Club Sale | It’s done!

[mu4c_20le]

You just have to laugh at all the journos with their clear anti ME agendas/western washing.

Really? The one guy who hasn't been pro Qatar and you find it laughable?

I guess it's a matter of perspective. I agree with most of what they say, but if you have ties to the region or are pro ME for whatever reason, then you'll probably view it as western agenda.

 

[Raoul]

Exactly - Forbes actually have no idea whatsoever.
Actually quite ridiculous to claim a man of his political and business history who has been involved in so many high level deals is only worth $1bn

That's the standard at the moment. If he's worth 2 or 3 then where is it coming from ? Never mind the fact that its not him, but rather son that is allegedly attempting to "buy Man United outright". Where is his son getting the money from, if not from some degree of state backing ?

 

[MF1138]

Great article. No lies told. The more we peel back the onion on the moral perils of state ownership, the more we see what a calamitously dangerous idea it is for Man United to be involved with these people.

Whether they buy United of not this will all come to pass. Its where the game has been headed for a long time. Football sold it's soul long ago.The UK Government and the Football authorities simply don't care and show no signs that they ever will. And taking that all into account I can understand why there are plenty of United fans willing to just accept it as inevitable and go along with it.

 

[Raoul]

Whether they buy United of not this will all come to pass. Its where the game has been headed for a long time. Football sold it's soul long ago.The UK Government and the Football authorities simply don't care and show no signs that they ever will. And taking that all into account I can understand why there are plenty of United fans willing to just accept it as inevitable and go along with it.

Welcome to the mains.

 

[Giggsyking]

When is he quitting his job? or is the Saudi/Russian money too delicious.

 

[dove]

When is he quitting his job? or is the Saudi/Russian money too delicious.

He doesn't support his job so all the human rights concerns don't count, or so we were told in this thread. Nothing to see here.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Absolutely right - no one knows much and some in here know even less than that!

Sheikh Jassim apparently is also a genuine fan - Ratcliffe meanwhile had admitted to 'split loyalties' with Chelsea

When Ratcliffe spoke about “split loyalties” it was about the Chelsea bid due to him being a United fan.
Having executive facilities to entertain clients when you live in London aint the same as being a season ticket holder ffs. He’s not in the Shed End singing Chelsea songs man
He was there in 99 and has always maintained he’s a United fan. We have absolutely feck all idea who Jassim is, let alone a “genuine fan”.

 

[Member 125398]

feel free to show me any proof of this

Meanwhile you can educate yourself here: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201012/cmselect/cmcumeds/792/79205.htm

Cracking report, thank you. So owners could only take 5% pa, contrary to my earlier thoughts.

Off-topic but the section on the Football League is interesting too. A lot of people seem completely unaware of how successful our 'second tier' is, the 4th or 5th best supported league in Europe, not the 4th or 5th of the second tiers, the 4th or 5th of them all.

Debating politely and adjusting your opinion when confronted with new information is surely against the rules in this thread.

 

[stevoc]

Hence the hypocrisy. The other investor seems to be Putin's less successful cousin. Their career path is very similar

Which makes you wonder why Delaney is taking issue with one and not the other?

Yes, yes Delaney is a hypocrite, everyone that criticises Gulf states are yadda, yadda...

My point is if Delaney's a hypocrite because he works for a paper that is part owned by the Saudi state. Then it sounds like it will be the same case with United.

 

[stevoc]

Sure I read somewhere on here that his dad was moved aside from the Emir because, even for a Qatari, he had too much money, estimated to be $30bn +.

ME rulers are ALL corrupt! Not racist that, no sir. You're sounding just like the Wum now.

He'll need more than that to buy United as a new toy for one of his 15 children.

 

[MF1138]

Welcome to the mains.

Thanks... Only took me about 20 years

 

[Member 58925]

Ah, my bad, no conflict, then. You just think the guy working for the Saudis is anti-Saudi, then, yeah?

Curiouser and curiouser

 

[Raoul]

Thanks... Only took me about 20 years

Should''ve posted more often.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Is the source of the funds from the members of the Qatar royal family not backed by the state?


Unless this is a lie, the Malaga owner is part of the royal family, not some random businessman.

Every Al Thani is a member of the Royal family, but like I said the family consists of several thousand members so the name alone doesn't say much in Qatar. The Malaga owner is not seen as an important member of the family, more like a business man operating in the private sector and far away from the important Al Thani members.

They all have probably made their wealth on the back of state funding do some degree but I doubt he is getting funded by state now. The whole Malaga purchase was based on other interests in the real estate sector in the area; the state probably doesn't have much interest in the club at all which is why it probably went to shit pretty fast. That would obviously be different with United.

