The Saudi Takeover Rumor Thread

Rozay · Apr 24, 2019

Heaven knows why some people are convinced a Saudi takeover is the final hope for United restoration. The answer is simply revisiting some footballing basics. Develop a team with a plan. As far as I was aware, we are not amongst the clubs that has a financial problem! We spend as much as anyone bar PSG in the market. And their spending has gotten them feck all in the grand scheme of things, except being knocked out of the CL at home to our squad of ‘failures’.

I think, without wanting to sound condescending, there may be an age thing here. I started posting on forums at 17, and I’m not too far off double that now. My username was embarrassing and transfer related back then, and all I wanted is to do was sign, sign, sign! I think younger fans are a bit transfer obsessed. While they are quite obviously an important part of football, we have literally demonstrated over the last few years that this alone is not the answer. But the 17 year old me would have probably just insisted we just need to sign more and better players too.

We have enough money to build a team I think. Now we need the rest of the ingredients.

MisterLupus · Apr 24, 2019

Abdullah7 said:
oh now you mention sheila who are being giving the same punishment that the Sunni would have had got if they had been caught. For ex. ISIS members are mostly Sunnis would that set them free ? no, they get the beheading penalty for being traitors when they are caught. KSA stop and deal with individuals before the are likely to cause mass crimes. Isn't it better to kill 37 to save millions of people lifes or would you take your chance with terrorists?!

Your conclusion that killing 37 people is the only way to save millions constitutes a false premise. That's never the case. Do you think beheading people without a fair trial - some of whom weren't even adults when their proposed crime took place - then publicly displaying their dead bodies - actually makes the world a safer place? Helps defuse the tension?

That's a child's way of reasoning - a medieval child's raised by cucumbers even. When you do stuff like that it's never because your goal is to better the world for those around you - it's because you want to instill fear in people and show everyone what a big and powerful entity you are. It's not even a demonstration of strength - it's a demonstration of weakness and fragility as only a person itself plagued by insecurities is dependent on everyone else being fearful of them to achieve peace of mind.

Brave and strong people with a healthy self-esteem don't drive tanks - they step in front of them wearing nothing but a pair of jeans, some sneakers and a t-shirt waving their hands at the driver telling them to "Kindly sod off from massacring my friends ok? Cheers mate". "Fight, flight or freeze" - all of these including "fight" are primitive fear-based reactions - something you'd expect from an untalented animal not a human. Not saying that fighting is never the right thing to do - just saying it's rarely so and even then - under the most worthy of circumstances - should be considered a necessary evil like unclogging a toilet rather than something to be commended.

Violence usually creates fifteen new and often far more serious problems for each it solves.

Valar Morghulis · Apr 24, 2019

Abdullah7 said:
oh now you mention sheila who are being giving the same punishment that the Sunni would have had got if they had been caught. For ex. ISIS members are mostly Sunnis would that set them free ? no, they get the beheading penalty for being traitors when they are caught. KSA stop and deal with individuals before the are likely to cause mass crimes. Isn't it better to kill 37 to save millions of people lifes or would you take your chance with terrorists?!

This thread is running on fumes and has been for quite a while now and yet it's glued to the front page :lol:

As a Saudi Arabian, do you think anything is going to come of this? Heard any speculation since these rumours appeared?

simonhch · Apr 24, 2019

Rozay said:
Heaven knows why some people are convinced a Saudi takeover is the final hope for United restoration. The answer is simply revisiting some footballing basics. Develop a team with a plan. As far as I was aware, we are not amongst the clubs that has a financial problem! We spend as much as anyone bar PSG in the market. And their spending has gotten them feck all in the grand scheme of things, except being knocked out of the CL at home to our squad of ‘failures’.

I think, without wanting to sound condescending, there may be an age thing here. I started posting on forums at 17, and I’m not too far off double that now. My username was embarrassing and transfer related back then, and all I wanted is to do was sign, sign, sign! I think younger fans are a bit transfer obsessed. While they are quite obviously an important part of football, we have literally demonstrated over the last few years that this alone is not the answer. But the 17 year old me would have probably just insisted we just need to sign more and better players too.

We have enough money to build a team I think. Now we need the rest of the ingredients.

