Manchester United will not be owned by the mega-rich Sheikh Jassim of Qatar after he pulled out of the race – but the Red Devils never needed a sugar daddy to return to the top.
Yesterday, news filtered through that Sheikh Jassim had withdrawn his offer for Manchester United Football Club – despite willing to massively overpay for the Old Trafford side. In the end, it just felt like the Glazer family were not keen on walking away completely.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s offer for a 25% stake in United now seems like the way it’s going to go. I have no idea what that’s going to mean for the future of the club.
One thing I am certain of, though, is the fact that United never needed to be a playtoy for one extremely rich man. I don’t doubt that Sheikh Jassmin would have helped turn our fortunes around. Sure, it would have been fun for a while, but future success would feel somewhat hollow, pretty quickly.
Buying your way to glory and success is something we’ve slagged our noisy neighbours off for doing ever since their big-money takeover from the UAE. Do we really want to be in the same boat?
I understand football is heading that way, and perhaps it’s the football romantic in me, but I still feel United can do it the old-fashioned way. This is by far and away the biggest club in the country and the Red Devils brand will always be self-sufficient.
What United need is competency from top to bottom. Having the right football people in charge is more important than having a bottomless pit of money. Just look at how Brighton operate right now, and how Leicester succeeded in winning the Premier League back in 2015/16. There is more than one way to skin a cat, so to speak.
United never needed oil money to compete. Just competent football people in charge. I still firmly believe that.
— OldTraffordFaithful (@OTFaithful) October 14, 2023
More recently, United have been throwing money left right and centre in the hope that some of it sticks. More often than not, it hasn’t. Big-money signings like Harry Maguire, coupled with failing stars being paid massive wages ala Eric Bailly, is the main issue at the Theatre of Dreams.
Ten Hag has been brought in to change that mentality and mantra, while bringing some genuine authority into the mix. He needs the right football people in charge of him to make those big decisions. City’s Txiki Begiristain is the best example of that. Do United need a sugar daddy in charge to bring in someone like him? Absolutely not.
Part of the issue is panic. When struggles set in, United’s owners have a quick trigger finger. They’ll sack players. They’ll get rid of underperforming stars for minimal fees. Then, they’ll stick with the same core of football players who have proven time and time again that they do not have what it takes. A proper owner, with a genuine Director of Football in place, could help break the current cycle of negativity that the Reds find themselves in.
It’s not like United hasn’t spent big on transfers under the current regime. That’s not what this club needs. Infrastructure is required. A better working environment has to be provided. It’s why I don’t believe the Glazers are the best fit, either. They’ve clearly displayed they’re not prepared to invest in the stadium, training facilities or surrounding area.
Maybe, just maybe, Sir Jim slowly but surely taking control of his boyhood club is the best thing that could happen to us…
Do you think the Glazers will eventually sell up? Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.
