[Archived] End Of Manc Dominance?

[stuwilky]

I dont believe for one minute that United cant sell out their ST's.

If they were to go public that they didnt have a waiting list (Which i believe they do), then they would have masses trying to sign up again!

For the last two summers they have been trying to flog season tickets to anyone on their database, I know this cos they target me! Ive been to one match in the home ends.

[Billy Castell]

I think it may be a scramble to stay in the Champions League places for the big 4, as whoever doesn't will have their goose truely cooked. Fingers crossed it'll be either Man Utd or Liverpool.

Oh, and Go Platini! (As long as he's fair and takes on non-English clubs with big debts).

[Hughesy]

If any of Liverpool, United or Arsenal were to miss out on the top 4 then it would be a massive blow to their club, the finances and possibly even the playing staff.

[cn174]

I dont believe for one minute that United cant sell out their ST's.

If they were to go public that they didnt have a waiting list (Which i believe they do), then they would have masses trying to sign up again!

They can't sell all their tickets either. I get a newsletter every few days advertising mainly theatre and show tickets in Manchester. Today's newsletter is advertising that there are still tickets available for Man U vs Arsenal tomorrow.

[thenodrog]

A behind the scenes insight into the workings of Man City and the influence of the odious Garry Cook. Also a clear suggestion that Hughes is simply head coach in the greater scheme of things. As most thought at the time it appears the Kaka, Buffon, Ronaldo rumours will not have originated in the managers office. Hughes is not suited to be bending over for anyone yet it appears that he is prepared to put up with it for some reason.

'Pimp for the Arabs..... you're just a pimp for the arabs'

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/foo...icle6821206.ece

[jim mk2]

Hughes is not suited to be bending over for anyone yet it appears that he is prepared to put up with it for some reason.

Multimillion pound salary might be a very good reason.

[thenodrog]

Multimillion pound salary might be a very good reason.

Surely not. I'd never even thought of that !

[philipl]

I have always said that the spring of 2010 was crunch time for the Mancs under the Glazers.

So this story in the Times should come as no surprise whatsoever.

[thenodrog]

I have always said that the spring of 2010 was crunch time for the Mancs under the Glazers.

So this story in the Times should come as no surprise whatsoever.

Bring it on. The playing field needs levelling. Pre Prem and CL ManU were just above ordinary for decades.

[den]

Bring it on. The playing field needs levelling. Pre Prem and CL ManU were just above ordinary for decades.

and when I first went Liverpool were a second division team.

[47er]

and when I first went Liverpool were a second division team.

and Everton. Arsenal have never been outside the top Division in my lifetime. Any other team?

[jodrell]

There is some good money to be made if you can get on contacts list at moan u.

My link champions' expenditure

[philipl]

Reports today that a Bangkok Consortium has raised £1bn to exit the Glazers.

However, even that monster sum might not be enough to pay both the debts of MUFC and the debts the Glazers apparently took on personall on top which amount to a further £250m according to some estimates.

[Fife Rover]

What's with the pink writing? Is this somebodies idea of a joke?

[Amo]

What's with the pink writing? Is this somebodies idea of a joke?

What?

[PAFELL]

What's with the pink writing? Is this somebodies idea of a joke?

Pleased you said about the pink writing I thought this was something to do with my computer.

[cn174]

What's with the pink writing? Is this somebodies idea of a joke?

I think it is something to do with posts that have to be approved by the mods first.

[philipl]

Grim reading for Mancs

£263m in interest payments in the first three years of the Glazers!

Whatever way you look at it, the Mancs are headed into financial armageddon with the Glazers.

They are trying to refinance the hedge fund debt which is costing them so much it is increasing each year. The problem they have is that much of the bank debt which is much cheaper is the senior debt ie has to be repaid before the hefdge funds.

So they are looking at raising £700m in a bond of which probably at least £50m will disappear in fees of one sort or another. This £700m bond will therefore not wipe out all the Manc debt(£699m 18 months ago) and at an 8% interest rate will cost them £56m a year to service in interest each year. So their interest payments will not decrease, just the Glazers will avoid the hedge funds appointing their own directors.