 

[NotThatSoph]

Curiouser and curiouser

Delaney wrote an article. A user accused Delaney of being anti Middle East. You engaged with fervor, because it gave you the opportunity to complain about whataboutism and war crimes and oil deals, as you do. Yet, it turns out, you don't know if Delaney is anti Middle East or not.

It's almost as if you don't actually care!

 

[devilish]

Yes, yes Delaney is a hypocrite, everyone that criticises Gulf states are yadda, yadda...

My point is if Delaney's a hypocrite because he works for a paper that is part owned by the Saudi state. Then it sounds like it will be the same case with United.

If Qatar buy us, we are cool with it, then Dubai buys lets say Liverpool and then we complain about that then yes we would be hypocrites. What many are doing though is not the case.

Let's give my side of things. When I was old enough to actually choose to support United we were the big spenders in the UK and the paupers outside of it. We could buy anyone in the EPL and yet we would fail to match a Fiorentina's player salary (Fiorentina were mid table/relegation Serie A side). That would not be an issue for someone who lived in the UK but it wasn't cool in Malta were half of the island support Italian clubs. Slowly we became the financial juggernaut we are today and then Sky came in to buy us. At the time Sky was seen as a cataclysmic game changer as if all ME nations had joined in to buy United. Many complained about competition issues and Murdock using United to push his politics and the deal went tits up.

That would be fair enough up if things remained like that. Which wasn't the case. Suddenly worse owners started buying clubs. These people were loaded and were turning shit clubs like Chelsea into powerhouses. Guess what? There was barely a whimper. Then Abu Dhabi bought City. Once again, they turned a club who was struggling to be competitive having even spent time at lower divisions into a powerhouse. Once again you barely heard anyone complaining about it let alone trying to stop it. But that's not all. United were bought by absolute leeches who saddled us with mountains of debt. There was no one to fight at our corner. To be more precise they actually laughed at us, claiming that the Glazers had actually spent money the team, even though it was a fragment of our money in the first place (the rest was spent on dividends and servicing their own debt)

To conclude I am against state ownership but first UEFA/FA must ban all oligarchs/states from owning (not just buying) football clubs. Until that happens, don't ask my club to keep on competing to this race with a broken foot. I'd respect genuine United fans (not superior/inferior we're not in some Nazi program) like yourself who share different views but I refuse to give credit to some idiot whose trying to teach me morals while he's contributing in making a pseudo Putin and a Saudi investor richer.

 

[Gavinb33]

The anti Delaney rhetoric is quite funny when you think probably 99% of this forum agreed with him when he has consistently written pieces of this ilk against Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudis at City, PSG and Newcastle respectively, but I guess because we need to twerk all out for the Qatari cash many are jumping on him for writing this piece about United when in reality it's just a continuation of what he has written in the recent past and the other state funded clubs.

 

[stevoc]

If Qatar buy us, we are cool with it, then Dubai buys lets say Liverpool and then we complain about that then yes we would be hypocrites. What many are doing though is not the case.

Let's give my side of things. When I was old enough to actually choose to support United we were the big spenders in the UK and the paupers outside of it. We could buy anyone in the EPL and yet we would fail to match a Fiorentina's player salary (Fiorentina were mid table/relegation Serie A side). That would not be an issue for someone who lived in the UK but it wasn't cool in Malta were half of the island support Italian clubs. Slowly we became the financial juggernaut we are today and then Sky came in to buy us. At the time Sky was seen as a cataclysmic game changer as if all ME nations had joined in to buy United. Many complained about competition issues and Murdock using United to push his politics and the deal went tits up.

That would be fair enough up if things remained like that. Which wasn't the case. Suddenly worse owners started buying clubs. These people were loaded and were turning shit clubs like Chelsea into powerhouses. Guess what? There was barely a whimper. Then Abu Dhabi bought City. Once again, they turned a club who was struggling to be competitive having even spent time at lower divisions into a powerhouse. Once again you barely heard anyone complaining about it let alone trying to stop it. But that's not all. United were bought by absolute leeches who saddled us with mountains of debt. There was no one to fight at our corner. To be more precise they actually laughed at us, claiming that the Glazers had actually spent money the team, even though it was a fragment of our money in the first place (the rest was spent on dividends and servicing their own debt)

To conclude I am against state ownership but first UEFA/FA must ban all oligarchs/states from owning (not just buying) football clubs. Until that happens, don't ask my club to keep on competing to this race with a broken foot. I'd respect genuine United fans (not superior/inferior we're not in some Nazi program) like yourself who share different views but I refuse to give credit to some idiot whose trying to teach me morals while he's contributing in making a pseudo Putin and a Saudi investor richer.

