Realistic buyers...

BluesJr

Owns the moral low ground
Joined
May 15, 2013
Messages
9,047
Unless there’s an answer to this any protest is ultimately futile. You have to be prepared to accept the Saudis imo if we go down this road.
 

red thru&thru

Full Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
7,657
Unless there’s an answer to this any protest is ultimately futile. You have to be prepared to accept the Saudis imo if we go down this road.
Agreed.

Fans might need to start championing one or two viable billionaires. We know how egotistical they can be.
 

kidbob

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
8,068
Location
Ireland
This is the real problem facing us unfortunately. I absolutely back the protests today but who realistically can buy us, especially in a way that doesn't heap more debt on the club? As others have said the Saudis are the obvious ones (feck off) but even then why spend 4 billion to buy us and have to invest on top of that when, looking at City, they can buy some team like Everton for relative peanuts and turn them into a super team. The only real attraction of us, I suppose, is that if you buy us and clear our debts then, in theory, the club should be self sustainable as a top team as long as the owners aren't looking to take money out. Clear our debts and we simply run well off revenue, unfortunately it takes more than 4 billion to do so.

I don't believe there is anyone out there, including the Saudis, who look at us as a realistic investment because the initial investment is just way too high.
 

VidaRed

Unimaginative FC
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
29,612
The Taliban.

Our transfer kitty will depend entirely on the opium fields and extortion industry in afghanistan.

They're no worse than the city owners in my book.
 

pratyush_utd

Can't tell DeGea and Onana apart.
Joined
Aug 30, 2017
Messages
8,421
Next to no one. Nobody is going to spend 4 billion pounds and expect nothing in return. Plus after investment back into the team there isnt much left to take out from revenue which you can actually consider as worthwhile return. Even if we find some owner who can invest, I would expect much less investment in the team.

If it isn't some Oil rich state who has money to burn, then I don't see how anyone else see us as potential investment.

Fan ownership model is not something I feel is feasible or stable
 

Simbo

Full Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
5,203
Its just people being jealous of City that makes people think the Saudi's would be a better option. Feck that, they wouldn't.
 

red thru&thru

Full Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
7,657
Its just people being jealous of City that makes people think the Saudi's would be a better option. Feck that, they wouldn't.
Who would be better? Who has been linked with us that would be able to afford us?
 

Valar Morghulis

Full Member
Joined
Apr 3, 2015
Messages
1,479
Location
Braavos
Supports
BBW
Who would be better? Who has been linked with us that would be able to afford us?
You didn't ask me but personally, I would agree with Wenger's view that when someone seriously wants to buy a club they don't make a big thing out of it in the media.

I expect if someone or a group eventually does make a realistic bid to buy the club, it's going to come out of left field.
 
Last edited:

visiting villain

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Messages
82
Supports
Aston Villa
Yeah, I was wondering from an outsider's point of view with who you guys (as a fanbase would want to buy the club). I think this is probably going to be the same case with Arsenal and Liverpool that there's not really anyone who could plausibly purchase these clubs for 3/4 billion outside the Saudi's.
 

red thru&thru

Full Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2004
Messages
7,657
You didn't ask me but personally, I would agree with Wenger's view that when someone seriously wants to buy a club they don't make a big thing out of it in the media.

I expect if someone or a group eventually does make a realistic bid to buy the club, it's going to come out of left field.
Yeah, you're probably correct.
 

Red Royal

Full Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2013
Messages
2,983
Location
Planet Earth
Sounds like we are truly fecked then... the football business model is nothing without the fans. However, the issue is whilst 'legacy' fans I can see will, with a heavy heart, eventually move to support another form of United (e.g. FCUoM).

The armchair supporters in USA, Asia, Far East etc. will never go for it. And they sustain much of the brand.

I just hope more of our ledgends speak up like Neville.

Very sad times...
 

Nytram Shakes

cannot lust
Joined
Feb 2, 2014
Messages
5,266
Location
Auckland
You didn't ask me but personally, I would agree with Wenger's view that when someone seriously wants to buy a club they don't make a big thing out of it in the media.

