The Saudi Takeover Rumor Thread

[wolvored]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

 

[red thru&thru]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

Hit the nail on the head

 

[MackRobinson]

Nah. Glory hunters are those who change teams from, say, United to City. There is nothing wrong, whatsoever, with wanting to win at all costs.

There is nothing wrong with winning at all costs for those who lack a moral compass. For the rest of us, there is a threshold.

Would you be ok United won b/c of match fixing? I hope not. Switching support is another form of glory hunting. A fan (you can't claim it's b/c your competitive b/c you're not even playing) who only cares about trophies and with no regards to how it was accomplished is a glory hunter. I don't even think it's a controversial statement. You are literally stating all you care about are the trophies (glory).

Like another poster said, people should just own it and stop trying to drum up excuses.

 

[Hugh Jass]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

This a 100%.

 

[el3mel]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

Nightmare scenario and the worst thing is it's very possible to happen.

 

[Hugh Jass]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

Very true. I think people of my generation started supporting united just when the golden years of Ferguson started taking off. Granted, united had a history with Busby and the Babes. I remember asking my father what team should i support and he said Man Utd. This was around the mid nineties.

But look at a club like Nottingham Forrest that have just sort of being relegated to nothing from winning two European cups. I would hate for that to happen to us. Maybe one could argue that we are now too big to fail. But i would prefer to see us being competitive in europe under questionable owners than being Leeds or Forrest as they are now.

 

[mu4c_20le]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

Almost sounds like you are looking forward to it.

 

[Hugh Jass]

I think the premier league needs a strong Man utd and Liverpool. To an extent Arsenal and Chelsea.

I remember reading when Moyes was in charge that the chiefs in the Premier league said that they had a bad year because United did poor.

 

[wolvored]

Very true. I think people of my generation started supporting united just when the golden years of Ferguson started taking off. Granted, united had a history with Busby and the Babes. I remember asking my father what team should i support and he said Man Utd. This was around the mid nineties.

But look at a club like Nottingham Forrest that have just sort of being relegated to nothing from winning two European cups. I would hate for that to happen to us. Maybe one could argue that we are now too big to fail. But i would prefer to see us being competitive in europe under questionable owners than being Leeds or Forrest as they are now.

The difference is the TV as well nowadays. Kids see football from all over the world. They are not all aligned to the club their dad supported for example. I was in Newcastle beginning of the year and kids had got City tops on. Even 5 years ago I dont think you would have seen that. You also see kids with Madrid Barca Juve, etc shirts on as well.

 

[wolvored]

Almost sounds like you are looking forward to it.

??? Looking forward to what?

 

[devilish]

What's that got to do with anything?

Someone leading a regime that spans generations is nearly forced to be an ahole. He is raised in that world so he knows no better. Also if he loosens the noose then the oppressed might see it as a sign of weakness and end up ripping him into pieces

On the other hand those governments in the democratic West who enable him should know better especially since they were raised better and has a choice not to enable a holes.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

??? Looking forward to what?

Think he is insinuating that you want us to fail.

 

[wolvored]

Think he is insinuating that you want us to fail.

I guessed that, was waiting for him to reply. There is always one that thinks any comment has an ulterior motive

 

[DomesticTadpole]

I guessed that, was waiting for him to reply. There is always one that thinks any comment has an ulterior motive

Yet some have said they would rather us be relegated than be sold to the Saudi's. Isn't that wanting us to fail, just to keep their moral compass in place.

 

[wolvored]

Yet some have said they would rather us be relegated than be sold to the Saudi's. Isn't that wanting us to fail, just to keep their moral compass in place.

Well anyone who wants us not to do well, never mind being relegated, regardless of the situation, shouldnt be supporting Utd in the first place

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Well anyone who wants us not to do well, never mind being relegated, regardless of the situation, shouldnt be supporting Utd in the first place

Think they also forget that the side that got relegated more or less stayed together. Most of this team would not be able to get out of the door quick enough. Also the fans stuck with the team. Nowadays a lot would just switch teams. You said about kids, yes unless there is a very strong family loyalty to United, they will pick the winning sides. I have seen loads of City shirts here and more than ever Liverpool shirts. You see United shirts but the numbers are dwindling.

 

[mu4c_20le]

??? Looking forward to what?

The takeover to happen. It's one thing to accept it for what it is, but some of you really sound like you are looking forward to that oil money.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

The takeover to happen. It's one thing to accept it for what it is, but some of you really sound like you are looking forward to that oil money.

Our team, stadium need a major re-haul. Ideally all of us would prefer someone else. The Glazers and the debt are taking a lot of money out of our club. You find us someone who has that sort of money, who wants to invest properly in a football team and isn't morally reprehensible.
Oh and get rid of that debt as well.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Our team, stadium need a major re-haul. Ideally all of us would prefer someone else. The Glazers and the debt are taking a lot of money out of our club. You find us someone who has that sort of money, who wants to invest properly in a football team and isn't morally reprehensible.
Oh and get rid of that debt as well.