This is a very good common sense post and sums up how I feel. There is no substitute for good coaching and intelligent team building. Honestly, let's look at Liverpool and what they have done. 5 years ago they were in the wilderness. They haven't bought huge stars, they have developed them, and they are on the cusp of a title with Henderson, Winaldjum, and Milner in midfield. As average as feck on paper. But it works so well in their collective system. We don't have to spend huge money to build a good team. Look at what Spurs have done in recent seasons. Money helps, but if that is our only plan, then we are fecked either way.

The only area in which I feel a takeover is preferable, is the huge investment required in our crumbling infrastructure. But sporting wise, there is nothing a takeover gives us, that we couldn't accomplish by just restructuring the way we hire coaches, and build teams. Coupled with a coherent strategic vision of course. Whether we'll do it, is another question. But I don't think buckets of money is the panacea that most think it is. Or even the right way to go.

RedDevil@84 · Apr 24, 2019

Rozay said:
Heaven knows why some people are convinced a Saudi takeover is the final hope for United restoration. The answer is simply revisiting some footballing basics. Develop a team with a plan

Probably people have given up on Glazers and Woodward. People no longer believe they have the will or brains to do the bolded.

Rozay · Apr 24, 2019

RedDevil@84 said:
Probably people have given up on Glazers and Woodward. People no longer believe they have the will or brains to do the bolded.

Are the Saudi Royal family supposed to know more about football?

Most people on this forum probably couldn’t even tell you what it is that Ed Woodward does at United. I suspect their guess will be wide of the reality, and half the things they think he takes charge of is handled by people whose names they don’t even know. Every ‘crisis’ needs a villain, and footy fans love change in general. It excites them.

Rozay · Apr 24, 2019

simonhch said:
This is a very good common sense post and sums up how I feel. There is no substitute for good coaching and intelligent team building. Honestly, let's look at Liverpool and what they have done. 5 years ago they were in the wilderness. They haven't bought huge stars, they have developed them, and they are on the cusp of a title with Henderson, Winaldjum, and Milner in midfield. As average as feck on paper. But it works so well in their collective system. We don't have to spend huge money to build a good team. Look at what Spurs have done in recent seasons. Money helps, but if that is our only plan, then we are fecked either way.

The only area in which I feel a takeover is preferable, is the huge investment required in our crumbling infrastructure. But sporting wise, there is nothing a takeover gives us, that we couldn't accomplish by just restructuring the way we hire coaches, and build teams. Coupled with a coherent strategic vision of course. Whether we'll do it, is another question. But I don't think buckets of money is the panacea that most think it is. Or even the right way to go.

Indeed. As it stands, the more money we spend, the greater likelihood is that it will just produce more exhibits for the case against our ‘terrible recruitment’ and everything else I’ve been reading on here. We’ve literally done it all. Di Maria (third best player in the world I believe was the caf consensus when he signed), Pogba for a world record, Mkhitaryan (German player of the year, not sure that was strictly true anyway), Zlatan the Lion, Lukaku and his guaranteed goals, Martial the best young player in the world etc. We still end up at ‘wouldn’t be sad to see any of this lot leave’.

Said after the Barca game, those guys ran rings around us a decade ago with Xavi and Iniesta in midfield, and we said they were the best ever. This time they did it with a Rakitic who is already past the dreaded 29 years old mark where all footballers self-destruct, and Arthur, a Brazilian international who is less of a Brazilian international than our one who plays same position. In that time, we’ve spent £140m to get Pogba and Fred to compete, and still couldn’t. I ask, if Pogba and Fred has gone to Barcelona instead of us, would they not have run rings around us instead?

Not sure what you mean by us needing huge investment in our crumbling infrastructure though. I understand everyone wants a DoF, but surely that won’t require a huge cash injection?

jem · Apr 24, 2019

RedDevil@84 said:
Probably people have given up on Glazers and Woodward. People no longer believe they have the will or brains to do the bolded.

One thing people should also consider is how hands-off would a Saudi ownership be? They may prove to be every bit as hands-on and clueless as Woodward.

simonhch · Apr 24, 2019

Rozay said:
Indeed. As it stands, the more money we spend, the greater likelihood is that it will just produce more exhibits for the case against our ‘terrible recruitment’ and everything else I’ve been reading on here. We’ve literally done it all. Di Maria (third best player in the world I believe was the caf consensus when he signed), Pogba for a world record, Mkhitaryan (German player of the year, not sure that was strictly true anyway), Zlatan the Lion, Lukaku and his guaranteed goals, Martial the best young player in the world etc. We still end up at ‘wouldn’t be sad to see any of this lot leave’.

