Takeover

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Having a consortium like McCabe mates ALK capital fills me with dread.
At the moment I think the Prince is doing a good job. We just need his ideas with more money

I've said before on other threads, at least the Prince is a football man.

I think he's always put the clubs best interests at heart, apparently it was him who had to fund the McBurnie deal as it sounded like McCabe wanted to give Wilder about £10 million to spend in the first PL season, and appointed the number 1 choice manager last summer. We've broken our own transfer record about 5 times in the last 3 years and showed some ambition for the first time in a generation. He gave Wilder an eye watering contract and said he could have a contract for life and wanted him to be our Sir Alex.

It's a shame how things turned out, and probably the most Sheffield United thing ever that a global pandemic stopped us in our tracks and undid years of good work. I remember an interview he did after Berge signing saying that the plan was to make a big marquee signing like that every season and build a solid PL team, so it's painful to think where we'd be if COVID hadn't have happened.

People can blame him for Wilder walking out, but a combination of poor recruitment, tactics and injuries attributed to last season's pitiful performance.

I'm sure the Prince would love to splash more money, it's just he hasn't got it. Not his fault, 90% of the football league don't have mega rich owners.
 

Well if I was the Prince and wanted a get out, I would be leveraging us against Derby County and Kirchner. I imagine that as he had an interest in Preston the deal isn't because he likes sheep.
 
Not sure on this one but my guess would be that is PA quietly looking for an exit route after the Newcastle takeover.

I would imagine any deal would be for the whole of United World rather than just us. And I would assume that PA will probably walk out with a nice profit as well.
He admitted himself at the start of the season in his interview with YorkBlade that he was looking for outside investors and partners.

Whilst it’s not exactly the same things as an outright sale it’s clear he’s looking at least for some help funding the club and if someone made the right offer to take sole control would he say no? At the very least it lends credibility to the notion that someone is at least looking to acquire part ownership.
 
Not sure on this one but my guess would be that is PA quietly looking for an exit route after the Newcastle takeover.

I would imagine any deal would be for the whole of United World rather than just us. And I would assume that PA will probably walk out with a nice profit as well.

I would have you right on the first bit, he announced he was taking a back seat around the time his kinfolk were completing the Toon deal but I'm not sure he would want to sell the whole of United World and if that was a caveat to any deal I couldn't see any serious buyer being interested in having to deal with the running of a few other tin-pot clubs.

SUFC are the jewel in the crown, selling us would, as you say, give PA a tidy profit and enough to finance the other UW clubs for a good time...that I could see happening...then again, there will always be the McCabe factor as he still owns bits..
 
He admitted himself at the start of the season in his interview with YorkBlade that he was looking for outside investors and partners.

Whilst it’s not exactly the same things as an outright sale it’s clear he’s looking at least for some help funding the club and if someone made the right offer to take sole control would he say no? At the very least it lends credibility to the notion that someone is at least looking to acquire part ownership.
I think what might happen is that he will sell something like an 80% stake in the club and then will take a seat on the board. I would imagine he still wants to be in football, he just doesn't have the money
 
YorkBlade have you heard anything on this front?
The Prince has met with a number of people who could be potential investors all over the world, at time of writing none of them have (yet) committed or been announced but let's hope that changes. I've asked him to do another interview with us, watch this space.
 
The Prince has met with a number of people who could be potential investors all over the world, at time of writing none of them have (yet) committed or been announced but let's hope that changes. I've asked him to do another interview with us, watch this space.
The Prince has met with a number of people who could be potential investors all over the world, at time of writing none of them have (yet) committed or been announced but let's hope that changes. I've asked him to do another interview with us, watch this space.
That would be fantastic York Blade.
The only way to get at the truth is the owner.
He was very candid last time more of the same please Prince!!.
 
For me, we are now in a worse position than when he got involved in 2013. Apart from the enforced adaptations to the ground to make it Premier League worthy, some cosmetic improvements (ticket office, boxes) and the Desso pitch - that the joint ownership invested in - the club has stagnated whilst many of our peers have progressed. We owe money for players etc and crucially don't own all the land on the footprint of Bramall Lane. The hotel is still shut.

In terms of on the field decisions, I've not been impressed either. For me we have an automatic promotion team that will do well to get in the play offs because of a disastrous pre season, an unwise parting with the last manager, a stupid and expensive managerial appointment and average at best recruitment. United World's general travails would underline this analysis.
 
For me, we are now in a worse position than when he got involved in 2013. Apart from the enforced adaptations to the ground to make it Premier League worthy, some cosmetic improvements (ticket office, boxes) and the Desso pitch - that the joint ownership invested in - the club has stagnated whilst many of our peers have progressed. We owe money for players etc and crucially don't own all the land on the footprint of Bramall Lane. The hotel is still shut.

