Transfer Money & New Owners...

[The_Adder]

When the takeover was complete (and even before that when it was rumoured) everyone was linking us with the likes of Eto'o, Villa, Torres and saying we could now afford the top players we had been missing out on cause of lack of money, the likes of Alves and Simao.

 

Now everyone seems to think we can't afford such players, including even the likes of Alves and Malouda for fees the Mancs and Bayern have paid for wingers this season (I thought the Glazers weren't gonna be able to splash out such fees, never mind £50+!).

 

Now the thing I really dont get is the timing of all this, not just the takeover. We have just reached the Champions League Final for the 2nd time in two years, where ever you read this its seems that we gained £20m+ for this latest run. Also, its TV Money Time! Hence all clubs in the EPL have more money coming in from that than ever before (which is no doubt the reason for all these take overs) so in theory we should have more money to spend in the transfer market than EVER before.

 

So why all these negative reports in the press? Why has it very recently been decided we can no longer afford these players now? I mean without considering the takeover we should surely be able to afford Malouda and Simao and even Alves (whos price has clearly gone up since).

 

I was so excited about this summer. I believe we have the best manager in the league, couple this with the overall best defence, goalkeeper and Central midfield in the league, we surely need to but some top attacking talent to truly challenge, but is this talent gonna be bought now? It was obvious we needed more financial power to compete with the top two, hence why Moores waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity before finally selling. And now I'm just baffled to how these reports are now circulating...

 

Good on all the people who say 'everything will turn out great, just wait and see', I really hope your right! I just don't understand what's going on right now... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

[DaveLFC]

It makes perfect sense and you answer your own questions. Tell everyone we have loads of cash or make it known we haven't got that much to spend after all. I know what makes sense to me.

 

In the end it's not the rumours that matter, it's the signings. When they take place (or don't) then worry, until then enjoy the transfer speculation and the smoke and mirrors.

Edited June 14, 2007 by DaveLFC

[The_Adder]

It makes perfect sense and you answer your own questions. Tell everyone we have loads of cash or make it known we haven't got that much to spend after all. I know what makes sense to me.

 

In the end it's not the rumours that matter, it's the signings. When they take place (or don't) then worry, until then enjoy the transfer speculation and the smoke and mirrors.

 

I really hope your right kido!!

 

At the moment everything is pointing to a summer being out-spent by West Ham and Spurs, when we need to be out-spending the Mancs and Chelski just to catch up with them

[swano]

When the takeover was complete (and even before that when it was rumoured) everyone was linking us with the likes of Eto'o, Villa, Torres and saying we could now afford the top players we had been missing out on cause of lack of money, the likes of Alves and Simao.

 

Now everyone seems to think we can't afford such players, including even the likes of Alves and Malouda for fees the Mancs and Bayern have paid for wingers this season (I thought the Glazers weren't gonna be able to splash out such fees, never mind £50+!).

 

Now the thing I really dont get is the timing of all this, not just the takeover. We have just reached the Champions League Final for the 2nd time in two years, where ever you read this its seems that we gained £20m+ for this latest run. Also, its TV Money Time! Hence all clubs in the EPL have more money coming in from that than ever before (which is no doubt the reason for all these take overs) so in theory we should have more money to spend in the transfer market than EVER before.

 

So why all these negative reports in the press? Why has it very recently been decided we can no longer afford these players now? I mean without considering the takeover we should surely be able to afford Malouda and Simao and even Alves (whos price has clearly gone up since).

 

I was so excited about this summer. I believe we have the best manager in the league, couple this with the overall best defence, goalkeeper and Central midfield in the league, we surely need to but some top attacking talent to truly challenge, but is this talent gonna be bought now? It was obvious we needed more financial power to compete with the top two, hence why Moores waited and waited for what seemed like an eternity before finally selling. And now I'm just baffled to how these reports are now circulating...

 

Good on all the people who say 'everything will turn out great, just wait and see', I really hope your right! I just don't understand what's going on right now... SHOW ME THE MONEY!!

