The richest man on the planet was only kidding when he pretended to buy the club with a tragically tempting tweet, and that was bad enough. On the same day, however, in an interview with the Financial Times, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had studied the club – in an attempt to find out why big teams collapse. Wolff wasn’t just scoffing as the leader of a Mercedes unit that had dominated F1, seeing Manchester United as a similar sporting enterprise before its recent downfall. “Man is complacent,” he said. “You don’t have energy the same way you used to. Maybe you’re not that ambitious.” Even so, it reinforced the idea of ​​United as footballers, just like Manchester City used to be. “The Theater of Screams,” Sir Alex Ferguson would call Maine Road. There was a fake click in a corner of Old Trafford detailing the years since City last won a trophy. All this, and more, can be applied to United now. The sport’s greatest players study them for a crash course in how not to do it. So why does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to be involved with the club in its current state? As when Musk tweeted, there was great excitement when Britain’s richest man appeared to suggest he would be interested in a stake in United. However, we have been here before. Ratcliffe also wanted to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich once the deadline for bids passed. You’ll notice it doesn’t own it now. Elon Musk was only joking on social media when he said he was going to buy the club A New York-based private equity group, Apollo, is in negotiations to secure a minority stake from the Glazers, with only two of the six Glazer brothers said to be interested in staying on. However, and here is the key, Joel and Avram Glazer wish to retain a majority stake and control the day-to-day running of the club. So what does it mean for an individual, private, investor like Ratcliffe? The estimated valuation of the business is £5bn — ironically, if the team had performed as well, there would have been little problem — and let’s say the Glazers offered up to 30%. That’s still £1.5 billion, and who would want to plow that much into a company and leave managers who have become a case study in how to screw up? Everything that goes wrong at the club isn’t down to ownership — the players, coaches and staff have to take some of the blame, too — but this downfall is on the Glazer family watch. Surely, the bottom line for any serious investor must be regime change? If Ratcliffe is boarding this plane, surely he can’t be comfortable flying with the same pilot who seems confused by the controls? He failed to become worth nearly £11 billion by making dumb decisions. Manchester United co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Abram Glazer (left) are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week It is different for Apollo who would only be investors. There is no proposal for a majority stake, a takeover or even an injection of capital to help with recruitment. It’s just another profiteering move by American capitalists. The new boss will be the same as the old boss. And not even a boss, really. As a minority investor, the best we could hope for is that they put pressure on the club’s executive management. In fact, there was little they could do. And so United continue, falling wildly. Few things about the machinations of their recruiting strategy this summer make sense. They missed out on £15million Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after they could not agree on his wages. It is now being suggested that there is a £60m move for Casemiro to Real Madrid. He’s a much better player, but if he’s not the worst negotiator in football, surely he earns more than Rabiot? He is 30, but has won the Champions League five times and La Liga three times. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has studied Manchester United and their decline into mediocrity And Casemiro is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. If Rabiot’s demands were too rich for United’s liking, what about Casemiro? A proposed five-year contract would leave United in the lurch given his age and while it could be argued that he would justify his salary and fees as a top talent, so was Raphael Varane when he left Real, and the United seem to have made their place. -Ferguson’s magic on him. Another target is Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, a light striker or wide player not entirely different from the many already at United, certainly Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. It has been so haphazard, United’s activity this summer and, as goals fall more and more, it becomes more so. United’s transfer dealings are a fluke – why do the club want another light forward in Christian Pulisic? Off-field uncertainty won’t make it any worse, but it won’t make the outlook any brighter either. Further fan protests against the Glazers are planned for Monday night’s game against Liverpool, and there is already a movement against Apollo, who are seen as an ally of the Glazers rather than their replacement. Also Josh Harris, a minority shareholder of Crystal Palace is the co-founder of Apollo and is listed as a member of the board and executive committee. So the Premier League should consider his involvement very carefully. Nothing is clean here, nothing certain. The Ratcliffe camp say their man is a buyer, but only if the club is for sale, which it is not. Whether their man is considering making an immediate play for ownership is not apparent. The only billionaire to talk about taking over United appears to have been joking. In the meantime, Wolff will have plenty of material for his next research into reverse alchemy. By the time this is over he may be able to write a book. Crystal Palace co-owner Josh Harris (centre) is involved in Apollo, who are in exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in Manchester United


