Club Sale | It’s done!

[JJ12]

Something is bubbling either way. Just end this for feck sake.

 

[Offside]

Howard Nurse "Qatar then"

 

[BoulderDevil]

It will happen. It’s inevitable. It might not be right away, but it will. We will one day be involved in a transfer, or a re-development, or a something which requires us to spend more than we’d budgeted for, or should be able to spend, and the people that own us, who’ve never had to deal with not getting their way or encountered a problem they couldn’t solve with money, will find a way to get that money used for their gain….

Just like City did, despite it being perfectly possible to grow them more organically over time, just like Newcastle are already doing with their sponsors, despite already being a more “marketable” team than City were, and just like Qatar themselves did with the Neymar & Mbappe deals that broke the transfer market, or the World Cup bid that saw 7 FIFA officials arrested in the aftermath and a criminal investigation opened into the bidding process FFS!

it will happen. And all the same people will excuse it and defend it, precisely because being Man Utd will be the perfect cover for it, and a much more easily defendable reason for spending ludicrous sums. And even if it doesn’t, there will always be doubts as to whether it had. That’s tainting. It’s what tainting is. City haven’t been “convicted” of anything yet, but their success is tainted because everyone already believes they have.
So yes, it will happen.

You think it’s annoying having “moralists” in our own fanbase now? You’re gonna get bored of “defending” it. And of seeing everyone portray our non-state owned rivals as “proper” clubs and the moral victors whenever they beat us.

That’s the trade off. It’s absolutely fine to some, I’m sure. Many even. And being resigned to it is perfectly fine. But forgive me if I find the celebration and pre-emptive defence of it pretty gross, and entirely alien to how I engage with supporting this club, and my love of football in general.

And forgive me if I don’t in good faith think that a lot (not all) of people now pretending it’s all because of their newly found rabid hatred of the Glazers (no Glazer thread on this site has ever been as long or contentious as this!) wouldnt have been the same people dismissing or laughing at those who initially opposed them… because the snarky “I wonder whether those pesky moralists will still support the club or feck off!?” rhetoric sounds exactly like some past insults lobbied at United fans during a takeover… and it wasn’t by those against it.

Sorry this is just a very pessimistic take. Or maybe you’re just overall jaded with the direction the game is heading. Manchester United is the biggest sporting club in the world. It goes without saying that any transfer in ownership will go to someone who uses money to get what they want. Whether it is the Glazers, SJ or Jason, doesn’t really matter. No matter what your perspective is, this is not the same circumstance as Man city. Maybe perception is important to you, maybe you care what other fans think. As long as we play by the rules (and we should have no trouble doing so) then everything is fine in my book. Sure, there are some fans who only care about winning and don’t care how, but who the feck cares. Jury is out on how the new owners will run the club. Let’s hope they invest in the squad, stadium, training ground and let’s hope they do it by the book.

 

[STYLOISRED]

The crazy thing is this could still be a private bid for all we know and we're all getting giddy thinking we're about to become a financial superpower.

We are already a financial superpower. Clearing the debt alone takes us up a level.

 

[LordSpud]

For me the fact Simon Stone is reporting negatively on this is more of an indicator that it's good news.

 

[Redstain]

The Reuters' report also mentions that both sources close to United and Jassim aren't providing information. So that means Reuters' source has to be a third party which presumably is Reine group.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

All this cnut does is come out being cautious after someone else breaks a story.

And he’s been right so far? Or is this just a case of ignore all news you don’t want to hear?

 

[bosnian_red]

It must be difficult to go through life having every 1% chance of something happening ruin your feelings about occurrences.

Seems incredibly pessimistic

To clarify, the 1% is that this isn't a state backed bid and we aren't becoming a state owned club. In which case it'd be a "normal owner".

So if you wanna live on that 1% with your head in the sand, go for it, but we all ~know what's going on here and so of course, that affects our feelings.

 

[BluesJr]

My biggest wish for the next ownership is to stop British media shitting on transfers/denying stories left right and centre.

 

[mancsarered]

United stock has been halted. Bye Bye Glazers!

 

[Bosws87]

So what's going on? Reuters saying one thing and Simon Stone saying something else.

You will know it’s done before stone, he only confirms stuff when it’s already done.

He’s always been like this.

 

[FrankDrebin]

We are finally getting our once great club back.

Yeah, keep thinking that.

 

[tenpoless]

It will happen. It’s inevitable. It might not be right away, but it will. We will one day be involved in a transfer, or a re-development, or a something which requires us to spend more than we’d budgeted for, or should be able to spend, and the people that own us, who’ve never had to deal with not getting their way or encountered a problem they couldn’t solve with money, will find a way to get that money used for their gain….