Man City on the other hand have received a straightforward £300m equity infusion from Abu Dhabi. And with City sitting in 5th, 9 points behind Man U with two games in hand after the Manc draw at Brum, any banker looking at that £700m bond has got to factor in a possibility that the Mancs will not qualify for the CL this season. If Rooney gets injured....

[Hughesy]

any banker looking at that £700m bond has got to factor in a possibility that the Mancs will not qualify for the CL this season. If Rooney gets injured....

Cant see how they wont qualify! Yes City aint too far off, but they wont finish above United - UNLESS they spend big again this January!

[philipl]

Cant see how they wont qualify! Yes City aint too far off, but they wont finish above United - UNLESS they spend big again this January!

....and they certainly can.

[Hughesy]

....and they certainly can.

Even if they could finish ahead of United - that still leaves them third - who else do you see finishing ahead of them?!?!

[philipl]

If Spurs can survive their visits to Anfield and Old Trafford unbeaten, they are contenders.

Villa might get a second wind and Liverpool's revival from the dead might continue if Torres and Gerrard stay fit.

However, it does need a Manc stumble as well as two clubs beneth them to go on a sustained charge. Not likely but not the sort of thing to bank £700m on it not happening.

There is another twist in that 4th place in the Prem goes into an unseeded qualifying round draw for the CL. Clubs the Mancs could find themselves in the hat with include Roma, Sevilla, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Hamburg.

[DE.]

Utd are beginning to struggle a little at the moment. A combination of aging players and injuries have made them half the team they were before. With their debts continuing to rise I can't see them splashing out too quickly on a quick-fix, either.

I still think they'll finish top 4, though.

[PAFELL]

Perhaps looks wierd after the Mancs completed three PL titles on the trot but I think the warning signs are there. <img src="http://www.brfcs.co.uk/mb/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

- no club can year in year out be charged £80m in interest without it eventually damaging the playing side

- current reports indicate that Man City are £5m ahead of their neighbours in bidding for Tevez; the Mancs hae massively mishandled the Tevez situation (because they are crippled by the need to conserve cash for their finances) and losing the tough brilliant Tevez to Wastelands could be as big a psychologically devastating blow as the whole it leaves in their squad.

- the new crop of young players are probably good enough for top half of the Prem, might just squeeze into Big 4 standard but certainly don't look world beaters at this stage.

- there were three critical defeas that point to decline at the end of last season:

With the Quintuple on, they could not despatch an injury-ravaged Everton in the FA Cup semi-final

Liverpool humiliated them at OT

Barcelona were miles better than the Mancs who simply hadn't a clue how to compete unlike Chelsea who were a dodgy Norwegian ref away from putting Barca out over two legs.

- at this stage, they still have to play Scholes and Giggs, both of whom are years over their peak. If the Manc midfield wobbles, their defence and keeper are no way as good as they think they are.

I might be wrong, but I sense the years of RFW defying the internal financal constraints at OT are finally coming to an end. Ferguson had a good run of getting every transfer signing right but last summer's outlays have yet to pay off and he has to be a magician in the market this summer to avoid things going pear-shaped.

Reported on sky today that Man U hope to start a bond scheme in the hope of rasing £500mill - how would that work. Not being in the financial world, wondering if you could give a basic laymans explanation to this. Also could not Rovers do a simular thing?

[den]

Reported on sky today that Man U hope to start a bond scheme in the hope of rasing £500mill - how would that work. Not being in the financial world, wondering if you could give a basic laymans explanation to this. Also could not Rovers do a simular thing?

I understand it to be basically this:

Currently, MU pay c14% interest on their debts of £500M.

They issue bonds, which are bought mainly by the investment companies and MU pay out c6% interest on that, which is good value in today's markets.

They still have the debt, but the repayments are much less.

No doubt Philip will be along soon to trash all that.