title: “Martin Samuel Why Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe Get Involved With Manchester United Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-06” author: “Anne Gray”


The richest man on the planet was only kidding when he pretended to buy the club with a tragically tempting tweet, and that was bad enough. On the same day, however, in an interview with the Financial Times, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had studied the club – in an attempt to find out why big teams collapse. Wolff wasn’t just scoffing as the leader of a Mercedes unit that had dominated F1, seeing Manchester United as a similar sporting enterprise before its recent downfall. “Man is complacent,” he said. “You don’t have energy the same way you used to. Maybe you’re not that ambitious.” Even so, it reinforced the idea of ​​United as footballers, just like Manchester City used to be. “The Theater of Screams,” Sir Alex Ferguson would call Maine Road. There was a fake click in a corner of Old Trafford detailing the years since City last won a trophy. All this, and more, can be applied to United now. The sport’s greatest players study them for a crash course in how not to do it. So why does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to be involved with the club in its current state? As when Musk tweeted, there was great excitement when Britain’s richest man appeared to suggest he would be interested in a stake in United. However, we have been here before. Ratcliffe also wanted to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich once the deadline for bids passed. You’ll notice it doesn’t own it now. Elon Musk was only joking on social media when he said he was going to buy the club A New York-based private equity group, Apollo, is in negotiations to secure a minority stake from the Glazers, with only two of the six Glazer brothers said to be interested in staying on. However, and here is the key, Joel and Avram Glazer wish to retain a majority stake and control the day-to-day running of the club. So what does it mean for an individual, private, investor like Ratcliffe? The estimated valuation of the business is £5bn — ironically, if the team had performed as well, there would have been little problem — and let’s say the Glazers offered up to 30%. That’s still £1.5 billion, and who would want to plow that much into a company and leave managers who have become a case study in how to screw up? Everything that goes wrong at the club isn’t down to ownership — the players, coaches and staff have to take some of the blame, too — but this downfall is on the Glazer family watch. Surely, the bottom line for any serious investor must be regime change? If Ratcliffe is boarding this plane, surely he can’t be comfortable flying with the same pilot who seems confused by the controls? He failed to become worth nearly £11 billion by making dumb decisions. Manchester United co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Abram Glazer (left) are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week It is different for Apollo who would only be investors. There is no proposal for a majority stake, a takeover or even an injection of capital to help with recruitment. It’s just another profiteering move by American capitalists. The new boss will be the same as the old boss. And not even a boss, really. As a minority investor, the best we could hope for is that they put pressure on the club’s executive management. In fact, there was little they could do. And so United continue, falling wildly. Few things about the machinations of their recruiting strategy this summer make sense. They missed out on £15million Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after they could not agree on his wages. It is now being suggested that there is a £60m move for Casemiro to Real Madrid. He’s a much better player, but if he’s not the worst negotiator in football, surely he earns more than Rabiot? He is 30, but has won the Champions League five times and La Liga three times. