Dubai a contender to buy Man Utd

[VidaRed]

Ah thanks. So the ruler of Abu Dhabi is a Sheikh but the others are all Emirs?

See below.

The United Arab Emirates is an elective monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, consisting of Abu Dhabi (the capital), Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain. Each emirate is governed by an Emir.

The Emirate of Dubai is ruled by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Dubai is the capital of Emirate of Dubai and is bordered to the south by the emirate of Abu Dhabi, to the northeast by the emirate of Sharjah, to the southeast by the country of Oman, to the east by the emirate of Ajman, and to the north by the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah.

The UAE capital – and by far the wealthiest emirate – Abu Dhabi has also seen a population boom in the last 50 years. But there is a marked difference between the UAE’s two most successful emirates – Abu Dhabi still relies on oil for much of its wealth. Today less than 1% of Dubai’s GDP is from oil – at one time it was over half.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/11/dubai-uae-transformation/

 

[Champ]

There are absolutely no concrete links to Dubai wanting to buy United.

Why does this thread even exist other than to serve those who can't see right from wrong, or love a good bit of whataboutism?

 

[stevoc]

I also particularly like how most of them rely on at least some variety of “well if you’re ok with the Glazers, who do X…” as if the one thing that has full agreement amongst all United fans is the how ok we all are with the Glazers… Those universally beloved owners of ours

It feels like we’ve reached peak grandstanding for the section of the Caf who only pop into the CE forum once a year to make one garbled post about equivalency that gets 15 replies but no follow up

Yeah of all the stupid aspects of these types of posts that one always makes me chuckle.

 

[That'sHernandez]

Can't we get bought by one of those good countries, you know, like... Iceland?

*waits for someone to tell me how evil Iceland is*

You've clearly never heard of the cod wars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cod_Wars

 

[Withnail]

Before getting into it, thank you for this response. It's a reasonable opinion and I appreciate the way you've framed it. Personally I disagree and that comes from being broken hearted seeing so many friends and a large population of my countrymen in general feign caring for so long and turn the other way in the face of a genuine choice
when it came down to it they ignored white supremacy and sexist, chauvinist rhetoric because the economic and other self serving implications far exceeded their willingness to stand up for "the other". So that disillusionment enters this subject area as well.

If you're telling others to be more mindful of climate change and animal welfare then yes, you absolutely should be avoiding leather goods and eating plant based. Or to your point , making a strong effort to change. Credit for doing that as well. I'm 100% animal product free myself for some time.

But I don't expect everyone to do the same..

My real issue is with those who are talking about it online and calling out others for not recognizing something like climate change and not doing anything themselves.

In the specific case of football, look at the post right below yours here talking about sports washing. If someone is going out of their way to criticize others for their supporting a football club or tournament due to these socio-political issues then I expect them to not watch the World Cup or follow United after takeover or any of City's games or what have you.

I'd prefer someone to just say they were okay with human rights violations and that's why they'll watch the world cup.

I also have a strong suspicion that many of the anti - middle east influence in sports commentary is racially motivated. It's not fair of me to judge like that but honestly the last several years have proven that giving people benefit of the doubt in this category was overly optimistic and naive. Again, if it were truly about the implications around the nature of ownership of United then this thread should be filled with "abhorrent state. I will not watch United if a takeover happens the same way I am not going to be watching the WC this year for the same reasons."

Jumping to racism because you can't understand someone else's point of view is a pretty crappy way to conduct a discussion. Your post is full of assumptions, drawn from experience with people you know in your country granted but you can't extrapolate that out and project it onto others, who knowing the caf most likely don't ignore white supremacy, chauvinism or misogyny for economic reasons.

 

[stepic]

There are absolutely no concrete links to Dubai wanting to buy United.

Why does this thread even exist other than to serve those who can't see right from wrong, or love a good bit of whataboutism?

basically a reboot of the saudi thread(s)

 

[Sky1981]

Them buying us can make them more visible and forced them to change for the better




Talking about clutching straws

 

[Sara125]

Sorry but you can’t have been slagging off city and their owners for all these years only to fall over yourselves at the prospect of this happening

 

[Ted Lasso]

Jumping to racism because you can't understand someone else's point of view is a pretty crappy way to conduct a discussion. Your post is full of assumptions, drawn from experience with people you know in your country granted but you can't extrapolate that out and project it onto others, who knowing the caf most likely don't ignore white supremacy, chauvinism or misogyny for economic reasons.

It certainly is a perspective driven by local experience. But there's a major global component to it still. If we keep specific to just the sporting world, it doesn't help seeing the kind of racial abuse still dished out to players, even those of ones own team like after the Euros. That to me strikes a lot of parallels to the experience in the US - vocal minority of outwardly racist, a likewise small group who would stand up against it and a vast majority that tsk tsk it and move on.

