Hear, hear
Would you be okay with state or state-backed ownership?
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The thing with SJR is he's local person who loves the club and knows about the history and traditions I think he wants to be a custodian of that which is all good. However he recently or someone recently said he won't get swayed by passion but rather he will use his business sense, that sounds like to me he won't put money in if it's absolutely necessary. I don't think he will pay what the Glazers are asking and if he did pay that, will he pump in another 1B/2B after the purchase to get to be where we need. I don't think he will do that and that concerns me.
i'm reading a lot of resignation around the potential sale of united; 'sure there's sod all we can do if we're bought by the saudis' etc. sorry, but that's not good enough. i for one don't want the baggage that nufc fans have to put up with after the government rode roughshod over the fit and proper owner guidelines. as fans we need to let the current board and any potential new owners that we demand a say in how the club is run. that the women's team and youth set up are properly respected and resourced. that there must be a commitment to invest in the club and never again should there be a debt leveraged on to the club by its owners.
How often did we throw money at the problem under SAF though and how often did it work? Maybe Andy Cole in 90s and RVP in his latter years?
And despite all that Arsenal are currently 5 point clear at the top of the league against an unlimited money side with a manager wildly credit as being one of the greatest of all time
No, state ownership wouldn’t sit well with me at all. I would fall out of love somewhat I think.
Those people also don't want the UK government to commit human rights violations either. We are not our government.
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I’d have to reconsider my relationship with United if we became the vanity project of some thuggish regime. I’d rather see our past ten years loop over and over than us becoming like City or PSG.
Come on mate, you personally delivered the bombs to Saudi Arabia, I have it on a very good authority
Given the hefty price tag there are incredibly few who can acquire us. I’ve made peace with the fact that’s it probably going to be state backed ownership.
Dubai would be okay as they are the lesser evil, I know it’s hypocritical but what can you do its not in our hands.
Saudi would be a very tough pill to swallow.
Dubai would be okay as they are the lesser evil, I know it’s hypocritical but what can you do its not in our hands.
Saudi would be a very tough pill to swallow.
He's not great, at all.
But, to the point of this thread and with all those things considered, he's still nowhere near as deplorable as some as the states who could own us. Or even as obviously unacceptable as some states who couldn't, like the UK itself for example. Which is why state ownership is a problem.
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I don`t mind Kuwait or Dubai whose buyer is a Utd fan, that`s the way football is going we and we have to compete with City and Newcastle in the future.
It's not for me. I don't think the same joy would be there if we won the title because Dubai pumped in insane money. It just wouldn't. That's before even getting into the moral ramblings.
My utopia is we're bought by someone that..yes, is a businessman, and yes maybe takes a dividend occasionally, or wants to see his investment rise, but has enough money to own this club at a much lower level of debt and with lower costs to service financing. That allows us to utilise more of our self generated funds. That has a plan to improve our infrastructure. That puts the best football people in place, for the best chance of success.
Most of my issues with the Glazers are around how absent they are, how remote they are from understanding fans, how bad their decisions are. It's actually less to do with the nature of the ownership - but certainly it would be nicer if the owner was richer.
My utopia is we're bought by someone that..yes, is a businessman, and yes maybe takes a dividend occasionally, or wants to see his investment rise, but has enough money to own this club at a much lower level of debt and with lower costs to service financing. That allows us to utilise more of our self generated funds. That has a plan to improve our infrastructure. That puts the best football people in place, for the best chance of success.
Most of my issues with the Glazers are around how absent they are, how remote they are from understanding fans, how bad their decisions are. It's actually less to do with the nature of the ownership - but certainly it would be nicer if the owner was richer.
Certainly going to be some fans walking away from the club at the thought of state ownership
Jim can't compete with their riches I am afraid
Don't have any issues as long as they're going to make the club win again.
I'm not going to lie.
The human rights issues etc wouldn't suddenly make me stop supporting united. There just isn't any thing we can do about that and the ownership doesn't change my love for united. So no, but...
It would feel hollow as shit if we suddenly start pumping fake money into the club inflating our finances and just artificially buying our way back to the top.
The human rights issues etc wouldn't suddenly make me stop supporting united. There just isn't any thing we can do about that and the ownership doesn't change my love for united. So no, but...
It would feel hollow as shit if we suddenly start pumping fake money into the club inflating our finances and just artificially buying our way back to the top.
The issue is people understandably can't look past the human rights and bottomless pit element of it
Filled with body parts?
FFS, No I dont have to admit that because it's a bullshit narrative made up by bigots.
No.
Or maybe he would be that deplorable if he didn't happen to live in a country were such things aren't acceptable
And there’s such a thing as unicorns too
I doubt it. Easy to take the moral high ground now when we're plunging into irrelevance, but the moment we start winning trophies and become an elite European side most of those fans will be locked in.
