Unbelievable

We need to get a grip fast or this game will be over before we know it

We won’t. We’re in real trouble here. Our defense is a shambles

Schar and Burn both at fault

That was shit from Burn

Fuck’s sake

Never a foul

We have. Been a bit wasteful, but look comfortable

Dafuq was that from Bruno on the throw in?

Brilliant Gordon

Ah classic Joelinton rocket into orbit

Ah man Tino, learn to cross

Howay the lads

It depends largely on where the shirt was bought from as well, as per https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/22898752/premier-league-man-utd-arsenal-shirt-sales/ “German sports marketing expert Dr Peter Rohlmann has revealed the break down of each £80 sum. Their report claims that from an £80 shirt, clubs receive a £4.80 licensing fee. The retailer then gets £26.40 - meaning if the shirt is bought directly from the club, this money goes to them. Manufacturers, Adidas in Man United and Arsenal's case, then get £23.47. Of the rest, £13.33 goes toward VAT, while £1.60 goes to local distribution and £2.40 on marketing. Each shirt is claimed to cost £8 to make.” So for a shirt bought from the club directly, the percentage is more like 39%, whereas if bought at say Shit Direct it’s closer to 6%.

Why shouldn’t we as a club’s fans expect the owners to grow the club organically rather than artificially by throwing billions of their own money at it? If anything the early expectations of fans, as driven by the media, that PIF would have us go after the Neymar’s and Ronaldo’s of this world has proven to be absolutely nonsense, and luckily so. I look at Chelsea and PSG in particular and laugh at them being hollow clubs in my view despite their owners having spent a fortune on them, and I am grateful that we are progressing under our own steam more or less. The journey may take a few years longer, but it is going to be so much more enjoyable for it.

Kieran Maguire explained this in a recent podcast quite well. In short, the PL is a member’s club and as such is legally allowed to propose and decide on (by member vote) such rules. Also NUFC (Ashley) having voted in favour of these rules before goes against us. source:

Others have valued us at over 1bn more recently, and surely looking at just the value of the playing side assets 645m seems very low?

I know you have a financial background, so I wonder what makes you say we’re a shit investment? We were clearly undervalued at acquisition time (305m), and since then they have roughly invested a further 350m afaik. If they were to sell, what do you think would be a sensible valuation for a club now back on track to be a regular European qualifier and with several assets seen as having increased in value considerably since we bought them?

Absolutely. Looks like they’re actively preparing by bringing forward all their transfer business for the next few years.

PIF see us as an investment. Why wouldn’t they? They are an investment fund, not some Geordie benefactor.

Apologies mate. It’s just when you say stuff like the club has “failed” to grow commercially and you “can’t tell” whether we’re making up ground when it appears you haven’t even looked at the data I get a bit irritated. Will try to be more patient going forward.

Or to be more precise, we closed the gap on those 5 (significantly even), but somehow Arsenal seem to have done even better in absolute terms.

Ah. Well the progress as a percentage obviously depends on the base from the previous year to which it is compared. However, seeing as Man City’s is the highest revenue of those mentioned at roughly 3 times ours, I think we’re closing the gap both absolutely and relatively speaking.

Alternatively you could have done some research yourself, no? I mean, the Deloitte data as per a 5 second google is here: https://www.deloitte.com/uk/en/services/financial-advisory/analysis/deloitte-football-money-league.html Our revenue (all types combined, not just commercial) grew by 29%, compared to e.g. 1% for City, 3% for Man U, 5% for Liverpool, -3% for Spurs, -7% for Chelsea. Does that answer the question about closing the gap or “simply moving up the table”?

It’s not hard to tell if you wanted to find out…