Chris

Will Big Sir Jim Ratcliffe be a success at Manchester United? Who knows? But a lot of naïveté and moaning about a minority shareholding, and one granted executive power. Seems more likely to be the beginning of the end of the Glazers than a new era for them. Who do you back to succeed the battle for power? The self-made richest man in Britain or the offspring of a deceased self-made man? How did the Glazers seize control? By initially taking a minority share, admittedly through a simpler equity process. Minority shareholders can be powerful: look at the Disney Company for an example. Feels like some wanted the City September 2008 scenario that is prevented by FFP in any case, a Great Soprendo to magic up a new stadium and buy Mbappe. It couldn’t happen, and isn’t actually how the club’s best days happened, in spending the money the club commercially made on new players mixed with youth products. Even hobbled by the Glazers, the club has spent as much as City anyway, though interest rates and FFP will now curb that. The debt is £1bn, the ATM is closed. So let’s see what fresh ideas and impetus bring, rather than beefing that your mystery benefactor was going to cure all ills. More details of this great lost megadeal came from Qatar in exiting the process than actually during it. Funny, that.