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Something I’ve just been considering.

Does the Qataris probable/possible acquisition of us put the final nail in the coffin of the super league?

PSG refused to join the initial one, I’m guessing that was due to Nasser and his ties to UEFA. Manchester United not being in it due to Qatar ownership would surely kill it permanently if not dead already as there is mo super league without us.

This would give UEFA more cause to allow the takeover and not block it.
 
Something I’ve just been considering.

Does the Qataris probable/possible acquisition of us put the final nail in the coffin of the super league?

PSG refused to join the initial one, I’m guessing that was due to Nasser and his ties to UEFA. Manchester United not being in it due to Qatar ownership would surely kill it permanently if not dead already as there is mo super league without us.

This would give UEFA more cause to allow the takeover and not block it.

As it stands, with or without Qatari ownership, none of the English clubs would be willing to join the Super League.
 
Been reading RAWK while having downtime at work. Seems as though they have to keep convincing themselves that it boils down to 11 v 11 and anything can happen on the pitch during any given match.

Can't say they're wrong. While I'm certainly not anti Qatari ownership, I think there's a chance that the Qatari's will go full cheat code mode and bring in names just to have them on the squad as bragging rights against other Middle Eastern countries and that team cohesion will go out the window in some crazy pissing contest with other billionaires. Exactly what they've done at PSG.

Hope EtH has the plums to plant his feet in the ground, if it gets to that point, and carry on with his team building as he sees fit instead of the potential new owners wanting all the big names on the back of the shirt. I do want money spent on transfers, genuinely. Just for the right fits and right players without spending mental money.

I think is wrong to compare what a Qatar ownership will do with the likes of PSG or the cheating going on at Citeh.

PSG/City felt had to do what they did to elevate their status whilst on financial steriods rather than growing the respective clubs organically.

United is a different beast and proposition. We have the base already build over decades -- and thus the 5-6billion quid price. They are paying for that history and financial structure/platform with that price. So the assumption that they will cheat just because its who they are is just being disingenuous.
 
Something I’ve just been considering.

Does the Qataris probable/possible acquisition of us put the final nail in the coffin of the super league?

PSG refused to join the initial one, I’m guessing that was due to Nasser and his ties to UEFA. Manchester United not being in it due to Qatar ownership would surely kill it permanently if not dead already as there is mo super league without us.

This would give UEFA more cause to allow the takeover and not block it.

No. The PL is the Superleague vacuuming up majority of the investment and money available for world football.
Barca, RM and Juve, the biggest clubs in Europe outside the PL will continue to push for the ESL unless they are allowed to join the PL.
They need the ESL money to stay competitive. They know with the current PL's projection, they will be in a tough fight for relevance in the mid-term.

UEFA will be the enemy of my enemy is my friend's role going forward. Like what UEFA is to FIFA, the PL is that in relation to UEFA. Everyone will be jockeying for position of power.

This is another reason why the Qatar bid is important for United.
 
I’ve monitored and read (& laughed) at this thread for days/weeks now, without getting involved, because it usually turns into a shit show of politics & close-minded opinions, but here goes anyway:

1) if we’re bought by Qatar, why do we suddenly turn into an oil/plastic club? If they allow the club to not be saddled with debt & allow us to spend what we can afford, without taking dividends out, how does that turn us into a plastic club? If they’re pumping £billions of their own money in transfers, above our spend limit, surely either FFP kicks in, and if it doesn’t, then sure, I’d understand the argument. But just having a simple case of “change of ownership” doesn’t miraculously mean we were relegation candidates artificially turned into challengers. We’ve also been one of the biggest names in football. Also, I’ve worked in corporate my entire career so it might be easier for me to separate ownership from operations (& on field operations). That’s just how business works. & football is business at the end of the day.

2) they’ll spend money on infrastructure and improving the facilities, which is great for the club, again, that doesn’t turn us into an oil club but rather having owners who are investing into the sporting project. Maybe they even finance it through the club, who knows. But it would be great having an owner/sponsor willing to invest into the club, versus seeing the club as a for-profit venture.

