Club Sale | It’s done!

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bosnian_red said:
Unfortunately it feels inevitable to be the Qatari's.

Ignoring outside of football stuff - I hope if they do take over, that they run the club in a self sustaining way. Yes, invest in the facilities, infrastructure, invest in the community, clear the debts. In terms of player reinforcement though, I'd say just let us spend and reinvest what we make. Hire some smart people who know how to operate. Have a hands off approach outside of the initial investment to fix up the facilities and clearing the debt. I'd still be able to take pride in our achievements that way. I don't want them to come in and pull a Boehly, Abramovich, etc. I don't want an owner to gift us 500m to spend in a transfer window to buy shiny toys. I'd love to earn our way properly, be forced to use some young players in our squad, have a group that grows together and step up without always buying the new toys. I don't want us to be a super team squad where young players don't have a hope in hell outside of multiple loans before signing.
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This is the only way I'd accept Qatari owners.
 
Todd said:
When it comes to club ownership it's not really a question of who is the most desirable, but who is the least objectionable. You don't really achieve the level of wealth that affords you such opportunities by being a good person. So no matter who buys the club, they're more than likely going to be a villian.

That being said, it'd be pretty disappointing if the club were purchased by the Qataris or the KSA. Being owned by greedy capitalist pigs is one thing, that comes with the territory of owning a sports franchise, but being owned by a state whose identity goes hand in hand with corruption, abhorrent treatment of the LGBT community, and the subjugation of women introduces a level of shame and moral failing to Manchester United.
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That last paragraph (apart from maybe anti LGBT) could easily be said for the 'greedy capitalist pigs' mentioned in relation with the sale of the club. For some reason that is accepted in the Western world and pretty much never comes under heavy scrutiny.
 
bosnian_red said:
Unfortunately it feels inevitable to be the Qatari's.

Ignoring outside of football stuff - I hope if they do take over, that they run the club in a self sustaining way. Yes, invest in the facilities, infrastructure, invest in the community, clear the debts. In terms of player reinforcement though, I'd say just let us spend and reinvest what we make. Hire some smart people who know how to operate. Have a hands off approach outside of the initial investment to fix up the facilities and clearing the debt. I'd still be able to take pride in our achievements that way. I don't want them to come in and pull a Boehly, Abramovich, etc. I don't want an owner to gift us 500m to spend in a transfer window to buy shiny toys. I'd love to earn our way properly, be forced to use some young players in our squad, have a group that grows together and step up without always buying the new toys. I don't want us to be a super team squad where young players don't have a hope in hell outside of multiple loans before signing.
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I think people also have to accept that we are not Newcastle or City. Perhaps ‘unfortunately’ for some, I don’t know - but a United with cleared debts and just ‘spending its own money’ can still easily spend hundreds of million every summer. We are objectively rich. We have the biggest revenues in the country quite comfortably. And with some success, we will only earn more money legitimately.

Some fans seem to be scared by our size. This is Manchester United, people want some plucky underdog tale but the reality is that will not be our story. It’s only become our story by the unnatural means of genuinely irrelevant clubs spending loads of money. This Mbappe ‘fear’ that everyone seems to have doesn’t ring with me because we are simply one of the few clubs in the world that should be able to afford Mbappe and could have bought him regardless. When he went to Paris for 166m, we could probably have signed him then if he had wanted to join.
 
Jev said:
Really hoping Radcliffe pulls it off. Really, really struggling with the thought of us by becoming a sportswashing front for such a questionable regime, not sure it would ever be the same for me.
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No thanks to Jim.
 
Jev said:
Really hoping Radcliffe pulls it off. Really, really struggling with the thought of us by becoming a sportswashing front for such a questionable regime, not sure it would ever be the same for me.
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Tbh, I’m struggling with the thought of Jim pulling it off, and I’m sure things will never be the same after he does :nervous:
 
Jev said:
You'd really rather be owned by the Qatari state? Why?
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Absolutely. Reasons are obvious really. We also aren’t defined by our ownership. The identity and soul of the club is already set in stone.
 