Just like City did, despite it being perfectly possible to grow them more organically over time, just like Newcastle are already doing with their sponsors, despite already being a more “marketable” team than City were, and just like Qatar themselves did with the Neymar & Mbappe deals that broke the transfer market, or the World Cup bid that saw 7 FIFA officials arrested in the aftermath and a criminal investigation opened into the bidding process FFS!

it will happen. And all the same people will excuse it and defend it, precisely because being Man Utd will be the perfect cover for it, and a much more easily defendable reason for spending ludicrous sums. And even if it doesn’t, there will always be doubts as to whether it had. That’s tainting. It’s what tainting is. City haven’t been “convicted” of anything yet, but their success is tainted because everyone already believes they have.
So yes, it will happen.

You think it’s annoying having “moralists” in our own fanbase now? You’re gonna get bored of “defending” it. And of seeing everyone portray our non-state owned rivals as “proper” clubs and the moral victors whenever they beat us.

That’s the trade off. It’s absolutely fine to some, I’m sure. Many even. And being resigned to it is perfectly fine. But forgive me if I find the celebration and pre-emptive defence of it pretty gross, and entirely alien to how I engage with supporting this club, and my love of football in general.

And forgive me if I don’t in good faith think that a lot (not all) of people now pretending it’s all because of their newly found rabid hatred of the Glazers (no Glazer thread on this site has ever been as long or contentious as this!) wouldnt have been the same people dismissing or laughing at those who initially opposed them… because the snarky “I wonder whether those pesky moralists will still support the club or feck off!?” rhetoric sounds exactly like some past insults lobbied at United fans during a takeover… and it wasn’t by those against it.

I dont oppose any of Qatar or SJR takeover, at this point I just want this to be over quickly knowing Glazers are milking it for more money. However I find it fascinating how you can predict the future with an absolute certainty.

 

[Ajr]

Wish Qatar would feck off

 

[Zoo]

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[Godfather]

And he’s been right so far? Or is this just a case of ignore all news you don’t want to hear?

He's just been horrendously wrong 15 minutes ago. Ben "it takes 3 months to register a company" Jacobs. Guy hasn't a clue.

 

[jm99]

To clarify, the 1% is that this isn't a state backed bid and we aren't becoming a state owned club. In which case it'd be a "normal owner".

So if you wanna live on that 1% with your head in the sand, go for it, but we all ~know what's going on here and so of course, that affects our feelings.

Why would this affect your enjoyment of watching united, we've been competing with one arm tied behind our backs for 18 years, all that will happen is we now compete with both arms, it's nothing like city going from midtable to champions, and it's annoying to see our fans pretend it is

 

[Teja]

Why believe these randos when Reuters has the scoop? I trust the markets to sniff things out more than the journos. If we're back to $18 per share and I'll believe the Qatar deal is off.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Think I'll trust Reuters over Ben Jacobs on this one

 

[mu4c_20le]

Stock price stabilizing below 25 after the latest cold water tweets

 

[bosnian_red]

Simple don't let how you feel be defined by other people, if you live your life worrying about what other people think I feel bad for you

I don't. The success we might get is tainted for me now because in my head there is a 99% chance this is a state backed bid and we will be a state backed, oil club who will now cheat our way to success if we have to. I don't like that out of principle, not on the chance that somebody finds out. The 1% off chance that it's all legit is that small of odds that it doesn't come into play because I'm not gonna shove my head in the sand and hope on a prayer that this isn't what we all know it is.

 

[Pexbo]

And he’s been right so far? Or is this just a case of ignore all news you don’t want to hear?

He spent months starting a thread saying one thing and then finishing it with “but as this is a complicated scenario it is possible that the opposite is actually true”.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

By that logic why today and not in February?

It was probably submitted months ago. So the day it finally gets approved is fairly random. Other than being a trigger for Rio et al to read too much into it.

 

[Spoony]

The Reuters' report also mentions that both sources close to United and Jassim aren't providing information. So that means Reuters' source has to be a third party which presumably is Reine group.

Or Rio Ferdinand.

 

[Lyng]

Reuters would normally not post things without very good sources. Trust them over Ben and Simon any day.

 

[Woodzy]

Can someone explain the exclusivity thing? Does it mean that no other bids can be made? It sounds like it should be self-explanatory but I don’t really get it.

 

[altodevil]

I'll lean Reuters

 

[Santos J]

So what's going on? Reuters saying one thing and Simon Stone saying something else.

Reuters and Simon Stone didn't really say anything different to each other

 

[Godfather]

It was probably submitted months ago. So the day it finally gets approved is fairly random. Other than being a trigger for Rio et al to read too much into it.

No way. UK authorities can't be that slow.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Why believe these randos when Reuters has the scoop? I trust the markets to sniff things out more than the journos. If we're back to $18 per share and I'll believe the Qatar deal is off.

