Thing is, if a billionaire Suadi family did buy us it wouldn't be to make money, it'd be to make us the best team in world football. There would be no more tolerating mediocrity and treading waster like we currently are
The Saudi Takeover Rumor Thread
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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I'd be happy if we could just change the manager tbh.
You're right. It's lack of ambition. As long as our revenue keeps increasing that's all our owners and CEO care about.
Yes, and that is why I would like a takeover. Our potential buyers are far from ideal though. Would be much better if it was Qatar or UAE.
I think thats the argument some of these guys are trying to make, all this stuff about buying fuel, phones etc and the other stupid argument that the Glazers are American so they bombed Japan or similar bullshit. It's all nothing more than guys trying to justify not giving a feck. Because not all but a lot of them are Gloryhunters who just want shiny new toys every summer. And they want trophies because thats primarily what they support and what most likely drew them to supporting United in the first place. A Saudi takeover would allow them to avoid the uncomfortable 1-2 year changeover when they switch to supporting another club.
The same way you trampoline’d your way into top red line of argument.
“selling our soul”/“stoop to this level” is melodramatic and hypocritical stuff I don’t subscribe to. Majority of the stuff you consume or use on a day to day basis can be traced down to some kind of feckery.
Of course I want United winning, ideally battering clubs every other day, and of course I’m embarrassed with the state we are in.
The game is the game.
The company that profits from me purchasing an item that I need to take part in society underpay employees in the third world vs. the family who owns the club personally orders murders and executions. It's not exactly the same "kind of feckery", is it?
Fred?
We need a whole bench of them with costlier players in starting lineup.
It's all talk by Woody. Glazers say no unless they think they can make make money out of it
We need the Saudi's then. Only way it will happen.
It won't happen,if ever, unless we are sold as the Glazers are here until someone richer offers them a fortune. Only people who can afford it are probably The oil sheiks
Rumours and gossip. Nothing substantial, right? Just people claiming they’ll stop supporting the club.
who would have thought that humans are complex beings that struggle morally and often will justify exploitation and indentured slave labour that leads to suicide rates so high safety nets are installed at workplaces, but then will draw the line somewhere else?!
to be fair, i didn't know these dudes are out here offing people like that. I assumed they were no more shady than the other owners the premier league already approved of.
The club can feck off if it’s owned by saudis. Part of the Beauty of supporting this team is that their standing in the sporting world was earned the right way.
Saudi are much worse.
Same shit different name
I mean, I’m a foreigner as well mateI think this has less to do with where you’re from, and more to do with your outlook on life. If watching Messi in a United jersey matters more to you than thinking, you know this was funded by the same family who ordered an innocent man to be tortured and murdered, and then planned to execute the people that they made murder the guy, then more power to you, but I can never live my life like that.
Reading back, I wasn’t very clear. I meant those that want this to happen are mainly foreigners - but I didn’t mean all foreigners want this to happen. Of course we have a load of followers overseas that don’t, they aren’t the problem.
But yeah, you’re right. It is probably more to do with your outlook on life. It’s just that to me, those who are happy for this happen are less likely to care about the impact and image of the club, because they’ve only watched United on bein sports or spend more time in the transfer forum and twitter than anything else United. They don’t really care about Manchester United. Again, not all foreigners, because many don’t want this to happen.
So you tolerate Qatar or UAE for the same things they did as Saudi . Cool then
I see why you’re saying but why would a true fan of Manchester United want the club to directly associate itself with such an utterly detestable regime?
We already compete. We won a couple of trophies a couple of seasons ago. We spend more than virtually every club in existence with the exception of the oil clubs.
We compete already but we’ve lost our way. It’s not easy, but we can get back to where we were - with shrewd business practices, good long term planning, a bit of luck and a proper coach.
We don’t need to be controlled by morally bankrupt kings in order to do this and I’m flabbergasted at the people who think we have to. These are the people that want instant success. They want a new signing every window. They have no patience. Glory hunters.
I'm not justifying exploitation. I'm saying that for me, personally, to eschew anything that involves some form of exploitation or rights abuse is simply impossible and cannot be demanded of the individual. Would I be willing to pay a higher price for consumer items if it meant other people could live in more humane conditions? Yes, I would. I have no control over that though, unfortunately.
But I do have control over whether I want to take part in a brutal regime using my favourite club as some sort of PR/image laundering campaign.
And finally, I do think that some forms of abuse are worse than others. Exploiting workers is bad. Public executions are worse. Neither is acceptable but they are still not the same.
It doesn't make any sense.
Anything to get rid of Glazers and Woodward.
We make our own money, we have a rich history - we are already a huge club.
Being bought by an owner that actually puts IN to the club is what we SHOULD have.
We make our own money, we have a rich history - we are already a huge club.
Being bought by an owner that actually puts IN to the club is what we SHOULD have.
Officially. I think the days of believing City's public finances are over. Factor in all of the hidden oil money deals and their wages would double ours I bet.
Such a beautiful story.
you’re not convinced?Being owned by the Saudis would be a horrible black mark on our history.
Would rather we continued lining the Glazers pockets than sell our soul to the devil.
The problems of the DRC have been going a lot longer than just the last 30 years and to put it all at the issue of mobile phones is pure BS. Also the Chinese are heavily involved in the DRC and have been since the 60's, in fact China has funded a lot of these issues to the point where they are recognised in the country as most favoured nation. Guess the area they are involved in mostly, mining. Regardless 2 wrongs don't make a right, it is something that I don't have a say in as it is with the cars. Support for a club I love becoming the propaganda front of a dictatorial regime is.
Theres more important things in life than Manchester United winning trophies. We cannot support owners like this.