I'm not Delaney's biggest fan even if he does make some good points in that article.

I'm against state ownership and yes I agree the FA/PL/UEFA should have had rules in place to stop it but that ship has sadly sailed and now we are competing directly against clubs that are being financially doped by states. Still though I'd prefer United not to join them, if that means we are at a disadvantage so be it. Personally I believe United generate enough to compete with state backed clubs if we weren't being run by incompetent parasites who saddled us with their debt.

 

[devilish]

The anti Delaney rhetoric is quite funny when you think probably 99% of this forum agreed with him when he has consistently written pieces of this ilk against Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudis at City, PSG and Newcastle respectively, but I guess because we need to twerk all out for the Qatari cash many are jumping on him for writing this piece about United when in reality it's just a continuation of what he has written in the recent past and the other state funded clubs.

Sportswashing is bad but journalism washing is far worse. People reading the 'Independent' do so thinking that its actually Independent. Instead its owned by an ex KGB/Russian Oligarch whose sanctioned in Canada and a Saudi rich guy who has links with the crown. These are the sort of people that Delaney works for.

 

[JagUTD]

Thats just silly.

Are you saying that Raine Group has been hoodwinked?

Spoiler: Google is your friend

https://www.linkedin.com/in/h-e-sheikh-jassim-bin-mohamed-al-thani-3951a41a5/?originalSubdomain=qa

I'm definitely not laughing at the fact you got hoodwinked

 

[NotThatSoph]

The anti Delaney rhetoric is quite funny when you think probably 99% of this forum agreed with him when he has consistently written pieces of this ilk against Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Saudis at City, PSG and Newcastle respectively, but I guess because we need to twerk all out for the Qatari cash many are jumping on him for writing this piece about United when in reality it's just a continuation of what he has written in the recent past and the other state funded clubs.

I especially enjoy all the comments about how the reason he's scrutinizing Qatar is because he's owned by the Saudis, and therefore wants to attack United on behalf of Newcastle. Nevermind the fact that he has actively opposed the Saudi takeover of Newcastle, reality be damned.

 

[JagUTD]

If only they were crying this much when City and Newcastle were bought too.
If there is one thing I can't stand even more than a totalitarian reign, it's double standard.

There has been plenty of opposition to these States and their take overs.

 

[devilish]

I'm not Delaney's biggest fan even if he does make some good points in that article.

I'm against state ownership and yes I agree the FA/PL/UEFA should have had rules in place to stop it but that ship has sadly sailed and now we are competing directly against clubs that are being financially doped by states. Still though I'd prefer United not to join them, if that means we are at a disadvantage so be it. Personally I believe United generate enough to compete with state backed clubs if we weren't being run by incompetent parasites who saddled us with their debt.

That's your opinion and while I disagree with it (United is losing money and the infrastructure needs eye watering investment) I respect it and I respect you. TBF I am not anti Ratcliffe bid myself. Sure I don't believe that Ratcliffe is that savvy football man that can take us to new heights with a lower budget. But he's certainly a better option then the Glazers, Elliott and possibly Pagliuca as well (that option need to be scrutinised first though).

However I don't respect Delaney

 

[devilish]

I especially enjoy all the comments about how the reason he's scrutinizing Qatar is because he's owned by the Saudis, and therefore wants to attack United on behalf of Newcastle. Nevermind the fact that he has actively opposed the Saudi takeover of Newcastle, reality be damned.

Yet he's working with a newspaper with some really shady owners. The media is far more influential then any football club can be

 

[Gavinb33]

Sportswashing is bad but journalism washing is far worse. People reading the 'Independent' do so thinking that its actually Independent. Instead its owned by an ex KGB/Russian Oligarch whose sanctioned in Canada and a Saudi rich guy who has links with the crown. These are the sort of people that Delaney works for.

Does that make what he writes untrue?

 

[Member 58925]

Delaney wrote an article. A user accused Delaney of being anti Middle East. You engaged with fervor, because it gave you the opportunity to complain about whataboutism and war crimes and oil deals, as you do. Yet, it turns out, you don't know if Delaney is anti Middle East or not.

It's almost as if you don't actually care!

What I was actually referring to had nothing to do with Delaney ‘s bosses at the Independent. I didn’t even know they owner the newspaper until I started reading responses to his tweets just now.

 

[devilish]

Does that make what he writes untrue?