Aren't those "randos" simply interpreting the same scoop? They aren't refuting it. People here are just jumping the gun.

 

[JPRouve]

I dont oppose any of Qatar or SJR takeover, at this point I just want this to be over quickly knowing Glazers are just milking it ot for more money. However I find it fascinating how you can predict the future with an absolute certainty.

To be fair, most top clubs have cheated one way or the other. So his prediction is likely correct and doesn't really amount to anything other than United will do what nearly everyone do which is push the boundaries or step over them. As an example in theory clubs aren't supposed to talk to players that are under contract without the explicit agreement of their employer...

 

[redcucumber]

Cheating or circumvention of FFP at City and PSG was 'necessary' for them to be successful. Why would you do that if you don't need to? I wouldn't be surprised if Utd is just left to function as self-sustaining under Qatari ownership.

Outside of infrastructure improvements and the debt paid off, we don't need any financial support on sponsorships or transfer budgets. We already match anyone out there and our revenue would boom if ETH can get us challenging for the PL & CL.

If we stuck to the rules we could only spend £100m this summer. Do you really think that'd satisfy the Qatari's? Why would they be content sticking to the rules (which they've not done in the past) when they can do a workaround and get what they want much faster?

 

[Andycoleno9]

I am so confused. Qatar gets exclusive talks BUT Ineos still can jump in?
This will drag for few more weeks at least.

 

[Pexbo]

It was probably submitted months ago. So the day it finally gets approved is fairly random. Other than being a trigger for Rio et al to read too much into it.

Yet multiple people on here have said that they have submitted lots of these and it takes a day or two.

Bit of a coincidence if this one took four months and landed today.

 

[Andre Kagawa]

I'm tired Wobbie.

 

[Godfather]

Can someone explain the exclusivity thing? Does it mean that no other bids can be made? It sounds like it should be self-explanatory but I don’t really get it.

You can't even negotiate with anyone else anymore during the exclusivity period. Depends on the exclusivity granted though.

 

[Partridge]

Can I just shock you? I like the Qatari’s. Despite what I just said earlier.

. At any one time, I have at least 6 qatari's in my cellar. I don't do anything with them, I just periodically prod them and ask about the take over.

 

[SouthMancRed]

It will happen. It’s inevitable. It might not be right away, but it will. We will one day be involved in a transfer, or a re-development, or a something which requires us to spend more than we’d budgeted for, or should be able to spend, and the people that own us, who’ve never had to deal with not getting their way or encountered a problem they couldn’t solve with money, will find a way to get that money used for their gain….

Just like City did, despite it being perfectly possible to grow them more organically over time, just like Newcastle are already doing with their sponsors, despite already being a more “marketable” team than City were, and just like Qatar themselves did with the Neymar & Mbappe deals that broke the transfer market, or the World Cup bid that saw 7 FIFA officials arrested in the aftermath and a criminal investigation opened into the bidding process FFS!

it will happen. And all the same people will excuse it and defend it, precisely because being Man Utd will be the perfect cover for it, and a much more easily defendable reason for spending ludicrous sums. And even if it doesn’t, there will always be doubts as to whether it had. That’s tainting. It’s what tainting is. City haven’t been “convicted” of anything yet, but their success is tainted because everyone already believes they have.
So yes, it will happen.

You think it’s annoying having “moralists” in our own fanbase now? You’re gonna get bored of “defending” it. And of seeing everyone portray our non-state owned rivals as “proper” clubs and the moral victors whenever they beat us.

That’s the trade off. It’s absolutely fine to some, I’m sure. Many even. And being resigned to it is perfectly fine. But forgive me if I find the celebration and pre-emptive defence of it pretty gross, and entirely alien to how I engage with supporting this club, and my love of football in general.

And forgive me if I don’t in good faith think that a lot (not all) of people now pretending it’s all because of their newly found rabid hatred of the Glazers (no Glazer thread on this site has ever been as long or contentious as this!) wouldnt have been the same people dismissing or laughing at those who initially opposed them… because the snarky “I wonder whether those pesky moralists will still support the club or feck off!?” rhetoric sounds exactly like some past insults lobbied at United fans during a takeover… and it wasn’t by those against it.

I thought we were having more thunderstorms just now but turns out it was the noise of you stamping your feet while putting your tantrum down in writing.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

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He's generally spreading wrong information here and should be banned. At every little step he seems to come out and try and debunk everything like he's the ultimate ITK

fecking weapon

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Ben Jacobs, ffs what a downer man.

I bet if his missus says that’s she’s about to cum during sex he pulls out and plainly explains to her that it’s equally likely that her orgasm doesn’t occur.

 

[mu4c_20le]

I am so confused. Qatar gets exclusive talks BUT Ineos still can jump in?
This will drag for few more weeks at least.

They didn't get exclusive talks, mate. This is why journos like Stoney exist.