BluesJr said:
Absolutely. Reasons are obvious really. We also aren’t defined by our ownership. The identity and soul of the club is already set in stone.
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Why are the reasons obvious? I'm curious because to me the argument for Radcliffe over Qatar is obvious too.
 
Jev said:
Why are the reasons obvious? I'm curious because to me the argument for Radcliffe over Qatar is obvious too.
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If you looked into how Jim plans to buy us you wouldn’t. With Qatar we will have ownership with a strong desire to win and we won’t be saddled with more debt repayments or people who want their money back (JP Morgan, Goldman).
 
Adamsk7 said:
Honestly out of Musk, American consortiums or Ratcliffe with some loans, I think I am leaning towards Qatar, which is unexpected considering I was so against it for obvious reasons.

Critically, I think they are most likely to leave Ten Hag alone, which is the critical thing for me.
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Easily. I’d honestly stop if that rat cnut conspiracy feck bought the club.
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
Still don't really know how I'll feel about this until if/when it happens.

What I do know is that I'd have no shame if someone comes in and spends their own money on a new stadium and training ground for us, I will see this as us been given back the money the Glazers have basically stolen from the club over the last 18 years. After that as has been said a hundred times the club is perfectly capable of been self sufficent, whoever the owner is.

I do wonder if under Qatar ownership if some of our sponsors will start jumping ship as they don't want the link to them though.
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Which sponsors? Have you seen any reports of sponsors jumping ship from clubs connected with GCC state investment? The reason I am asking is that sentiment feels way overblown. Emirates (Dubai) have been sponsoring Arsenal and the FA Cup for years. Did PSG lose any sponsors because of QSI ownership?
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
I do wonder if under Qatar ownership if some of our sponsors will start jumping ship as they don't want the link to them though.
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Businesses do not think about such stuff. They think about profits. For them to jump ship, they need to be forced by some other force. Like a govt or something.
 
Jev said:
You'd really rather be owned by the Qatari state? Why?
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I'd say I struggle to see the massive difference in being owned by Qatar or JP Morgan Chase/Goldman Sachs with Jim from a morally point of view. The US companies can continue to destroy lives but it's ok because it's such a great place to work apparently.
 
Rozay said:
I think people also have to accept that we are not Newcastle or City. Perhaps ‘unfortunately’ for some, I don’t know - but a United with cleared debts and just ‘spending its own money’ can still easily spend hundreds of million every summer. We are objectively rich. We have the biggest revenues in the country quite comfortably. And with some success, we will only earn more money legitimately.

Some fans seem to be scared by our size. This is Manchester United, people want some plucky underdog tale but the reality is that will not be our story. It’s only become our story by the unnatural means of genuinely irrelevant clubs spending loads of money. This Mbappe ‘fear’ that everyone seems to have doesn’t ring with me because we are simply one of the few clubs in the world that should be able to afford Mbappe and could have bought him regardless. When he went to Paris for 166m, we could probably have signed him then if he had wanted to join.
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It's not a fear, it's more that I don't want to be a team that tries to become Galactico FC. You get 0 attachment to the players. You become a squad of mercenaries. Actually winning when you do simply doesn't hit as good as when you build your way there properly.

And yeah, United can spend a feck ton without ME owners which is why I'm very comfortable with 0 playing squad investment from any new owners. They just need to be smart with how they run the club, who is in charge where, etc. The only parts that need investment are the neglected bits. The debt. The facilities. It's a significant cost in itself of course, and playing squad spending is minute compared to that anyway.
 
bosnian_red said:
It's not a fear, it's more that I don't want to be a team that tries to become Galactico FC. You get 0 attachment to the players. You become a squad of mercenaries. Actually winning when you do simply doesn't hit as good as when you build your way there properly.