 

Didn't read too much after the 2nd paragraph but I'd imagine people are getting edgey as other clubs have spent money and we haven't. If you look at it another way though, none of the other clubs have made any decent spanish signings as their league is not yet finished. The majority of the names being linked with us play in Spain. Hence, no major signings = forum panic=we have no money to spend.

[DaveLFC]

I really hope your right kido!!

 

At the moment everything is pointing to a summer being out-spent by West Ham and Spurs, when we need to be out-spending the Mancs and Chelski just to catch up with them

 

Let other clubs splash the cash around, our targets are in place and I am sure we will get them. Just because a smaller club wants to splash ridiculous money on a player does not make that player any good, it just makes them expensive.

[Mullah_Owen]

Let other clubs splash the cash around, our targets are in place and I am sure we will get them. Just because a smaller club wants to splash ridiculous money on a player does not make that player any good, it just makes them expensive.

 

Feckin Spanish League. Take their winter break away from them so they dont have to finish the season so late. It is a nightmare for us.

 

[Puskas]

A hypothetical situation.

 

Say you're working for the management team of a prominent football club that has just been taken over by some multi-millionaires, who have already publicly stated that they are going to back the manager for whatever players he wants. You realise that this will almost certainly result in a price hike of at least £5M for every player that the manager expresses interest in (or is even rumoured to express interest in).

 

So what do you do about it?

 

You could choose to stump up the extra cash. Or you could choose to leak some (dis)information to a local journalist who is known to have connections within the club - saying that there is going to be less money available that originally thought - in the hope that it will be picked up by the national and international press... and thus bring down the prices of the players (with the side effect of causing a meltdown on a large number of fans forums). Maybe.

[Alonso]

A hypothetical situation.

 

Say you're working for the management team of a prominent football club that has just been taken over by some multi-millionaires, who have already publicly stated that they are going to back the manager for whatever players he wants. You realise that this will almost certainly result in a price hike of at least £5M for every player that the manager expresses interest in (or is even rumoured to express interest in).

 

So what do you do about it?

 

You could choose to stump up the extra cash. Or you could choose to leak some (dis)information to a local journalist who is known to have connections within the club - saying that there is going to be less money available that originally thought - in the hope that it will be picked up by the national and international press... and thus bring down the prices of the players (with the side effect of causing a meltdown on a large number of fans forums). Maybe.

Even go as far as to make a £1m bid for a small name player!!

[Sion]

I don't buy all this 'the owners are playing the poor card to keep prices down'. It sounds to me like people looking for excuses not to believe newspaper reports which may be true, or may in fact be based on nothing but suggestion, because they don't want to take them seriously.

 

The fact of the matter is, we make out like we've got no money - lets say we actually do, we then spend £15 on a winger - clubs realise we're not as hard up as we made out - and start asking for more money for their players. The 'plan' has therefore only worked for one player - if at all.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Sion

[Alonso]

I don't buy all this 'the owners are playing the poor card to keep prices down'. It sounds to me like people looking for excuses not to believe newspaper reports which may be true, or may in fact be based on nothing but suggestion, because they don't want to take them seriously.

 

The fact of the matter is, we make out like we've got no money - lets say we actually do, we then spend £15 on a winger - clubs realise we're not as hard up as we made out - and start asking for more money for their players. The 'plan' has therefore only worked for one player - if at all.

Unless we sign all our plares at once!!

[Bailo]

A hypothetical situation.

 

Say you're working for the management team of a prominent football club that has just been taken over by some multi-millionaires, who have already publicly stated that they are going to back the manager for whatever players he wants. You realise that this will almost certainly result in a price hike of at least £5M for every player that the manager expresses interest in (or is even rumoured to express interest in).

 

So what do you do about it?