I expect if someone or a group eventually does make a realistic bid to buy the club, it's going to come out of left field.
True, but if some one was trying to make what would be the most expensive purchase of a sports team in history, that is really unlikely to be kept quite.

I think hoping that there is some one working on a realistic deal that we don’t know about is just a way to make people feel better about how powerless we really are to get rid of the glazers.
 

Skills

Snitch
Joined
Jan 17, 2012
Messages
42,010
Someone like Bezos or Musk could afford us. But they'd be looking at the club as paid for advertising for their brands.

Does that count as taking money out of the club - if they slap the Amazon/Tesla brands everywhere for a discounted price?
 

Zlatanator

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
234
I will give a shoutout to Mukesh Ambani. He bought a franchise back in 2008 and used it as a training ground for his son. Akash Ambani came out with flying colors as he guided Mumbai Indians to the top, season after season. He surely knows how to bounce back and this is what we need at UTD. It's time for Mukesh to hand over his son a bigger task before handing over his empire.
 

TheNewEra

Knows Kroos' mentality
Joined
Jan 20, 2014
Messages
8,133
I think the Glazers will sell but yeah its who is going to buy it with the right intentions.
 

kidbob

Full Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
8,068
Location
Ireland
Yeah, I was wondering from an outsider's point of view with who you guys (as a fanbase would want to buy the club). I think this is probably going to be the same case with Arsenal and Liverpool that there's not really anyone who could plausibly purchase these clubs for 3/4 billion outside the Saudi's.
That pretty much sums it up mate. We are stuck with them regardless, for me, unless the club takes a massive plummet and decreases in value. We, without debt, would be entirely self sustainable and be able to keep up with the oil clubs if the owner didn't want to take money out but the initial outlay of 4 billion means that no one outside of someone like Musk or Bezos means we aren't worth it, even for the Saudis (who could just buy your club for next to noting and create a new 'City').
 

Zlatattack

New Member
Joined
Feb 9, 2017
Messages
7,374
The Taliban.

Our transfer kitty will depend entirely on the opium fields and extortion industry in afghanistan.

They're no worse than the city owners in my book.
To be fair I think they wiped out the opium fields...
 

Sparky Rhiwabon

New Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2013
Messages
16,946
How about William Roache aka Ken Barlow - he’s been in the most successful TV programme of all time basically forever, must have a tidy sum stashed away, and he knows the area.
 

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
27,025
Location
...
The only way there’s any hope of them selling is a huge drop in value. Without that there’s not business man on the planet who could pay the current valuation up front. Look at all other PL buy-outs. They snap clubs up when they’re in deep financial shit. Nobody pays full whack. Why would they?
And as a result, none of them own Manchester United. You get what you pay for. If you want to own a ‘football club’, there are many. If your ego is such that you just have to own the biggest, well there’s only one.
 

OleGunnar20

Full Member
Joined
Dec 18, 2018
Messages
2,158
It might sound cheesy but the power truly is in our hands as fans.

The only way to force a sale is to tear everything apart everyday that they remain. That means sustained protests, empty stadiums, media & merchandise boycotts.

Keep up that pressure and the bad PR will bury the share price. Lower the share price goes the lower the Glazer fortune is worth, something billionaires I imagine are quite sensitive about.

Once that spiral begins to take hold the only way to stop the bleeding is to sell, as far as I can see it.

How we unite such a disparate fan base to get behind such a movement is the question.
 

alexthelion

Full Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2019
Messages
3,601
It might sound cheesy but the power truly is in our hands as fans.

The only way to force a sale is to tear everything apart everyday that they remain. That means sustained protests, empty stadiums, media & merchandise boycotts.

Keep up that pressure and the bad PR will bury the share price. Lower the share price goes the lower the Glazer fortune is worth, something billionaires I imagine are quite sensitive about.

Once that spiral begins to take hold the only way to stop the bleeding is to sell, as far as I can see it.

How we unite such a disparate fan base to get behind such a movement is the question.
How much damage, especially long-term, would that do to the club, though?

