man u 0 - 1 LEEDS UTD

[Stanners]

Is it not true that city are on there 3rd manager in 2 seasons and having spent more money than any other club, still have won nowt?
33 years and counting.

[Danbert Nocurry]

We won't do a Leeds; if Utd don't meet their debt repayments the troubles at Leeds will look like a minor financial inconvenience. I've been saying that for years - some of the debt is at 14.25% interest rates.

However, let's not forget that with the exception of a couple of seasons, Utd have had the highest attendances for each season since the end of the second world war. For the most part, we weren't particularly successful.

You can call them glory hunters and we have a fair few of them (although you've got your fair share of them now!) but Utd have had the fortune of being top dog during football's two boom periods in the 60s and 90s.

Agreed. But yourself and Liverpool owe so much money as % of operating profits that you have to factor in finishing in the top 4 - every season for time and memorial, getting past the group stage of champions league, decent cup runs, big kit and advertising deals etc, etc.

There is no contigency or margin for error it only takes a couple of things to go wrong and its armagedeon - all your best players sold to repay debts to a realistic level and the resultant downward spiral.

We have seen it ourselves at city over the past 30 years all be it with much much lower levels of debt (I think the peak was around £80 million at city with most of it in personal loans from the owners.)

Anyway the only long term solution is for a rich owner to come along but for both yourselves and Liverpool, you are looking for someone willing to spend in the order of £800 million to £1 billion - quite frankly in the curent enviroment who would want to do that ? Besides part of the fun for these people is building something for themselves. Happy days for us really really.

I wish i could find it in myself to feel sorry for you but i can't. To be honest when you are on your last legs, i'd like to see us sue you for copyright for using our city's name for all these years.

[TheHeathens]

Danbert, you seem very clued up on Man Utd's debt but oblivious to the financial problems that your owners face in the United Arab Emirates.

After United, Liverpool & Portsmouth, Man City are probably in the most precarious position because of the near collapse of Dubai World. Abu Dhabi have already had to bail out Dubai to the tune of $10bn and that's likely to rise significantly over the next few months.

How many more bail outs do you think it'll take before your owners begin to see Manchester City as an expensive burden?

[Danbert Nocurry]

Danbert, you seem very clued up on Man Utd's debt but oblivious to the financial problems that your owners face in the United Arab Emirates.

After United, Liverpool & Portsmouth, Man City are probably in the most precarious position because of the near collapse of Dubai World. Abu Dhabi have already had to bail out Dubai to the tune of $10bn and that's likely to rise significantly over the next few months.

How many more bail outs do you think it'll take before your owners begin to see Manchester City as an expensive burden?

Fanciful and imaginative thinking there The Heathens






Baconface: "hello, is that carol vorderman"?

Vorderman: "yes"

Baconface: "do you know anyone at ocean who could get us a good rate on a loan for £700m"?

Vorderman: "no, but i've got that crate of scotch you were after"

*all quotes are purely fictitious

[TheHeathens]

Not fanciful at all Danbert. I would never want to see a football club go bust so maybe I am taking a rather pessimistic view but it's a very possible (and not fanciful) scenario.

The central bank of the UAE is in Abu Dhabi and all of the Emirates are exposed to one another. Dubai has got itself in a whole world of trouble with ridiculous projects that they've not been able to complete because of the property and financial crisis (Example).

If Dubai defaults on it's debt then investor confidence in the region goes out of the window, Abu Dhabi's markets would likely to fall and the emirates' credit rating would be downgraded. Abu Dhabi nees to ensure that Dubai doesn't default for its own sake. They've already bailed out Dubai to the cost of $10bn but the cost of Dubai's unfinished construction projects is $400bn.

Given the GDP of Abu Dhabi was $282bn in 2008, where's the $400bn coming from?

All I'm saying is that you should research it a bit more before you throw stones in that glass house

[Danbert Nocurry]

Not fanciful at all Danbert. I would never want to see a football club go bust so maybe I am taking a rather pessimistic view but it's a very possible (and not fanciful) scenario.

The central bank of the UAE is in Abu Dhabi and all of the Emirates are exposed to one another. Dubai has got itself in a whole world of trouble with ridiculous projects that they've not been able to complete because of the property and financial crisis (Example).

If Dubai defaults on it's debt then investor confidence in the region goes out of the window, Abu Dhabi's markets would likely to fall and the emirates' credit rating would be downgraded. Abu Dhabi nees to ensure that Dubai doesn't default for its own sake. They've already bailed out Dubai to the cost of $10bn but the cost of Dubai's unfinished construction projects is $400bn.

Given the GDP of Abu Dhabi was $282bn in 2008, where's the $400bn coming from?

All I'm saying is that you should research it a bit more before you throw stones in that glass house

I've just done a bit of research and it all keeps coming back to Noel Gallagher making jokes about United fans inadvertently boosting the City kitty every time they fill up at the petrol station.

[NotIntaFells]

Never mind the long term financial situations at United, Liverpool et al... lets just ENJOY THE DAY!!!!
A much deserved loss for United and Bacon Face - face it - Leeds won and deserved to - glad we didn't draw them in the next round!... then again, we HAVE beaten them ourselves this season!!! ROFL!

[TheHeathens]

I've just done a bit of research and it all keeps coming back to Noel Gallagher making jokes about United fans inadvertently boosting the City kitty every time they fill up at the petrol station.

Don't worry, I'll be on hand to remind you of this post should the sh*t hit the fan a year down the line

[ukhursty]

I like the way Bacon face has ripped his team apart, calling them left right and center, yeah because that will do the a lot of good. Threatening to axe them etc etc etc.

Oh of course Bacon face, your not to blame at all, not one tiny bit!

[IainR]

You're probably right about Sir Matt..... but there is a real possibility of you winning nothing this season under baconface which will accelerate your decline.

If you were to win nothing this season the glory hunters would jump ship which would reduce your income and the circle of decline would set in.

The promissory notes the Glaziers signed for personal loans have a sting in the tail in that if the profits drop below a certain amount then the people who lent them the money can appoint people to the board who will be looking to make the operation profitable by cutting costs.

I can't see you doing a Leeds but I can see you declining to be a mid table side.

You should look at United's recent history, getting knocked out by lowly oppostion, happened a fair few times. York being the prime example and that was using a full strength united team in the second leg.

Also winning nothing, supporters jumping ship guff..that's happened plenty of times under Fergie, we've gone a few years with nothing.

Fergie's reign is so different from Busby's its a joke to compare. Busby had the babes, he then rebuilt his team, stayed too loyal and faultered. Look at Fergie's reign, how many teams now? no major declines between teams, not sentimental; hughes, Ince, Kanche, Beckham, Keano, Sharp, Pally, Bruce, Schmeichel, Irwin, Cole, Yorke, Stam have all gone and been replaced time and time again. It's nonsensical to compare the two era's in that way.

Keep grasping at straws...