3) the world has been going this way since the dawn of time. The wealthy are extremely wealthy but there’s no real right answer in the equation as most of the wealthy generally got there by pillaging/abusing/using the poorest of the poor. Would any/most other owners really be head and shoulders above being owned by the emir of Qatar (or whatever they call him)? Or do you just consider them as such because they fit more into your personal belief system? Why can’t your personal belief system be separated from the ownership of a football club as long as they’re not trying to force their way of thinking down your throat (he’s supposedly been educated in the UK and loves football from that aspect anyway)? Unless you’d prefer another VC type ownership because it’s either sketchy billionaires or “VC type investors at these prices”….

4) maybe I’m too “lenient” or open minded coming from the third world and witnessing its horrors. Horrors most of you (a generalisation as I know it’s not all of you) are not accustomed to, but we experience it almost on the daily. It’s never right, nor should it be normalised, but the world extends, and is far greater than “just the west and your way of life”. There are other ways of life. You might not agree with it but there are, and it’s easy for most of you to sit there and criticise and judge but try being born into that, the family, the teachings, the values….its indoctrination in a form…& then try seeing how easy it is to simply severe ties with those you love because you deem it “wrong” - how would you even define wrong after living in that world your entire life? Seems a few of you look down on the Middle East and their way of life because it doesn’t fit into your own thinking about life and what it should be like. Maybe it works for them? Who knows. I certainly don’t but I find the entire “shutdown” a little condescending because you happened to be born into some sort of “privilege” (not even mentioning how all those privileges were obtained in the fist place).

Anyway, these are my thoughts. Maybe I’m detached because we have other problems to deal with here in our beautiful country, South Africa, where some tribes (and all across Africa I might add, also still struggle with gender equality). Maybe footy or United means less to me than you, who knows. And I’m not even condoning the “sportwashing” angle here, but maybe if everyone was a little more “accepting and forgiving” of some of the unknown, we could also show them the beauty of a different way of life and try and garner change to their regimes in that manner? It’s a weird world we’re living in, where a lot of the wests privilege today was borne out of the suffering of others, and whilst you feel like you might have progressed in lfiezc you might also have left others lagging behind even more, but yet some of you seem unable to “make amends” (why should you?) and give others a chance at change, by simply setting a better example, a more inclusive example.

But I guess these thoughts are too idealistic. Because it’s sports. You know, serious life threatening business in the grander scheme of life.

@golden_blunder sorry for posting “politics” in here as I know we’re trying to keep it only sale related. Was my one and only post of its ilk. I’m doing a lucky scout and saying “not open to replies from me” once I’ve aired my thoughts :lol:

Just here to give a thumbs up for this post.
 
This.

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Everyone else is just a run-of-the-mill fan regardless of where you are from.
:lol: :lol: whose dad is this?
 
Just like to add my agreement, very good post.
Point 4 is spot on. Its not surprising that there is a rather close mind to different cultures etc. The west in general not just the UK now suffers from 24/7/365 psyops in the media about any country that doesn't automatically adhere to western, and this usually means US , policies.

Yes that’s right, don’t you see guys?! It’s the people in favour of equality for women and gay people that are the close minded ones! Of course! It’s so clear now!
 
Something I’ve just been considering.

Does the Qataris probable/possible acquisition of us put the final nail in the coffin of the super league?

PSG refused to join the initial one, I’m guessing that was due to Nasser and his ties to UEFA. Manchester United not being in it due to Qatar ownership would surely kill it permanently if not dead already as there is mo super league without us.

This would give UEFA more cause to allow the takeover and not block it.
Super leagues finished anyway, English teams have little incentive to join it with how successful the EPL is, it would only serve to enrich the other European teams that want the same exposure as English team, which the likes of United, City etc probably don’t want to give them. It would only be viable if the EPL massively pisses of the big teams.
 
