Club Sale | It’s done!

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Pexbo

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I mean you don't even have to look that far outside of football. This is the Manchester United fanbase we're talking about - the one sports fanbase who've got things wrong more than any others in the last 10 years.

The only fanbase in football who thought OGS was anything but a joke of a football manager.
That joke came second in the league ahead of Klopp’s Liverpool.
 

mu4c_20le

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By all accounts Jassim is a genuine Utd fan who happens to be extremely wealthy, his motivation is to put the club back at the top,
and to obviously increase the profile of Qatar as a global sporting powerhouse.
Whose accounts? The people who work for him?
 

stevoc

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By all accounts Jim Ratcliffe is also a Chelsea season ticket holder....
He apparently is yeah, yet there's zero evidence Jassim is actually a United or even a football fan though. Well apart from him saying he is through a press briefing.

What were the other accounts?
 

glazed

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Do you genuinely think there are a lot of United fans who would prefer Ratcliffe because he's white and British?
I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a British owner per se. Clubs should feel local. But Ratcliffe's localness is pretty skin deep if you'll excuse the pun. He's the head of a petrochemical multinational, not the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. He'd probably be an OK owner compared to the Glazers but the Qataris are just way richer and not as profit focused.
 

Cassidy

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They had a stinker this year too, how does that affect Ten Hag finishing above them?
I have not brought up Ten Hag finishing above them especially not after getting spanked 7-0. Its irrelevant because they were so shite
 

stw2022

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Owners being fans isn't something I care about. It rarely seems genuine and a bit like a politician canvassing for votes pretending that they listen to popular music when they've never listened to a single note composed after 1898 out of choice
 

stevoc

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I don't think there's anything wrong with wanting a British owner per se. Clubs should feel local. But Ratcliffe's localness is pretty skin deep if you'll excuse the pun. He's the head of a petrochemical multinational, not the Manchester Chamber of Commerce. He'd probably be an OK owner compared to the Glazers but the Qataris are just way richer and not as profit focused.
If it's a state bid of course.

But if it really is a private bid as some on here are maintaining it is then you'd think there should be way more scrutiny towards Jassim's motivations and how he is funding this whole endeavour
 

stevoc

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I have not brought up Ten Hag finishing above them especially not after getting spanked 7-0. Its irrelevant because they were so shite
No I have, if you're going to imply we only finished above Liverpool 2 years ago because they had a stinker fair enough I wouldn't disagree. But then by that logic that must be the only reason we finished above them this season as well then.
 

Cassidy

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No I have, if you're going to imply we only finished above Liverpool 2 years ago because they had a stinker fair enough I wouldn't disagree. But then by that logic that must be the only reason we finished above them this season as well then.
Yes its true because their target would have been a title race and we were not near one. Point being finishing above a team who has massively underachieved is not some great achievement.

Finishing second is where you should have left it.

To drive it home its not some great achievement we finished above them this season either. They were shit, so we should have.
 

kouroux

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You don't get it. That's fine. I was on the verge of a ban with what I typed a moment ago but you're not worth it. You're just a symptom not the disease.
I get everything perfectly fine but I just don't care about certain things. Type whatever the feck you want via pm if that's gonna be some sort of needed release for you. You're that irrelevant to me
 

Baxquux

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When Klopps Liverpool had a stinker
Yeah, I loved Ole as a player, but his football , even at its best, was essentially amphetaminic - short-term , one-note, one-paced high and then crash - and found out against sides that were able to control the game or managers who were tactically skilled and didn't have significant disadvantages in terms of playing personnel. It worked short-term after Mourinho's downturn as a refresh, before it tailed off. Following 2 seasons he managed to bludgeon his way past a number of the lesser sides using split strikers and quick transitions from expensive midfield, but wasn't able to sustain it against best sides or in clutch cup-games, and was flattered by sides being on the rebuild or on the 'slump' part of their cycle. Only some tactical inflexibility by Guardiola helped him secure a famous victory there. His buys were generally awful. He compromised whatever new scouting and recruitment system we were developing. The EL final was one of the unequal games in terms of tactical management you'll see for a long-time, given respective resources....
 