In terms of on the field decisions, I've not been impressed either. For me we have an automatic promotion team that will do well to get in the play offs because of a disastrous pre season, an unwise parting with the last manager, a stupid and expensive managerial appointment and average at best recruitment. United World's general travails would underline this analysis.
When he joined, we were in League 1 with probably the worst squad we've had in living memory and only going one way.

If we're in a worse position now then we really are fucked.
 
For me, we are now in a worse position than when he got involved in 2013. Apart from the enforced adaptations to the ground to make it Premier League worthy, some cosmetic improvements (ticket office, boxes) and the Desso pitch - that the joint ownership invested in - the club has stagnated whilst many of our peers have progressed. We owe money for players etc and crucially don't own all the land on the footprint of Bramall Lane. The hotel is still shut.

In terms of on the field decisions, I've not been impressed either. For me we have an automatic promotion team that will do well to get in the play offs because of a disastrous pre season, an unwise parting with the last manager, a stupid and expensive managerial appointment and average at best recruitment. United World's general travails would underline this analysis.
Yes I can't say I particularly think he's done a good job. Both he and McCabe can get equal credit/luck from Wilder but everything else? Not particularly impressive.


Probably hyperbole to say we are worse off than we were in 2013 but we certainly haven't moved dramatically forward off the pitch.
 
For me, we are now in a worse position than when he got involved in 2013. Apart from the enforced adaptations to the ground to make it Premier League worthy, some cosmetic improvements (ticket office, boxes) and the Desso pitch - that the joint ownership invested in - the club has stagnated whilst many of our peers have progressed. We owe money for players etc and crucially don't own all the land on the footprint of Bramall Lane. The hotel is still shut.

In terms of on the field decisions, I've not been impressed either. For me we have an automatic promotion team that will do well to get in the play offs because of a disastrous pre season, an unwise parting with the last manager, a stupid and expensive managerial appointment and average at best recruitment. United World's general travails would underline this analysis.
For me, bottom of League One is not a better position than a play-off spot in the Championship.
 
When he joined, we were in League 1 with probably the worst squad we've had in living memory and only going one way.

If we're in a worse position now then we really are fucked.

Yes, but at least we were debt free and owning all of the footprint of Bramall Lane. You are always one good manager from changing your league status. Maybe it's hyperbolic as we still have a tilt at the play offs and maybe some money from the parachutes that we can spend. I think the general direction is backwards off the pitch.
 

If McCabe had won the court battle we would have been sold to ALK Capital. I have spoken with people representing ALK and let's just say it was very illuminating. Burnley's future financial situation will be one I will key an eye on with interest.
You cant possibly be saying that McCabe was prepared to renege on his love for the club, ( no bigger blade than me Seth ) to take the kings ransom?
who would have guessed that.
also know someone who is associated with one of the guys at ALK, doubt they are involved with Burnley because they like football. Where else can you guarantee an income of over £250m on a rolling basis for three years.
unfortunately lots of clubs will go the same way, it is getting further and further from the sport That I was brought up on in the days of gentleman John Harris
 
He's made mistakes but you can't argue that we haven't progressed since The Prince has arrived. He backed Wilder in a way McCabe wouldn't which helped us gain 3 years of parachute payments and we now own our ground unlike before.


I'd agree that the day to day running of the club has slacked since McCabe left but on the pitch you can't really grumble. If you had said in 2013 that 9 years later we'd be 6th in The Championship after spending 2 years in The Premier League, owning players we spent £10-20m on and that the ground now belongs to the club we would all have taken it.
 
I would have thought any sale would happen at the end of the season as businessmen tend to like certainty. A United in the Premier League has a very different value to a United in the Championship.
 
For me, we are now in a worse position than when he got involved in 2013. Apart from the enforced adaptations to the ground to make it Premier League worthy, some cosmetic improvements (ticket office, boxes) and the Desso pitch - that the joint ownership invested in - the club has stagnated whilst many of our peers have progressed. We owe money for players etc and crucially don't own all the land on the footprint of Bramall Lane. The hotel is still shut.

In terms of on the field decisions, I've not been impressed either. For me we have an automatic promotion team that will do well to get in the play offs because of a disastrous pre season, an unwise parting with the last manager, a stupid and expensive managerial appointment and average at best recruitment. United World's general travails would underline this analysis.

We were in league one when he got involved with a team that was no where near good enough for the PL, we now have a team that can compete to get into the PL and has several younger promising players with sell-on value as ultimately that is what is going to provide the club with more funds by selling on players for big fees like what Brentford have done so well.

McCabe would have still developed the corners of the ground I reckon, it's just now he's doing that not as our chairman. The hotel part fair enough, but I think that is due to open soon. Re Jokanovic appointment, I don't think anyone could have predicted that he would not work out as badly as it did, it wasn't like when we appointed Bryan Robson - by McCabe - that everyone knew it was doomed to failure. I agree re Wilder and the fallout but we still don't know who is really to blame here, I think Wilder will certainly have his fair share of responsibility here, he chose to leave at the end of the day as he's admitted.

