Manchester City

[Keayman]

The world's richest club.

Anyone jealous yet?

Seems Keegan is - he's done one again!

[Tony Sebo]

Poor Kev!

The EPL is a joke.. LFC took the silver too, everyone will pay the price eventually!

[Awayo]

Someone has to make the obvious point...

These Abu Dhabi characters would not have been interested in buying Man City if the club was in the position where it needed to buy a new ground. But they've been built one by the taxpayer. Hey presto, Manchester now has two "big clubs" and,maybe in a year or two, if the American shysters don't p.o. and Everton's woes deepen, Liverpool none.

[sloyne]

Originally Posted by Awayo

Hey presto, Manchester now has two "big clubs".

Even England have only one big club and that is Manchester United, the EPL's most dominant club. They, EPL may have a number of wealthy clubs but, only one winner among them. Manchester United have won ten of the sixteen championships contested and, if that isn't domination then I don't know what is. So, if "big club" means success on the field, and it does in my books, then England have only one really "big club". IMHO.

[Awayo]

If you like a lot of chocolate on your biscuit...

Made in Liverpool, they were.

[Keayman]

Yes, the stadium already being there must've been tempting but not a deal breaker surely for a fella with 320 billion.

He could really have woken a sleeping giant by buying Everton and turning them from a team struggling to build a stadium into something with their own trademark.

Man City, what is it a league cup in 76 or something pfft.

It's no good being a mere millionaire these day chaps.

[Irwell]

Originally Posted by Awayo

Someone has to make the obvious point...

These Abu Dhabi characters would not have been interested in buying Man City if the club was in the position where it needed to buy a new ground. But they've been built one by the taxpayer. Hey presto, Manchester now has two "big clubs" and,maybe in a year or two, if the American shysters don't p.o. and Everton's woes deepen, Liverpool none.

The stadium is on a 250 year lease. ADUG have said they intend to buy the stadium and all the land around it to develop it as a world class attraction. That being the case, what difference does it make whether they buy the existing one or fund a new one?

[Toadboy]

I'd say there's more scope to throw money at everton, there's more you can do with Everton than Man City if only for the stadium aspect.

Some Yemeni goat herder will probably buy the blues.

[Irwell]

Originally Posted by Toadboy

I'd say there's more scope to throw money at everton, there's more you can do with Everton than Man City if only for the stadium aspect.

Some Yemeni goat herder will probably buy the blues.

I think they have around the same potential to be honest. Id love to see some major investor come in and buy Everton. I think the main thing these Abu Dhabi guys are planning isn't what they intend to do on the pitch, it's the massive investment they're planning around Middle Eastlands. I think Everton's new ground would have to be quite a bit closer to the city centre though if you want the biggest benefits.

[guenuk]

I'm still hoping and waiting for dubai to takover Liverpool.

[Toadboy]

Originally Posted by guenuk

I'm still hoping and waiting for dubai to takover Liverpool.

Bit sad though isn't it, our great club, the kings of Europe and the fans are gagging for a billionaire Arab fella to come dancing in through the Shanklygates with wads of Euros to pillage the greatest footballers in the world to Anfield.

You never know this time next year Rafa could be playing Kaka on the left wing, have Torres sat on the bench, taking our new £100 million signing Ronaldo off at some middling teams ground and replacing him with Lucas to earn a hard won 0-0 draw!

[Toadboy]

Originally Posted by Irwell

I think they have around the same potential to be honest. Id love to see some major investor come in and buy Everton. I think the main thing these Abu Dhabi guys are planning isn't what they intend to do on the pitch, it's the massive investment they're planning around Middle Eastlands. I think Everton's new ground would have to be quite a bit closer to the city centre though if you want the biggest benefits.

I doubt it's about potential more like which club could they get hold of to chase a league and european success - and I believe they'll get it with a few £100 million. Hughes won't last!

[Irwell]

Originally Posted by Toadboy

I doubt it's about potential more like which club could they get hold of to chase a league and european success - and I believe they'll get it with a few £100 million. Hughes won't last!

It's entirely about prestige for them. That means winning trophies and turning the area around the ground into a massive tourist attraction. I think they're relatively well grounded though. I think Hughes will get a decent chance.

[Keayman]

I think Hughes will get a decent chance if only because they didn't replace him immediately and have allowed him to buy Robinho.

