Im only saying its what the journo says rather than taking a twitter search at face value.
Does it need a retweet to be true?
Could Utd be sold soon?
- Thread starter wolvored
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Does it need a retweet to be true?
More than happy to - this thread is prett specifically about Saudi investment though!
International breaks are so dull, can't wait for the PL again
I'm not interested in drawing this out any longer … or making an enemy on here where there is none.
But I seriously do not understand what you are trying to say with that last comment and I'm worried that I might be missing something. Please help me if you have anything to add to the summary below:
As I understand it, you are talking about a Sun reporter. When the story was actually broken by a Daily Star reporter who has admitted his source was a bloke on Twitter @Daniel_K23 and it seems he got his news from Diego Martinez (a Spanish part‑time freelance journalist) who actually used the Daily Star article the next day (the one wholly based on his tweet) to validate the substance of his tweet. As I said sometime earlier it's a self fulfilling prophecy à la Trump/Fox News politics.
If I'm missing something please let me know.
Duncan Castles etc spoke about it on that podcast about how its quietly being going around OT for a while now.
Also the Independent, owner by a Saudi businessman claims it is true.
The article you link is speculation just as much as the rest.
Just believe whatever you want OK, and don't join a discussion board if you don't want to discuss something!I doubt they'll stop selling arms to SA, although, as this piece makes clear, they should do.
Nobody knows for certain what's going to happen here, or what the US will do - Magnitsky allows for targeted political/economic sanctions against the individual(s) deemed ultimately responsible for human rights violations (in this case, the murder of Khashoggi). That could include things like freezing assets and barring entry to the US. This is not exactly the opportune moment to be trying to conduct a 4 billion dollar business deal with MbS - the Glazers would be sensible to let it all blow over.
The above of course assumes that there is some truth in this takeover story. We're yet to see any actual evidence of that and information posted in this thread in the last 24 hours, tends to indicate otherwise. Either way, I don't see a Saudi-owned United being a likely outcome in the immediate future, which I'm very happy about.
There's no way he is buying us now with all that is happening .
He may not even survive this mess.
I think 'some' of those circumstances have been the Glazers happy to achieve top 4 and line their pockets with the rest.
Read the first 8 pages of this thread - some truly woeful points being made.
If the Salmans took over I'm not sure I could bring myself to continue supporting United.
If the Salmans took over I'm not sure I could bring myself to continue supporting United.
Great to know how you feel. Thanks for your contribution to the thread.
I was thinking more SAF reluctance to pay such inflated agent fees and Woodward wanting more world class players ie Bale, chasing him all summer and not being able to buy him.
Why, did we sack Mourinho?
The Glazers with their 700 m pounds debt that they burdened the club with, I hope they disappear, the day they sell the best player in the world Ronaldo and Buy Owen and Valencia should never come back. They did not invest in the squad until Sir Alex retired and they were forced to do so after 2013 just to make the minimum success required to pump in more money i.e 4th place.
Good, I thought I lost it.
I mostly agree. But that's not a good reason to jump in to bed with the Saudi ruling family!
Well, firstly, that's a bizarre false equivalence. Paying a footballer high wages is not equivalent to becoming the PR plaything of a dictatorial and human rights-abusing belligerent regime.
And I would argue that the only thing "immoral" about paying the actual workers (the footballers) high wages is the fact that fans fund those wages via high ticket prices and television fees (which we have a choice not to pay). I would rather see higher wages go to the footballers than my ticket money go straight to the owners' pockets.
Secondly, you're wrong about there being no morality in football. Our very own Juan Mata started an admirable charity which advocates the consistant and ongoing donation of wages to charitable causes, for example. And Manchester United, for all our sins, are heavily active in the community. These are examples of morality existing in football. That won't all stop if we get bought by Saudi Arabia. But it would be a big step in the wrong direction.
it’s not hypocritical to still support United and nonetheless be against the Saudi regime, even if they were our owners. We wouldn’t have chosen them. There’s still footballers representing our club which deserve support. It’s still a passion and a hobby. The owners shouldn’t change that.
Exactly. This is what Ive been saying for the past 4 days. I know its not going to happen, but I have zero problem of them taking over, and if there is a supporter who feels it's not right, fair enough. He/she can still support the team but be against the owners.
That's just one example. I could have used plenty more. Morality is a thing of the past by and large in a lot of society, not just in football.
I don't particularly want the Saudis to take over either. However it won't stop me following the club or lead to abandoning them either. Fans are fickle and most only care about the team on the pitch. As many have pointed out on here, City fans don't go to bed at night thinking about human rights record of the UAE do they? I'm sure they don't give two hoots as long as they have a good team which they do. We'd be exactly the same I hate to say it but we would be.
Also.....the example you used of Mata isn't a particularly good one. I was reading the other day that he's struggled to get much interest from his fellow teammates. Has anyone else signed up that you know of from the current squad? I stand to be corrected but I don't think any of them have. That will tell you all you need to know about morality. It's badly lacking. Juan is a rare breed.
I beg to differ. We could make a position as an ethical leader within football a very valuable part of our brand, that could very well make up for the increase in operating costs we'd see from taking that stance.
It would take vision and execution capabilities beyond what's required for signing noodle and tractor partners, and seems way beyond what we have at the club at the moment. We'd basically need someone like SAF at the executive level to push the initiative to give it legitimacy. I can assure you that another big club will jump on the chance to make that a competitive advantage within the next decade, and we'll dither after eventually.
