Parky

Good post. I don't think people are fully upto speed on how talented he is, you can take a Beardsley and x2. The other thing is most French players have an attitude and the example of give of Anelka is a good one. When we discussed him on here back in the day, there were the usual reservations about him, but look at what he has delivered at nearly every club. Did you really just say this lad is twice the player Beardsley was? My mistake I mean potentially.

We never had enough quality at the club and lack of inj to totally freeze him out and that is still the case today. That's how he's survived.

Good post. I don't think people are fully upto speed on how talented he is, you can take a Beardsley and x2. The other thing is most French players have an attitude and the example of give of Anelka is a good one. When we discussed him on here back in the day, there were the usual reservations about him, but look at what he has delivered at nearly every club.

Been seen somewhere in summertime.

In our squad or evolution in general? Both. Yes he's that good. Where would humanity be without him. Yes, think on that.

This player is the missing link.

He will sign for us deadline day. [/Fact]

Looks like the wage demands story was nonsense.

That's my reading of it as well.

Why has no one come in already? The price is 1.5 billion, that is perhaps the answer.

Beginning to look like Torres has totally lost interest/a yard due to the knee injury/ had enough/ missing his tapas.

Point of note is that if they go bust in the states, the U.S. Govt has the right to seize all their worldwide assets. It would be armageddon.

It would be meltdown if they missed a CL spot. And don't laugh it's happenned to Liverpool when everyone thought that was impossible. Lets not carried away. I don't think everyone thought it was impossible, if anything I think a lot of people saw it coming with the state of their squad/injuries. It's entirely possible Chelsea, man city, arsenal and Spurs could finish above them this year. Heard it here first.

It would be meltdown if they missed a CL spot. And don't laugh it's happenned to Liverpool when everyone thought that was impossible.

What are you basing this little nugget on if I may ask? Instinct. Mmmm.. In the real world it seems they have little or no access to equity and are upto their necks/Man U in debt all over the place.

What are you basing this little nugget on if I may ask?

Glazers fail to pay mortgage on four shopping malls * guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 24 August 2010 23.35 BST Manchester United's owners, the Glazer family, have suffered further embarrassing financial difficulties after four more of its US shopping malls recently fell into default on their mortgages. With the interest rate charged on United's enormous "payment-in-kind debts" rising from 14.25% to 16.25% this month, the news could hardly come at a worse time. An investigation by the Guardian in conjunction with the BBC's Panorama programme and the investment analyst Andy Green in June found that of the 68 shopping malls owned by the Glazers' US-based First Allied Corporation, four had gone bust and one more had defaulted on its mortgage. An analysis of the malls' most recent financial disclosures has revealed that four more have since failed to pay their mortgages and become classified as "delinquent", with two falling into default this month. The four malls are in Houston, Texas; Denver, Colorado and two in Ohio. That means nine, or 13%, of the Glazers' malls are now "delinquent" or insolvent, and a further 29 centres, 43%, have so many units empty the rental income does not cover the mortgage payments. First Allied is the only significant business the Florida-based family runs besides Manchester United and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise, and the bank disclosures show it making income above the malls' running costs of only US$9m a year. These disclosures come at a particularly sensitive time considering United's own debts. The interest rate increase took effect this month, according to the most recent accounts filed by one of the Glazers' United companies. According to Red Football Joint Venture Limited, the accounts for the year to 30 June 2009 recorded that United's total bank and other borrowings had swollen to £716m, all of it derived from the Glazers' original personal borrowings to buy the club in the first place in 2005. Of that, around £500m was owed to banks and refinanced in January with the issue of bonds at an average around 8.5% interest "yield" annually – £42.5m this year. The payments in kind, originally owed to three hedge funds, had risen to £202m by 30 June last year, so at 14.25% have accrued a further £34m interest since. That interest is not paid but accumulates, so the Glazers' United companies now owe £236m to the hedge funds. The increased interest rate to 16.25% means that over the next year a further £38m will be added, swelling the total to £274m, unless a proportion of the hedge fund debt is paid off. No public United documents explain why the interest rate has increased, but it has been reported that United were hit with it as a penalty clause because their debts have risen to more than five times the basic profit they make. The club's chief executive, David Gill, has maintained that the payment-in-kind debts at these credit-card rates of interest are not the club's responsibility, but fall on the family to repay. However, it is not at all clear the Glazers have the resources from First Allied or elsewhere to meet these liabilities, and the bond document issued by United provides the right to take almost £130m out of the club. That can be used to pay towards the payment-in-kind debt if necessary. Gill and the Glazers argue the club is unaffected by these debts, by far the largest external borrowings ever owed by an English football club, and that funds are available for the manager Sir Alex Ferguson to spend. The manager has said the transfer market is over-priced and it is his own choice this summer to have signed only Chris Smalling from Fulham, Javier Hernández from Guadalajara and the deal which has stunned football, the 20 year old Portuguese striker, Bébé, for £7.4m. Yet Green – an investment analyst and United supporter who writes about the club's finances in his blog www.andersred.blogspot.com – said the latest disclosures from First Allied were a cause for further concern. "They show that the Glazer family's only significant other business is making almost no money, and certainly not generating the cash to reduce United's massive debts," he said. "The family's shopping malls are afflicted by low occupancy rates, more have fallen into default, and whatever David Gill says, there appears no doubt that Manchester United itself will be made to service these useless debts and pay huge interest payments, all money which could have been spent signing players." Neither the spokesman for Manchester United nor the Glazer family were available for comment yesterday.

He's rumoured to be on 350k and is probably asking for 500k.

Where did all that money Benny spent go?

Need to get back in it first.

Kept Fulham in the Prem. Got them to 7th place in the league. Got them to Europa Cup final. Signed quite a lot good players for them. Apart from that not a lot. Thing is has he worked under the immense pressure a manager at anfield is perpetually under? I know he did well at Inter when they had no money, but that was a while back. I can see by your answer you have scanned his CV so you should know the answer to that. Thinking only big clubs have immense pressure is bit odd. Paul Jewell looked wrecked after Wigan & staying on the Wigan tip I bet Bobby Martinez is not sleeping easy atm. We have seen Karl Oyston & Olly at Blackpool feel the strain & they have only been in the Prem for about 3 months. Pressure is everywhere in peoples working life whether your company has caused a leak in gulf or your self employed painter decorator with nee work lined up. That's a very well rounded answer. I tip my hat to you Sir!

He just isn't scary enough to handle all that pressure and that dressing room must be full of moaners.

I agree. For Champs League, I think Manure and Chelsea are locks, Arsenal would be a huge surprise for them not to make it, Man Shitty and Spuds for the last spot. If Spurs qualify for the CL this season I think the extra games will really start to take their toll on the squad, particularly at CH. They're going to be playing every 3 or 4 days and they're going to pick up injuries and suspensions too. Can see them slipping out of it a bit unless the droopy-eyed prick signs another couple of players. I think they'll finish about 6th. That's true. I still think they are the only team that has a chance to break the top 4 of Manure, Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Shitty, the rest of this league is just not up to their standards. I'd go along with that. I think the top 4 will be away and clear by March and the likes of Spurs, Everton, Liverpool and Villa will be scrambling around in a little league of their own. The other 12 clubs will be trying to make sure they stay in the division. Think City will finish 2nd unless ManU sign someone massive in the next days. Chelsea M City Man U Arsenal Spurs Everton Liverpool