Essential The Official Football (Soccer) Thread - We are SO back, the Premier League returns!

TobiOT

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nyknick

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So our only hope is that one of the despots, strongmen or just all around human rights abusers that doesn't own a club yet buys the team. Looks like we've run out of Chinese billionaires interested in soccer so the best we could hope is a regime that still crucifies people out in public :francis:
Instead, United moved on only four and brought in just three. Dan James arrived for £15m, roughly half of which was covered by Marouane Fellani’s January departure, and Harry Maguire joined for £80m, most of which was recouped by the sale of Romelu Lukaku. As such, the net spend is the £50m outlay on Aaron Wan-Bissaka and maximum £20m more.

These numbers, though nauseous, must be viewed in context. United require nothing from their owners save the ability to spend their own money, and are English football’s most profitable club by far – a status which should be reflected in their transfer activity. Except – with a rebuild required – they have been outspent by Aston Villa and Wolves, just as last season they were outspent by Everton, West Ham, Leicester, Southampton, Fulham, Brighton and Wolves.
:beli:
Solskjær’s summer budget should have been augmented by the money refused José Mourinho last summer and the money saved by appointing the Norwegian rather than a more expensive alternative; in the event, he has been afforded roughly half the funds given to Mourinho and Louis van Gaal in their first windows in post, though prices have increased considerably.

The only feasible conclusion is that United’s business plan has changed. Given the Glazers’ aim of extracting as much money as possible, actively pursuing the league title has never made sense – it is expensive, speculative and relatively unrewarding. But Champions League qualification – lucrative and accessible – has been fundamental. Now, though, United are hoping for it rather than expecting it, in which regard it is instructive to look at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Glazers’ NFL franchise.
:beli:
 

TobiOT

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So our only hope is that one of the despots, strongmen or just all around human rights abusers that doesn't own a club yet buys the team. Looks like we've run out of Chinese billionaires interested in soccer so the best we could hope is a regime that still crucifies people out in public :francis:

:beli:

:beli:
These greedy c*nts have got to go.
 
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