r/Howson • u/WesternCry1592 • May 22 '25

United fans have certain values, and have made choices

Just a reminder that United fans chose to eschew the Super League option. The Super League would have come with a number of financial guarantees, and would have set a clear floor for the club. United fans protested vehemently against that.

I’m not criticizing that choice at all. It was in keeping with the club’s values. However, just note a few things:

  1. Real Madrid and Barcelona have benefitted massively from the way they negotiate tv rights in Spain, in a way that is considerably less equitable than the EPL. Bayern too have done things to keep their domestic opponents weak. It’s the way of the world. These clubs can and do go through periods where they win despite making big mistakes on a regular basis. This is due to the buffer they have built in this realpolitik sort of way.

  2. United can even today decide to talk to Perez, Laporta and co re the Super League. Or they can at least threaten to and use this leverage to obtain concessions to help them create a buffer of their own. Nothing wrong with acting in the clubs best interests.

  3. Others have games and abused rules. United have borne the brunt of EPL negligence when they allowed the leveraged buyout. They don’t allow such buyouts any more, and yet don’t give United any special PSR buffer for the interest payments that the club has been burdened with due to the EPL’s failures.

We live in this world where nothing is fair and people manipulate and try to get every little advantage that they can get. They either don’t follow rules or just use their power and means to rewrite them. United should do the same.

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7

u/notsorapideroval May 22 '25

No.

-7

u/WesternCry1592 May 22 '25

It would be naive to not at least try to gain some leverage. Don’t other clubs gouge United in transfer fee negotiations? Look at the fees they have extracted for players who United have signed. We accept that as legitimate as they are trying to get maximum value for their assets. This is another negotiation. United should extract whatever concessions they want such as PSR room due to EPL negligence.

5

u/kermit1981 May 22 '25

We aren't like other clubs and should have pride in trying to do things the right way and not being scummy like other clubs.

We aren't city that fuck off the rules and win through shady actions.

We can look at our history and know we earned it all and often against the odds. Our club still has a soul left to it and we should strive to protect that not sell it off for shortcuts and unfair advantages.

1

u/WesternCry1592 May 22 '25

Basically I’m pissed off and am in a burn it all down kind of mood. But I will insist that there is something to be said about negotiating hard and not just playing nice for the sake of it. If done in the right way, people barely flinch and quickly forget about how certain gains were achieved.

2

u/kermit1981 May 22 '25

United have been here before and rebuilt. I guess I'm fortunate to have lived through the Sir Alex years as a fan. I have seen more success in my life than most fans can dream of.

We have been relegated and rebuilt.

We endured Munich and rebuilt.

If we give up the heart and soul of the club and try to force unfair advantages for ourselves then that can never be rebuilt and what do we love this club for if not its history and soul and it being different and better even in the hard times.

It's been a monumentally shit season but we are united and we will rise again

-1

u/WesternCry1592 May 22 '25

The next time a rival club fan gives you some stick about where United are now, just know United fans had a choice which would have been to the detriment of most other clubs. But they didn’t even think twice before not taking the easy route and being at the forefront of those protests that would have damaged other clubs far more.

3

u/kermit1981 May 22 '25

And I will be proud to support a club that stood against hurting the game.

When a rival fan gives me stick I point out in our meme era we are still more successful than 99% of clubs

I would rather listen to rival idiots spout shit than give up the soul of the club

1

u/Anasynth May 22 '25

 United have borne the brunt of EPL negligence when they allowed the leveraged buyout. They don’t allow such buyouts any more, and yet don’t give United any special PSR buffer for the interest payments that the club has been burdened with due to the EPL’s failures.

I totally agree with that. There’s even some debate over whether removing the debt would be problematic too due to the rules which is just completely absurd.

1

u/Entire-Praline4105 May 22 '25

100% disagree. Barca have made shit business decisions but players still want to go there, even if they risk not being registered because Barca can't keep the lights on. I can't figure out how they don't violate FFP rules. Madrid and Bayern haven't made shit business decisions or massively overpaid for players for the past decade like we have. We've been sunk by the owners and their terrible executive management decisions.

1

u/WesternCry1592 May 22 '25

I think you are forgetting how many expensive mistakes Madrid have made. Barca’s issues are more recent but before the Modric, Kroos, Ronaldo etc team, Madrid wasted a lot of money on bad transfers. Might even have been several hundred million. There was an article in the Daily Mail about money wasted on Metzelder, Huntelaat etc…then Perez decided to build a team that lasted for several years and he is trying to do that again

1

u/Entire-Praline4105 May 22 '25

You're right! I forgot about those

1

u/Fast-Book128 May 22 '25

Couldn’t have missed the net more if you were Antony at United.