Newcastle Have Monetized Mediocrity

We really shouldn't complain.  Saddled under a bunch of ill-advised huge contracts to players beyond their prime or worse, the potential was set up for Newcastle United to take a dive down the divisions or even potentially complete financial ruin.  Within the Multiple Universe theory, there is a universe in which these things were not fixed and there is no Newcastle United.  On this level, yet another year of Record Profit (£18.7m, this time around) announced by the club should be greeted with accolades and adulation heaped upon our Very Successful Businessman Owner.

The reality is that we are stuck in fans' limbo.  For fans, the ultimate pay-off for our support is success on the field.  Trophies or challenging for league titles or qualifying for Europe on a regular basis at the least.  We are now stuck between the desire for this pay-off, the realization that it is unlikely that this pay-off will ever occur, and the realization that we could well be without a club if things were any different.  It is the ultimate expression of "be careful what you wish for".  A businessman will sometimes view a club as just that.  A business.  An investment.

As we are starting off derby week – which we have lost four times in a row and haven't won since 2011 – we are sitting pretty financially even if we are crap on the field.  Perhaps we can just show them our books and they'll concede the match this time around?