Rhyme Animal

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Nonchalantly scoring the winner...
I'm not saying he is I genuinely don't know. I don't know if Jassim is a United fan either and one hastily taken photograph of him in this seasons home shirt isn't exactly convincing evidence.
The issue with this though is that there’s plenty of evidence that goes AGAINST the notion of Ratcliffe being a Utd fan at all, let alone a passionate one that wants to ‘resurrect the club at his own expense’…

1. Tried to buy Chelsea a year ago

2. Is a Chelsea season ticket holder

3. Doesn’t go to United matches despite ‘wealthiest man in Britain’

4. Wants to keep Glazers, calls them ‘such nice people’ in public, unprompted

5. Won’t be clearing the debt saddled on Man Utd, will be using more debt and loans to buy Utd

6. No talk whatsoever of new stadium / serious work on stadium

Jassim

1. Has never tried to buy another PL club

2. Isn’t a season ticket holder at one of Utd’s rivals

3. Has been pictured actually wearing a Utd shirt in old photos

4. Wants Glazers gone, completely

5. Has publicly stated will completely remove debt

6. Has publicly stated will invest in infrastructure (and very likely create more jobs in local area)

7. Has put together a consortium literally named after Utd’s most famous golden generation

Yet, the former = vanity project of a genuine Utd fan. And the latter = solely wants Utd for nefarious means and if you suggest otherwise you’re a naive muppet or a liar.

Actually look at those two lists and ask yourself, which of these is most likely a vanity project of an actual Utd fan?

This isn’t to say ‘Jassim is great’, he could be a complete wanker, I don’t fecking know. It’s just to say, which of these bidders appears to actually be buzzing for Utd and want to get the club back where it belongs?
 

Chesterlestreet

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The banks would have wanted assurances on their investment. Despite undoubtedly nose-bleed high revenues, Ineos's net profit after paying their obligations, which includes their own debt repayments, in recent years mostly didn't have enough left over to finance interest repayments on a hypothetical £4bn loan.

Banks would want some assurances and wouldn't agree to finance a vanity project. They don't lend like you might to a sibling looking for a few quid to buy a few rounds at a mates birthday outing.

I think the benefit to owning an asset like United is borne out in what we see today. It's in the appreciation over time. Ratcliffe, like Malcolm Glazer, has kids. Clearly Malc was too old to reap those benefits too when he bought us.
Yes, fine - but the bottom line is surely: if it's all about the profit (short term or long term), surely he can invest in other assets? That would make much more sense financially? A football club doesn't generate a lot of profit, that's the nature of the asset: there are huge expenses involved on all sorts of levels.

The way I see it, the most profitable football club on the planet isn't going to generate more profit than a random run-of-the-mill company in any sector. You don't buy a football club to make sure your kids are alright - that really makes no sense.
 

stevoc

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Yes its true because their target would have been a title race and we were not near one. Point being finishing above a team who has massively underachieved is not some great achievement.

Finishing second is where you should have left it.

To drive it home its not some great achievement we finished above them this season either. They were shit, so we should have.
Don't remember saying it was, so not sure why it was relevant to bring up that Liverpool has a stinker that season.
 

glazed

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But if it really is a private bid as some on here are maintaining it is then you'd think there should be way more scrutiny towards Jassim's motivations and how he is funding this whole endeavour
To be honest I think anyone who believes this is not a state bid is a bit simple. Of course they have to pretend it's not for well rehearsed reasons but he's a member of the Qatari royal family. His great grandfather's brother founded the State of Qatar. His father was prime minister. They are all members of the al-Thani family. He didn't get six billion dollars from doing a paper round.
 

Cassidy

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Don't remember saying it was, so not sure why it was relevant to bring up that Liverpool has a stinker that season.
Because you said Ole finished 2nd ahead of Klopps Liverpool.

The Klopp and Liverpool part is irrelevant was my point.
 

stevoc

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Jassim

1. Has never tried to buy another PL club

2. Isn’t a season ticket holder at one of Utd’s rivals

3. Has been pictured actually wearing a Utd shirt in old photos

4. Wants Glazers gone, completely

5. Has publicly stated will completely remove debt

6. Has publicly stated will invest in infrastructure (and very likely create more jobs in local area)

7. Has put together a consortium literally named after Utd’s most famous golden generation

Yet, the former = vanity project of a genuine Utd fan. And the latter = solely wants Utd for nefarious means and if you suggest otherwise you’re a naive muppet or a liar.

Actually look at those two lists and ask yourself, which of these is most likely a vanity project of an actual Utd fan?

This isn’t to say ‘Jassim is great’, he could be a complete wanker, I don’t fecking know. It’s just to say, which of these bidders appears to actually be buzzing for Utd and want to get the club back where it belongs?
1, We don't know if he's ever been to a PL club.

2, Probably doesn't have a season ticket to any club let alone a United season ticket.

3, Old photos? Do you mean that one photo from December?

