Wouldn't want him. Sure he has done well and is a very intelligent manager, but I don't like his all-foreign player approach or his attitude/demeanor.
If you read back through all the manager speculation, you will see that I didnt want Allardyce either.
Can we get to the day we at least know that FFS is officially gone? [impatiently ticks another day off the calendar]
Can we fire him a month into the next season the send him cards asking "How does it feel when it happens to YOU?"
Seems like an eccentric fellow, but I love this: "Ashley turned whistleblower on industry rivals in 2000, handing the Office of Fair Trading evidence of business meetings held by sports retailers to fix the price of football shirts. Ashley attended a meeting at the Cheshire home of David Hughes, the chairman of now bankrupt rival Allsports. At the meeting Dave Whelan, the founder of JJB Sports, reportedly told Ashley: 'There's a club in the north son, and you're not part of it.'" That shows he's a stand up guy. Either that, or his business savvy, I'm sure that that whistleblowing hurt is competitors. Both traits will help us out a ton. This seems a bit strange, though, it makes me wonder if he even exists: "According to Guardian newspaper: 'The secretive billionaire is thought to live alone in a large house on the edge of a Hertfordshire village. The building is hidden by trees, and CCTV cameras keep watch over the locked gates at the entrance to the half-mile drive. Ashley's neighbours say they never see him. At the nearby pub, nobody has heard of him. When the local newspaper attempted to find out more about him a few months ago, they eventually resorted to placing an advert in their own pages appealing for information - No one responded.'" It appears that J.D. Salinger has bought the club. I'm not quite sure that I like that pic being associated with the article that it was. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0620_050620_sportsriots.html
Yeah, I should have used him, he's a much better author. On another note, I knew a relative of Salinger. He was a wannabe beat poet. He wore black clothes and sunglasses all the time, chain smoked, went to spoken word poetry jams and the like. Nice guy, a bit wierd, wasn't that talented though. So what does all this really mean for the club? Anybody heard what the new strategy or plan is? Is the idea to infuse money, shake things up with cuts and acquisitions?
I've tried not to buy into any talk as to what he is planning to do. The only way Ashley would be a negative change is if he decides to burn St James to the ground. Whatever else he might do would be a step up from the last management. Sad that Shepherd has stayed on but I bet this is the conversation between Ashley and Shepherd: Ashley: We want your shares, we are willing to give you 101 pence-per-share. Shepherd: (thinks) Well Fred, the money sounds nice, but I can't give up the only power I have left in my life) Ok, I'll sell you the shares, but I want to remain Chairman Ashley: (Thinks) Haha clown, just agree to it and never listen to the idiot) Sure.
Let's hope that's how it goes. What's funnier than a fired FFS? How about one that's kept on as an impotent figurehead who thinks he's still important but actually the boardroom jester!
Oh come on, you guys honestly think Ashley takes him seriously? I bet he just felt bad for him in his hospital bed. It would not surprise me in the least if he told Ashley he wouldn't sell unless he could stay on. But Ashley is intelligent enough to realize after he sells his shares it really doesn't matter. I hope I'm right at least, the last thing this club wants is FF making decisions. It would be great if Ashley gave him little projects to do though. Or told him he could set the beer prices at SJP. It's almost funnier that Shepherd stayed on. No way in hell he's allowed to make important decisions. (Wishful thinking yes, but I do really believe it)
This was a face saving move for Freddy. I doubt he'll be making any decisions starting Monday. You don't become a billionaire by making foolish decisions.
Ashley controls 77% now The club is now under control of Mike Ashley and is set to exit the stock market and return to private ownership. I expect in the next few weeks a director of football operations to be put in place with Freddy Shepard merely cashing a paycheck for the next two years or being paid the equivalent in severance. Now it's time to find out the repercussions of the bung scandal for both club and manager.
Ashley to probe Shepherd role in buy-out clauses Looks like he's set to probe the way negotiations are handled, as well as the way that the club do business, as eight of the 17 transfers in question under the Lord Stevens Inquiry involve Allardyce or FFS.
Looks like Ashley doesn't like the current board and will be making some wholesale changes. http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/...objectid=19344693&siteid=50081-name_page.html
who would like the board when its fat freddys kids? i mean nufc was a real mom and pop run club maybe now we can have some experienced members who care about how its run and not doing daddys bidding. ******** fat freddy, kik his ass out the door and drag his ass out of newcastle
Apparently Ashley thinks enough of Fat Freddy's football contacts that he's rejected the bastard's resignation, but the rest of the board is gone.
I don't think it matters that much. He will be outnumbered and any typical Fat Fred moves he tries to make will be rejected. I don't know much about him (not many people do), but Ashley is clearly a very smart businessman and I'm sure he surrounds himself with the best. Maybe it's unwarranted, but I really have a lot of faith in what he's doing right now. He could have easily gotten rid of FFS, but decided to keep him around. Everyone hates on him (for good reason), but it wasn't just complete luck that got Freddy to the top...he must be good for something. It looks as though whatever skills he does have are valuable enough to keep him around. If it is simply for his contacts, then once this new crew gets its feet wet in the footballing world, he will be gone. Needless to say, I am not too worried by his presence.
He probably has alot of friends in the football world that Ashely doesn't want to piss off right away. Plus, like in politics were there are always transition teams, I bet that once Ashley's people get to know the club, Fat Fred will gracefully retire.
I'm also sure Fat Freddy getting 10 million compensation for Owen's injury probably had sopmething to do with it.