If no return on the field within 12 months though and what price 'the special one'?

[Toadboy]

I reckon Hughes is just counting down the days myself. The ego of people who bid for 4 £30 million+ players just to make a staement of intent before the real buying takes place strike me that Mark Hughes isn't great enough!

I'd like to see how Hughes does with a squad of top players, he built a robust and well drilled Blackburn that occassionally showed a bit of football and flair in games.

I reckon you could be on to something with the self proclaimed special one.

[Levelup]

Originally Posted by Toadboy

Some Yemeni goat herder will probably buy the blues.

That'd be just about our luck am afraid

[paulmac35]

Originally Posted by Toadboy

You never know this time next year Rafa could be playing Kaka on the left wing, have Torres sat on the bench, taking our new £100 million signing Ronaldo off at some middling teams ground and replacing him with Lucas to earn a hard won 0-0 draw!

and then the alarm clock will go off!

[Herr Rathbone]

I think the whole modern football thing is quite sad to be honest. I mean, what's it all about? Some guy you've never heard of, who comes from some distant land, who happens to have a lot of money (probably a porky, little rich kid) decides he wants a new play-thing and purchases the football club you support.

Your club is suddenly incredibly wealthy and starts to buy amazing players. Your club might even win something. Is it really something to be over the moon about? It all just seems so false and stupid. It seems that football fans are now supporting a rich guy and his wallet.

"Which owner do you support?"
"Oh, err, the Glazers; how about you?"
"Mine's Abromovich. Bit worried about the Abu Dhabi investors this season, mind you, Hicks and Gillet seem to be doing alright on the pitch."

How sad. As a football fan I sometimes feel like a sheep in a big herd of idiots all pretending to support a football club, indeed, to be part of a "club". When really the clubs are no more; what we have are intangible assets on the balance sheets of billionaires. The more money you got, the more chance you'll win something. Yey.

What if we all just stopped following it and brought all of these greedy pigs back down to earth? Even the players could do with being brought down a peg or ten I reckon. How long would the investors hang around for then, if nobody was interested any more, and Sky stopped bothering to pay mega bucks to broadcast it, and if the advertisers lost interest?

Still, I'll be there next week, like the rest of you, tuning in, salivating, pretending not to notice the fakery of it all as long as we win.

[Paul D]

Originally Posted by Herr Rathbone

I think the whole modern football thing is quite sad to be honest. I mean, what's it all about? Some guy you've never heard of, who comes from some distant land, who happens to have a lot of money (probably a porky, little rich kid) decides he wants a new play-thing and purchases the football club you support.

Your club is suddenly incredibly wealthy and starts to buy amazing players. Your club might even win something. Is it really something to be over the moon about? It all just seems so false and stupid. It seems that football fans are now supporting a rich guy and his wallet.

"Which owner do you support?"
"Oh, err, the Glazers; how about you?"
"Mine's Abromovich. Bit worried about the Abu Dhabi investors this season, mind you, Hicks and Gillet seem to be doing alright on the pitch."

How sad. As a football fan I sometimes feel like a sheep in a big herd of idiots all pretending to support a football club, indeed, to be part of a "club". When really the clubs are no more; what we have are intangible assets on the balance sheets of billionaires. The more money you got, the more chance you'll win something. Yey.

What if we all just stopped following it and brought all of these greedy pigs back down to earth? Even the players could do with being brought down a peg or ten I reckon. How long would the investors hang around for then, if nobody was interested any more, and Sky stopped bothering to pay mega bucks to broadcast it, and if the advertisers lost interest?

Still, I'll be there next week, like the rest of you, tuning in, salivating, pretending not to notice the fakery of it all as long as we win.

Great post,that's exactly how it is sadly,it's totally put me off football now.Man U from winning 8 titles in 100 years are now on 18 in little over a decade and still they believe somehow though skill and not because of their bank balance.Football is for the deluded these days or for people how weren't old enough to remember how it was,i'm sticking to Rugby League from now on,it's a good honest game.

[JUXTAPOL]

I know how you feel, but i suspect the fans, or a sufficient number thereof from wherever in the world are happy to buy expensive tickets and travel to attend, and don't care who owns the team or where the players com from and how much paid, as long as they win.

I know this will never happen but, how interersting it would be if the players in a team were all born within a set area around that teams ground.