08 Jan 2014 23:39:17
The Glazers bought a great football club primarily on a financial basis, Man City's owners are using their financial muscle to build a great football club on a footballing basis. It cost about the same - 700m. The City model is now being applied at PSG and Monaco, as it was previously at Chelsea, increasing the breadth of competition at the top levels. These owners want to win at football. The Glazers want to win at business, winning at football is just a means to that end.

The Glazers used a leveraged buyout financed at such high interest rates that all of United's spare cash flow has been consumed funding it. There has been no money left for players, which is the sole reason we haven't purchased a single great one in 8 years. I simply don't believe a man like Fergie, who in previous times was ready and willing to smash transfer price records, all of a sudden couldn't find any value in the market place for 8 years.

With debt levels still around 350m pounds there is simply no way the Glazers are going to fork out the additional 250m-350m it's going to take to replace virtually the whole team, which, as you can see from recent performances, is what it's going to take. The bulk of the squad are not good enough to be anything more than squad players on a top team. Nor, with the club in this state can they go to the market to raise more capital while retaining full ownership and control.

While it is true City have spent a lot on players, many of them still retain their value in the market place, or are worth even more. On the other hand United probably don't have a player who could be sold for 30m+, except possibly Rooney (and maybe de Gea), and if we don't take advantage of that soon, he will end up leaving for a lot less. It is very clear which of the two clubs has the more sustainable model. The question now is whether United's is sustainable at all.

The United handed over to Moyes was like one of those old houses with a fresh coat of paint on it. It looks good from the outside, but when you start to look in depth at all the systems you realize you're in for a full refurbishment. That fresh coat of paint is covering rotten siding.

SAF may have done wonders with the paint in the last few years, but that's what it was. With that in mind it's not reasonable to think any new manager could come to United and continue the legacy without significant financial resources and the experience to spend them. Given the financial advantages all our major European rivals now have over us, together with the inherently more talented squads at their disposal, I just don't see us getting back into the race for a while. And, in my opinion, which may not be shared by the eds or the optimists, a sustained period of mediocrity could lead to some very rocky times unless the Glazers sell up, or raise equity in some other way. I can't see there being too many buyersat the current price given that a further 350m may need to be injected. It's surely so much easier to buy a cheaper club and then put the billion into the team rather than the other way round.

Sorry for the rant, but I hate what the Glazers have done to our club. They are the true rot at the heart of this experience.

1.) 09 Jan 2014
Totally agree. As I have said on previous posts in the summer - this has always been the case. It's going to take us falling apart for most fans to wake up to it .

2.) 09 Jan 2014
I don't disagree with you but I wouldn't go so far as to say we've not signed any great players in 8 years. RVP was a great signing.

3.) 09 Jan 2014
Did he not break our transfer record buying berbatov and then spent close to that on rvp, and did Moyes not spend something similar on fellaini?
the money has obviously been there and I honestly do not believe that money has ever really been the deciding factor and it is kind of a cop out, rather than facing the real problems that effect our club, most of which were really hidden because we remained successful

4.) 09 Jan 2014
Yeah our transfer record! Even tight arsenal spent over 40 mil on a player in the summer and still want more. Why? Because they know they have to to keep up. We don't want to never mind can't . 4 year gap between the first two and spent all the money available in the summer on a dud just to buy someone.

5.) 09 Jan 2014
Liverpool supporter here. The post by dags is one of first realistic and less hysterical posts I've read here.

The Glazers acquired Man United for around £800m. It is now worth £2.2b. They built the business up, that entitles them to take what they want from their club. In that time they've spent a couple of hundred million on players with Fergie even saying they never once vetoed a transfer. They have also expanded Old Trafford and possibly will do again. Think of some club owners past and present, you're not bad off at all.

The recent troubles with your club isn't the lack of money spent on players it is the lack of quality you got for your money.

Unfortunately your club, can and will buy its way out of the mire, with or without Moyes. Hopefully not for a good while yet though :-).

6.) 09 Jan 2014
Peashooter, excellent post. Especially the first paragraph. As I mentioned last night, city are owned by football fanatics who happen to be extremely wealthy.
We're owned by wealthy Americans who have no interest in football and will never do so. And they bought above their means, so they had to borrow substantially.
If we go through a rocky period and they sell up to someone who cares, then so be it.

7.) 09 Jan 2014
Peashooter
I totally agree with our liverpool fan waver tree red be careful what you wish for.The clubs you mention are all abusing the financial fair play ruling you say City still have players who are holding their value what like Santa Cruz Lescot have done they can't unload their squad players due to massive wages unless they subsidise them, yes City are strong and we are in need of major investment but I believe the owners will back Moyes in the transfer windows to come this year.we must not panic buy accept our neighbours are ahead for the moment with quality and depth but they know if we stick together, support our great club and Moyes has a change of luck then we will be back it maybe 2 seasons and let's not take success for granted!

8.) 09 Jan 2014
09 Jan 2014 10:24:08
Johny.
The Question, Do City Care?. and whom?. UEFA?. seriously?