Forget respectability under Ashley. The former shirt sponsors put paid to that. It seems fairly unanimous that in the long term, we want him out of our club.
Why I advocated a manager like Rafa or Mourinho 4 months before Rafa was appointed (3 days after Rafa came onto the market) was to get Ashley out at a price he would accept. I still think it would be the best way to get rid of him.
The alternative is to wait for yet another relegation without a quick rebound and see him lose loads with a shell of a club, the sort of club that Leeds, Blackburn, even 1973 FA Cup winners and others have been for years, with who knows how long to recover.
For me, it is quite poignant that we got past West Brom. Sir Bobby against Megson was my father's last match at SJP after his first cancer diagnosis and my son's first match at SJP. 4 cancers later, this season is the last chance for Dad to see NUFC win a major trophy, hoping he lasts until May.
On a side note, in one of his interviews, Ashley did say that he would go after NUFC win a trophy or Champions League slot.
An FA Cup win could be a win/win all around. A day out at Wembley advertises what fantastic support our club generates, showing prospective buyers what potential our club has. It also gives Ashley a get out.
Regardless of the divided opinion over Hall, we got our club back once. We can do it again. Let's get on with trying to win a cup and advertise ourselves to a decent buyer.