WAIT and see, wait and see, wait and see.
If I hear one more so-called Red on the telly or the radio telling me I should "wait and see" what Malcolm Glazer has to offer, the blood vessels will start to burst.
How long do we have to "wait and see" what this man is planning to do with our football club?
So far, he and his family have said NOTHING about their intentions. It is a display of arrogant contempt for United supporters that bodes ill for the future.
And yet the "wait and see" brigade continue to urge appeasement.
And too often these people, when asked about Glazer, begin by saying: "I don't really understand all this financial stuff, but ..."
If you don't understand it, don't comment on it.
Policy
We can see what Glazer brings to the club. First and foremost, he brings '540million of debt, to a club that had built its own fortune on the backs of a loyal and committed support.
He brings the hard-nosed tactics of American business, and he brings ZERO knowledge of what English football and its traditions are about.
And he brings a son, widely tipped to take on the responsibility for running the club, who insults our intelligence by claiming he and his family are "avid" United fans.
Oh, really, Joel? The contempt that statement contains knows no bounds.
Too many United supporters are shrugging their shoulders and giving in to the soothing words of the "wait and see" brigade.
Middlesbrough chairman Steve Gibson stuck his oar in, condemning supporters for burning effigies of Glazer and saying the opposition is "hysterical".
But far more worrying have been the words of people who claim to have United at heart - people such as Denis Law, Steve Bruce and Frank Stapleton, who all want to give Glazer a "chance".
The weak words they have been spouting stand no scrutiny.
Can any one of them tell us what Glazer brings to the table?
There is a myth that he has transformed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from a long-running joke to "Super Bowl winners".
But that tedious sport is such a level playing field, that law of averages dictate that every club will have its day sooner or later. You will find that the dog that had its day in the 2003 Superbowl is now back cowering in the kennel, among the other NFL also-rans.
Obscurity
And it may have escaped the apologists' notice, but United don't need rescuing from obscurity.
He brings "business acumen", we are then told. Didn't United already have that in bundles? They weren't the world's wealthiest football club by accident, but because they had strategies for making money from their brand.
Even Alan Sugar, a man who knows a thing or two about business, football, and the business of football, is at a loss to see how Glazer can further exploit the United "brand".
Turning Old Trafford into the Nike Arena, or a merciless ongoing hike of ticket prices - as has happened at the Buccaneers - seems to be high on the list of possibilities.
Of course, that matters not a jot to the "wait and seers" who tend to be people who get free tickets, or can easily afford them.
The longer the Glazers stay silent on their intentions, the greater the worry.
If we "wait and see", there may be nothing left to see.
Luckily, there are still United supporters out there who care enough about the club to keep the fight going.
That might damage the club in the short term, but it is for the long-term future. Think of it as lancing a boil with a blunt instrument.
The real supporters know that Glazer will only stay as long as there is money to be made, or until United collapse around his ears. And when he does go, it is to be hoped that there will be enough real United fans left to pick up the pieces.
Do you agree? Have your say.
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Rob, Stretford Ender (17/05/2005 at 12:25)
Ryan, London (17/05/2005 at 12:38)
I'm sorry but this is a complete an utter over reaction!
Why is everyone screaming blue murder at Glazer? Surely we should all be targeting the people who originally floated MU and made a load of money in the process while always making it possible for someone to come in and buy OT out at anytime. Glazer is a businessman first and foremost, he see's MU as a good LONG term investment and has decided to acquire it. Things move on as they always do, companies always look to make extra revenue and if that means changing the name big deal, so what if it has a sigh outside called the Nike Arena, to us loyal supporters it will always be OT. Like i said, things change and we all have two choices we can act rationally or irrationally - MR Brennan you are acting the later!
fred the red, Manchester (17/05/2005 at 12:41)
George, rhyl (17/05/2005 at 12:46)
Mick, Dublin (17/05/2005 at 12:46)
Paul Mack, Chorlton (17/05/2005 at 12:56)
Tom Gorman, Forest Hill, MD USA (17/05/2005 at 12:57)
Peter Fylde, Manchester (17/05/2005 at 12:57)
m.percy, ontario canada ex stretford (17/05/2005 at 13:03)
Nobby, The real world (17/05/2005 at 13:07)
Nobby, The real world (17/05/2005 at 13:08)
Tom, sale (17/05/2005 at 13:10)
The "he is a businessman so he must know what he is doing" might be true if we were a NFL franchise. What Glazer has shown through his business dealings is that his modus operandi is to squeeze the customer and invest nothing in the product.