Yes, the Saudis are worse. I don't tolerate any of them, but this is something beyond by control. I can't lose my hair for something I have no say on. The Glazers own the club, so they can sell to anyone, I think. UAE and Qatar over Saudi is more a case of damage limitation for me, rather than actually actively wanting any of them.
I think it is more naivety than anything. Like you said, the Glazers do spend on transfers, contrary to what people say and try to believe. The thing is, they come across as unambitious and looks like they don't care much about the performances of the team on the pitch unlike the Arabs with City, with PSG. Those things you mentioned does not look like things we'd get from the Glazers.
We just don't look like a football club, no structure, system. If there's even any remote chance of us looking like a football club again in no time under the Glazers, even if it makes us the 3rd or 4th best team in the league, then I'd take it with both hands over tonnes of trophies with the Arabs.
I don’t know mate. What can better than Man Utd signing Neymar, giving him £600k a week and watching him on your BT Sport subscription?
Correct. I personally think some fans dress up their outrage at City and PSG with a moral justification when in fact, they don't like it that United have competition in spending mega-bucks on players. Football is big-business and it has no morals. Best just seeing it for what it is.
It would still be earned, United are one of the biggest if not the biggest club in the world. The problem comes with the moral and ethical association with being tied to Saudi Arabia.
When exactly would that be? Isn't happening for City or PSG so far as I can see. Fans love success and forgive all. They never get sick of winning.
It would be so good to get a list of people who say they'd stopwatch United/football etc etc, and see what their views are when the team were winning the big trophies again, playing entertaining football.
I'd confidently say, many posters on here would say they leave and just come back with new names but they wouldn't stop watching United or football.
I'd confidently say, many posters on here would say they leave and just come back with new names but they wouldn't stop watching United or football.
I wouldn't support the takeover, I think it would be a very sad moment in the history of this romantic club, and I wouldn't ever feel quite the same way.
I can see why we'd be of real interest though.
We have the brand, the history, the fanbase... buy Newcastle or Southampton and you are going to get the club for cheap, but the investment you can make is curtailed by a properly governed FFP. I'd imagine the Saudi Prince guards his reputation more carefully than any businessman, and would consider it more important than the cost of buying any football club in the world. Buying Manchester United, with our turnover means that the restrictions on FFP would be minimal. It'd be very sad, but I could actually see this happening.
It's even possible that these discussions curtailed our spending this Summer.
I can see why we'd be of real interest though.
We have the brand, the history, the fanbase... buy Newcastle or Southampton and you are going to get the club for cheap, but the investment you can make is curtailed by a properly governed FFP. I'd imagine the Saudi Prince guards his reputation more carefully than any businessman, and would consider it more important than the cost of buying any football club in the world. Buying Manchester United, with our turnover means that the restrictions on FFP would be minimal. It'd be very sad, but I could actually see this happening.
It's even possible that these discussions curtailed our spending this Summer.
I’m actually sick and tired of Woodward bragging about revenue and how much money we earn as a club each year and how much more we will earn next year bla bla... like who actually gives a F*** anymore? I don’t care how much money we earn, that doesn’t bring me any joy. It’s not my wallet that get’s bigger.
I want to see us win games and play good football. Back then (Fergie era) a good and healthy economy was a big +. Now it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re the biggest club but the worst playing football team. Sell the club to the Saudis, even though I hate the people that run that country.
The United States of America is the same. Biggest villains in terms of shady actions and business with other countries the last 100 years of our history. It’s a country who starts wars in other countries for oil and control of natural resources. There is nothing ethical dignity left in this era. Doesn’t matter if our owners are Americans or the Saudi’s. One of the owners takes out our earnings of club the others will invest. I think maybe the Saudi’s want to win an internal game against the Emirates, and our club is the key to put down the Emirates and Man.City from their throne? These Arab families have too much money it’s just pennies for them
I want to see us win games and play good football. Back then (Fergie era) a good and healthy economy was a big +. Now it doesn’t matter anymore. We’re the biggest club but the worst playing football team. Sell the club to the Saudis, even though I hate the people that run that country.
The United States of America is the same. Biggest villains in terms of shady actions and business with other countries the last 100 years of our history. It’s a country who starts wars in other countries for oil and control of natural resources. There is nothing ethical dignity left in this era. Doesn’t matter if our owners are Americans or the Saudi’s. One of the owners takes out our earnings of club the others will invest. I think maybe the Saudi’s want to win an internal game against the Emirates, and our club is the key to put down the Emirates and Man.City from their throne? These Arab families have too much money it’s just pennies for them
I understand where you're coming from, but I'm gonna disagree on this one.
Our owners, and the way they 'bought' the club are anomalously bad in modern football - laughable even.
We need to get rid of them, and the only prospective buyers in this day and age of a club with so much worth will be characters like the Saudis.
The human-rights crimes in Saudi are disgraceful - but them buying United wouldn't mean that you support those crimes. Just as being owned by the Glazers doesn't mean that you support their particular brand of extremo-capitalism scamming.
Nor does it mean that you support the actions of every single sponsor that the Glazers and Woodward continually align our club to in order to make themselves more money.
In fact, you could argue that buying United would attract much more attention on the human rights violations in Saudi Arabia (which it would).
I also feel, it would be good, in the name of fairness to have a football media who would have to choose between continuing to turn a blind eye to everything true of Citeh's ownership, or to do the same with United's (which they wouldn't be able to do).
Bottom line is - we are a massive, massive club being run so badly that it's almost surreal.
We need to have owners who put into the club and are hungry for real success - why should we tolerate an ownership like the Glazers? What other big clubs do / would?
And what other big club would tolerate footballing decisions like those that have, and continue to take place under the Glazers / Woodward?
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My sentiments exactly.
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