I think history under McCabe has proved that he made some truly shocking decisions if honest, Robson appointment, appointing Blackwell was another strange one because although he did well as a caretaker his record showed he wasn't a good manager, or was more of a number 2. Sacking Wilson when 5th in the league and then appointing David Weir, Dave Bassett I think recommended Chris Wilder at the time ironically, as he was appointed to be part of the process I think if memory served me right. I feel it's too early to know how good the Prince is running a football club, but I can see a sustainable future and that is something that is vital, I don't fancy been the next Derby County!
 
He's made mistakes but you can't argue that we haven't progressed since The Prince has arrived. He backed Wilder in a way McCabe wouldn't which helped us gain 3 years of parachute payments and we now own our ground unlike before.


I'd agree that the day to day running of the club has slacked since McCabe left but on the pitch you can't really grumble. If you had said in 2013 that 9 years later we'd be 6th in The Championship after spending 2 years in The Premier League, owning players we spent £10-20m on and that the ground now belongs to the club we would all have taken it.

We were by a huge amount the lowest wage payers in the premier league so it's pretty hard to say he massively backed us tbh.
 
I would have thought any sale would happen at the end of the season as businessmen tend to like certainty. A United in the Premier League has a very different value to a United in the Championship.

Normally I would agree but I can't help thinking the Newcastle angle will possibly play a part here, there's surely no coincidence that PA said he was taking a back seat as the Toon deal was being finalised..... so maybe, if, (and it is a gigantic IF) the deal happens at all, (let alone before the end of the season) it is a deal he has little option but to take...?

All conjecture and probably complete rubbish of course but like I said before, we were supposed to have announced Errea as the new kit supplier last Monday for all United World Clubs and that's not happened.....naturally if a change was imminent all commercial deals would be put on ice....or they could have realised Errea is a sack of shit of course...
 
We were by a huge amount the lowest wage payers in the premier league so it's pretty hard to say he massively backed us tbh.

We spent huge amounts by our previous standards and in comparison to the likes of Norwich and Burnley. The only reason we started the season with the lowest wage bill is due to so many players still being on League One contracts until they were offered new deals. He backed him beyond what he could actually afford which is evident by the loan he took out to buy Brewster. A naive decision but one done to help Wilder.
 
We were by a huge amount the lowest wage payers in the premier league so it's pretty hard to say he massively backed us tbh.
We had the largest nett spend of any team in the premiership. The manager chose to buy young unproven players for large fees, it was not that money was not available ( I,e. All / most of what we earned in TV revenue ) it was how the manager and his advisors chose to spend it.
 
I guess the lack of anything public about season ticket renewals underlines the likelihood that something might be shifting around ownership of the club?

With 5 games left, and promotion still possible, we’d usually be into early renewals by now?
Good point, not itk about how the club promotes ST renewal, is it usually affected by league position etc? it was 5th May last year but was a terrible season ofc
 
I've said before on other threads, at least the Prince is a football man.

I think he's always put the clubs best interests at heart, apparently it was him who had to fund the McBurnie deal as it sounded like McCabe wanted to give Wilder about £10 million to spend in the first PL season, and appointed the number 1 choice manager last summer. We've broken our own transfer record about 5 times in the last 3 years and showed some ambition for the first time in a generation. He gave Wilder an eye watering contract and said he could have a contract for life and wanted him to be our Sir Alex.

It's a shame how things turned out, and probably the most Sheffield United thing ever that a global pandemic stopped us in our tracks and undid years of good work. I remember an interview he did after Berge signing saying that the plan was to make a big marquee signing like that every season and build a solid PL team, so it's painful to think where we'd be if COVID hadn't have happened.

People can blame him for Wilder walking out, but a combination of poor recruitment, tactics and injuries attributed to last season's pitiful performance.

I'm sure the Prince would love to splash more money, it's just he hasn't got it. Not his fault, 90% of the football league don't have mega rich owners.
I think prince actually mortgaged his LA home to fund that McBurnie deal. I also think Wilder never really liked the prince from the start.

The relationship was always gonna struggle
 

We spent huge amounts by our previous standards and in comparison to the likes of Norwich and Burnley. The only reason we started the season with the lowest wage bill is due to so many players still being on League One contracts until they were offered new deals. He backed him beyond what he could actually afford which is evident by the loan he took out to buy Brewster. A naive decision but one done to help Wilder.

I don't think it was naive. With benefit of hindsight, we invested in youth too soon into our journey. Our pros weren't as comfortable and solid at PL level as our lofty first season suggested.

But, at the time, with the facts in front of him I think he made the right choice to back Wilder like he did.
I'm still shocked at how we went from 9th to 20th so quickly.
 

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