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has studied Manchester United and their decline into mediocrity And Casemiro is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. If Rabiot’s demands were too rich for United’s liking, what about Casemiro? A proposed five-year contract would leave United in the lurch given his age and while it could be argued that he would justify his salary and fees as a top talent, so was Raphael Varane when he left Real, and the United seem to have made their place. -Ferguson’s magic on him. Another target is Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, a light striker or wide player not entirely different from the many already at United, certainly Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. It has been so haphazard, United’s activity this summer and, as goals fall more and more, it becomes more so. United’s transfer dealings are a fluke – why do the club want another light forward in Christian Pulisic? Off-field uncertainty won’t make it any worse, but it won’t make the outlook any brighter either. Further fan protests against the Glazers are planned for Monday night’s game against Liverpool, and there is already a movement against Apollo, who are seen as an ally of the Glazers rather than their replacement. Also Josh Harris, a minority shareholder of Crystal Palace is the co-founder of Apollo and is listed as a member of the board and executive committee. So the Premier League should consider his involvement very carefully. Nothing is clean here, nothing certain. The Ratcliffe camp say their man is a buyer, but only if the club is for sale, which it is not. Whether their man is considering making an immediate play for ownership is not apparent. The only billionaire to talk about taking over United appears to have been joking. In the meantime, Wolff will have plenty of material for his next research into reverse alchemy. By the time this is over he may be able to write a book. Crystal Palace co-owner Josh Harris (centre) is involved in Apollo, who are in exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in Manchester United


title: “Martin Samuel Why Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe Get Involved With Manchester United Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-17” author: “Cathey Groce”


The richest man on the planet was only kidding when he pretended to buy the club with a tragically tempting tweet, and that was bad enough. On the same day, however, in an interview with the Financial Times, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had studied the club – in an attempt to find out why big teams collapse. Wolff wasn’t just scoffing as the leader of a Mercedes unit that had dominated F1, seeing Manchester United as a similar sporting enterprise before its recent downfall. “Man is complacent,” he said. “You don’t have energy the same way you used to. Maybe you’re not that ambitious.” Even so, it reinforced the idea of ​​United as footballers, just like Manchester City used to be. “The Theater of Screams,” Sir Alex Ferguson would call Maine Road. There was a fake click in a corner of Old Trafford detailing the years since City last won a trophy. All this, and more, can be applied to United now. The sport’s greatest players study them for a crash course in how not to do it. So why does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to be involved with the club in its current state? As when Musk tweeted, there was great excitement when Britain’s richest man appeared to suggest he would be interested in a stake in United. However, we have been here before. Ratcliffe also wanted to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich once the deadline for bids passed. You’ll notice it doesn’t own it now. Elon Musk was only joking on social media when he said he was going to buy the club A New York-based private equity group, Apollo, is in negotiations to secure a minority stake from the Glazers, with only two of the six Glazer brothers said to be interested in staying on. However, and here is the key, Joel and Avram Glazer wish to retain a majority stake and control the day-to-day running of the club. So what does it mean for an individual, private, investor like Ratcliffe? The estimated valuation of the business is £5bn — ironically, if the team had performed as well, there would have been little problem — and let’s say the Glazers offered up to 30%. That’s still £1.5 billion, and who would want to plow that much into a company and leave managers who have become a case study in how to screw up? Everything that goes wrong at the club isn’t down to ownership — the players, coaches and staff have to take some of the blame, too — but this downfall is on the Glazer family watch. Surely, the bottom line for any serious investor must be regime change? If Ratcliffe is boarding this plane, surely he can’t be comfortable flying with the same pilot who seems confused by the controls? He failed to become worth nearly £11 billion by making dumb decisions. Manchester United co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Abram Glazer (left) are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week It is different for Apollo who would only be investors. There is no proposal for a majority stake, a takeover or even an injection of capital to help with recruitment. It’s just another profiteering move by American capitalists. The new boss will be the same as the old boss. And not even a boss, really. As a minority investor, the best we could hope for is that they put pressure on the club’s executive management. In fact, there was little they could do. And so United continue, falling wildly. Few things about the machinations of their recruiting strategy this summer make sense. They missed out on £15million Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after they could not agree on his wages. It is now being suggested that there is a £60m move for Casemiro to Real Madrid. He’s a much better player, but if he’s not the worst negotiator in football, surely he earns more than Rabiot? He is 30, but has won the Champions League five times and La Liga three times. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has studied Manchester United and their decline into mediocrity And Casemiro is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. If Rabiot’s demands were too rich for United’s liking, what about Casemiro? A proposed five-year contract would leave United in the lurch given his age and while it could be argued that he would justify his salary and fees as a top talent, so was Raphael Varane when he left Real, and the United seem to have made their place. -Ferguson’s magic on him. Another target is Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, a light striker or wide player not entirely different from the many already at United, certainly Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. It has been so haphazard, United’s activity this summer and, as goals fall more and more, it becomes more so. United’s transfer dealings are a fluke – why do the club want another light forward in Christian Pulisic? Off-field uncertainty won’t make it any worse, but it won’t make the outlook any brighter either. Further fan protests against the Glazers are planned for Monday night’s game against Liverpool, and there is already a movement against Apollo, who are seen as an ally of the Glazers rather than their replacement. Also Josh Harris, a minority shareholder of Crystal Palace is the co-founder of Apollo and is listed as a member of the board and executive committee. So the Premier League should consider his involvement very carefully. Nothing is clean here, nothing certain. The Ratcliffe camp say their man is a buyer, but only if the club is for sale, which it is not. Whether their man is considering making an immediate play for ownership is not apparent. The only billionaire to talk about taking over United appears to have been joking. In the meantime, Wolff will have plenty of material for his next research into reverse alchemy. By the time this is over he may be able to write a book. Crystal Palace co-owner Josh Harris (centre) is involved in Apollo, who are in exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in Manchester United


title: “Martin Samuel Why Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe Get Involved With Manchester United Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-23” author: “Wayne Barry”


The richest man on the planet was only kidding when he pretended to buy the club with a tragically tempting tweet, and that was bad enough. On the same day, however, in an interview with the Financial Times, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had studied the club – in an attempt to find out why big teams collapse. Wolff wasn’t just scoffing as the leader of a Mercedes unit that had dominated F1, seeing Manchester United as a similar sporting enterprise before its recent downfall. “Man is complacent,” he said. “You don’t have energy the same way you used to. Maybe you’re not that ambitious.” Even so, it reinforced the idea of ​​United as footballers, just like Manchester City used to be. “The Theater of Screams,” Sir Alex Ferguson would call Maine Road. There was a fake click in a corner of Old Trafford detailing the years since City last won a trophy. All this, and more, can be applied to United now. The sport’s greatest players study them for a crash course in how not to do it. So why does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to be involved with the club in its current state? As when Musk tweeted, there was great excitement when Britain’s richest man appeared to suggest he would be interested in a stake in United. However, we have been here before. Ratcliffe also wanted to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich once the deadline for bids passed. You’ll notice it doesn’t own it now. Elon Musk was only joking on social media when he said he was going to buy the club A New York-based private equity group, Apollo, is in negotiations to secure a minority stake from the Glazers, with only two of the six Glazer brothers said to be interested in staying on. However, and here is the key, Joel and Avram Glazer wish to retain a majority stake and control the day-to-day running of the club. So what does it mean for an individual, private, investor like Ratcliffe? The estimated valuation of the business is £5bn — ironically, if the team had performed as well, there would have been little problem — and let’s say the Glazers offered up to 30%. That’s still £1.5 billion, and who would want to plow that much into a company and leave managers who have become a case study in how to screw up? Everything that goes wrong at the club isn’t down to ownership — the players, coaches and staff have to take some of the blame, too — but this downfall is on the Glazer family watch. Surely, the bottom line for any serious investor must be regime change? If Ratcliffe is boarding this plane, surely he can’t be comfortable flying with the same pilot who seems confused by the controls? He failed to become worth nearly £11 billion by making dumb decisions. Manchester United co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Abram Glazer (left) are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week It is different for Apollo who would only be investors. There is no proposal for a majority stake, a takeover or even an injection of capital to