Piss off the sponsors and who will then want to sponsor us in future?
 

Rozay

Master of Hindsight
Joined
Oct 22, 2012
Messages
27,025
Location
...
While I am not endorsing the Saudis, I do think it just smacks of Western arrogance the way they are just dismissed as ‘murderers’. I don’t purport to fully understand everything they do, but they are a sovereign nation, and pretty much all of them shed blood for reasons they believe to be right. Of course, over here, we conclude that only ours is justified, but regardless, they are a nation and a people - you would think they were an underworld gang or something.
 

2mufc0

Everything is fair game in capitalism!
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
16,992
Supports
Dragon of Dojima
Can't see any realistic options out there to be fair outside a sugar daddy/ME state.
 

Abdullah7

Full Member
Joined
Jan 23, 2018
Messages
209
Location
Banu Tamim
Its just people being jealous of City that makes people think the Saudi's would be a better option. Feck that, they wouldn't.
Do you want Man United competing with Mansour and al Thani. Those pair would not stop splashing the cash and in a 5 years time they'll be flying out of earth due to their continuous money splurge syndrome.

The Glazers goal is to just stick around 4th position all season. If 4th was clinched they don't invest. Finish 5th, they invest heavily to get us back and so on. Arsenal stood still only caring about the UCL spots. It took the resilience they once had and their standers were shot for ever. Ole's is trying to build and sustain this form but he needs more than little bits here and there from the transfer market.

The biggest mistake was letting Mansour and his elk let their hands on these historic Institutions with no precautions. So if the UEFA let UAE'S & Qatari's free of charge with no regulations. United will always be second to them in the PL and not a serious contenders for UCL. it's either this or wait a long time for new legislation to be passed throw the government.

The Saudis are already our strategic partner, STC use United players in their ads and such. Info can go back and forth quicker about if there was a potential sell.
 
Last edited:

Kaos

Full Member
Joined
May 6, 2007
Messages
31,603
Location
Ginseng Strip
While I am not endorsing the Saudis, I do think it just smacks of Western arrogance the way they are just dismissed as ‘murderers’. I don’t purport to fully understand everything they do, but they are a sovereign nation, and pretty much all of them shed blood for reasons they believe to be right. Of course, over here, we conclude that only ours is justified, but regardless, they are a nation and a people - you would think they were an underworld gang or something.
Its not the Saudis as a nation, but more specifically Mohammad Bin Salman who's been linked with us, and the main source of concern. The man is a psychopathic, murdering scumbag who not only hacks dissenting journalists to death, but has started a war in Yemen that has led to hundreds of thousands dying and millions put at risk of starvation.

Would you be happy being owned by Kim Jong-Un?
 

MTF

Full Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2009
Messages
5,243
Location
New York City
We’re worth 2.5bn but the Glazers will apparently only sell at 4bn.
And if someone managed to land a deal to buy their equity for something in between the $2.5B and $4.0B, would still need to pony up an additional 600 million quid to repay the debt, otherwise it would just stay there.
 

Marwood

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
4,251
While I am not endorsing the Saudis, I do think it just smacks of Western arrogance the way they are just dismissed as ‘murderers’. I don’t purport to fully understand everything they do, but they are a sovereign nation, and pretty much all of them shed blood for reasons they believe to be right. Of course, over here, we conclude that only ours is justified, but regardless, they are a nation and a people - you would think they were an underworld gang or something.
Arrogant to say we don't want to be owned by a murderous, violent, highly dangerous regime?

Can you actually explain why that's arrogant?
 

Traub

Full Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2009
Messages
10,221
There doesn’t need to be a single buyer. Glazers can slowly sell off their shares and we can have many shareholders - just like how a lot of companies operate.
 

Marwood

Full Member
Joined
Mar 6, 2021
Messages
4,251
Guys unless there are posters who have a working knowledge of the worlds wealthiest individuals and organisations isn't it kind of impossible to debate this?

Who here can really say they have enough knowledge on the matter to say there's nobody out there?