Don't think ML wanted a football club..Cortese did. I think he talked Markus into it as an interesting project. Cortese is on record as saying it was never about money. Strange but true.
100% agree with that assessment. I know we are all very grateful to Markus for taking the plunge and buying our football club, but very early on, after the deal was done, I realised that it was Cortese who we equally had to thank. He was the one who did all the spade work and had the vision. What he brought to Markus was the fun element, and the trust that if he was left to run the club his way, then Markus would get a nice fat profit, should he want to sell. However, occasionally the passion rubs off, and Markus became quite the enthusiastic owner in the end.
Yes, but..... How much did Marcus pay for SFC, and what assets did he get for it? The outlay was much smaller with a greater immediate return. You're expecting(hoping) a hell of a lot from someone ambitious(mad) enough to take a punt! I hope for all your sakes it happens, but I'm not confident.
Sadly for Pompey fans, there's no comparison between buying Saints and Pompey. We were considered by ML to be a bargain. Various figures are bandied about but suggestions are about 13 million for SFC which got you a modern stadium, training ground, and some development land. There were no large hidden debts as we went into administration for a relatively small amount of money. Admittedly, we were League 1 by then, but at that level a few million will set you on your way, providing you spend well (which Pardew did).
