Club Sale | It’s done!

[AlPistacho]

In his chosen lane he knows what he’s doing. Running a football club is entirely different. The Glazers were very successful businessmen as well, yet are some of the worst owners you could ask for. Just because someone made a fortune in a chosen field means feck all really in regards to how they’ll operate a football club. Different world all together.

The glazers are “are” very successful businessmen. Them owning United has been extremely successful… in the same way that a lone wolf getting exclusive access to a chicken hen is.

 

[AlPistacho]

Interested parties have signed “none disclosures” and been given a tour of books.

 

[croadyman]

Interested parties have signed “none disclosures” and been given a tour of books.

Don't want to hear any more stories of minority investment parties looking at our finances

 

[AlPistacho]

This is a bit concerning and points to investment focused buyers. Would prefer to hear “there are those who think it’s a great project and want the challenge to turn United into the best again”

 

[croadyman]

This is a bit concerning and points to investment focused buyers. Would prefer to hear “there are those who think it’s a great project and want the challenge to turn United into the best again”

Yeah I can understand the concern but still expecting to hear that line come out at some point

 

[tenpoless]

This is a bit concerning and points to investment focused buyers. Would prefer to hear “there are those who think it’s a great project and want the challenge to turn United into the best again”

10 pounds times 1 billion fans. 10 billion pounds. 6b to buy the club, 4b to sign the best players and improve facilities.

Its so easy. I'm fine with lending my crypto wallet as a temporary storage as we gather all those money.

 

[AlPistacho]

10 pounds times 1 billion fans. 10 billion pounds. 6b to buy the club, 4b to sign the best players and improve facilities.

Its so easy. I'm fine with lending my crypto wallet as a temporary storage as we gather all those money.

For a 10% fee I’ll vouch for you

 

[AlPistacho]

Genuine question to those that want Ratcliff. He’s not done much with Nice, at one of the lowest spending leagues. Arguably the easiest league for a billionaire to buy a club and make them top 2/3, with relatively little cost. Even less if you have the ability to establish a scouting network to sign the best young French / German players.

What makes you think he’ll be any good for United? He’s the only interested party with a track record that we can see and judge.

 

[sglowrider]

Do you think the owners of Asda would have the same interest in a corner shop that they own?
That the difference in size and investment.

If you cant run something small(er) how do you expect to run a much larger organisation? So of course its relevant.

 

[sglowrider]

This is a bit concerning and points to investment focused buyers. Would prefer to hear “there are those who think it’s a great project and want the challenge to turn United into the best again”

Donald Trump then?

#MUGA

 

[Red in STL]

If you cant run something small(er) how do you expect to run a much larger organisation? So of course its relevant.

Not really, they delegate, they don't get involved in the details

 

[Mingus]

Genuine question to those that want Ratcliff. He’s not done much with Nice, at one of the lowest spending leagues. Arguably the easiest league for a billionaire to buy a club and make them top 2/3, with relatively little cost. Even less if you have the ability to establish a scouting network to sign the best young French / German players.

What makes you think he’ll be any good for United? He’s the only interested party with a track record that we can see and judge.

I remember reading, about the time Ratcliffe bid for Chelsea, that Ineos acquired Nice as a training run to gain experience for taking over a big club.

It was also reported that if the acquisition of Utd didn't happen, they would upgrade their ambitions for Nice.

Clearly the original plan wasn't to make them a hugely successful club, so I won't hold that against him.

 

[Waynne]

Hoping someone can answer these two questions as its the two that bother me the most.

1) How likely is this to get done before the start of the next transfer window?

2) Will this affect our ability to do business in the summer transfer window if the sale is not completed by then?

 

[sglowrider]

Not really, they delegate, they don't get involved in the details

Yes he delegated it to his brother to run Nice.

 

[sglowrider]

Hoping someone can answer these two questions as its the two that bother me the most.

1) How likely is this to get done before the start of the next transfer window?

2) Will this affect our ability to do business in the summer transfer window if the sale is not completed by then?

Am sure the Glazers had set an artifical deadline to allow the new owners to come in and budget for the summer window.
It's good for both parties -- Glazers sets a sense of urgency to close the deal (and improve the price) and for the new owner, he has time to plan.

 

[Waynne]

Am sure the Glazers had set an artifical deadline to allow the new owners to come in and budget for the summer window.
It's good for both parties -- Glazers sets a sense of urgency to close the deal (and improve the price) and for the new owner, he has time to plan.

Appreciate the response friend.

My next wish is for us to be efficient in our transfer dealings. Getting as many done as early as possible.

 

[Lost bear]

Donald Trump then?

#MUGA

Yuk!

 

[croadyman]

Appreciate the response friend.

My next wish is for us to be efficient in our transfer dealings. Getting as many done as early as possible.

