But do you have an opinion on the consequences of being state owned, which isn't factual in this case but let's say that it is. Do you care about the wider impact that it may have on the game when it concerns a club as wealthy as United because in theory unlike other clubs United being bankrolled means that the club is virtually unstoppable?
Even if we focus on Football, there is a good case against Qatar or any other bankrolling model. Personally there are four things I care about, an owner that suits the majority of local fans, an owner that actually care about the club's infrastructures, competency and no bankrolling when it comes to the playing staff.
I am exposed to sport washing more then the typical 'most important' United fan did. The reason being that we Maltese tend to be exposed to two main Leagues (ie Serie A and the EPL) and the Serie A was literally shaped by sport washing (ie Agnelli-Juventus link is nearly as old as football itself). Back when I started to understand football the main guys were AC Milan. Berlusconi was sports washing in a big way at the time ie by hoarding the best players of my generation. Some of those players were way better to anyone I've ever seen in a United shirt. But that' an argument for another day.
Still I chose United because we were a properly run club who was successful through his means and did things the proper way. I was a bit pissed off when the Sky bid went tits up (mainly cause Edwards was skint and an ahole who was hated by each and every United fan I knew who was close to SAF) but I understood and I agreed the reason why it was stopped. United with Sky would have become unstoppable and that wasn't fair.
Then the Glazers bid for United. To my surprise the deal went through despite it would have crippled us massively. But that's not all. Soon enough new owners were allowed in. First it was Roman who was evident that he was shady from miles away, then Abu Dhabi and now Saudi. No one said anything about the unfair competition those people will bring in the EPL especially now that we were competing with 2 broken legs. The EPL gave the nod and soon enough the 'noisy neighbours' started becoming the most successful. The same rival fans we protected by keeping Sky out started laughing at our misery. No one gave a toss about our fortune and our debt. This should not come at a surprise considering how Beckham and Phil Nev were treated by the Ingerlund fans as opposed to how those same fans treated Seaman who made himself an utter fool of himself against Ronaldinho
I finally realised that actually I was being an hypocrite. I claim to be a United fan and yet I didn't put my club first in the name of competition. So I won't make that same mistake again. If United becomes unstoppable then I'd love every second of it. May we become the Bayern Munich of the EPL and the Real Madrid's version in the CL. I'd enjoy every second of it.