Sure lemme just ring up my mates Bezos and Musk, ill get back to ya.

 

[sunama]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

Agreed.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Sure lemme just ring up my mates Bezos and Musk, ill get back to ya.

Tell them it could be urgent.

 

[Port Vale Devil]

Trump has 6 years to sort Iran out and help the Saudi’s to develop nuclear weapons.

Just wondering what MBS could gift him when he leaves office

 

[wolvored]

The takeover to happen. It's one thing to accept it for what it is, but some of you really sound like you are looking forward to that oil money.

As I said out of the two alternatives I spoke about, from a football pov, the Saudi alternative is the only positive option. Like everyone else I would prefer someone with no 'baggage' (to put a one word tag on it) to buy us. Unfortunately I cant see this happening.

 

[Siorac]

Yet some have said they would rather us be relegated than be sold to the Saudi's. Isn't that wanting us to fail, just to keep their moral compass in place.

Would you want United to win by match fixing or bribing referees?

 

[MackRobinson]

This could run and run and run. It doesnt matter what we say if its true and the Saudis want us badly enough, they will hit a price the Glazers will agree with. Could be next week next month or next year. The club can then get its feet back on the ground and build a fantastic squad. If your 'moral compass' cant stand it, then you have to decide whether you stop supporting Utd or not.

The alternative is if they dont buy Utd, they will look to buy a Liverpool, or Spurs, maybe even a Newcastle. Most of the new kids coming in to support football will start supporting the teams perpetually in the top 3/4 winning trophies regularly, and over the years other mega rich owners will jump in buying up clubs, and eventually we will be competing for 6/7th place every season as our fan base shrinks and the transfer money gets less and less. This will be a slow progress, but its likely to happen.

I would be large sums of money against this happening.

1) FFP on the national and European level makes this extremely difficult. City and PSG literally spooked all the large clubs into getting the rules changed in their favor.
2) You seriously underestimate how strong the brand identity of the top European clubs are. Liverpool hasn't won yet anything in ages, and for a period weren't consistently in the CL, yet they are comfortably the 2nd most popular club in the UK
3) Related to #1 but the big clubs will be aggressive in entrenching their position over the next decade. Look at the all the talk of the European super league and the continual restraints on FFP.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Would you want United to win by match fixing or bribing referees?

Of course not. Who said that is going to happen? Who says we are being taken over? We are probably going to be where we are for a long time.

 

[westmeath]

Reading the comments here, it is clear that many do not know anything about the Saudi regime and what they represent.

If our proud history means anything we never want to sell out to these people.

Just google the name “Jamal Khashoggi” and know that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

 

[Hugh Jass]

Reading the comments here, it is clear that many do not know anything about the Saudi regime and what they represent.

If our proud history means anything we never want to sell out to these people.

Just google the name “Jamal Khashoggi” and know that’s only the tip of the iceberg.

I think unless you have been living on Mars for the last year, everyone has heard of him.

 

[Siorac]

Of course not. Who said that is going to happen? Who says we are being taken over? We are probably going to be where we are for a long time.

So there is a line you are unwilling to cross even if it means United will do worse. Which could be twisted into wanting United to fail for the sake of your moral compass.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

So there is a line you are unwilling to cross even if it means United will do worse. Which could be twisted into wanting United to fail for the sake of your moral compass.

I am torn. I want us to compete. Am I comfortable about the Saudi's? No. Would the Glazers be bothered about me not being comfortable with the Saudi's? No. Would I stop supporting my team? No.
I want an owner who will plow loads of money into the team and make the ground back into a great stadium with superb facilities for the fans. Just cannot see who could afford us. We will probably be stuck with the Glazers and that debt.

 

[red thru&thru]

I am torn. I want us to compete. Am I comfortable about the Saudi's? No. Would the Glazers be bothered about me not being comfortable with the Saudi's? No. Would I stop supporting my team? No.
I want an owner who will plow loads of money into the team and make the ground back into a great stadium with superb facilities for the fans. Just cannot see who could afford us. We will probably be stuck with the Glazers and that debt.

Agreed.

Especially after seeing Spurs new stadium. The Glazers are just not going to invest in our club.

 

[Cloud7]

From what I read, it's not the ruler of Saudi who is trying to buy us, it is someone else, a family member or some other rich Saudi Do we tie them with all the same brush too that they are murderers etc etc?

Like I've said in an earlier post, sports and politics don't mix well. They should be kept separate. Not easy to do but is best that way.

Most reports have it as a member of the Saudi Royal family trying to buy us, with many claiming that its MBS himself.

Sports and politics have always mixed, and they’re part of why sport has always mattered so much. Real vs Barca isn’t the biggest match in football because it’s the two top teams in Spain. The old West Indies teams didn’t play out of their skins and put in 200% when they played England just because they were any random matches. Jesse Owens winning those gold medals in Germany wasn’t just significant because they were Olympic medals.