Said after the Barca game, those guys ran rings around us a decade ago with Xavi and Iniesta in midfield, and we said they were the best ever. This time they did it with a Rakitic who is already past the dreaded 29 years old mark where all footballers self-destruct, and Arthur, a Brazilian international who is less of a Brazilian international than our one who plays same position. In that time, we’ve spent £140m to get Pogba and Fred to compete, and still couldn’t. I ask, if Pogba and Fred has gone to Barcelona instead of us, would they not have run rings around us instead?

Not sure what you mean by us needing huge investment in our crumbling infrastructure though. I understand everyone wants a DoF, but surely that won’t require a huge cash injection?

I meant the physical infrastructure. The stadium is dilapidated, and either needs a massive refurbishment, including the roof being replaced. Or we need a new stadium. My preference is for a big refurbishment.

Striker10 · Apr 24, 2019

It's easy (if you've the money) to buy into success. It never meant they knew the formula.

TMDaines · Apr 24, 2019

Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date

Pexbo · Apr 24, 2019

TMDaines said:
Tweet
— Twitter API (@user) date

Yet people are seemingly desperate for this regime to make our great institution a jewel in their crown because they’re disappointed with how we are currently kicking a bit of plastic around a field.

Nou_Camp99 · Apr 24, 2019

Can we please close this thread? There absolutely zero truth in a takeover as it's been reported on both sides.

And we've got fans posting in here through desperation. If you want Saudis to buy us just to start being successful again then what a poor state of affairs our fanbase has become.

There is a hollow plastic oil ran club just down the road. Bugger off there. Loads of empty seats need filling.

KM · Apr 24, 2019

Closing this thread for now. If somebody has an update then PM me and i'll open it again.

KM · Apr 28, 2019

So there's been an update apparently as per multiple PMs.

Samid · Apr 28, 2019

Goodbye sweet warchest

Vault Dweller · Apr 28, 2019

What’s the update?

48 hours · Apr 28, 2019

Vault Dweller said:
What’s the update?

The Saudis have shelved plans for a bid as the Glazers aren’t open to negotiations.

Even more worrying is that Joel and Avram want to take a more hands on approach with the club apparently

Paxi · Apr 28, 2019

Is there a link to this?

FujiVice · Apr 28, 2019

Oh no. I was so looking forward to a Saudi regime owning Man United for the rest of time.

Fosu-Mens · Apr 28, 2019

48 hours said:
The Saudis have shelved plans for a bid as the Glazers aren’t open to negotiations.

Even more worrying is that Joel and Avram want to take a more hands on approach with the club apparently

Fun times ahead...

crossy1686 · Apr 28, 2019

48 hours said:
The Saudis have shelved plans for a bid as the Glazers aren’t open to negotiations.

Even more worrying is that Joel and Avram want to take a more hands on approach with the club apparently

Thank feck for that.

Don't mind the owners getting involved, their product is losing value year on year, soon they'll have to sell it for what they bought it for if things carry on. Perhaps them being more present will stop the likes of Woody having as much autonomy.

UnofficialDevil · Apr 28, 2019

MaxiPaxi said:
Is there a link to this?

Its the sun
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/foot...-glazers-ready-to-take-more-hand-on-approach/

Hawks2008 · Apr 28, 2019

48 hours said:
The Saudis have shelved plans for a bid as the Glazers aren’t open to negotiations.

Even more worrying is that Joel and Avram want to take a more hands on approach with the club apparently

After seeing how their cronie Woodward has run us this is really not good :nervous:

48 hours · Apr 28, 2019

MaxiPaxi said:
Is there a link to this?

Mirror and the sun going with the story. So here’s a link to the mirror

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/man-utd-takeover-update-saudi-14836838

Moiraine · Apr 28, 2019

48 hours said:
The Saudis have shelved plans for a bid as the Glazers aren’t open to negotiations.