There's a lot of talk about not supporting United if they get bought by Dubai. Well then, why not show us the true intent of those words and not watch the World Cup? Im not sure I saw it mentioned at all in this thread before my first comment. Is that an unfair call to action when there's a chance for solidarity around the issue so soon and not a hypothetical?

 

[MarylandMUFan]

No way. Only marginally ahead of Saudis. Terrible record on human rights, womens rights, gay rights etc etc. We would be no better than City. Don’t want our club to be a sportswashing “project”.

Agreed. I really hope this doesn't happen. If it does, I am not sure what I will do but I just can't support a team owned buy people like this.

 

[RedDevil@84]

Sorry but you can’t have been slagging off city and their owners for all these years only to fall over yourselves at the prospect of this happening

People are hypocrites all the time. What changes is what they are hypocritical about.

 

[Drifter]

No thanks

 

[Withnail]

It certainly is a perspective driven by local experience. But there's a major global component to it still. If we keep specific to just the sporting world, it doesn't help seeing the kind of racial abuse still dished out to players, even those of ones own team like after the Euros. That to me strikes a lot of parallels to the experience in the US - vocal minority of outwardly racist, a likewise small group who would stand up against it and a vast majority that tsk tsk it and move on.

There's a lot of talk about not supporting United if they get bought by Dubai. Well then, why not show us the true intent of those words and not watch the World Cup? Im not sure I saw it mentioned at all in this thread before my first comment. Is that an unfair call to action when there's a chance for solidarity around the issue so soon and not a hypothetical?

I honestly don't see how what you see in the US with right wing people projects onto, for example, left leaning Europeans. I'm also not sure where you're going with conflating a minority of morons who racially abuse players and another different group of people who don't want Dubai in charge of United.

Who said whether or not the ones who don't want United purchased by Dubai and would stop watching if they took over are going to watch the World Cup? Have I missed that discussion? It seems like a separate topic to me though and one that probably does warrant discussion.

 

[BD]

I would be one of those who'd stop supporting United if they were bought by Dubai - but at the same time, I will probably watch the world cup in Qatar this winter (I do have reservations and could imagine that I won't be as invested in it as I normally am, but I reckon I'll still watch the major games).

I don't know, maybe I'm being a hypocrite, but to me there's a difference between passively watching the world cup and actively supporting a team. And to be honest, I'm not sure what exactly me not supporting United anymore would actually mean. It's not as though I can 'withdraw' my support somehow - I don't buy jerseys, I don't pay for MUTV, I watch the matches through streams, I don't follow them on any social media, visit the website, or anything. So me not supporting them anymore literally wouldn't affect the club in any miniscule way at all - so it's not really withdrawing my support on principle. I guess it would rather mean that I would get no enjoyment out of them winning, and therefore wouldn't really watch the games. And therefore no longer consider myself a fan.

 

[Raoul]

I would be one of those who'd stop supporting United if they were bought by Dubai - but at the same time, I will probably watch the world cup in Qatar this winter (I do have reservations and could imagine that I won't be as invested in it as I normally am, but I reckon I'll still watch the major games).

I don't know, maybe I'm being a hypocrite, but to me there's a difference between passively watching the world cup and actively supporting a team. And to be honest, I'm not sure what exactly me not supporting United anymore would actually mean. It's not as though I can 'withdraw' my support somehow - I don't buy jerseys, I don't pay for MUTV, I watch the matches through streams, I don't follow them on any social media, visit the website, or anything. So me not supporting them anymore literally wouldn't affect the club in any miniscule way at all - so it's not really withdrawing my support on principle. I guess it would rather mean that I would get no enjoyment out of them winning, and therefore wouldn't really watch the games. And therefore no longer consider myself a fan.

I think most would continue to support United but it would create a consistent undercurrent of contempt among a significant portion of the fanbase that would follow the club around, especially if it didn't win trophies.

On the other hand, I do think many would stop supporting if Mohammad "Bone Saw" bin Salman out in Saudi Arabia ever got his hands on the club.

 

[VidaRed]

On the other hand, I do think many would stop supporting if Mohammad "Bone Saw" bin Salman out in Saudi Arabia ever got his hands on the club.

The Saud dynasty are scum on a different level much nearer to kim jong.

 

[Kazi]

Let’s be completely honest, 99.9% will continue to support United regardless of who bought us

 

[Kazi]

This is relevant

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/w4tqgD0xKmc

 

[Ted Lasso]

I honestly don't see how what you see in the US with right wing people projects onto, for example, left leaning Europeans. I'm also not sure where you're going with conflating a minority of morons who racially abuse players and another different group of people who don't want Dubai in charge of United.

Who said whether or not the ones who don't want United purchased by Dubai and would stop watching if they took over are going to watch the World Cup? Have I missed that discussion? It seems like a separate topic to me though and one that probably does warrant discussion.