No. The PL is the Superleague vacuuming up majority of the investment and money available for world football.
Barca, RM and Juve, the biggest clubs in Europe outside the PL will continue to push for the ESL unless they are allowed to join the PL.
They need the ESL money to stay competitive. They know with the current PL's projection, they will be in a tough fight for relevance in the mid-term.

UEFA will be the enemy of my enemy is my friend's role going forward. Like what UEFA is to FIFA, the PL is that in relation to UEFA. Everyone will be jockeying for position of power.

This is another reason why the Qatar bid is important for United.

I can't speak about La Liga although from the little I heard its the same story as the Serie A. However I can speak alot about the Serie A

The only ones to blame for the Serie A downfall is the Italians themselves. When money was flowing in they could have easily invested on their infrastructure (ex Stadiums and improving their brand name etc). They chose to invest on players instead. At one point the situation grew so ridiculous that Manchester United couldn't afford the salary given to a Fiorentina player and a top Real Madrid player ended up moving to the Serie B. Its ridiculous that a club that at the time had won 5 CL, 4 of whom almost in a row, wouldn't even bother trying to increase its merchandizing footprint outside Italy. But back then, their owner was only concerned in making himself popular with the local audience with no care in the world on the long term sustainability of the club

Which leads us to the second point ie lack of accountability. Clubs were allowed to be owned by shady companies like Cirio and Parmalat which meant that once the latter fell the former would follow. Parma was one of the best run clubs in the world. They were a ridiculously small club who kept punching way above their weight by doing all the right things (ie promoting youths, buying and developing raw talent etc). That meant nothing because they were dragged through the mud with its parent company. Not to forget the many scandals that hit and still hits the Serie A. That's fascinating because only Juventus seem to end up punished by it with the rest ending with just a slap at the wrist.

But what is killing continental football is the disparity in terms of media money between those at the top end and the lower end. That benefited them at first but it hit them in the long term as no one could be arsed watching a league which is dominated by the same team again and again.

The ESL is a way to ratify that by creating the same competitive league they had ruined on their own turf. However I promise you that these people will eventually ruin it as well. We're talking about clubs like Barca and Real who sell their long term sustainability in favour of the new shiny player and I assure you that the Italian clubs aren't that better. I can't see how it would work as well. If the English, French and German clubs bail out then the ESL will see Barca/Real thrashing the Serie A ones again and again.
 
People don't make their governments policies, or often have minimal say in them. But to say that persecuting gay people is a 'cultural' thing we should all accept is a fecking insult. Not least to all the gay people living under these regimes.
 
Is it today? How long until we hear some thing?

Official?

I suspect if there's more than one bid the owners will want to play them off against each other. Maybe a while yet before anything is confirmed
 
Quoting people’s own words back at them is never wrong. It’s a public forum and it takes five seconds to search Qatar. If people have completely changed their tune on human rights abuse because it benefits them, they should be told and face that about themselves.
Why? It’s their mind not yours. You’ve said your piece so move on
 
Just like to add my agreement, very good post.
Point 4 is spot on. Its not surprising that there is a rather close mind to different cultures etc. The west in general not just the UK now suffers from 24/7/365 psyops in the media about any country that doesn't automatically adhere to western, and this usually means US , policies.
There is no reason why non-western owners shouldn't be good owners, just because they are non-western. After all the Emir of Qatar is a fanatical United man by all accounts, for instance.
It resonated with me too. A big part of my childhood was in Africa and I still currently live here too.
 
Just like to add my agreement, very good post.
Point 4 is spot on. Its not surprising that there is a rather close mind to different cultures etc. The west in general not just the UK now suffers from 24/7/365 psyops in the media about any country that doesn't automatically adhere to western, and this usually means US , policies.
There is no reason why non-western owners shouldn't be good owners, just because they are non-western. After all the Emir of Qatar is a fanatical United man by all accounts, for instance.
Being tolerant of others, accepting, neigh embracing people who can't help whom they love is not being close minded.

Giving workers basic human rights is not being close minded.

