It would take an absolutely insane amount of money to buy United right now. Probably close to 2b pounds. Its not going to happen. The only thing that could happen is another leveraged buy out, which I'm sure no one wants.
Manchester United fans plan anti-Glazer protest if club fails to make world-class signings
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Imran (@Annihilate Now!) are here to discuss Amad saving our blushes in a win against Southampton as well as our now annual loss at home to Brighton. They discuss Amorim's post-match comments, revisit how mid-table we may or may not be, and discuss some transfer news.
The UK Government should buy us to protect their national interests. If England are ever going to win the World Cup, United need another class of 94.
Then they can sell United to a fans trust
And people are happy with this - that the club being used to promote personal interest (which happen to be exactly what the LBO made by the Glazer family was too)? After watching our value soar and the enormous commercial appeal, are people under the assumption that whoever takes over won't be interested in heavily lining their pockets, just like the Glazer family?
I'm all for protesting but again, what are the long-term alternatives these protest are aiming at? If it's transfers then the timing is horrible. Fan ownership is out of the question unless it gets collectively approved by the leagues under the FA's jurisdiction. What are the other options?
Genuinely interested because a potential protests [against transfer dealings] now feels so extremely shallow that I'd argue the cure for it would be a glass of water.
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Exactly, unless we seriously fall from grace and the value of the club plummets who could buy us? We are stuck with the Glazers.
Indeed, we are.
Fan ownership sounds nice but really, I think that ship sailed long long ago. Fan ownership might even be detrimental at this stage.
You're spot on! I agree with all your have written there, but the above are specifically what people need to know and understand (in case those who are not reading long post, these are important for them to focus on!)Sigh.
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We have just bought Herrera, Shaw and Rojo ( according to the player, unconfirmed as yet ), which have followed on from Mata, Fellaini ( I know, I know ), that's £120m in 12 months ( excluding Rojo ). That hardly being inactive in the transfer market, with 2 weeks still left of this window still to go.
Yes, we've lost lots of players due to retirement etc and rebuilding needs to take place and is/will be done.
But what I don't understand is this, why this year in particular are you letting the press get to you so much?
The very same journalists who where advocating Moyes to stay for as long as possible even though we were losing every single game at one point, the same journalists that were spoon fed information about transfers/targets/how shit a team Fergie left, the same journalists who are still banging his drum now with interviews, crying over the fact he was given 'time' to succeed are suddenly stirring the pot with link after link of shitty articles about Utds (failed ) transfers, most with no quotes or any kind of information whatsoever about what we are actually doing.
.....
Twitter is the worst thing to have happened to football by the way.
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Yea fan ownership is really holding Bayern back.
This is it, it would cost so much to buy us now, its almost impossible.
By the way, it is nice to see David Moyes coming out over the weekend with his transfer stories of Bale, Ronaldo, Fabregas and Kroos and how he had no support isn't it?
What with everything that is going on in the papers at the moment................strange timing and all that, must surely be some sort of a coincidence...........I'm sure
Liverpool fans have openly complained on many occasions, protested against their old owners and the Kop used to scream for Daglish whilst Hodgson was in control.
I actually think Utd fans have been fairly patient, did success help? Yes of course. We had a manager that knew how to win and had earned the right to basically do what ever the feck he wanted. Let's be honest, the current captain of the club was 2 months away from being sold and we wouldn't have questioned it.
Fergie very, very rarely talked up a transfer and Gill would often downplay our approach - and that is where my personal issue is. Woody delivered 'that' interview from the States (6 weeks ago?) and basically promised some world class additions. I never once heard the word 'value', no ifs, no buts - the money is there and the players want to join.
Fast forward to today and we are currently fecked, there are so many holes in the squad, I find it staggering that with just under 2 weeks to go we have only added 2 players.
Yes we have spent money, buying players that any top club wouldn't struggle with. The issue here is that we can't sign the best, the players that we desperately need - yet Woody has painted a picture that these stars are queuing down Sir Matt Busby Road to play for us and that is why this story has developed.
We need to take a closer look at the situation. No point blaming the owners when they have spent the money that they have recently. They are not football men and do not offer an opinion on who we purchase.
The problem comes below them. Look at Woodward. He spent all of last summer discovering that closing a deal on a player is nowhere near the same as landing a sponsorship deal. That summer may even have taught him something, but it doesn't help when we sack the manager that looked like he had spent most of the season laying the groundwork for some quality players.
We then hire a manager who wasn't going to be available until July, and was sensible enough to want to analyse the squad himself before preforming surgery. By which time most of the cream available had already been tempted elsewhere.
We are a victim of circumstance. Am I concerned? Not really. Van Gaal was always going to need at least 3 windows to rebalance this squad, and anyone who wouldn't rather we spend nothing than spend it unwisely is a fool.
