Special: Rooney Signs!
In this special Ed & Paul eat humble pie as Wayne Rooney signs a new £10 million-a-year contract with United. We ponder why the ‘White Pele’ signed, talked summer transfers and discuss the bitter taste that is left in the mouth by the saga. The pod also looks back on United’s victory over Stoke City.
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I noticed that right after Paul stated that you guys were going to talk about Wayne Rooney staying at United, the theme song chimed in with “yeah, I like that.” I thought that was clever initially, but as the two of you discussed the matter, it seems more likely to have been accidental, as neither of you were rejoicing (and rightly so).
It seems to me that the matter has really not been settled yet. The damage to United’s wage structure – when austerity is called for, the tens of millions required to keep the implied promise to buy players good enough to challenge for trophies, and the failure of the economy to recover will all work to put the Glazers in a real bind. I don’t see how they can afford to keep Rooney, buy quality players, and pay down the PIK (which ought to be their highest priority), all at the same time. Something has to give.
One possible solution would be to float a portion of United on the stock exchange. £250M represents about a sixth of the estimated worth of the club, so an IPO of that size would allow the Glazers to maintain control of the club, pay off the PIK, and gain some PR points. Otherwise, the most likely scenario would be to sell Rooney, which releases them from their promise, and then take their dividends, etc. to pay down the PIK.
RobDiabblo – yes, coincidental!
Your right, I just comment one what I read or what I pick up on BBC talking sports program. With the Glazers in all this debt and now all this talk that they are giving SAF 100 million, plus paying Rooney all this big money, I really don’t see many world class players coming in. These world class players are also looking to be paid 200,000 a week. How are they going to pay all these big salaries? Like Arsenge Wenger said, the players at the club now will be looking for salary increases also. There must be money there that we don’t know about. Commonn sense says, there is something fishy with this whole episode.
One thing I didn’t say that I meant to on the cast is that none of the current squad will be in a position to claim that kind of huge salary as there’s not really anyone of the right combination of age and stature in the world game to do that. But if Nani keeps up his form and improves his consistency he might be up there in earnings come his next contract.
I’m talking player salary increases in general. Some may want a bit more than what they are making now.
Here’s a question/wild idea: why don’t the Red Knights and MUST incorporate, buy the PIK, and force the Glazers to pay them an outrageous amount in interest – all of which goes into the kitty for purchasing the club, or else to default and hand ownership of the club over to the Red Knights? Imagine how much easier it would be to convince supporters to bite the bullet in the short term, if they knew that boycotting the club store, not renewing season tickets, etc. would force the Glazers to sell or lose the club.
RobDiablo – great idea but impossible. RK’s could I suppose buy the notes off the current owners (there are 7) but I doubt the notes have variable interest aside from that described in various covenants.
But the rate is already at a usurious 16.25%.
Maybe if the fans boycotted all the home games, that may force the Glazers out.
@Herbie simms and there in lays the problem.
you have heard of flying pigs right!
A serious dose of a failing team, might crack the cancer.
The away support is brilliant and to be congratulated.
The problem lays at the fans who continue to go to old trafford week in week out slavishly because they love there team and united.
And those self same fans will not digest and take on board the information, blogs like this great one and others supply.
Its not rocket science, starve what they crave, the mighty green back.
For a few dollars more ill be so loyal to Chelsea or City or maybe even Arsenal Or ill stay loyal to united. AAAAHHHHHH
You the fans who shell out the weekly house keeping just to watch these idiots and their mates kick a ball around are the loyal party for putting up with all this nonsense.
These guys earn more in a week than youll ever be able to get ahead in your life time YES in one week. just think about that when they dont score and the manager says they are having an off week. in that one week they earn more than the prime minister earns in a year. all because %&*@*$ turn up week on week paying extorsionate amounts of money to buy the program and watch this lovelly game that has been snatched from us.
They could pay these guys 10 grand a week and cut the ticket price by 60% maybe even 70%.
And as for the argument that the club paying the most gets the best players well let them have them as a single club can only hire so many mercenaries, then where do the rest of them go. And if the merceneries really are that good then a league with just one club at the top and the other clubs battling it out for second place would soon get very boring, even for the club at the top.Just look a bit to the north and think about that too.
Ive totally had it with football, used to go to matches and watch M O T D. but now its just bollocks.
The next time you chant a players name just remember they could nt give a shit about you, its your ass on the seat they’d sooner kiss.
if one week you can’t find your favorite player on the team sheet, its probobley because he now plays for AC Milan.
But you being the life time loyal supporters will always be the last to know.
I realize that the fans are loyal to the team and they want to be there to give them that inspiration but the amount of comments all over the Internet in reference to the Glazers,you think they would organize and instead of just protesting inside of Old Trafford or outside the grounds, just don’t show up to the games at all. The Glazers would pay attention then! Will put the club up for sale in a hurray! Nobody likes the feeling of feeling unwanted. Something got to be worked out to clear the club of all this debt or players will be hesitant to join United period.
Well, regardless of all this debt, there is news coming out of Manchester that talks are to begin again with Sneijder’s agent. There is also a move to bring in Bastin Schweinstiger as SAF is looking for replacements for Giggs, Scholes and Hardgreaves. Also coming out of Manchester is that SAF will make an offer for Gareth Bale which would include Carrick going back to Tottenham as part of the deal. And 24 year old Porto Brazilian striker, Givanildo Vieira de Souza is being scouted as a replacement for Michael Owen next summer. One thing is for sure, between January and next summer, there will be some top quality players coming in. I don’t know how much more debt but the Glazers seem to have already put up this 100 million, because SAF and his people are busy talking to different agents in reference to brining in players.
Enjoyed it…egg on ya face Ed?