I agree. It's no more hypocritical than loosening the ties to the club as a fan in the hypothetical scenario, even if you don't spend your every moment advancing human rights across the world. Either is fine, and every fan has to decide what it is about the club that fuels the passion and the hobby. It's an interesting discussion, though, and I have no idea why people on one side of the fence would take offence because someone is of another opinion in this case.
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I couldn’t care less who owned the club as long as we don’t hear from them and they’re hugely ambitious like City and PSG’s owners.
Our current owners will only see us slide into decline Liverpool style and we will suffer unless they sell.
So we need the Saudis or whoever, to pay off the debt and make us Man Utd again.
Our current owners will only see us slide into decline Liverpool style and we will suffer unless they sell.
So we need the Saudis or whoever, to pay off the debt and make us Man Utd again.
LOL CSR as a means of competitive advantage...
Multiple decades worth of hippy research hasn't proven any steady link between CSR and consumer activity yet I'm guessing you alone know better?
Yeah, I know it’s imposturous to entertain the notion that the world is moving forward. Take a look at how the Adidas Parley line has been doing, and come back and tell me more about how social responsibility can’t be leveraged for corporate profits. Or take a look at how Apple are using fully environmentally friendly production processes as a selling point, or leveraging consumer privacy to justify higher profit margins.
You’re stuck in about thirty years in the past, mate. But feel free to quote me in a decade if I’m wrong about my prediction in the post you quoted. But I won’t be.
Genuine question, a lot of people saying they would back away if the Saud family took control of United. What is your stance on the UK's relationship and what steps would you take as part of the protest I guess? Let's not forget they are all in bed together.
Me personally, I love my club. If it meant using United to build a better picture to the west, meaning huge amount of investment, (not just in bringing players in but similar to the investment City has seen with the state of art facilities for the youth squads etc) and also the removal of all debt... I am definitely all in.
Me personally, I love my club. If it meant using United to build a better picture to the west, meaning huge amount of investment, (not just in bringing players in but similar to the investment City has seen with the state of art facilities for the youth squads etc) and also the removal of all debt... I am definitely all in.
I’m assuming all these people saying they will walk away from suporting the club are driving electric cars and have a 100% renewable energy provider. Yeah, didn’t think so.
If the Saudis did take over at United then it would be a real blow to City and the rest of our rivals. The Saudis would go after the the very best and would throw money like confetti...
Actually it's a very good example because it refutes your claim that morality is gone from football. And just because footballers do not support Juan Mata's foundation doesn't mean they don't do charity work, like you subsequently imply. Alexis Sanchez, the man you criticize for earning high wages, does a ton of work in his native town in Chile. Paul Pogba created his own foundation. Matic was outed last year as the person who donated lots of money to save a little boy's life. He wanted to do so privately but he was outed when people assumed it was Djokovic. The list goes on. So no, I refute your claim that morality is dead in football.
Yes you’ve proven that there is globalzation. Well done.
Would it surprise you that most United fans from the UK are way more emotionally involved with the football club they've followed for 10,20,30,40 years than they are with a government they most likely didn't even vote for?
If they are in the UK then it's very, very unlikely they are purchasing Saudi oil. Only 3% of the oil imported into the UK is from Saudi Arabia. And imported oil only accounts for around half of the Oil purchased by consumers in the UK. So in the context of opposing a Saudi buy out it doesn't really matter if they drive an electric car.
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Interesting possible scenario: the Saudis buy Utd over vocal fan protests. It's a done deal. Utd fans continue to support the club in huge numbers. But a movement protesting the human rights and other abuses of the Saudi regime develops. It develops to the point where scarves or totems of some kind a la green and gold protest are produced every home game. There are minutes silences. Backs turned on the directors box. This grabs the attention of the world's media. Even when the regime owner's representatives stay away the protests persist. The regime comes under pressure to reform. The shame of disaffection from the huge worldwide fanbase of the red diamond in its crown proves too much. Finally they cave. A whole range of progressive social policies are instituted in the kingdom. Multiparty elections. Freedom of religion. T shirts. Alcohol. Female head hair. YouTube. Soft Cell. The knock on effect is region wide. Finally the middle east is liberated from superstitious cant and the forces of reaction. All thanks to Utd.
Or we can stick with the Glazers.
Or we can stick with the Glazers.
2 questions for all those against this takeover:
1) If the Saudis slipped a cheeky £100bn cheque down your asscrack would you refuse to cash it?
2) Did the Qataris' purchase of PSG and the World Cup make you more aware, or less aware of their regime's failings?
1) If the Saudis slipped a cheeky £100bn cheque down your asscrack would you refuse to cash it?
2) Did the Qataris' purchase of PSG and the World Cup make you more aware, or less aware of their regime's failings?
Don't know why but i'm trying to imagine Marouane Fellaini sat on a camel with a tea-towel on his head.
I'm not British so my thoughts on the purchase are really nothing. If people in the UK are against it then you have to respect it.
You don't have to be British to have an opinion!
I dont understand how many people would like something like this. Money is important but United have plenty as it is. The most succesfull clubs of the last years, Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern and Juventus, are all run like traditional clubs. Yes, they have massive budgets but so does United. On the other hand, of all the "new rich" clubs, only Chelsea has had significant success. Maybe City is on their way to that, but I honestly dont see them winning the champions league soon.
How weird, I was just saying to my 15 year old daughter the other day that that’s how i could see things going. She just said “whatevs” which means good right?
That would be impossible.