Need efficient negotiating from recruitment team

 

[Red in STL]

Am sure the Glazers had set an artifical deadline to allow the new owners to come in and budget for the summer window.
It's good for both parties -- Glazers sets a sense of urgency to close the deal (and improve the price) and for the new owner, he has time to plan.

Don't bank on it, the Glazers want as much as they can get and they don't have to rush anything

 

[AlPistacho]

I remember reading, about the time Ratcliffe bid for Chelsea, that Ineos acquired Nice as a training run to gain experience for taking over a big club.

It was also reported that if the acquisition of Utd didn't happen, they would upgrade their ambitions for Nice.

Clearly the original plan wasn't to make them a hugely successful club, so I won't hold that against him.

I’m sure Nice fans must love him.

 

[MDFC Manager]

I remember reading, about the time Ratcliffe bid for Chelsea, that Ineos acquired Nice as a training run to gain experience for taking over a big club.

It was also reported that if the acquisition of Utd didn't happen, they would upgrade their ambitions for Nice.

Clearly the original plan wasn't to make them a hugely successful club, so I won't hold that against him.

Come on, this is really stretching things now

 

[AlPistacho]

Not really, they delegate, they don't get involved in the details

So just like the Glazers, just like Abu Dhabi… but with results more akin to the glazers

 

[sglowrider]

Don't bank on it, the Glazers want as much as they can get and they don't have to rush anything

Everton just came onto the market. They wait too long there will be hesitation and options for potential buyers.
Creating a sense of urgency is how you can maximise your price.

 

[simonhch]

The main things I’ve gleaned from this thread is that there are:

(a) a lot of people who love to make wild assumptions and projections, with little in the way of actual facts to inform them, and;
(B) not a lot of people who understand finance, strategic investment and return, or acquisitions.

At least it’s entertaining.

 

[Zippycup]

When we was outspending clubs in the 80’s what do you think people thought of us then?

You mean the club spending money that they generated? The nerve.

Also. We have rarely been the biggest spenders per season. Especially under Fergie.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

I’m sure Nice fans must love him.

INEOS ownership hasn’t exactly made them worse, it’s made the club extremely financially sound and they’ve recently employed one of the brightest DoF’s in French football. Nice fans have no reason whatsoever to harbour any ill feeling towards INEOS.
The problem here is today’s football fans expecting every takeover to resemble an Abramovich or ME takeover.

 

[Zippycup]

If you cant run something small(er) how do you expect to run a much larger organisation? So of course its relevant.

But he does run something much larger. And successfully. So successfully that us mere mortals have no true understanding off it.
Most on here don't even realise just hiw much money £1billion is let alone £13billion

My point is you are going to look after the much, much bigger investment over what is (in real terms) a tiny investment.

Put it this way. He bought Nice Football Club for not much more than we paid for Anthony.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

If you cant run something small(er) how do you expect to run a much larger organisation? So of course its relevant.

He’s running Nice just fine, what’s with the drama? He’s hardly doing a fecking Everton is he?

Since the takeover they’ve been saddled with zero debt, are extremely financially sound, have made a first cup final in a couple of decades and are having similar league finishes. They’ve also now hired an extremely highly rated DoF.

Why must every football club takeover resemble Roman to be considered a success?

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

How does him already having a club that he's managing poorly not have relevance? I don't know what fantasy land you're living in where you think that doesn't have relevance on him being the owner of United.

It’s a daft point. To make little Nice compete with PSG by splashing daft money for instant success in Europe’s 5th league would be a recipe for disaster.

You’re basically saying that because INEOS aren’t recklessly running Nice, they couldn’t run United well. It makes absolutely zero sense.

I’ll say again, INEOS are running Nice just fine. It appears a long term project with a long term approach to making them a better run club.

 

[The Boy]

I’ll say again, INEOS are running Nice just fine. It appears a long term project with a long term approach to making them a better run club.

Nice fans, in general, disagree, a quick look at their forums shows they are not happy with INEOS. This is worth a read,

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/jan/20/manchester-united-fans-nice-jim-ratcliffe-psg

But basically Nice have gone from being a pretty well run club with a clear strategy to a bit of a disaster under INEOS. They've made very odd appointments like Jim's brother Bob as CEO (now gone) to Sir Dave Brailsford (of cycling fame) as Director of Sport and bizarre transfers, previously they were known for scouring the lower French leagues developing players and selling them for a profit, now they have a habit of picking up ex premiership failures like Aaron Ramsay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ross Barkley.

It maybe they'll turn it around in the future with the appointment of Florent Ghisolfi as Sporting Director, there's some hope for his input. But so far Nice have failed to match the success, league position or recruitment they had in the years directly before the INEOS take over.

 

[Cassidy]

In what way, unless they issued shares on the basis of "you buy these, we'll improve the stadium" I don't think they have any kind of obligation

Failure to invest devalues their asset, in turn has long term impact on shareholder value, this is their obligation to maintain and grow shareholder value.