The problem comes below them. Look at Woodward. He spent all of last summer discovering that closing a deal on a player is nowhere near the same as landing a sponsorship deal. That summer may even have taught him something, but it doesn't help when we sack the manager that looked like he had spent most of the season laying the groundwork for some quality players.
We then hire a manager who wasn't going to be available until July, and was sensible enough to want to analyse the squad himself before preforming surgery. By which time most of the cream available had already been tempted elsewhere.
We are a victim of circumstance. Am I concerned? Not really. Van Gaal was always going to need at least 3 windows to rebalance this squad, and anyone who wouldn't rather we spend nothing than spend it unwisely is a fool.
That's a ridiculous argument really. Since when have Bayern been fan owned? When was a last time United were fan owned? Which is the largest fan owned club in England?
Transitioning the world's largest football club from private to fan ownership is likely to irreparably damage the club. Just the thought of it worries me.
I would certainly support part fan ownership though.
The thing is we can save our summer right now as players like Khedira, Di Maria and Benatia are available to the highest bidder.
We just have to show initiative, pity with Woodward as CEO the chances of that are slim.
It would because some people still wouldn't be happy and going by the difference of opinions on here about players, could you imagine the meeting when signings are discussed?
You elect a president, and they deal with that. It's s bit like how nationwide (building society) don't allow you to vote on how much current account interest to give
Good luck to them. I'm guessing it's much deeper than just about transfers.
http://www.swfinstitute.org/fund-rankings/
I think you will find its small change to some of the big oil funds... under 0.5% of the largest UAE or Saudi fund for example - still under 1% of the largest Kuwait fund. So it would not have to be leveraged at all
It can't be that simple, otherwise why are we not buying them? Either Van Gaal doesnt fancy them, the prices are unrealistic, or they dont want to join us.
If LvG manages to get us in the Top 4 without any further signings he will deserve a knighthood.
these will happen then I imagine as it looks like only Rojo will join before the weekend, Di Maria so far has just been media hype so far as I can tell, be amazed if Woodward signs a player like that for £50m but i'd love him to prove me wrong...
Why? If we did badly it's the players? If we do well it's knighthood to LvG?!! Getting top 4 should not be regarded as a uphill battle with a squad we have now. Getting the title is another different cattle or fish
Have they achieved any success yet? Being 2nd is not success. Next season they won't even be second
As if those protests will change sthing.
And protests cause we arent buying wc players. That's just ridiculous.
And protests cause we arent buying wc players. That's just ridiculous.
I think Bayern have been fan owned throughout their history? All German clubs have to be at least half owned by fans. No idea about the largest fan owned club in England, possibly AFC Wimbledon? Madrid and Barca are the other member-owned clubs; they're not doing too badly either.
I think its as simple as Woodward trying to penny pinch. Kompany and Silva joined City and Ibra and T Silva joined PSG because of money.
You offer the player and their agents enough money and they will come, champions league football or not.
This is really dumb. They've spent a tonne of money this past year and are looking to spend more now.
Sigh.
I keep out of the caf over the summer months because it tends to descend into a holocaust with people tweeting quotes from accounts such as 'agentsuckmydick24/7' that Vidal is signing for Munich, Vidal is signing for Utd, Di Maria signing for PSG, just to be followed by hysteria, deep analysis of any quotes and the obligatory mention of smokescreens and a plethora of sad old jokes that were tired after about mid July about preparing bids, monitoring situations, where's Woody, Woody is shit etc, etc. as if the source is a credible outlet and not some piece of shit kid in a bedroom or 40yr old virgin pounding his keyboard wanting attention like Cartoon guy in the Simpsons.
Someone posted a tweet from someone called SaturnVI yesterday for fecks sake, and that was analysed and discussed.
So, we're all going to protest against the owners because of.......transfers.
We have just bought Herrera, Shaw and Rojo ( according to the player, unconfirmed as yet ), which have followed on from Mata, Fellaini ( I know, I know ), that's £120m in 12 months ( excluding Rojo ). That hardly being inactive in the transfer market, with 2 weeks still left of this window still to go.
Yes, we've lost lots of players due to retirement etc and rebuilding needs to take place and is/will be done.
But what I don't understand is this, why this year in particular are you letting the press get to you so much?
The very same journalists who where advocating Moyes to stay for as long as possible even though we were losing every single game at one point, the same journalists that were spoon fed information about transfers/targets/how shit a team Fergie left, the same journalists who are still banging his drum now with interviews, crying over the fact he was given 'time' to succeed are suddenly stirring the pot with link after link of shitty articles about Utds (failed ) transfers, most with no quotes or any kind of information whatsoever about what we are actually doing.
