The Official Manchester City Thread

[mrbojangles]

2 hours ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Ceferin’s first visit to the Etihad Stadium will be viewed as a sign that peace is breaking out between governing body and club, who have been at loggerheads for years. "

Nah. I think it's too late for that. The rot has set in too deep. You could tell by the lack of atmosphere last night and the football reflected the atmosphere.

[Bredbury Blue]

^Seems strange he'd visit PRIOR to the FFP investigation being finalised. Guess only EUFA, City and 3 minus 2 will know why.

 

 

[Bredbury Blue]

In today's The Athletic

 

“Manchester City have become the world’s most valuable football club after US-based investment firm Silver Lake agreed to buy just over 10 per cent of their ownership group for £389 million.

That would value City Football Group (CFG), which is comprised of the Premier League champions and six satellite clubs around the world, at £3.74 billion…This takes CFG to the top of the global rich list ahead of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United.

 

[So buying City has proven to be a great investment for Sheikh Mansour]

 

The deal will see CFG’s current owners, Abu Dhabi United Group and a Chinese consortium led by China Media Capital, dilute their stakes in the business from 87 and 13 per cent respectively, to around 77 and 12 per cent, with Silver Lake owning the rest.

 

[So 77% Abu Dhabi / 12% Chinese / 11% USA owned]

Fans will inevitably want to know what CFG will spend this windfall on and the clues can be found in Al Mubarak’s final remark about the deal facilitating “the global growth and deepening of CFG club fanbases and the development of our business as a whole”.

It is understood this means CFG will soon be growing from seven clubs to eight, with the most likely new arrival being Indian Super League team Mumbai City.

But it is also believed Silver Lake’s money and network will help CFG in its long pursuit for a permanent home for New York City FC, its Major League Soccer franchise which currently spends a considerable amount of money on renting Yankee Stadium and converting it for football.

And then there is the obvious increase in investment to be made at Sichuan Jiuniu, CFG’s Chinese outpost, who are currently in the country’s third tier but will be expected to become a Super League outfit when the time is right.”
 

Not bad for Liccle old Citeh ????

[mrbojangles]

11 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Not bad for Liccle old Citeh ????

Who'd a thowt it. We are now officially massive and well on plan for world dominance ????

 

 

[BangrakBob]

12 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

 

Not bad for Liccle old Citeh ????

To be far it's got <deleted> all to do with "Liccle old Citeh"

[wilai]

Should just about cover Sterling's pay rise????

[Bredbury Blue]

4 hours ago, BangrakBob said:

To be far it's got <deleted> all to do with "Liccle old Citeh"

It's all about Melbourne is it?

[RickG16]

'Let's make 6 football clubs and count them as one football club to make ourselves look bigger'

 

... small club mentality.....

[mrbojangles]

12 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

'Let's make 6 football clubs and count them as one football club to make ourselves look bigger'

 

... small club mentality.....

Your not big in business acumen are you Rick? It's the absolute opposite of small club mentality and if you don't realise that then your in pretty big denial

 

Even "not in my lifetime" SAF would have to admit this nightmare is far more than he ever imagined it would be. He thought it would be a few years of an Arab plaything and we'd be gone in a puff of smoke

[RickG16]

44 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Your not big in business acumen are you Rick? It's the absolute opposite of small club mentality and if you don't realise that then your in pretty big denial

 

Even "not in my lifetime" SAF would have to admit this nightmare is far more than he ever imagined it would be. He thought it would be a few years of an Arab plaything and we'd be gone in a puff of smoke

Who cares about clubs in MLS and Australia. Manchester City are still Manchester City.

 

You know as well as I do from living in Thailand, someone who supports City is still pretty much a weird novelty.

[RickG16]

53 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

Your not big in business acumen are you Rick? It's the absolute opposite of small club mentality and if you don't realise that then your in pretty big denial

 

Even "not in my lifetime" SAF would have to admit this nightmare is far more than he ever imagined it would be. He thought it would be a few years of an Arab plaything and we'd be gone in a puff of smoke

And let's be clear what put you in this position.... massive fat injections of cash and a bottomless pit of money.

 

Give me that much capital and I'm pretty sure I could make a good stab at setting up a few teams in backwater leagues.

 

It's also obvious why this yank company would invest... their investment is pretty much secured by the funds accessible through the Arabs.

[Bredbury Blue]

Errr...nah, can't be arsed.

[champers]

What is this deal all about? Is it a tax avoidance scheme, legal I might add? I can see the owners reducing their risk but also reducing their influence.

Do City fans care less about Melbourne City or New York City? Do you follow their fortunes and look out for their results?

[Bredbury Blue]

8 minutes ago, champers said:

What is this deal all about? Is it a tax avoidance scheme

Are you 3 minus 2 in disguise?

 

8 minutes ago, champers said:

Do City fans care less about Melbourne City or New York City? Do you follow their fortunes and look out for their results?

No. But I do look for Girona's results and i used to watch them when our Brazillian Villan and others  were there.

[RickG16]

28 minutes ago, champers said:

What is this deal all about?

It's about trying to give themselves a badge of respectability. 

[champers]

31 minutes ago, Bredbury Blue said:

Are you 3 minus 2 in disguise?

 

No. But I do look for Girona's results and i used to watch them when our Brazillian Villan and others  were there.

So you don't know what it is about either.

[mrbojangles]

1 hour ago, champers said:

What is this deal all about? Is it a tax avoidance scheme, legal I might add? 

Nope. And unlike what most other clubs would do, not a penny of that half a billion is being taken out.