 

You could choose to stump up the extra cash. Or you could choose to leak some (dis)information to a local journalist who is known to have connections within the club - saying that there is going to be less money available that originally thought - in the hope that it will be picked up by the national and international press... and thus bring down the prices of the players (with the side effect of causing a meltdown on a large number of fans forums). Maybe.

I hope thats the case. I'm becoming less convinced.

[Bootle Buck]

I'm sure TH and GG didn't become billionaires by letting other teams know how much money they have and how much they are prepared to spend. Even Rafa on many occasions has said he wouldn't be held to ransom by clubs wanting more than a player is worth.

 

Just as the new contracts for our existing players have been dealt with so to will the new transfers.

 

Imagine the media putting a negative slant on a very positive time for the club in the quiet off season. Surely they wouldn't be shet-stirring now would they.

[benno2]

A hypothetical situation.

 

Say you're working for the management team of a prominent football club that has just been taken over by some multi-millionaires, who have already publicly stated that they are going to back the manager for whatever players he wants. You realise that this will almost certainly result in a price hike of at least £5M for every player that the manager expresses interest in (or is even rumoured to express interest in).

 

So what do you do about it?

 

You could choose to stump up the extra cash. Or you could choose to leak some (dis)information to a local journalist who is known to have connections within the club - saying that there is going to be less money available that originally thought - in the hope that it will be picked up by the national and international press... and thus bring down the prices of the players (with the side effect of causing a meltdown on a large number of fans forums). Maybe.

 

If you were the people that had just taken over and you were in it for the long haul. Would it be wise to pull this trick at the first possible opportunity, thus meaning you'd never be taken seriously again? Just a thought.

[killiered]

Isn`t all this hysteria and hyperbole based upon one supposed quote that we aren`t gonna splash money around "like a drunken sailor".

 

Now to me that means we are gonna spend our money sensibly NOT that we don`t have much to spend.

 

Just a thought.

[Rimbeux]

Have the club not got to pay an annual £21m interest payment, indirectly after some inter-company debt movements, on the loan G&T took out to buy the club? Read that somewhere. Makes a difference.

Edited June 14, 2007 by Rimbeux

[Armin_Tamzarian]

'Come in Rafa,' said Rick, would you please take a chair?

To begin I must tell you, the cupboard is bare,

We've had a whipround, that's Tom, George and I,

They've kicked in fifty dollars, I've thrown in a tie,

We've each put the hours in and gave it our best,

To try to fill up your empty warchest,

But its no use pretending, in my pockets just lint,

Once we've paid for the ground, the truth is we're skint,

 

Though in PR terms we can sound a nice tune,

Like that bid of a million, for Yossi Benayoun,

We ain't shopping at Harrods, nor even at Netto,

Say how about Beattie 'stead of that costly bloke, Eto?

If you're after a defender Ayalas wage is a gamble,

Wouldn't you prefer me to try for young Titus Bramble?

Villa's out of reach and that is why we say,

Why not give another go to that French chap called Cisse?

 

So in closing there's just not the dosh to add to the team,

Oh my God! From your ears, could that really be steam?

[David Hodgson]

Isn`t all this hysteria and hyperbole based upon one supposed quote that we aren`t gonna splash money around "like a drunken sailor".

 

Now to me that means we are gonna spend our money sensibly NOT that we don`t have much to spend.

 

Just a thought.

 

2 things have got people edgy :

 

1) Rafa demanded swift action to get his signings into place. His implication was that he wanted them done now, and have them ready for all of pre-season. United have achieved that already, which doesn't help, but G & H suggested that they were of the same mind as Rafa. So far there are no signs of a quick resolution to our transfer requirements.

 

3) When the take-over happened there was talk of significant equity investment in the team being part of Dave Moores list of requirements for any buyer (indeed DIC revealed this to be the case). We don't know for certain what this figure was, but the implication was that it was sizeable. £30m would be low side guestimate. We also realise that around 25m could easily be raised from outgoing transfers, and that our base kitty has to have been swelled by the CL run. It wasn't unreasonable to conclude that Rafa would be armed with at least £60m this summer. If that's the case then why these constant stories in the media about Rafa being unable to compete for the likes of Eto'o and Tevez ? We should easily be able to compete at the top end of the market.

