Kanj

PIF likely don’t mind RB in for their real estate and development know-how. They also have a healthy balance sheet and can provide additional local knowledge. I assume PIF will start investing into RBs other funds, if they haven’t already.

There is a fantastic interview on the Athletic podcast with Rafa where he discusses all of this.

Donnie[/member] - you're right my friend. You can't have an executed sale purchase agreement for a business without a price (FFS these journos). All of that is included in the package submitted to the PL to begin the test. This package is initiated by the seller giving the league the green light to conduct the thorough review of the buying group in order to approve them and green light the sale of the club. The buyer then has to further provide information, including funding, business plan etc. Buyer said has said price agreed, deal submitted to PL for test. Mark Douglas has independently verified from someone not associated with buyer and seller that the test has begun and is nearing conclusion. The only thing is that not a single person has spoken to Mike Ashley's side to get verbal or written confirmation of any of this. However, again....a Seller submits the paperwork to allow the league to begin this test. The league wouldn't carry out this type of work without the approval of submission of the Seller to begin the transfer test. For the millionth time, you can't do that without an agreed price and terms executed by both parties

i think Rafa's agent has likely been kept up to speed.

journalists don't have a fucking clue about business. the fact they don't regularly speak to someone who knows how a football club is acquired and educate themselves is part of the problem.

I'm sure the overarching trend here is MA is skeptical of anyone showing up to the table and funding on closing day. Hence why he always talks this way.

You literally can't have an owner's and directors test without a sale purchase agreement outlining every single term to acquire the business. the deal has been agreed, its 300m. Assuming the league approves the new ownership group, all that is left is for the money to pass through escrow from buyer to seller and the paperwork officially signed.

from everything I've read - a price has to be agreed, the contract to purchase + the business plan has to be submitted to the PL and then the PL does an intensive review of the buying party including face to face (probably done via skype/zoom this time around) with the key players involved.

Lol @ Martin Samuel and even Mike Ashley using net worth and liquidity as an argument against a buyer who would negotiate a price. If there truly was a long battle over £30-40mm that is the difference between signing a major first team player or paying for upgrades to facilities. That is a 10-13% difference in price. That’s material. Fucking hell the stuff these guys write.

The “dress up” as Arabs is so

Is she saying MA didn’t pay off that bank debt? He absolutely did. He did not convert this payoff into equity, he rather just created a mythical loan that had 0% interest due to him so effectively was a sore spot hanging on the balance sheet. Any time he’d further put in money he’d add to that debt number, and then pay himself back the additional owed to him. The only time we used external funding in form of debt was by using the Barclays facility available to all PL clubs to get TV money portions paid earlier to fund transfers and cash flow (once tv money came in they’d pay back Barclays).

positive thread bro

sections of the fanbase who still can't seem to understand Rafa will be the first to support any manager who plays attacking football. this same section of our fanbase for some reason continues to attack Rafa's inability to play a blitzkrieg style football, one of which he's never done in his career all with the likes of Atsu, Ritchie, Diame/Hayden, Shelvey and Gayle/Joselu/Ayoze up top

still pinching myself that the end of MA is very very close...days, weeks.

I get the feeling Rafa with proper backing would either set us back up to have 4 in DEF or have an even more dynamic 5-2-3 with better quality all over.

Don’t let Samuel and Ashley have another laugh if you’re letting this get to you tonight. Don’t let them do that to you. It’s nearly all over friends.

The article reads like a drunken blabber.

Of course it’s not excusable. I can be a supporter of nufc and be proud of what ownership has done for the club and region and still be up in arms with what they do as a political force in their own country and globally as such.

What if the club is massively successful on and off the pitch, is a catalyst for a revitalized region, a flourishing NUFC foundation , with wealth and jobs created?

Not apples to apples to compare Hughes to Bruce. Hughes first full season as Blackburn manager he finished 6th. His second full season he finished 10th. His third he finished 7th. So he had some recent runway of being a pretty decent manager in the PL. He left for Man City under former ownership and then the takeover happened in September...he finished 10th his first season with Robinho as the major singing. That summer he spent a ton of money and was sacked after beating Sunderland 4-3 in mid December. They were 6th place at the time. In our case our manager has been shit for ages and doesn't deserve any time.

nah, because he won't

The woman who basically had Rafa written into offer for the club a few years ago and is partnered with some of the wealthiest people in the world who's "competitors" have Pep and Thomas Tuchel as manager aren't going to sanction shed loads of money to spend with Bruce leading them out long term.

Yorkie[/member] nah man, totally the same in most homes I bet i am loving this at the moment.

i always assumed Bruce would last until the summer. Just see out the rest of the season.

Would love to see this "disguise"