 

We've been saying what the business plan is for years on here. It was about early injection of cash at a pace (due to FFP) but the objective was to always get into profit (which we have now for the last 5 years) and to not only be self sustainable but to be self sustainable and compete with the big boys. That's what makes me laugh about the guys who say "yeah but United spend their own money what they have generated". Well that's exactly what we are doing now. Yeah it took some heavy investment at first but the club is now valued at approx 5 billion. So not a bad ROI eh?

 

Next stop. World dominance and a global brand. That has been club just down the road outside Manchester aren't happy at all about it mind

[RickG16]

12 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

a global brand

You are way off that really. There just aren't that many City fans worldwide compared to other clubs. Throwing money at marketing might help a little, but fans have an emotional attachment to clubs which isn't the same as any other product.

 

And I really don't think becoming self sustainable is anything to write home about. As you conceded yourself, you had such a massive injection of capital at the beginning, I think it would take a real idiot not to at least become self sufficient, the executives you are paying millions to are just doing their job. 

 

Nothing to see here.

[RickG16]

26 minutes ago, mrbojangles said:

That's what makes me laugh about the guys who say "yeah but United spend their own money what they have generated". Well that's exactly what we are doing now.

There is one big difference here my friend: You have done it because of your owners, we have done it in spite of ours. 

[mrbojangles]

8 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

You are way off that really. There just aren't that many City fans worldwide compared to other clubs. Throwing money at marketing might help a little, but fans have an emotional attachment to clubs which isn't the same as any other product.

 

And I really don't think becoming self sustainable is anything to write home about. As you conceded yourself, you had such a massive injection of capital at the beginning, I think it would take a real idiot not to at least become self sufficient, the executives you are paying millions to are just doing their job. 

 

Nothing to see here.

When I first came to Saudi nobody had really heard of City. They are now huge in the area. This is much more than throwing a bit of money at marketing. Companies don't come wanting to invest 500million quid for such a small amount for a bit of marketing. They see the bigger picture.

 

Say what you like but our Chairman has guided this club with extreme professionalism. He is a very savvy businessman and knows his football

[mrbojangles]

3 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

There is one big difference here my friend: You have done it because of your owners, we have done it in spite of ours. 

I know which I would sooner have

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

I know which I would sooner have

Fine, but don't pretend that this is anything other than the result of having oceans of money. 

[mrbojangles]

6 minutes ago, RickG16 said:

There is one big difference here my friend: You have done it because of your owners, we have done it in spite of ours. 

If your'e not careful you'll end up a feeder club to Girona

[mrbojangles]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

Fine, but don't pretend that this is anything other than the result of having oceans of money. 

Show me any post where I have denied us having money. Thought it blatantly obvious that huge amounts of money were required to catch up to those at the top table. The interesting part is being able to continue to dine at the top table under your own steam and we are doing that

[RickG16]

Just now, mrbojangles said:

The interesting part is being able to continue to dine at the top table under your own steam and we are doing that

Is it really interesting? It should be an absolute given, unless you were being grossly mis managed. 

[RickG16]

Anyway... 

 

I see Joshua has landed in Saudi. The stadium in the desert has sprung up and looks pretty impressive. How far from the capital is it?... and how much buzz is there about the fight?

[mrbojangles]

1 minute ago, RickG16 said:

Anyway... 

 

I see Joshua has landed in Saudi. The stadium in the desert has sprung up and looks pretty impressive. How far from the capital is it?... and how much buzz is there about the fight?

It's bang in the centre of Riyadh in the old town. Quite a bit of buzz about and loads of my mates going. I didn't want to pay more than 200 quid to watch Joshua but if a ticket pops up I think I'll go. Bit of a bucket list thing I suppose 

[RickG16]

1 minute ago, mrbojangles said:

It's bang in the centre of Riyadh in the old town. Quite a bit of buzz about and loads of my mates going. I didn't want to pay more than 200 quid to watch Joshua but if a ticket pops up I think I'll go. Bit of a bucket list thing I suppose 

Yeah maybe some tickets will pop up last minute.... I had considered going, also thought about United in Kazak. But both trips seemed really expensive for something which wouldn't last long and would involve a lot of travelling. If United were playing in the capital it would have been more tempting. 

[champers]

1 hour ago, mrbojangles said:

Nope. And unlike what most other clubs would do, not a penny of that half a billion is being taken out.

 

We've been saying what the business plan is for years on here. It was about early injection of cash at a pace (due to FFP) but the objective was to always get into profit (which we have now for the last 5 years) and to not only be self sustainable but to be self sustainable and compete with the big boys. That's what makes me laugh about the guys who say "yeah but United spend their own money what they have generated". Well that's exactly what we are doing now. Yeah it took some heavy investment at first but the club is now valued at approx 5 billion. So not a bad ROI eh?

 

Next stop. World dominance and a global brand. That has been club just down the road outside Manchester aren't happy at all about it mind

It's only an ROI if someone does take money out. The US company will expect a return; they have made an investment. The Sheikh has gifted City money and does not expect a return. Any outside investor does expect one. 

[RickG16]

Just now, champers said:

It's only an ROI if someone does take money out. The US company will expect a return; they have made an investment. The Sheikh has gifted City money and does not expect a return. Any outside investor does expect one. 

And the US company will get a return. Because it's a business which won't be allowed to fail. Even if things went tits up it can be propped up by a bottomless pit of money.

 

It's a good move for both parties - the US company gets a slice of a business which has backers that are filthy rich. And City gets the badge of respectability which comes with an outside investor from the West..... 'look guys, we are totally legit... we are now part American owned'.