Manchester United Football Club

In other news, Garforth Town in the English non-league made 2 important signings today, ex Utd star Lee Sharpe and Brazil legend Socrates

he's 50 years old now and is nearly twice as old as the manager

what i want to know is, with Leonardo's scouting network covering Brazil, how did Milan let this talent pass by

Originally Posted by Stezagud

sometimes tap ins are neccesary though Nata and ruud is possibly the best in the business at getting that type of goal.
...

I do think so, Steza.. All teams need that kinda player. You know, sometimes it's quite unfair when the players tried so hard to deliver the ball into the box, then noone who taps it in.. all those good efforts become useless because they couldn't convert into goals.

about Socrates..
few years ago my local football team also signed Argentinian legend Mario Kempes.

I do think so, Steza.. All teams need that kinda player. You know, sometimes it's quite unfair when the players tried so hard to deliver the ball into the box, then noone who taps it in.. all those good efforts become useless because they couldn't convert into goals.

exactly a poacher like Ruud or Pippo is extremely useful to all teams..

few years ago my local football team also signed Argentinian legend Mario Kempes.

Kempes maybe he was there for the weather that certainly cant be the case with Socrates as its cold and raining (again) here

Originally Posted by Stezagud

exactly a poacher like Ruud or Pippo is extremely useful to all teams..

and most of them cost very much.

Originally Posted by Stezagud

Kempes maybe he was there for the weather that certainly cant be the case with Socrates as its cold and raining (again) here

maybe also for the women...

Originally Posted by Stezagud

Rooney and Smith are both excellent forwards and with time could be a lethal pairing but they both prefer to play in a deeper role, picking up the ball outside the box. This could play into the hands of Portsmouth who will defend deep and in numbers...

Smithy though, can definitely hold the ball up very well and is much better in the air than any of our other strikers.
His passing isn't bad, but it isn't fantastic either.

Originally Posted by Stezagud

Heinze is fast becoming a new hero at Old Trafford, he looks like an excellent buy Neville, Mickey, Rio and Heinze is solid and classy and will be an excellent base for the team

We thought the same about John O'Shea too, didn't we? I don't know, for some reason he stopped making forward runs altogether last season.

Originally Posted by Stezagud

Reyes moaning to the press about the tough tackles

Actually, I had been waiting for so long for such a commited performance by the team. It shows that even players who are paid millions of pounds a year are willing to scrap when it really matters. I only hope we can keep up the intensity. There's still a long way to go to catch the Arse.

Originally Posted by Stezagud

ex Utd star Lee Sharpe

Goes to show what happens when you piss away your chance at Old Trafford. Lee Sharpe was a very very good player. Sadly, he only wanted to play left-midfield and preferred acid house to playing for Utd.
Wes Brown, take note.

about Socrates..

Garforth have got Careca to play for them next season too, and Zico has said he will play a few games for them they want Pele too !

We thought the same about John O'Shea too, didn't we? I don't know, for some reason he stopped making forward runs altogether last season.

O Shea has the talent to be a good player for us but he has definately stalled ths year. He never was a commited defender like Heinze though, more of a "classy" defender. In a confident team that type of player is great but when the team is struggling a little and needs to keep solid defensively it can cause problems.

Actually, I had been waiting for so long for such a commited performance by the team. It shows that even players who are paid millions of pounds a year are willing to scrap when it really matters. I only hope we can keep up the intensity. There's still a long way to go to catch the Arse.

yeah, Keano had been saying for some time that the team had lost its hunger and it was certainly true of a few players. Heinze, Rooney and Smith though, all 3 like to throw themselves into tackles and they have certainly spiced up the team. It was good to see Phil Neville back too, he has his limits but theres no doubting his effort

Goes to show what happens when you piss away your chance at Old Trafford. Lee Sharpe was a very very good player. Sadly, he only wanted to play left-midfield and preferred acid house to playing for Utd.

he could have had 100 caps for England too if he'd got his act together I think negotiations with Wes Brown have been reopened so hopefully he'll have signed up within a week or 2...

any progress about the goalkeeper hunting?

I've heard that Toldo from 'FC Perdente' wants to move to Arse..

Originally Posted by argo

I've heard that Toldo from 'FC Perdente' wants to move to Arse..

nice try... form one arse to another...hahahahahahaa

***
Glazer seeking £500m debt to clinch Man Utd
By Andrew Cave, Associate City Editor (Filed: 27/10/2004)


Malcolm Glazer, the American sports tycoon stalking Manchester United, is
planning to raise £500m of debt to finance a takeover that analysts say could
risk the club going into bankruptcy, according to documents seen by The
Telegraph.

Talks between United and Mr Glazer were terminated on Monday with the
Premiership club saying it was uncomfortable that the American's plans involved
loading up the debt-free club with significant borrowings.


Manchester United fans protest about the proposed take-over by US sports
tycoon Malcolm Glazer

However, Mr Glazer has built a 28pc stake in United and is still understood
to be considering his next move.

The documents detail funding plans drawn up with the help of investment
bankers at JP Morgan.

However, a spokesman for Mr Glazer said: "None of this is true. This has not
come from anyone with any insight into the Glazer camp."

According to the documents the plans involve a takeover of United at 310p a
share, valuing the company at £815m. Advisory fees would bring Mr Glazer's
total cost of the takeover to £850m.

The documents reveal that JP Morgan and other debt advisers put together a
£500m bridge financing.