Classic example from last night
Duncan Castles: The reason Utd can't complete simple transfers is .....Edward Woodward!!! OMG OMG .......
meanwhile
Marcus Rojo is giving an interview about becoming a Utd player and its a dream come true.
The Ander Herrera transfer gave us an insight into their knowledge of Utd's business when every single journalist said the stories were false, we weren't interested. 2 days later he was signed.
When will people accept that this year, the press know feck all about Utd and our transfers. They don't like it and are making their own stories up to fill space and justify their existance.
LVG has said repeatedly he wanted to assess the squad and give everyone a chance. But I read now that LVG is lying just to buy Woodwood some time. And people are believing it. I don't know why, LVG isn't known for being shy about telling people the way it is.
Yes, we all want Vidal, Di Maria and Benatia, if we got these three I think we would be set for a great season and would not need to buy anyone else. Is it likely, well no it isn't. But we can all dream.
But to tap into the anti Glazer sentiment which will always be there, no matter what, bearing in mind we have just signed the biggest sponsorship deal in football only a few weeks ago, is just impossible for me to fathom one game into a new season, with a new manager, trying to play a new system.
People will never, ever like who owns Manchester United. Thats just the way it is, and always will be. The romantics wants fan ownership, which is unlikely to ever happen unfortunately, and there will always be issues with whoever owns us taking money out of the club, even if it is by them having the audacity to sell their own shares ( will someone think of the children ), like the outcry a few weeks ago. Unless we are bought by an oil rich arab, but then people will be unhappy because we will turn into City/Chelsea/PSG and just buy everything in sight.
Or we could be bought by the likes of the people at Portsmouth, Leeds, Newcastle, Blackburn, or maybe Gillette and Hicks who drove Liverpool to the brink of liquidation, then maybe we would really have something to complain about, watching your club get stripped from inside out, relegation followed by liquidation.
Don't get me wrong the leveraged buyout was a disgrace, should never have happened, but it has. The money going out of the club is wrong and I don't like it. But, they've turned us into a commercial juggernaught which, whether you like it or not is the only way we can compete with City/Chelsea financial power. People say the Glazers are killing the club, they're parasites, we would be better off without them, and justify this by saying the club can sustain itself quite comfortably without the Glazers or any rich owners and point to massive sponsorship deals, shirt sales, tv money etc and still break transfer records. Well yes it can now, but that is because of what the Glazers have done with our commercial dept. You can't have it both ways.
We can't be protesting about the way the club is run, because it runs well. Its a very, very, successful business, fans don't like hear being described as that but thats the way it is now.
Duncan Drasdo will be out later today with a statement I'm sure, advocating full scale war against the owners, because he loves things like this, even though most people cringe when he is interviewed on Skysports.
Talking of cringing, Ed Woodward, who I seem to be defending quite a bit, needs to stop giving interviews where he says we can buy anyone we want. It helps no one and increases the pressure on himself and the club , plus it makes himself look like a prick.
Sorry about the long rant and wall of text.
Twitter is the worst thing to have happened to football by the way.
This should be the post of the summer. Deserves a slow hand clap.
I threw up a little. Jesus fecking Christ.
About five years late, too bad we had a great manager who kept everything in check. With Fergie, Fans were under the illusion that the club were moving forward. The squad has been poorly invested for years, bad management from the top, shocking decision about transitional period, etc..everything start hitting back at us. I doubt the protest would change anything, we have no choice but to trust LvG now.
Yes, there are plenty of people out there with 2 billion to spare. Not saying they'd be saints mind you.
What I don't understand with people supporting the Glazers is that they never had the money. They borrowed it and used the club to pay it back. All legal of course and I'm not saying it isn't clever. But good for the club as opposed to someone who really does have the money to invest to the required standard consistently? As in Abramovich levels. Instead they use the profits to pay off huge debts and hide the accounts in Delaware so no one knows what's going on.
I see the Glazers a bit like Michael Knighton – he didn't have the money but in that case it fell through. They're on the take. And they'll really be squeaking now when LVG is saying 'spend big'.
They have revolutionised the commercial side. I just wish more of that money was going to club. And anyone else cringe at the amount of time given over to corporate guff by Chevrolet execs at half time on Saturday? The price we pay I guess...
This.
It is not the lack of spending:
Summer 2012: RVP £24m, Kagawa £17m, Henriquez £5m, Büttner £4m
Jan 2013: Zaha £15m
Summer 2013: Varela £1.5m, Fellaini £27.5m
Jan 2013: Mata £37.5m
Summer 2014: Shaw £30m, Herrera £28.5m, Rojo £16m (looking likley)
That is £206m over 2 seasons, that is not a lack of investment.