God knows. Can you trust a journalist whose willing to take money out of such people?

 

[cyberman]

Does that make what he writes untrue?

Makes it suspect. Hard to write a morally charged article when you limit replies so people will stop pointing out how hypocritical you are.

 

[Plant0x84]

I'm not Delaney's biggest fan even if he does make some good points in that article.

I'm against state ownership and yes I agree the FA/PL/UEFA should have had rules in place to stop it but that ship has sadly sailed and now we are competing directly against clubs that are being financially doped by states. Still though I'd prefer United not to join them, if that means we are at a disadvantage so be it. Personally I believe United generate enough to compete with state backed clubs if we weren't being run by incompetent parasites who saddled us with their debt.

….. far from it, but I wish him well!

 

[Gavinb33]

Makes it suspect. Hard to write a morally charged article when you limit replies so people will stop pointing out how hypocritical you are.

Also the paper is owned or part owned by the Saudi's and he has been outspoken about Saudi ownership of Newcastle, also he is a sports writer writing about sport what do you want him to write about in terms of The Independents ownership of his paper last time I checked these people aren't buying a football club unless I am mistaken

 

[NotThatSoph]

What I was actually referring to had nothing to do with Delaney ‘s bosses at the Independent. I didn’t even know they owner the newspaper until I started reading responses to his tweets just now.

Then why did you respond to a comment about Delaney?

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Devilish has no issues when journos slag off Ratcliffe mind. Go figure….

 

[devilish]

Devilish has no issues when journos slag off Ratcliffe mind. Go figure….

???

 

[dpansheth]

May be better to create a thread somewhere else to debate about these questions. I think we should keep this thread for updates or football related news and debate. State , non-state, monaco , qatar should not be discussed here.
Just my opinion.

 

[cyberman]

Also the paper is owned or part owned by the Saudi's and he has been outspoken about Saudi ownership of Newcastle, also he is a sports writer writing about sport what do you want him to write about in terms of The Independents ownership of his paper last time I checked these people aren't buying a football club unless I am mistaken

I think in terms of being tainted by ownership and the fact he takes a paycheque from the same source throws up some questions? It’s easier to be critical of other peoples morals than to confront your own.

 

[Kinsella]

Makes it suspect. Hard to write a morally charged article when you limit replies so people will stop pointing out how hypocritical you are.

Going by this forum, if he didn’t have the ‘suspect’ newspaper platform there’s a good chance he’d just be accused of xenophobia or racism.

 

[Chief123]

May be better to create a thread somewhere else to debate about these questions. I think we should keep this thread for updates or football related news and debate. State , non-state, monaco , qatar should not be discussed here.
Just my opinion.

Everyone just needs to be nice to each other and accept it’s going to be Qatar.

It’s either going to be exciting or turn to shit. Whatever it is, it’ll be interesting.

 

[Bubz27]

Surely people aren't actually doing the 'none of us really know where the money is coming from' line?

I plead the fifth your honour.

 

[Mockney]

That is the big difference between us and the likes of City, Chelsea, PSG etc - they never spent like that until the sugardaddy arrived so that did cheapen their subsequent success.

You tell yourself that. There will be no difference in the eyes of many, however you spin it - myself potentially included. No club should be backed by a fecking State, or never have to feasibly watch their finances. Even the biggest clubs in the World should have to loan a Wout Weghorst in the winter if they’ve spent too much in the summer. Otherwise what’s the point in sport? Just fodder for teenage tweeters and FIFA shut ins? United have always had the moral high ground in these arguments. We’ve always been a ‘proper club’ …but so many are happy to piss it all away for a sugar daddy. When as you say, we don’t actually even need it!

Deep down that’s why a lot of fans are desperate to make these little get out clause excuses or play on the technicalities… because reminding them of how others will consider it all completely hollow does rankle - even if it’s just a little. And so it should. And If all naysayers like me can do is remind them of that, then fine.. I’ll take what I can get at this point.

‘Cos I want rid of the Glazers too, I have no power or influence on anything and I am completely resigned to this happening… but I’ll be fecked if I’m lifting up my legs and lubing your collective conscience as well. I’d rather be a party pooper than a hypocrite.

 

[stevoc]

May be better to create a thread somewhere else to debate about these questions. I think we should keep this thread for updates or football related news and debate. State , non-state, monaco , qatar should not be discussed here.
Just my opinion.

Why does it have to be pointed out virtually every other page that there is in fact a Tweet thread for updates and news. If these things are not discussed in the takeover thread then where do you suggest issues relating to the people potentially taking over be discussed?