It's not really about the right wing and maybe I'm not explaining the perspective perfectly. It's the idea of self interest of the majority middle.

But we're staying further and further from how this started. Which is that question about consistency around the football support.

 

[Ted Lasso]

This is relevant

https://m.youtube.com/shorts/w4tqgD0xKmc

That's it right there. If you're on here whinging about the possible buyout you better not watch the world cup. And that's just the tip of the iceberg I'm sure

 

[Raoul]

That's it right there. If you're on here whinging about the possible buyout you better not watch the world cup. And that's just the tip of the iceberg I'm sure

Watching it is different from supporting Qatar. We had a massive multi year mega thread criticizing the absurdity of having a WC there.

 

[Ted Lasso]

I would be one of those who'd stop supporting United if they were bought by Dubai - but at the same time, I will probably watch the world cup in Qatar this winter (I do have reservations and could imagine that I won't be as invested in it as I normally am, but I reckon I'll still watch the major games).

I don't know, maybe I'm being a hypocrite, but to me there's a difference between passively watching the world cup and actively supporting a team. And to be honest, I'm not sure what exactly me not supporting United anymore would actually mean. It's not as though I can 'withdraw' my support somehow - I don't buy jerseys, I don't pay for MUTV, I watch the matches through streams, I don't follow them on any social media, visit the website, or anything. So me not supporting them anymore literally wouldn't affect the club in any miniscule way at all - so it's not really withdrawing my support on principle. I guess it would rather mean that I would get no enjoyment out of them winning, and therefore wouldn't really watch the games. And therefore no longer consider myself a fan.

I wouldn't call you a hypocrite unless you were out here yelling at others for still supporting United or watching the World Cup. (I don't know if you have ..not one for digging up posts)

I genuinely think the worst lot isn't the ones who openly accept not caring or even being prejudiced. Its the folks on a high horse preaching one thing, living another and then being extremely defensive about their own state. They're harder and less likely to be self reflective or change in my opinion and experience than the former.

 

[Raoul]

I wouldn't call you a hypocrite unless you were out here yelling at others for still supporting United or watching the World Cup. (I don't know if you have ..not one for digging up posts)

I genuinely think the worst lot isn't the ones who openly accept not caring or even being prejudiced. Its the folks on a high horse preaching one thing, living another and then being extremely defensive about their own state. They're harder and less likely to be self reflective or change in my opinion and experience than the former.

Double standards are part of life. People can criticize the WC or the fake news story of Dubai buying United and still watch the games or travel to Dubai.

 

[Ted Lasso]

Watching it is different from supporting Qatar. We had a massive multi year mega thread criticizing the absurdity of having a WC there.

Its been a big issue across a lot of social platforms. But clearly, just saying it was awful hasn't done much.

In this day and age, sponsors and the money behind these things heavily relies on the public engagement. There was a case to be made that enough of a "movement" could have seen the event possibly changed. It didn't because it was clear that most would watch it anyway.

Because consistently it is harder to give up some sort of convenience for the greater good. Especially when each individual feels that simply voicing their concern is moral upstanding enough and that their individual abstinence or boycott would affect no chance. Might as well just watch.

That attitude is kind of complicit , enabling and has led to many a shocking event across history. Maybe it's just human nature and social pressure. I think it's also behind cancel culture which is a whole other subject.

 

[Dans]

Can't we get bought by one of those good countries, you know, like... Iceland?

*waits for someone to tell me how evil Iceland is*

Norway - that place is swimming in oil money and half the country supports United - no brainer.

 

[MancunianAngels]

Not true. If fans protest enough any potential new owner would back away.

Look at how quickly the Glazers pulled out of the super league.

25,000 fans were protesting in games before the Glazers took over. They still bought the club.

If the Glazers decide a Dubai consortium are the ones to buy the club and they have the funds, they will buy the club.

 

[Tarrou]

25,000 fans were protesting in games before the Glazers took over. They still bought the club.

If the Glazers decide a Dubai consortium are the ones to buy the club and they have the funds, they will buy the club.

it isn’t the Glazers who will pull out of the deal

 

[crossy1686]

Earnings call this week on Friday before market open.

Stock options just saw 10,000 volume on $17 strike price. Current stock price is around $14.

That means someone knows something again. It’s either a really good earnings or something else is going on, OR it’s someone playing the run up to earnings who will sell the night before the call.

Unusual volume on the stock at the moment though.

 

[shahzy]

No country is perfect, but no country is equally shit. Would you rather live in China or Switzerland? If they are both equally shit than it doesn't matter if China is considered a less free, less safe, less stable society than Switzlerland.

Ask a Chinese person that and then ask a suisse person that. They grew up in what they know so will largely pick what they are used to.

Similarly you grew up where you grew up and therefore reflect the stereotypes of the country you are from. As we all are. Which is the point being made.