And yeah, United can spend a feck ton without ME owners which is why I'm very comfortable with 0 playing squad investment from any new owners. They just need to be smart with how they run the club, who is in charge where, etc. The only parts that need investment are the neglected bits. The debt. The facilities. It's a significant cost in itself of course, and playing squad spending is minute compared to that anyway.
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I agree with this. We don’t need Galactico like investment but I do want proactive, aggressive investment when it’s needed. This past summer was an example. Yes, we spent a lot, but it needed at least 3 more and that’s what they’d be able to do. It always feels like we always stop short of what is truly necessary.
 
SirAF said:
Easily. I’d honestly stop if that rat cnut conspiracy feck bought the club.
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Well if Musk is serious about buying us he would wait till the very last second before bidding then just double what anyone else is offering.

What that done of course he would fire fifty percent of all staff and fine any player not driving a Tesla.

Come his first match will insist of calling the coin toss before taking his seat beside Ten Hag to tweet all instructions given and take polls on substitutions

I for one welcome it
 
BluesJr said:
I agree with this. We don’t need Galactico like investment but I do want proactive, aggressive investment when it’s needed. This past summer was an example. Yes, we spent a lot, but it needed at least 3 more and that’s what they’d be able to do. It always feels like we always stop short of what is truly necessary.
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I'm ok with not addressing every need in one go. Clubs should have to prioritize needs, build over time. United is able to be strong in the transfer market and with wages without owner investment. We just have to be not hamstrung by crippling debt, we need to get our facilities back up to being the best in class, and then just have smart people in charge and keep the clubs money within it. Past that, any owner investment should be purely infrastructure/community focused. Nothing more. I would hate to have a Boehly situation.
 
BluesJr said:
If you looked into how Jim plans to buy us you wouldn’t. With Qatar we will have ownership with a strong desire to win and we won’t be saddled with more debt repayments or people who want their money back (JP Morgan, Goldman).
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This.
 
Not really happy to be honest. Hopefully they just clear the debt and invest in the facilities using their money. Transfers etc. using the club's ACTUAL sponsors. No dodgy financial doping like city's owners. CBA with huge uefa/PL sanctions hanging over us.

Also keep their dodgy Qatari airways off our kit and don't even think about naming rights for Old Trafford
 
SirAF said:
Easily. I’d honestly stop if that rat cnut conspiracy feck bought the club.
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I find that fecking weird. Qatar has done a lot worse than engage in conspiracy theories. They used debt slavery to build the World Cup ffs.
 
bosnian_red said:
It's not a fear, it's more that I don't want to be a team that tries to become Galactico FC. You get 0 attachment to the players. You become a squad of mercenaries. Actually winning when you do simply doesn't hit as good as when you build your way there properly.

And yeah, United can spend a feck ton without ME owners which is why I'm very comfortable with 0 playing squad investment from any new owners. They just need to be smart with how they run the club, who is in charge where, etc. The only parts that need investment are the neglected bits. The debt. The facilities. It's a significant cost in itself of course, and playing squad spending is minute compared to that anyway.
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I get you, I just meant that we could easily have a team of mercenaries without new owners buying players for us. The prospect of us ‘spending our own money’ is equivalent to that of a sugar daddy anyway, especially with FFP considered. We would sit at the very top of the tree. I get your sentiment for sure, I’m speaking more of something that I’ve noticed amongst reds for many years. This modesty in comparison to our stature. Whenever a truly great player comes onto the market this forum gets into this Real Madrid meltdown where they can’t believe we can attract anyone, and if we grow one, the talk of an ‘inevitability’ of them going to Real.

Just think some of our fans should learn to live in the stature of the club, I get the vibe that we are almost shy of it.
 
Ole'sattheWheel said:
Not really happy to be honest. Hopefully they just clear the debt and invest in the facilities using their money. Transfers etc. using the club's ACTUAL sponsors. No dodgy financial doping like city's owners. CBA with huge uefa/PL sanctions hanging over us.

Also keep their dodgy Qatari airways off our kit and don't even think about naming rights for Old Trafford
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That's definitely happening, TeamViewer want out so I'll be surprised if Qatar doesn't slap Doha Dave's Car Repair Service on our shirts
 
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