Sport has always stood for much more than just men on a field kicking a ball around or running around. To try and separate it from the meaning, and by extension the politics, behind it, is nothing short of ridiculous.

 

[tenpoless]

Pretty simple for me. Winning at all costs = glory hunting. When you attempt to equate a regime with running a business, to justify the club having enough resources to compete with City you are firmly in the winning at all costs camp, which puts you in the glory hunting camp. Not only that, but to also question why another fan would draw the line on supporting a football club with the ownership of a brutal regime, and then ask what suggests glory hunting is quite baffling to me. So yes, I did read your post and yes it did strike me as suggesting glory hunting. Cheers.

Yeah right, because when I say "I don't think the change of ownership will change Manchester United's culture"(which was the reason why I started supporting the club) and "I can't support any other team than United" suggest if I'm a "glory hunter".

Owners of football clubs, just like players do change from time to time. Do you suggest that if your club end up in the hands of those you don't like, You need to switch team otherwise you're supportive of certain politics and become a glory hunter? What a short sighted way of looking at things. If that makes me a glory hunter, then what does that make you?

In a perfect world, I want supporters to own the club - those who truly care and love the club. But They need to be filthy rich and not necesarrily because I want them to be the club's sugar dadies but the club's ownership cost fecking billions already (not mentioning debt). If you have no money, you can't buy the club.

Call me a glory hunter all you want but I will only support ManUtd regardless of the owners, players, managers.

 

[goin4glory]

I hate the Glazers but I'd genuinely stop supporting the club if this happens. The Saudi's are as bad as it gets. Football can't be win at all costs. The fans should be generating our own money to buy the club back instead.

 

[stevoc]

Nah. Glory hunters are those who change teams from, say, United to City. There is nothing wrong, whatsoever, with wanting to win at all costs.

Where does at all costs stop though?

Correct me if i'm wrong but it seems like you would be fine with United's success being funded by some of the most reprehensible people on the planet, people who order murders and executions on a regular basis. But just how far would you be willing for things to go to win at all costs i wonder.

As others have mentioned would you be ok with match fixing?

How about steroids would you be ok with the players being juiced to the gills if it meant a trophy at the end of every season?

How about intimidating and/or threatening the families of opposition players before big games?

The Saudi ruling family are obviously very questionable people, and to be honest i doubt they would bat an eyelid or lose a wink of sleep at any of those things. Now i'm not suggesting they definitely would engage in any or all of those activities if they did own United. Though it wouldn't shock me either.

But i'm just trying to gauge if some of you guys do have a line somewhere that you wouldn't be comfortable with the club crossing to win. I seriously doubt many if any of you really mean it when you say you would be fine with United winning at all costs if you actually thought about it.

 

[Ian Reus]

Match fixing and the likes bear no comparison to being owned by an oil giant so it's a moot point.

We don't need to inflate the figures like our dodgy neighbours either as we can back up the money.

It would however let us clear that burden of a debt which has possibly hindered our progress and the money would be put back into the club unlike the current owners.

 

[stevoc]

Match fixing and the likes bear no comparison to being owned by an oil giant so it's a moot point.

We don't need to inflate the figures like our dodgy neighbours either as we can back up the money.

It would however let us clear that burden of a debt which has possibly hindered our progress and the money would be put back into the club unlike the current owners.

Do you think the people who ordered one of their own citizens to be murdered and chopped up in a foreign embassy would be averse to the idea of match fixing?

 

[Valar Morghulis]

Do you think the people who ordered one of their own citizens to be murdered and chopped up in a foreign embassy would be averse to the idea of match fixing?

Well with this takeover supposedly being centred around achieving positive PR in the West, would it make sense to risk being caught match fixing? I doubt they'd do that personally. I think they'd take the most obvious route to trying to achieve success, sign the best players in World football.

Edit: I wouldn't approve of anything that breaks the rules in order for us to win like match fixing or juicing. Spending obscene amounts of money would be okay with me as long as we don't break FFP regulations.

 

[Infra-red]

Match fixing and the likes bear no comparison to being owned by an oil giant so it's a moot point.

We don't need to inflate the figures like our dodgy neighbours either as we can back up the money.

It would however let us clear that burden of a debt which has possibly hindered our progress and the money would be put back into the club unlike the current owners.

The debt may have hindered our progress in the past, but it is pretty much a complete irrelevance at this point.

Last year it cost us £24m, from revenues of £590m. It's a drop in the ocean.

 

[stepic]

If the Saudi’s buy United, I will still support United. United is bigger than those who own it. I don’t like the Saudi’s regime at all, of course not, but I’m not just going to stop watching United play just like that.

I look forward, if it ever does happen, to see how many of those trotting out the ‘thatll be it for me’ change their tune. I daresay it will be a lot.

You can still support United and at the same time be against the owners. There’s nothing wrong with that. We don’t get to choose the owners.