4, 5, and 6 don't prove he's actually a United fan though.

7, :lol: That wasn't the reason given for that name. And again doesn't really prove anything.

Look this sort of highlights my original point here there's way more scrutiny placed upon Jim than there is Jassim. So many just accept he's a United fan with United's best interests at heart simply because he said so in a press release. He may well be a United fan but there's very little evidence to suggest he actually is though.
 

Rhyme Animal

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1, We don't know if he's ever been to a PL club.

2, Probably doesn't have a season ticket to any club let alone a United season ticket.

3, Old photos? Do you mean that one photo from December?

4, 5, and 6 don't prove he's actually a United fan though.

7, :lol: That wasn't the reason given for that name. And again doesn't really prove anything.

Look this sort of highlights my original point here there's way more scrutiny placed upon Jim than there is Jassim. So many just accept he's a United fan with United's best interests at heart simply because he said so in a press release. He may well be a United fan but there's very little evidence to suggest he actually is though.
I think you’ve veered away from what the actual point was though…

The point was simply - which one of these sounds more likely a vanity project from an actual fan?

Jim is a fecking Chelsea season ticket holder who tried to buy Chelsea a year ago ffs!

Yet there’s a narrative that he’s in it for the glory of Utd, despite all the points stated in previous post. Whereas with Jassim it’s purely nefarious intent.
 

stevoc

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To be honest I think anyone who believes this is not a state bid is a bit simple. Of course they have to pretend it's not for well rehearsed reasons but he's a member of the Qatari royal family. His great grandfather's brother founded the State of Qatar. His father was prime minister. They are all members of the al-Thani family. He didn't get six billion dollars from doing a paper round.
Could well be the case but it seems a lot have genuinely convinced themselves it is a private bid. In which case those same folk should be asking a lot more questions about the Jassim bid than they seem to be.
 

Sultan

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@stevoc
Does it matter who Jassim supports as many think it's not a private bid, anyway? Lives in Qatar so real need for a season ticket. He'd easily be able to afford an executive seat anytime he visits. It's obvious calling his new company after the class of 92 is a clever ploy.
 

stevoc

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Ah yes it was. Didn’t realise you then responded to my post. And now Im not even sure why you did….
I was just pointing out we found ourselves in a similar situation this season. Ten Hag had a very decent league campaign this year just as we did back in 2021.
 

glazed

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Could well be the case but it seems a lot have genuinely convinced themselves it is a private bid. In which case those same folk should be asking a lot more questions about the Jassim bid than they seem to be.
To quote Jeremy Paxman, who cares what stupid people think?
 

stevoc

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I think you’ve veered away from what the actual point was though…

The point was simply - which one of these sounds more likely a vanity project from an actual fan?

Jim is a fecking Chelsea season ticket holder who tried to buy Chelsea a year ago ffs!

Yet there’s a narrative that he’s in it for the glory of Utd, despite all the points stated in previous post. Whereas with Jassim it’s purely nefarious intent.
It's hard when people seem determined to discuss Jimbo's Chelsea season ticket as if it has some relevance.

This was my original point. There's been a lot of scrutiny and questioning the Jim/Ineos bid. Yet very little of the same energy for Jassim's bid.

You could be right, I certainly don't think Ratcliffe would be doing all that for purely altruistic reasons nor has he promised to.

But with that in mind it makes you wonder what is Jassim's motivation to pay £5-6b for the club, pay another billion or so buy all the class A shares, remove all the debt, build a new stadium for a few billion, invest another billion in the training ground and surrounding area and let the club keep all it's profits?
 

mu4c_20le

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@stevoc
Does it matter who Jassim supports as many think it's not a private bid, anyway? Lives in Qatar so real need for a season ticket. He'd easily be able to afford an executive seat anytime he visits. It's obvious calling his new company after the class of 92 is a clever ploy.
I think it's valid to question his motives because if I remember correctly, Qatar were seriously interested in buying Liverpool before they realized getting United was a much better deal, given FSG's inflated valuations.
 

stevoc

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@stevoc
Does it matter who Jassim supports as many think it's not a private bid, anyway? Lives in Qatar so real need for a season ticket. He'd easily be able to afford an executive seat anytime he visits. It's obvious calling his new company after the class of 92 is a clever ploy.
To me no but then I wasn't the one who brought it up. Yet people just take it as fact that he is because he says he is just as people seem to take it as fact that the Jassim bid has the best interests of United at heart and there's very little scrutiny about the motivations behind it.
 

