentially 4 threads in here

*shakes head*

 

[Buddha]

NHS reforms. Badger culling. Soapy tit wanks.

 

[jexykrodic]

We could do worse than just hiring a private detective to find out who Newcastle are looking at buying in the summer.

Newcastle haven't had any success this year.

They are going to finish in mid-table as are we. This makes looking at who they might buy pointless.

 

[Rouge Penguin]

They need to sell Tim Krul to Arse/Scum for £25m first.

 

[Delinquent]

NHS reforms. Badger culling. Soapy tit wanks.

I think you want the General forum mate.

 

[OLD_Lewy]

i had a dream last night that i was watching liverpool play some amazing football, then our striker scored a belter goal, turned out it was demba ba

 

[King Binny]

When Mike Ashley bought the club in 2007 for £130m and granted an interest-free loan of £100m in 2008 rising to £140m at present, he was immediately caught up in football's brainless bubble. There were 'PAs for PAs', an annual wage bill that reached 91 per cent of turnover and a flawed recruitment policy.

When Ashley arrived in the North East, annual interest payments and bank charges were a staggering £6.5m. That figure has been reduced to £212,000. The club save £200,000 a year using an in-house cleaning team at the stadium and the training centre, but make more money outsourcing the catering in the hospitality suites.

Recently they won an award for reducing carbon emissions, saving £400,000 a year in power supplies. If an employee does not turn off a light or leaves his computer on after work, an alarm sounds in the facility manager's office so that they know who is responsible.

This is Ashley's business model, unashamedly brought in from the nerve centre of retail giant Sports Direct. He hates waste. When Ashley is not satisfied, he isn't afraid to pick up the phone or fire off an email demanding improvements. Now Newcastle continually review, rehabilitate and then reset.

Ashley works on an 80:20 principle, placing his trust in managing director Derek Llambias to oversee the administration and operation of the club (20 per cent), plus the football (80 per cent). Their popularity ebbs and flows, confusing outsiders because it rarely tallies with anything that is happening on the field.

Until recently, Ashley bought into the myth that Newcastle had to pay a premium to convince players to move to the North East. It drove prices higher and forced him to authorise bigger wages. After nearly five years in charge he will no longer succumb to temptation, trimming the wage bill to 60-65 per cent of turnover and fantasising about the unlikely day when it will be as low as 50.

With the exception of the team bonuses agreed with the squad at the start of the season, Llambias rarely commits to incentives in individual players' contracts. The strikeforce do not have a bonus for scoring or assisting in goals; and Newcastle's defence would not have been specially rewarded for their clean sheet against Liverpool, beyond their regular weekly salary. Occasionally, 'a 2' will be incentivised as part of his package to try to push his established rival out of the team.