Jump to content

The enigma that is Mike Ashley


Curtains

Recommended Posts

22 minutes ago, RipleyRich said:

IMO MA was never a serious contender.

The cost versus value and return just doesn't stack up and relegation to L1 just topped it off.

So that wasn't him pre-Christmas about to be announced by Qunatuma as PB then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

MA is a businessman first and foremost. If it did not make financial sense he would not have done it. Too much risk involved.

I imagine MA was interested but saw the state of the club with MM still with his fingers all over it. 

MA is a master of brinkmanship we will only see him again if we are days from going to the wall and he can pick us up for nothing. 

KC has ideologies to own a football club and apparently a passion for sport. He also messes with volotile and risky crypto so clearly is more open to a risky investment.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think if we had somehow managed to stay up this season Ashley would be our new owner. I think he saw the value in the club as a championship club, but not below that. He probably thought get in 4 or 5 loans and they could easily be playoffs the next year and somehow get to the premiership.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, PistoldPete said:

Er .. it ain’t over yet.  Ashley could bid for the stadium . Then what ? 

He could but if as has been said 2 parties are interested is he likely to be highest bidder? Also for CK to exchange contracts assume (but no idea) he knows who is progressing stadium purchase and happy with that and lease terms agreed in principle? I also would hope that Mel would not sell to him when he is almost free of all this which must be stressful (i am not sympathising just stating) if there is an equivalent offer that seems to take us forward more positively?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ashley clearly has a maximum price in mind that he is willing to pay - it seems CK is willing to pay more.

CK seems happy to take a punt by paying more than the club seems to be worth. I thank him for that, but I'm not sure I understand why he's doing it.....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Gaspode said:

Ashley clearly has a maximum price in mind that he is willing to pay - it seems CK is willing to pay more.

CK seems happy to take a punt by paying more than the club seems to be worth. I thank him for that, but I'm not sure I understand why he's doing it.....

Blimey the Twitter people think he’s not paying enough. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

His interest in us was the "distressed creditors" juices flowing in him.

I don't think he's remotely bothered about not buying us unless it was at the last gasp and who cares about the consequences.

Against a background of fans, community, team, coaching, local media and club staff doing everything to save the club, Ashley cynically waiting for all that to fail makes me sick.

For a history analogy, as the Red Army advanced through Poland in 1944, the population of Warsaw rose up against the Nazis, believing liberation was imminent. Stalin ordered his army to stop and wait whilst the rising in Warsaw was put down. Then moved his troops in. One of the second world war's most cynical acts. 

I know it's business. I know it's not personal. But I'd have really struggled to get behind him.

Hopefully cK can complete the deal and we can move on.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

https://www.knightfrank.com/research/article/2019-08-09-sports-direct-and-mike-ashley-secondguessing-an-enigma

"Infuriatingly for the City, Mr Ashley will always keep his cards close to his chest. Second-guessing his actual motives and long-term plans has become something of a national pastime, but largely a fool’s errand. There’s a tendency to read too much into what might well be an off-the-cuff comment. Does he really regret buying House of Fraser and think the business is in terminal decline? Again, I sincerely doubt it, but there’s no harm in keeping landlords, suppliers, the press and the City on their toes."

 

Edited by Curtains
Added section of article
Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, IslandExile said:

Was he though?

Or was it just rumour?

Genuine question.

Well Q went to the EFL with their 'cross-class cram' for the PB and got thrown out. Percy reckons it was MA with a bid for the Club and stadium, plus funds for Rooney. It was pre-transfer window and we were looking capable of staying in the Championship.

Who else was credible?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account.

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...