His trailer parks are poorly maintained but the charges keeping going up. After the Superbowl win the Glazers got rid of all the top players but still the ticket prices keep rising.
You may not want to align yourself with some of the militant fans but a least be honest that you don't care who owns the club and what they do with it. Until of course they reach your financial limit. The rest of us will of course have been long since priced out of following our team.
Red Dave, Salford (17/05/2005 at 13:18)
Ricky, birmingahm (17/05/2005 at 13:22)
and i will not do any thing unlawful. All these guys need to get a reality check the deal has been done and thats that. If you who are against it why did you not do any thing many years ago formed a larger group or something. We do not to squabble but we need to stay United. What shareholders united need to do is just respect the club and respect people who are not willing to desert their club in its hour of need.
stilts, manchester (17/05/2005 at 13:24)
I love United, but the reason we've been taken over is down to poor performance in the league and in Europe for the past 2 seasons. That pushed our share price down and enabled Glazer to make his B#3 per share offer to the Irish M&M so attractive.
Everyone seems to9 have ignored the fact that season tickets have jumped massively this year (I'm paying an extra B#120 next season): that's down entirely to the present board, not Glazer. We can't keep quiet over this ticket price hike, then complain when Glazer does it. How hypocritical.
This doesn't mean I'm pleased about developments - I'm not at all happy at the actions of M&M and Glazer, but if anyone truly believes that United is not for sale is just blindly ignorant of company law. Of course it's for sale, and it will be again one day.
That Stuart Brennan and SU are suggesting the fans keep up the opposition to Glazer (ie: boycott the club so as to bankrupt him) amounts to a call to see the club we love go under just to get revenge on a guy who may improve our fortunes on the pitch (where for 2 seasons we have blatantly underperformed).
Glazer may indeed turn out to be bad for the club - but as yet no-one knows what Glazer's intentions are, certainly not Mr Brennan, with his scare-mongering and sensationalist rabble-raising.
Finally - if all those blind Reds (who went on to form SU) hadn't blocked the SKY/Murdoch bid for the club we'd be sorted now. Thanks to SU we've got Glazer for at least the next few years, as it's as a result of their actions (started during the Murdoch bid) that Glazer was allowed in in the first place. I bet more than a few people regret their opposition to Murdoch now. (And I wonder what Mr Brennan's take on that Murdoch bid is now?)
The Professor, Wirral (17/05/2005 at 13:27)
lionel desouza, TAMPA FLORIDA (17/05/2005 at 13:28)
fred the red, Manchester (17/05/2005 at 13:30)
Daniel Fishman, St. Bees, Cumbria (17/05/2005 at 13:38)
Glazer will bring all those things to the Mighty Red, who do have a world class team in terms of talent. As much as people complain about Americans, lets fact the truth -- they can organize and be professional and thorough and one-minded unlike anyone else. I truly expect Glazer to bring that one-mindedness to Manchester United.
And the Glazer's have shown that they know to stick to what they do best. When Tampa won the Super Bowl, it's because the Glazer's hired the right coach, the right manager, and kept out of their way! They knew that even though they had a love of the game of American Football, they should NOT interfere with the true professionals.
Which is what I think ManUnited fans fear. There are many of us who LOVE the game, but love the chaos of it. We've always hated those methodical, machine like German teams. I think that some fear that the Glazer's may turn United into a civilised, competent and extremelty professional team, differing from the rowdy wishes of those who love the game with it's bit of violence. There is a fear that the Glazers may make the team seem antiseptic.
I say, good on them if they want to win. Someone is going to start winning by have the best organized team -- through film study, conditioning, etc -- the off field work. And once that happens, the flood gates will be opened, and everyone will be forced to follow suit.
As a United fan, I'd just as soon we get there first.
roy, burnage (17/05/2005 at 13:38)
Last Supper, Old Trafford MANCHESTER (17/05/2005 at 13:39)
Wile E Coyote, Manchester (17/05/2005 at 13:41)
Joe, Schaitberger (17/05/2005 at 13:45)
Statements like "the gutter tactics of American business" are specious and riduculous.
As an American in Atlanta, GA I will continue to root for Manchester United from afar and hope that some of the clear anti-american sentiments that have been expressed will eventually dissappear over time.
Good luck to Manchester United this weekend.
jumpers for goal posts, Didsbury (17/05/2005 at 13:48)
Stuart, Bradford (17/05/2005 at 13:50)