The point was not limited to the facilities, they need the club to remain successful to keep revenues consistent from commercial deals. At this point without significant investment in squad and facilities that is at risk. Partly because rivals have taken levels of investment to new heights, and the club has underinvested in its facilities (assets which have book value, and provide revenue outside of matchdays e.g hosting NFL, concerts etc). This is coupled with sharp rise in borrowing costs against an asset that is already well leveraged.

Anyway its being reported now that full sale before summer is the most likely outcome (no surprise there)

They need to invest or risk devaluing clubs book value long term. They cannot leverage the club any further to fund said investment. Investors smell desperation (on the ropes)

 

[TheGame]

Who/what is ‘the upshot’?

They do some reporting on crazy sporting/football antics.

 

[tenpoless]

His Nice ownership shouldn't be taken seriously. It's clear it's just for a bit of fun so that he's known as a Nice owner.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

But so far Nice have failed to match the success, league position or recruitment they had in the years directly before the INEOS take over.

That’s just not true.

2017-18: 8th
2018-19: 7th

Takeover Aug 2019:

2019-20: 5th
2020-21: 9th
2021-22: 5th

They also in this time made their first cup final in decades.

Nice had a couple of stand out seasons in 2015 & 2016, before reverting to type for a couple of seasons prior to the takeover, anyone pretending those two seasons were the norm needs their heads checking.
So Nice absolutely have matched what INEOS took over and after two 5th place finishes & a cup final they now have a highly rated DoF at the helm for the next step in their long term vision.

Nice fans not being happy is due to them being guilty as many fans and expecting the takeover to bring them instant Chelsea, City, PSG esque success.

 

[#07]

What would it come across like if bids were lurking in the shadows? Every article I’ve read this week from Reuters to the Athletic to the Telegraph have been saying the same thing - full sale the most likely outcome - formal bids middle of Feb with American bids to compete with INEOS and a Middle East bid expected. What are we not hearing that we should be if this wasn’t true?

£4 billion is a fair amount of money. Its not as much as what Elon bought Twitter for but its a lot. For example, even with the weakness of Sterling, its more than Disney paid for Star Wars.

If there are lots of groups out their mobilising that kind of money, you would think there would be whispers of it that would feed through to the businesses pages somewhere. I'm not saying its going to be a splash in the Wall Street Journal. However, you would think there would be something more than vague claims from football journalists.

 

[cyberman]

£4 billion is a fair amount of money. Its not as much as what Elon bought Twitter for but its a lot. For example, even with the weakness of Sterling, its more than Disney paid for Star Wars.

If there are lots of groups out their mobilising that kind of money, you would think there would be whispers of it that would feed through to the businesses pages somewhere. I'm not saying its going to be a splash in the Wall Street Journal. However, you would think there would be something more than vague claims from football journalists.

It’s only a large amount of money if you can’t afford it. In big business terms it’s not that large at all

 

[Lyng]

That’s just not true.

2017-18: 8th
2018-19: 7th

Takeover Aug 2019:

2019-20: 5th
2020-21: 9th
2021-22: 5th

They also in this time made their first cup final in decades.

Nice had a couple of stand out seasons in 2015 & 2016, before reverting to type for a couple of seasons prior to the takeover, anyone pretending those two seasons were the norm needs their heads checking.
So Nice absolutely have matched what INEOS took over and after two 5th place finishes & a cup final they now have a highly rated DoF at the helm for the next step in their long term vision.

Nice fans not being happy is due to them being guilty as many fans and expecting the takeover to bring them instant Chelsea, City, PSG esque success.

Interesting how you left out the season 2016-2017 where they ended in third....but I guess that doesnt suit the argument.

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

Interesting how you left out the season 2016-2017 where they ended in third....but I guess that doesnt suit the argument.

Actually I did if you can read, I said they had two standout seasons in 2015 & 2016, before reverting to type, but the poster claimed they haven’t matched the success and league positions in the years directly before the takeover.
3 years previous isn’t remotely ”directly before”.

 

[Mainoldo]

You mean the club spending money that they generated? The nerve.

Also. We have rarely been the biggest spenders per season. Especially under Fergie.

So what you think the new owners are going to spend their own money forever? It’s an investment that we very much need otherwise we will likely go bust.

So stop being high and mighty about it.

 

[Lyng]

Actually I did if you can read, I said they had two standout seasons in 2015 & 2016, before reverting to type, but the poster claimed they haven’t matched the success and league positions in the years directly before the takeover.
3 years previous isn’t remotely ”directly before”.

The issue is that Favre got that result. That same manager couldnt get that result under this ownership afterwards.
Look at the players they brought in, they have mostly been a disaster.

To say it hasnt lived up to the expectations that he promised when he took over is simply a fact.
Anyone simply welcoming this owner with open arms and completely disregarding Nice is being somewhat naive.