It could have been more, but it is primarily an issue on what players we have invested that money in. Shaw, Herrera and Fellaini are surly overpaid and Fellaini and Mata weren't signings we needed.
If we are going to protest it should be directed towards the people who are responsible for the transfer business rather than the owners. Money is clearly there, they clearly allow it to be spend, but the management should spend it on better players.
Summer 2012: RVP £24m, Kagawa £17m, Henriquez £5m, Büttner £4m
Jan 2013: Zaha £15m
Summer 2013: Varela £1.5m, Fellaini £27.5m
Jan 2013: Mata £37.5m
Summer 2014: Shaw £30m, Herrera £28.5m, Rojo £16m (looking likley)
That is £206m over 2 seasons, that is not a lack of investment.
It could have been more, but it is primarily an issue on what players we have invested that money in. Shaw, Herrera and Fellaini are surly overpaid and Fellaini and Mata weren't signings we needed.
If we are going to protest it should be directed towards the people who are responsible for the transfer business rather than the owners. Money is clearly there, they clearly allow it to be spend, but the management should spend it on better players.
This is a bit silly. We spend money but we've bought the wrong players.
This post is misleading. What is bad management? What is poor investment? And what is shocking decision about transitional period... Everything must be said in comparative terms.
Had Fergie still been in charge, we would all be here celebrating another trophy(ies) year and enjoying another year of great football.... Man United is unique because no one club had one manager for 26 years being so successful at the highest level. Who is to say we weren't being managed well (compared to who? Compared to which clubs?) The emergence of club owners with bottomless pockets such as Chelsea, City etc couldn't even shake us much (and knocked us off the perch).... After 26 years, United for the first time had to endure a transitional period. It is not difficult to understand we are facing an unhill battle. Who is to predict signing Jose last season would guarantee success (Okay not 7th place, but hardly certain we would be champions again). So yeah, transitional period might not be as smooth as some other clubs which change manager every 15 months or 2 years.. Why are fans so intolerant?!!!! Fans have been bloody spoiled over the years and now keep complaining and digging up flaws. Terrible
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Those worked out well. Two of them have gone and Varela is still in the U-21's. Kagawa was supposed to be the next best thing yet only gets used sparingly. £17m is a lot for a bit part player and god help us Fellaini, we would have been better not spending the money and adding it to this season's kitty.
Pretty much. I love Mata but we didn't need him.
Is it the Glazers fault we spend their money on dross/players we don't need?
Büttner was sold for £4m so we have recovered that money atleast.
Kagawa was a steal at the time for £17m, Dortmunds best player. I just feel like we have ruined him with also buying Van Persie and creating the dillema with Rooney in the team. Was looking like Rooney would become the victim of that under Fergie but with him gone and Moyes coming into office Kagawa became the victim. Then buying Mata really didn't help his case, I think he could still succeed but he has to be given a bigger role in the squad in order for that to happen, witht he current situation of Mata, Rooney, RVP and Januzaj I don't think that is going to happen. Our best bet would be to sell him right now, he is still valued by alot of teams in the market and I think we could earn back a big part of that £17m if we sold him, perhaps even all of it.
Henriquez failed, Zaha failed, won't ever be a Manchester United player I feel and Fellaini will likley also be sold, however he impressed me in the last 2 games, he is not a United player and he is not worth £27.5m but I think we should be able to earn back atleast £15m from him aswell.
No. I would love to know why so much dross seems to be bought. Most clubs buy so much, but we seem to have a degree in it.
I see your point mate, I still don't think there is much of a chance of it happening though. All those funds you've listed...they have the money but they aren't exactly open pursed. City and PSG were bargain deals. United will not be, IMO.
That's exactly my point. Bayern and other German clubs have had a fan ownership model for many years (possibly since the beginning), which is why it is a self sustaining and stable model for them. Likewise with Madrid and Barca. For us though, it will have to be a new beginning and I don't think it will end well at all. I bet that if we tried, there would be loads of dirty politics. And where's the money for it going to come from for fan ownership anyway? Banks? The Glazers certainly aren't going to get scared and donate the club to the fans.
Also there is no denying that during a period of 2-3 years (around the time we sold Ronaldo), the club was under heavy financial strain and we made it through that difficult time only thanks to Fergie. That's the period when the Glazer ownership really hurt us bad.
The club finances are stable for the past couple of years though, and we've seen unprecedented spending in this particular period and I'm sure we will continue to spend a lot of money. I just hope we start spending it in the right manner, as well as upscale our scouting and academy operations. City are stealing the march on us in that regard too.
The club finances are stable for the past couple of years though, and we've seen unprecedented spending in this particular period and I'm sure we will continue to spend a lot of money. I just hope we start spending it in the right manner, as well as upscale our scouting and academy operations. City are stealing the march on us in that regard too.