Wanting to allow freedom of speech is not being close minded.

What an absolute car crash of a post.
 
It resonated with me too. A big part of my childhood was in Africa and I still currently live here too.

If 40 years ago in 1983 there was another state trying to buy us and it was the apartheid regime of South Africa, would arguing that segregation of black people was just part of their culture we should accept it and claim objectors were guilty of some kind of cultural myopia set by Western policies, have been reasonable?
 
How much of an eventual sale will the Glazers pocket?

All of it? Well whatever % of the shares they own. They'll take that % of what it sells for, less taxes and fees.

Suspect the new owners will pay the debt rather than the Glazers on the sale profits
 
I’ve monitored and read (& laughed) at this thread for days/weeks now, without getting involved, because it usually turns into a shit show of politics & close-minded opinions, but here goes anyway:

1) if we’re bought by Qatar, why do we suddenly turn into an oil/plastic club? If they allow the club to not be saddled with debt & allow us to spend what we can afford, without taking dividends out, how does that turn us into a plastic club? If they’re pumping £billions of their own money in transfers, above our spend limit, surely either FFP kicks in, and if it doesn’t, then sure, I’d understand the argument. But just having a simple case of “change of ownership” doesn’t miraculously mean we were relegation candidates artificially turned into challengers. We’ve also been one of the biggest names in football. Also, I’ve worked in corporate my entire career so it might be easier for me to separate ownership from operations (& on field operations). That’s just how business works. & football is business at the end of the day.

2) they’ll spend money on infrastructure and improving the facilities, which is great for the club, again, that doesn’t turn us into an oil club but rather having owners who are investing into the sporting project. Maybe they even finance it through the club, who knows. But it would be great having an owner/sponsor willing to invest into the club, versus seeing the club as a for-profit venture.

3) the world has been going this way since the dawn of time. The wealthy are extremely wealthy but there’s no real right answer in the equation as most of the wealthy generally got there by pillaging/abusing/using the poorest of the poor. Would any/most other owners really be head and shoulders above being owned by the emir of Qatar (or whatever they call him)? Or do you just consider them as such because they fit more into your personal belief system? Why can’t your personal belief system be separated from the ownership of a football club as long as they’re not trying to force their way of thinking down your throat (he’s supposedly been educated in the UK and loves football from that aspect anyway)? Unless you’d prefer another VC type ownership because it’s either sketchy billionaires or “VC type investors at these prices”….

4) maybe I’m too “lenient” or open minded coming from the third world and witnessing its horrors. Horrors most of you (a generalisation as I know it’s not all of you) are not accustomed to, but we experience it almost on the daily. It’s never right, nor should it be normalised, but the world extends, and is far greater than “just the west and your way of life”. There are other ways of life. You might not agree with it but there are, and it’s easy for most of you to sit there and criticise and judge but try being born into that, the family, the teachings, the values….its indoctrination in a form…& then try seeing how easy it is to simply severe ties with those you love because you deem it “wrong” - how would you even define wrong after living in that world your entire life? Seems a few of you look down on the Middle East and their way of life because it doesn’t fit into your own thinking about life and what it should be like. Maybe it works for them? Who knows. I certainly don’t but I find the entire “shutdown” a little condescending because you happened to be born into some sort of “privilege” (not even mentioning how all those privileges were obtained in the fist place).

Anyway, these are my thoughts. Maybe I’m detached because we have other problems to deal with here in our beautiful country, South Africa, where some tribes (and all across Africa I might add, also still struggle with gender equality). Maybe footy or United means less to me than you, who knows. And I’m not even condoning the “sportwashing” angle here, but maybe if everyone was a little more “accepting and forgiving” of some of the unknown, we could also show them the beauty of a different way of life and try and garner change to their regimes in that manner? It’s a weird world we’re living in, where a lot of the wests privilege today was borne out of the suffering of others, and whilst you feel like you might have progressed in lfiezc you might also have left others lagging behind even more, but yet some of you seem unable to “make amends” (why should you?) and give others a chance at change, by simply setting a better example, a more inclusive example.