 

The truth, of course, is yet to be revealed.

[Guz]

Just because we're not going to spend £30m on Villa or Eto'o doesnt mean the manager doesnt have money to spend. The article in the Echo today suggests that because we wont sign Villa, Rafa's budget doesnt differ to other seasons. I cant see this logic at all because it just wipes out any middle ground.

 

Hicks said that the new stadium will allow us to compete with any club in the world, financially. Till then if Rafa is given lisence to spend £15m+ on individual players we'll be in a very healthy situation.

[Conrad]

'Come in Rafa,' said Rick, would you please take a chair?

To begin I must tell you, the cupboard is bare,

We've had a whipround, that's Tom, George and I,

They've kicked in fifty dollars, I've thrown in a tie,

We've each put the hours in and gave it our best,

To try to fill up your empty warchest,

But its no use pretending, in my pockets just lint,

Once we've paid for the ground, the truth is we're skint,

 

Though in PR terms we can sound a nice tune,

Like that bid of a million, for Yossi Benayoun,

We ain't shopping at Harrods, nor even at Netto,

Say how about Beattie 'stead of that costly bloke, Eto?

If you're after a defender Ayalas wage is a gamble,

Wouldn't you prefer me to try for young Titus Bramble?

Villa's out of reach and that is why we say,

Why not give another go to that French chap called Cisse?

 

So in closing there's just not the dosh to add to the team,

Oh my God! From your ears, could that really be steam?

 

 

 

[David Hodgson]

Just a hypothetical question here : What if G & H suddenly put out a clarification statement that says that Rafa's transfer budget will be no more no less than in recent seasons, and vary only according to players sold, and that we couldn't afford to spend more until new revenue sources bore fruit in the future.

 

Would you, as a fan, accept that as 'just the way it's gotta be', or would you feel bitterly misled by all those concerned in the take-over process ?

[Molby]

Just a hypothetical question here : What if G & H suddenly put out a clarification statement that says that Rafa's transfer budget will be no more no less than in recent seasons, and vary only according to players sold, and that we couldn't afford to spend more until new revenue sources bore fruit in the future.

 

Would you, as a fan, accept that as 'just the way it's gotta be', or would you feel bitterly misled by all those concerned in the take-over process ?

 

 

I would be proposing armed revolution

[Big E]

Another point to consider - if we're signing players from Spain who wouldn't be available till next week, then why would Rafa make a statement saying he wanted players straight away, right after the CL final?

[beejay]

Another point to consider - if we're signing players from Spain who wouldn't be available till next week, then why would Rafa make a statement saying he wanted players straight away, right after the CL final?

 

Because the 2 players he was referring to don't play in Spain?

[yellow jumper]

1) Rafa demanded swift action to get his signings into place. His implication was that he wanted them done now, and have them ready for all of pre-season. United have achieved that already, which doesn't help, but G & H suggested that they were of the same mind as Rafa. So far there are no signs of a quick resolution to our transfer requirements.

 

the nani and anderson deals have been months in the signing by all accounts. because of the takeover i imagine it must have been difficult to do much of the groundwork necessary during the season to complete deals that would be signed in the summer. think also that there was a bit of obfuscation there from rafa after a disappointing defeat, and he was probably talking more about getting the deals in place rather than signing, sealing and delivering to the public.

[Mike]

Just a hypothetical question here : What if G & H suddenly put out a clarification statement that says that Rafa's transfer budget will be no more no less than in recent seasons, and vary only according to players sold, and that we couldn't afford to spend more until new revenue sources bore fruit in the future.

 

Would you, as a fan, accept that as 'just the way it's gotta be', or would you feel bitterly misled by all those concerned in the take-over process ?

 

i'd say we've been lied to. one of the provisos of moores selling was that the new owners would add significantly to the transfer budget.