Sunday, January 24, 2010

Fergie needs to pipe down over fans' Glazer campaign and concentrate on his job...

On the day that United thumped Hull City 4-0 at Old Trafford and went back to the top of Premier League (albeit because it was the only league fixture following the club's embarrassing FA Cup exit at the hands of Leeds United) Ferguson made the mistake of using his programme notes to tell the fans' to support the team and forget about the Glazers' and the club's massive debts. It simply isn't going to happen, because many United fans rightly have concerns about the long-term future of the club.

For whatever reason, Ferguson has adopted an Ostrich like mentality, when appearing to defend the actions of the Glazers', who this week have been described as 'leeches' following revelations about money being taken out of the club.

Ferguson says he believes the vast majority of fans' are behind the team; on this point his is right, ALL the fans' are behind the team, but many are totally against the Glazer regime.

The manager says our rivals' will be delighted if we are split. He's is wrong, very wrong, because ALL right thinking football fans' are concerned about the massive debts heaped upon the club by the Glazer family. Debts that left unchecked will squeeze the life out of Manchester United.

No one can question the job Ferguson has done at United, his record is second to none. Even under the present financial constraints the team is riding high in the Premier League.

Sadly, as far as many fans' are concerned, regarding off the field affairs the manager has let himself down badly. His tacit approval of the Glazer family takeover and his unqualified support is viewed by many supporters' as a black stain on his time at United.

You don't have to be a United supporter to appreciate the mess the club is in. Here we have a club that turns over huge amounts of cash yet it is the most indebted club in the world. The old PLC board didn't want the Glazer family and neither did many of the fans'.

Ahead of last weekend's fixture with Burnley, supporters' groups MUST (Manchester United Supporters Trust) and IMUSA (Independent Manchester United Supporters Association) held a meeting to discuss a plan of action in a bid to do something about Glazer. A well known supporter called for Ferguson to resign, but MUST were keen to point out that Johnny Flaks, former IMUSA chairman, was entitled to his opinion. The predictable press reports that followed led to MUST stating very clearly Flaks wasn't speaking on behalf of supporter groups.

During the Burnley game, the fans' held aloft an anti Glazer banner - not for the first time, it was confiscated by club 'stewards'. One idea that is gathering pace is to wear the club's old Newton Heath colours of Green and Gold. There was around 1,000 shirts and scarves visible at yesterday's game.

There has also been renewed calls for fans' to vote with their feet and not renew season tickets when the time comes. For many this form of action will no doubt be a step too far, but if enough United fans took this drastic action we would soon be rid of the Glazer family.

The anti Glazer campaign is likely to gather pace and this blog is in full support of all forms of action.

9 comments:

  1. I think this post is so wrong!

    Why does fergie have to pipe down?


    Where he is coming from and what i am concerned about is that this Glazer Campaign will effect our performance on the pitch!

    For me the glazers have done everything they said they would!

    Fair enough ticket prices have went up but in comparison to Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham & Arsenal are our prices really that high??

    Glazers have given a good transfer kitty every year like they said they wqould. Our investment in new players has continued as previous years!

    Hicks and Pricks the owners or liverpool have said every season that they were going to invest big spend big in the summer, which hasnt happend!

    When this happens then its time for a campaign!

    The glazers have stayed out of the headlines running the club which i think deserves a little respect!

    Some moan about this bonds thing, we all know they have debt, so what! They are doing something about it!

    Worst case scenario the club is apparently worth 1.2+ billion and with only 800 million of debt whats teh issue?

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  2. The club is in massive debts. I can't see how we can clear the debt. There is no way i am going to wait 7 years to see the debt clear. I hope we can get rid of the Glazer. They had done enough and now there is no way they can own this club. I don't know why they want to go to such extend. If this great club go downs, i bet the Glazer will be haunted by many fans in the world. I'm in support of the anti Glazer.

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  3. Trevor,

    Ferguson will live to regret his support for the Glazers marks my words.

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  4. I guess what Fergie is doing, is making sure the madness in the board room doesn't affect the dressing room.

    He loves the club.He knows the problem.
    But he also knows that talking out loud about the mess will only affect the players.

    Perfect examples being the Rafa-gillet-hicks hate triangle and the strained relations between Abramovich and mourinho.How these spats affected the team performance is no mystery.

    Besides that the conduct of the glazer family has been impeccable as compared to other owners.
    They don't interfere much with the football side of things.
    The cash is always there, or atleast up till now.

    The only blotch on their CV is the debt. But as we know the bond issue has been a success, things might be better.

    P.S. I still dream of United being owned by the people.

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  5. Overthinker.

    The Glazers are taking money out of the club and they couldn't afford to buy it without putting the future of United in danger.

    They weren't welcome and they need to get out ASAP.

    Ferguson was guilty of saying nothing at the outset. He was the one person who might have been able to stop the takeover - the city would have listened to him. For that reason I personally will never forgive him.

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  6. I cannot believe that some supporters don't understand the mess we are are in. Yes the Glazers have not interfered and let Fergie get on with his job but they have saddled the most commercially successful club in the world with massive debts. The club cannot afford to service these huge debts & they are increasing year on year. If it wasn't for the Ronaldo sale we would have made a loss last year.

    The fact that they are considering selling OT & Carrington should make the alarm bells ring for every supporter. The debt is continually being heaped back on the club & away from the Glazers. The Glazers are taking money out of the club & the potential is there for them to take out a huge amount more thereby raising the debt to £1Bn.

    FFS wake up & realise what a mess we are in.

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  7. Vaud,

    I couldn't agree more. The Glazers' are ruining United, we are on the road to oblivion.

    It doesn't help when Ferguson has been so supportive, but like I've stated, he will live to regret.

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  8. Yes the club is on the cusp of falling apart financially and thus sportingly. No denying that. Infact it was clear from the day they took charge.

    Although, there is little fergie can do about it apart from making sure the team doesn't get unsettled.
    Wouldn't the situation be lot worse if fergie comes out in the press and testifies against glazers? Won't that affect the future of the players we have? Wouldn't that make our transfer targets think twice about joining us?
    Glazers must go.All I am saying is that Fergie's dissaproval of the glazers might cost us more.

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  9. Overthinker,

    I agree with you about being on the brink. But with ref to supporting the Glazers I think Fergie has been stupid/naive at best. But with that said, I guess he's been trying to perform a difficult balancing act. I still blame him for not coming out at the outset and for not speaking up saying it was bad deal for the club.

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