But I guess these thoughts are too idealistic. Because it’s sports. You know, serious life threatening business in the grander scheme of life.

@golden_blunder sorry for posting “politics” in here as I know we’re trying to keep it only sale related. Was my one and only post of its ilk. I’m doing a lucky scout and saying “not open to replies from me” once I’ve aired my thoughts :lol:

Excellent post mate :)
 
If 40 years ago in 1983 there was another state trying to buy us and it was the apartheid regime of South Africa, would arguing that segregation of black people was just part of their culture we should accept it and claim objectors were guilty of some kind of cultural myopia set by Western policies, have been reasonable?
Not here for the madness of hypothetical scenarios, just gonna like posts that I like, that's all. People can take whatever stance they want
 
Seems like many want the Qatari ownership though. So why is that OK, but Mason Greenwood not? Isnt it immensely more wrong what the Emir of Qatar allows against women?
Like i said, it's a valid point. But you don't have many fans simultaneously cheering Qatar while condemning Greenwood. Wish is why its a strange way to make your point.
 
Yup, world record Qatar Airways shirt sponsorship incoming

Not sure. We can already (and if we get back to winning shit even more so) attract top dollar in sponsorship money. We don't need fake commercial partners that don't actually pay us anything but are linked to the ownership so we just credit ourselves with £300m over four years that never actually exists when we can really make it?
 
I’ve monitored and read (& laughed) at this thread for days/weeks now, without getting involved, because it usually turns into a shit show of politics & close-minded opinions, but here goes anyway:

1) if we’re bought by Qatar, why do we suddenly turn into an oil/plastic club? If they allow the club to not be saddled with debt & allow us to spend what we can afford, without taking dividends out, how does that turn us into a plastic club? If they’re pumping £billions of their own money in transfers, above our spend limit, surely either FFP kicks in, and if it doesn’t, then sure, I’d understand the argument. But just having a simple case of “change of ownership” doesn’t miraculously mean we were relegation candidates artificially turned into challengers. We’ve also been one of the biggest names in football. Also, I’ve worked in corporate my entire career so it might be easier for me to separate ownership from operations (& on field operations). That’s just how business works. & football is business at the end of the day.

2) they’ll spend money on infrastructure and improving the facilities, which is great for the club, again, that doesn’t turn us into an oil club but rather having owners who are investing into the sporting project. Maybe they even finance it through the club, who knows. But it would be great having an owner/sponsor willing to invest into the club, versus seeing the club as a for-profit venture.

3) the world has been going this way since the dawn of time. The wealthy are extremely wealthy but there’s no real right answer in the equation as most of the wealthy generally got there by pillaging/abusing/using the poorest of the poor. Would any/most other owners really be head and shoulders above being owned by the emir of Qatar (or whatever they call him)? Or do you just consider them as such because they fit more into your personal belief system? Why can’t your personal belief system be separated from the ownership of a football club as long as they’re not trying to force their way of thinking down your throat (he’s supposedly been educated in the UK and loves football from that aspect anyway)? Unless you’d prefer another VC type ownership because it’s either sketchy billionaires or “VC type investors at these prices”….

4) maybe I’m too “lenient” or open minded coming from the third world and witnessing its horrors. Horrors most of you (a generalisation as I know it’s not all of you) are not accustomed to, but we experience it almost on the daily. It’s never right, nor should it be normalised, but the world extends, and is far greater than “just the west and your way of life”. There are other ways of life. You might not agree with it but there are, and it’s easy for most of you to sit there and criticise and judge but try being born into that, the family, the teachings, the values….its indoctrination in a form…& then try seeing how easy it is to simply severe ties with those you love because you deem it “wrong” - how would you even define wrong after living in that world your entire life? Seems a few of you look down on the Middle East and their way of life because it doesn’t fit into your own thinking about life and what it should be like. Maybe it works for them? Who knows. I certainly don’t but I find the entire “shutdown” a little condescending because you happened to be born into some sort of “privilege” (not even mentioning how all those privileges were obtained in the fist place).