Even more worrying is that Joel and Avram want to take a more hands on approach with the club apparently

What will be that “Hands on approach”
Don’t understand in footballing terms

Minimalist · Apr 28, 2019

Rozay said:
Heaven knows why some people are convinced a Saudi takeover is the final hope for United restoration. The answer is simply revisiting some footballing basics. Develop a team with a plan. As far as I was aware, we are not amongst the clubs that has a financial problem! We spend as much as anyone bar PSG in the market. And their spending has gotten them feck all in the grand scheme of things, except being knocked out of the CL at home to our squad of ‘failures’.

I think, without wanting to sound condescending, there may be an age thing here. I started posting on forums at 17, and I’m not too far off double that now. My username was embarrassing and transfer related back then, and all I wanted is to do was sign, sign, sign! I think younger fans are a bit transfer obsessed. While they are quite obviously an important part of football, we have literally demonstrated over the last few years that this alone is not the answer. But the 17 year old me would have probably just insisted we just need to sign more and better players too.

We have enough money to build a team I think. Now we need the rest of the ingredients.

Good post. Provided we're actually moving in the right direction, there's little need to act desperate (and I personally think that Ole whilst perhaps a cheaper option than others, is quite a good start for a long-term approach).

GaryLifo · Apr 28, 2019

Can Joel play RW or RB?

Moriarty · Apr 28, 2019

shahzadi said:
What will be that “Hands on approach”
Don’t understand in footballing terms

It's in the Sun so it's probably rubbish. As for hands-on, maybe one of them fancies himself between the sticks after we've sold De Gea to Madrid. Now that would be a cheap option.

Valar Morghulis · Apr 28, 2019

Based on our rapid decline and the shitness of the Tampa Bay Bucs, it feels great to know the Glazers may be planning on becoming more involved with the running of the club, who could doubt them...

This is definitely dead in the water now. I know it's The Sun, but they were the first media outlet to start this whole rumour and now they're the first ones to rule a potential Saudi takeover out. I believe they actually did have a legitimate source on this one.

matherto · Apr 28, 2019

It's sad how many people wanted this to happen.

I know the Glazers are shite but becoming a murderous regime's vanity project is not the answer.

youmeletsfly · Apr 28, 2019

matherto said:
It's sad how many people wanted this to happen.

I know the Glazers are shite but becoming a murderous regime's vanity project is not the answer.

We're so shit as a team and so shit as a club lately that desperation is starting to speak for all of us.

I think most fans actually want a rich owner not an arab owner in particular.

Antisocial · Apr 28, 2019

If true then lets see who the Saudis end-up buying instead - Chelsea? Newcastle? Liverpool? Leeds when they come-up? Lots of fun ahead for United fans...

Chairman Steve · Apr 28, 2019

If it means we're truly committed to setting up a footballing board, separated from the corporate/business side of Utd then I'm happy.

Woodward can have a minimal role with the footballing board and focus on the business side. Essentially he'd just the guy who can provide the money while the DoF figures go out and do the legwork.

Ramshock · Apr 28, 2019

Antisocial said:
If true then lets see who the Saudis end-up buying instead - Chelsea? Newcastle? Liverpool? Leeds when they come-up? Lots of fun ahead for United fans...

Yeah feck all the murdering we want all that glorious oil money amiright??

sullydnl · Apr 28, 2019

Antisocial said:
If true then lets see who the Saudis end-up buying instead - Chelsea? Newcastle? Liverpool? Leeds when they come-up? Lots of fun ahead for United fans...

I really couldn't care less who they go for, as long as it's not us. If a team like Leeds want to permanently taint their club's reputation then I'll happily watch them do so.

Antisocial · Apr 28, 2019

Ramshock said:
Yeah feck all the murdering we want all that glorious oil money amiright??

Not what I’m saying at all - I don’t want them owning us, but I don’t want them owning any other Premier League sides either. We are struggling massively to compete with the sides already at the top without some other set of bastards becoming the new City. I’ve been expecting the Saudis to buy into the league for a while now, if it’s not us then I expect they will pump their money into someone else sooner rather than later and push us further down (not based on any insider knowledge or anything, just a feeling).

Gorse Hill Red · Apr 28, 2019

The Saudi takeover is not going to happen, I think that the Saudis if they are going to buy a club that club will be Spurs.

golden_blunder · Apr 28, 2019

Closing this

Feel free to start a new thread to discus restructuring United

The Saudi Takeover Rumor Thread

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