A bit like how there was a lull in anti-Glazer sentiment when we were winning everything from 2007-09.
Yup agree. Such a scenario would be the end of my support too. We would become as pointless as City. There is no need for us to have such owners as we already have resources. Just need a more responsible progressive non leeching ownership who ideally has the club's interest at heart. I am not sure how much say fans can have in this though. Football's generally spiralling down a dark capitalist hole anyways, I hope we can still keep our soul
Would be great if we could have a poll for this.
I think I'm out if we get taken over by a state.
As long as fans are free to protest / support human rights in the stands while at OT then I think Utd fans shouldn’t be shamed over whoever takes over.
Especially since Utd doesn’t even need insane cash - unlike City or Newcastle - as everyone knows it generates its own profit.
If some repugnant regime takes over I would wanna see rainbow / human rights flags and banners all over OT while Utd wins trophies and people in those countries watch on.
That’s how things change.
The thing that has disgusted me with the current WC is the fecking cowardly censorship.
Especially since Utd doesn’t even need insane cash - unlike City or Newcastle - as everyone knows it generates its own profit.
If some repugnant regime takes over I would wanna see rainbow / human rights flags and banners all over OT while Utd wins trophies and people in those countries watch on.
That’s how things change.
The thing that has disgusted me with the current WC is the fecking cowardly censorship.
I'll always watch United regardless of who owns us - I am worried about who might buy us now but will wait and see before judging
If an oil state came in, paid off the debt, refurbed the stadium and invested sensibly in the team then I can't really see how we could complain
If an oil state came in, paid off the debt, refurbed the stadium and invested sensibly in the team then I can't really see how we could complain
The ultimate conflict isn't it?
There isn't any reality where a Manchester United could exist that I would be able to completely switch off from, regardless of the situation. It's been my team for 40 years.
So what then? Stop going to games? Refuse to buy merchandise? Adopt a new team?
I could do all of that, and may well do, but I criticised the FCUM mob way back when for doing exactly the same so that would make me a hypocrite. I'd also be depriving my kids from seeing United games, and they don't need to be burdened with my politics.
Ultimately I'd prefer to be a supporter of this United than that of a state backed, ethically questionable club that spends whatever it takes to win. What would be the point of that?
There isn't any reality where a Manchester United could exist that I would be able to completely switch off from, regardless of the situation. It's been my team for 40 years.
So what then? Stop going to games? Refuse to buy merchandise? Adopt a new team?
I could do all of that, and may well do, but I criticised the FCUM mob way back when for doing exactly the same so that would make me a hypocrite. I'd also be depriving my kids from seeing United games, and they don't need to be burdened with my politics.
Ultimately I'd prefer to be a supporter of this United than that of a state backed, ethically questionable club that spends whatever it takes to win. What would be the point of that?
Come on Dubai make an offer the glazers cant refuse.
Meh. You're entitled to think that circumstance X justifies action Y where circumstance Z didn't. And you're also entiltled to have a different perspective some 17 years later.
His "agent" did.
Very true, but did you watch the Olympics?
It's largely the same thing though isn't it? Disapproval of the owners. My issue back then wasn't their disapproval, but instead their method of protest - walking away rather than staying put and having their voices be heard.
I'd want Kuwait. They would have the money and plenty of reserves...both money and oil.
Let's be honest, if you're going to pollute anywhere, it may as well be Middlesbrough. It's the arsehole of Britain. Basically, it all boils down to how many levels of abstraction do you want the owner to have from direct murder.
For me it would be the final reason to stop giving a feck about football in general.
And, no - it wouldn't be particularly dramatic. I'm pretty much there already.
And, no - it wouldn't be particularly dramatic. I'm pretty much there already.
Hanging flags etc.. changes nothing. I see the official City twitter put rainbow stuff, rainbow badge etc.. huge hypocrisy and the owners don't care nor do the people who hold bigoted beliefs.
It will make zero difference to those people in those countries who believe in said regime. Not to say we should do nothing as anything is better than nothing.
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This place right now is alot like I was in 08 and even before when Thaksin was linked nevermind Abu Dhabi.
The truth is like myself (not all but) most United fans will just accept it for what it is, because we're mostly more indifferent to it than we let on. For myself I'm a massive hypocrite on many levels, supporting City is one, as is using an android phone, buying apple tech, wearing trainers like put together by children etc...
Most people don't care nearly as much about those places and their hr record as they say on the internet, its the sad truth. I'm not saying thats everyone but it is a huge majority sadly. I like to say these this is bad and that is bad but actions speak louder than words, I still shop where I shop, use what I use and support what I support.
Its not a nice position to be in, would I give up everything we've won for different owners? Honestly I don't know, would I prefer we've won what we've won with different owners? Absolutely. I comfort myself with Man City were Man City long before Abu Dhabi and will still be Man City long after.
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