Anyway, these are my thoughts. Maybe I’m detached because we have other problems to deal with here in our beautiful country, South Africa, where some tribes (and all across Africa I might add, also still struggle with gender equality). Maybe footy or United means less to me than you, who knows. And I’m not even condoning the “sportwashing” angle here, but maybe if everyone was a little more “accepting and forgiving” of some of the unknown, we could also show them the beauty of a different way of life and try and garner change to their regimes in that manner? It’s a weird world we’re living in, where a lot of the wests privilege today was borne out of the suffering of others, and whilst you feel like you might have progressed in lfiezc you might also have left others lagging behind even more, but yet some of you seem unable to “make amends” (why should you?) and give others a chance at change, by simply setting a better example, a more inclusive example.

But I guess these thoughts are too idealistic. Because it’s sports. You know, serious life threatening business in the grander scheme of life.

@golden_blunder sorry for posting “politics” in here as I know we’re trying to keep it only sale related. Was my one and only post of its ilk. I’m doing a lucky scout and saying “not open to replies from me” once I’ve aired my thoughts :lol:
I don't think anyone is looking 'down' upon the middle east.

A genuine question would be has anyone asked the woman's team about the potential of being brought out by a consortium with links to the rulers of a country where you can't be yourself and instead have to live in fear if you fancy the same sex?

Only ask as there isn't the same cloak and daggers attitude to being gay in woman's football generally. So would be interesting to get their perspective.

Your post is languishing in the 'you have to tolerate other people's values' without realising that the values you are aiming to tolerate do not abide by the same tolerations.

We aren't going to change a regime as a football team.
 
So here are my two cents:

Obviously being backed by oil state is a terrible thing as most clubs who do not have the financial backing will be left out of the race and all this becomes a show off between a few super powers. But if my beloved club is being taken over by a oil state I would expect least of the following things:

1. Clear separation between club and the owners. The club should be functioning free of any vested interests that would hamper its social standing. Support of LGBTQ+, respecting of traditions and cultures and overall being a beacon of hope in these torrid times is a must.
2. No financial irregularities. Adherence to FFP rules, and any other laws that govern the land are a must. No payments under the table, no benami accounts and bull shit like that. This club is above that and although might have fallen in the trap sometimes, I hope the new owners are committed to the cause.
3. As long as a consortium is created and the people responsible to run it have a clean record and adhere to ensure a clean record, I am fine. All of us have skeletons in our closet, but if you are putting yourself up there for the world to see, ensure you are someone who everyone can look up to.

The club will be used to promote the country, its obvious. It will be used to bring sporting events to the land, thats obvious as well. Players will be visiting middle east for friendlies mid season that is also a given, but every owner is entitled to this. I doubt anyone can have an issue with this.

As far as slavery, labour abuse is concerned, well I am from India and most of the abused people in Qatar are from my country. It is horrible how this is allowed. But please understand that now they will be more in limelight. Owning Man utd will bring more light on their day to day functioning. It may not end very well in the long run, but when there is abuse it should be rightly called out.
 
Nothing, short of hard cash, will convince me you are not a paid shill.

He's local, they are genuinely proud of their countries standings and their development. That usually leads to offering a different viewpoint that what is usually the norm on a Western forum.
 
Yes that’s right, don’t you see guys?! It’s the people in favour of equality for women and gay people that are the close minded ones! Of course! It’s so clear now!
"Close minded" in a sense that one does not accept another group's thinking, customs and culture.

Of course you knew the exact meaning of that post and still you went and twist his words to suit your own agenda.
 
Fecking state owners would be horrible. If it happens I don't want to see united fans scrambling to defend the regime.

Gay people, women and migrant workers. It's Britain in 2023. There isn't a forum or indeed Wetherspoon anywhere in the land where human rights abuses against these three categories of people aren't routinely rationalised
 
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