That would later be refinanced through an issue of high-yield bonds
estimated at about £150m, a similar amount of senior debt through a syndicated loan
and a sale and leaseback of United's Old Trafford stadium to raise about
£175m.

Mr Glazer's plans also envisage a £15m improvement in sponsorship revenues
per season through selling the naming rights to the stadium.

Clinching deals with the club's existing sponsors for example could lead to
a Nike Old Trafford or a Vodafone Theatre of Dreams.

Mr Glazer is also planning to limit Sir Alex Ferguson's spending on players
to £10m a season and to raise ticket prices aggressively to improve revenue.

Analysts said last night that even if Mr Glazer is successful in raising his
planned debt, he would still have a funding gap of about £135m in order to
meet the £850m cost of the deal. His existing stake in United is worth about
£240m, but a large amount of the money used to fund his stock purchases is
understood to have come from a loan from Germany's Commerzbank.

One banker who analysed the documents said: "The company would initially
have £500m of debt in place post transaction that they would hope to reduce
quickly through refinancing in the capital markets.

"Through implementing aggressive sponsorship and revenue enhancing
strategies, it would aim to reduce the burden to £290m within about a year.

"The refinancing of the debt could well be achievable but my concerns are in
the ability to increase earnings and generate additional cash through a sale
and leaseback."

Noting that sources close to Mr Glazer have said that a sale and leaseback
is not being considered, he added: "If one piece of the jigsaw does not fit at
this early stage then the debt will very quickly become crippling.

"The debt struggles to be repaid even in the aggressive scenario that has
been outlined, meaning that if one part of the plan falls through, the club
could end up bankrupt."

The financial plan also assumes that United's performances on the pitch
match the club's record over the past decade.

"By any stretch of the imagination, that is a huge ask, even for a club of
Man United's stature," the banker added.

Glazer has to be mad if he is considering such a move.
Nobody would be willing to risk a 500 million pound debt on a football club. Besides I don't think that the strategies mentioned for raising the money to pay off the debt are that attractive. It will still take him at least a decade to be fully free of debt and have significant profits rolling in again. And considering a lot of the merchandising and televison revenue is linked with performances on the pitch and the subsequent popularity of the club overseas, that is a huge risk. For someone like Malcolm Glazer ("impatient for profits" businessman) I don't think that would be possible.

I think he is trying to drive up the share price with his insistence on taking the club over. As soon as it goes up to a very high rate, he'll sell. Because with continually rising share prices, the value of the club will increase further making it that much harder for his banks to finance the deal (remember, he has to purchase the rest of the shares at a price not less than that he paid per share when he crosses the 30% mark). I think he'd have crossed the 30% threshold much earlier if he wanted to take the club over.

But, you never know.

If he does succeed in taking over, be prepared to say goodbye to Old Trafford and Carrington, and say hello to the newly rented JP Morgan and Chase Stadium. OH!!!!!!!!! MY HEART!!!!!!!

any progress about the goalkeeper hunting?

I've heard that Toldo from 'FC Perdente' wants to move to Arse..

I dont really see why we are still being linked with keepers but i suppose thats another name for the list

Howard played well against Crewe and Carroll has kept cleansheet after cleansheet, he really couldnt have done more to show he is capable. As they are both in their mid 20s its not like they are going to retire any time soon

Glazer has to be mad if he is considering such a move.
Nobody would be willing to risk a 500 million pound debt on a football club. Besides I don't think that the strategies mentioned for raising the money to pay off the debt are that attractive. It will still take him at least a decade to be fully free of debt and have significant profits rolling in again.

yeah, this is a guy in his 70s, he could quite easily be dead before Utd are clear of debt if this went through

I think he is trying to drive up the share price with his insistence on taking the club over. As soon as it goes up to a very high rate, he'll sell. Because with continually rising share prices, the value of the club will increase further making it that much harder for his banks to finance the deal (remember, he has to purchase the rest of the shares at a price not less than that he paid per share when he crosses the 30% mark). I think he'd have crossed the 30% threshold much earlier if he wanted to take the club over.

He did that with Harley Davidson, didnt he?
I'd been expecting that for a while but it doesnt quite clear the problem as who would he sell them to? The next guy to try could be even worse, maybe Bill Gates will decide he wants an expensive toy and change us into Microsoft United.....

Originally Posted by Stezagud

I dont really see why we are still being linked with keepers but i suppose thats another name for the list

Howard played well against Crewe and Carroll has kept cleansheet after cleansheet, he really couldnt have done more to show he is capable. As they are both in their mid 20s its not like they are going to retire any time soon
....

IMO we better stop the GK hunting.. if we do that, he must be an english.. right, Steza?

hmm.. 2 hours to go for Portsmouth - United. live on TV.. then Sampdoria- Milan... then Barca game..

omg.. this night I'll be very close to my TV.

lucky you Argo... for me this eve will be ''history books reading nite''....... again and again........

IMO we better stop the GK hunting.. if we do that, he must be an english.. right, Steza?

preferably, but its not essential. The main thing is that he's good Carroll hasnt done anything to lose his place and if we keep cleansheets then we dont need to change anything.

Another keeper was linked yesterday too Iker Casillas for £14m and £100k a week wages they'll write anything to sell papers.....

hmm.. 2 hours to go for Portsmouth - United. live on TV.. then Sampdoria- Milan... then Barca game..

British Eurosport are showing the Inter match

Portsmouth 2 - 0 Manchester U.

54' [1 - 0] D. Unsworth (pen.)
72' [2 - 0] A. Yakubu

10 min. left ...