Abraxas

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Pretty embarrassing seeing the lengths some will go to in order to contort themselves around which potential owner is best.

Especially when the arguments revolve around intent towards the club and motivation and who supports who. Who fecking knows? Isn't it easier to say we don't have a clue? That's realism. We just don't have a bloody clue. You see it when they're in the door, and a few years down the line, unfortunately - and you don't get to trial these rich feckers. Every single thing they do at the moment is to do with securing good will and managing perception, I would not trust a word they say until it is delivered, so quite why some are willing to shill and fanboy is beyond me. Gullible.

I'll believe it when I see it from either of them. I just want this rubbish to be over, and soon.
 

Cassidy

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I was just pointing out we found ourselves in a similar situation this season. Ten Hag had a very decent league campaign this year just as we did back in 2021.
Yeah. My main point about the Liverpool comment was that it was irrelevant to be honest.

We had a good season this season. We also had a good season in 2021
 

Rhyme Animal

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This was my original point. There's been a lot of scrutiny and questioning the Jim/Ineos bid. Yet very little of the same energy for Jassim's bid.
I get that and I disagree!

A lot of people are seriously entertaining the notion that Jim is embarking on a vanity project, yet Jassim’s is literally just a country Sportswashing and nothing besides.

And my point is - if either of these bids are actually a Utd fan embarking on a vanity project, which one seems most likely given what we know thus far?

Also, there’s been ‘a lot of scrutiny of Jim’s bid but not Jassim’s’!? :lol:

It’s literally the opposite!
 

Sultan

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I think it's valid to question his motives because if I remember correctly, Qatar were seriously interested in buying Liverpool before they realized getting United was a much better deal, given FSG's inflated valuations.
If as claimed by many it's a sports washing project they will go for the club/project which gives them the best exposure. They don't care about actual support. I am positive most owners in the Premiership will not have been fans prior to purchase.
 

lsd

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It's hard when people seem determined to discuss Jimbo's Chelsea season ticket as if it has some relevance.

This was my original point. There's been a lot of scrutiny and questioning the Jim/Ineos bid. Yet very little of the same energy for Jassim's bid.

It's the sheer nonsense of them going on and on about Nice as their excuse to not want the guy.

Everyone of the other clubs owned by City's owners are doing terrible but hey I'm sure City's fans are ok with that.

I couldn't care less about Nice as it has no bearing whatsoever on how united would fare under Sir Jim.

I mean INEOS Cycling team are the best in the world but again makes no difference to United

It's just jump on something and use it as a bat to beat him with.

It's up there with the fantasy of him keeping the Glazers on and letting them have the same day on things they have had since they took the club over
 

Rightnr

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I think it's valid to question his motives because if I remember correctly, Qatar were seriously interested in buying Liverpool before they realized getting United was a much better deal, given FSG's inflated valuations.
But questioning the fact Jimmy Brexit tried to buy Chelsea and has a season ticket over there is not relevant?

Crazy double standards. I would wager most people that want the Qatari bid care about its substance, not its face, whether it's a state bid or not. So the question of a fan owning the club is largely irrelevant if we're run well.

Some of our best ever players have admitted they supported others as children but playing for United turned them into United fans.
 

hobbers

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Both bids are all about soft power, brand value and influence. The fact Ratcliffe put in a bid for Chelsea proves it's nothing to do with sentimentality. He doesnt care what major Premier League club he owns, he'll bid for whatever is on the market.

The worrying thing about Ratcliffe is he's already bought two football clubs and done nothing good with them. Left all the football operations to his incompetent brother and then looked for input from cycling gurus.

When they bought Nice they said they'd 'learned the lessons from mistakes with Lausanne', except they apparently haven't learned a thing. The only thing that's changed for Ineos is they're failing with bigger and bigger football clubs.
 

mu4c_20le

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If as claimed by many it's a sports washing project they will go for the club/project which gives them the best exposure. They don't care about actual support. I am positive most owners in the Premiership will not have been fans prior to purchase.
Fair enough

But questioning the fact Jimmy Brexit tried to buy Chelsea and has a season ticket over there is not relevant?

Crazy double standards. I would wager most people that want the Qatari bid care about its substance, not its face, whether it's a state bid or not. So the question of a fan owning the club is largely irrelevant if we're run well.

Some of our best ever players have admitted they supported others as children but playing for United turned them into United fans.
Questioning the Chelsea attempt is fine, but I always thought the ticket holder thing was a bit of a cheapshot. Doesn't necessarily make him a fake fan like some seem to be implying.
 
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