Utd's revenue was slightly dubious in the early Sky years though, NSIS. They were part-owned by... Sky. No conflict of interest there, then.
Maybe, but still, the vast majority of their disposable income was generated from revenues. The only reason they don't have the same level of funds available to them nowadays is that they're being raped by their owners. There really is no comparison with the levels of unearned income that have been poured into City & Chavski.
£18m for David de Gea £16m for Ashley Young £16m on Phil Jones That's £50m on three players - that's more than most clubs have.
True, but once again, this money didn't come from their owners' pocket. Quite the contrary, they're busy lining their pockets with Utd's revenues.
This is moving on to a different subject now. For the original debate: There is no doubt that Kennys second term in charge has been a failure. He won the carling cup, but Liverpool performed dismally in the league. This cannot be compared to Spurs, who managed to finish in the top 4 of the PL, for the only the second time ever, thats a good season in my books. Dont get me started on Utds money earning.....I really have no sympathy for them at all. They completely raped football with their PLC antics and were one of the main driving forces behind turning English football from a sport into a business.
If you're upset about what Utd has supposedly done to football, you should be downright apoplectic about what City and The Chavs doing to it, now!
I cannot help that my club was purchased by a Russian Oil Tycoon. But in all reality, its what is required to be competitive.....and that is thanks to Man Utd. Arsenal put up a fight for a few years on a shoe string, but they havent made a decent title run in 8 years. Look at the teams who have won the PL, apart from Arsenal, all have been what we would deem "Money Clubs", Utd, Blackburn (at the time funded by Jack Walker), Chelsea (Under Roman) and $hitty (under Derkha Derkha Osama whatever the feck)
The game has changed my friend, and not necessarily for the better, I agree. However, what we are seeing now, firstly with Chelsea, and now City, is different league. In the case of City we are talking about a club that is owned, in all but name, and bankrolled by an Arab oil state. This really is the ultimate in funding available in the world today. And, if not brought into check, they will dominate he European game for as long as they wish to.
hopefully...i just dont trust that those that run football are strong enough to do much..with regards to anything from fair play...corruption to racism.
As a United fan i would just like to point out that City have not bought the league, yes they have payed a **** lot of money for players but many of them are what the rest of us class as average, Barry, Milner, Lescott, Clichey, Nasrie, Johnston, Wright-Phillips etc, we all say they wouldn`t get in our teams. The players City have bought who have made the difference have been absolute bargains, Aguero, Silva, Kompany and of course there are those others who make the difference who cost nothing, Hart and Richards. What City have done is raised wage expectations for average players to a ridiculouse level which is coming back to haunt them when they are trying to off-load players such as Adebayor and Bridge. They have not bought the league but they may have ruined football.
Says who? What's wrong with a squad wage cap? Having a club like Chelsea paying out roughly treble that of Spurs in wages, as of the 09/10 season, is clearly ridiculous and uncompetitive. It's supposed to be a sport. United benefited from being part-owned by Sky at a time when it was massively beneficial. The brand expanded disproportionately as a result, whereas Leeds virtually folded when it all fell through. The damage had already been done for one side of that dodgy deal, though. How is anyone supposed to break into the elite club that's been created, without some ludicrous handout from outside of the game? Are we all supposed to wait for someone to sabotage these clubs from within, as has happened at Anfield?
@ Diego See, I don't think players who sell their souls to play for £ity do expect other clubs to match the Arab playboy billionaire's figures. That's why they went to £ity in the first place, because no other club could afford those kinds of wages. What I think those players expect - which is also what the buying club expects - is that if £ity want rid of these players, who they took on long contracts, they have to pay compensate the player. That's what I expect will happen with Ade, if he joins us - £ity will effectively pay Ade to leave. Sure, it may mean that we pay £ity, say, £10 million against an open-market valuation of £20 million, and we pay the £10 million difference to Ade, but I imagine that that is how £ity will have to do its business when off-loading players. Also, I think they have bought the title, in the same way that United bought it for years, followed by the Chavs. Finally, I don't think £ity have ruined football. Any team that breaks United's monopoly hasn't done too badly in my book. Whilst it's likely that £ity will dominate English football for as long as the FA permits the Arab to fund it as the Oil State's plaything, I believe it will level the playing field for my team, against the likes of United, Chavs and Arsenal, not least of all because £ity is far more likely to poach your players than ours.
Bridge is still there Ade is still there, City have not broken anything, Chelsea have come closest to challenging United with two league wins on the trot, Arsenal have had a go and now City have had a go but United , Chelsea and Arsenal will be stronger next season and i can see Tottenham and Newcastle challenging too. City will have to dig deep into their treasure chest to get even better players than they have now to compete at the same level next year which means paying even higher wages now they have set a precident, ffp is now in force.
I don't believe that City have ruined our football either - yet!! However, the concept, or basis, upon which they are run WILL ruin football, if allowed free rein for much longer. They will just keep upping the ante, until all competition is left floundering in the wake of their financial muscle.