help with recruitment. It’s just another profiteering move by American capitalists. The new boss will be the same as the old boss. And not even a boss, really. As a minority investor, the best we could hope for is that they put pressure on the club’s executive management. In fact, there was little they could do. And so United continue, falling wildly. Few things about the machinations of their recruiting strategy this summer make sense. They missed out on £15million Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after they could not agree on his wages. It is now being suggested that there is a £60m move for Casemiro to Real Madrid. He’s a much better player, but if he’s not the worst negotiator in football, surely he earns more than Rabiot? He is 30, but has won the Champions League five times and La Liga three times. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has studied Manchester United and their decline into mediocrity And Casemiro is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. If Rabiot’s demands were too rich for United’s liking, what about Casemiro? A proposed five-year contract would leave United in the lurch given his age and while it could be argued that he would justify his salary and fees as a top talent, so was Raphael Varane when he left Real, and the United seem to have made their place. -Ferguson’s magic on him. Another target is Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, a light striker or wide player not entirely different from the many already at United, certainly Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. It has been so haphazard, United’s activity this summer and, as goals fall more and more, it becomes more so. United’s transfer dealings are a fluke – why do the club want another light forward in Christian Pulisic? Off-field uncertainty won’t make it any worse, but it won’t make the outlook any brighter either. Further fan protests against the Glazers are planned for Monday night’s game against Liverpool, and there is already a movement against Apollo, who are seen as an ally of the Glazers rather than their replacement. Also Josh Harris, a minority shareholder of Crystal Palace is the co-founder of Apollo and is listed as a member of the board and executive committee. So the Premier League should consider his involvement very carefully. Nothing is clean here, nothing certain. The Ratcliffe camp say their man is a buyer, but only if the club is for sale, which it is not. Whether their man is considering making an immediate play for ownership is not apparent. The only billionaire to talk about taking over United appears to have been joking. In the meantime, Wolff will have plenty of material for his next research into reverse alchemy. By the time this is over he may be able to write a book. Crystal Palace co-owner Josh Harris (centre) is involved in Apollo, who are in exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in Manchester United


title: “Martin Samuel Why Would Sir Jim Ratcliffe Get Involved With Manchester United Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-11-24” author: “Stacia Jaramillo”


The richest man on the planet was only kidding when he pretended to buy the club with a tragically tempting tweet, and that was bad enough. On the same day, however, in an interview with the Financial Times, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said he had studied the club – in an attempt to find out why big teams collapse. Wolff wasn’t just scoffing as the leader of a Mercedes unit that had dominated F1, seeing Manchester United as a similar sporting enterprise before its recent downfall. “Man is complacent,” he said. “You don’t have energy the same way you used to. Maybe you’re not that ambitious.” Even so, it reinforced the idea of ​​United as footballers, just like Manchester City used to be. “The Theater of Screams,” Sir Alex Ferguson would call Maine Road. There was a fake click in a corner of Old Trafford detailing the years since City last won a trophy. All this, and more, can be applied to United now. The sport’s greatest players study them for a crash course in how not to do it. So why does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want to be involved with the club in its current state? As when Musk tweeted, there was great excitement when Britain’s richest man appeared to suggest he would be interested in a stake in United. However, we have been here before. Ratcliffe also wanted to buy Chelsea from Roman Abramovich once the deadline for bids passed. You’ll notice it doesn’t own it now. Elon Musk was only joking on social media when he said he was going to buy the club A New York-based private equity group, Apollo, is in negotiations to secure a minority stake from the Glazers, with only two of the six Glazer brothers said to be interested in staying on. However, and here is the key, Joel and Avram Glazer wish to retain a majority stake and control the day-to-day running of the club. So what does it mean for an individual, private, investor like Ratcliffe? The estimated valuation of the business is £5bn — ironically, if the team had performed as well, there would have been little problem — and let’s say the Glazers offered up to 30%. That’s still £1.5 billion, and who would want to plow that much into a company and leave managers who have become a case study in how to screw up? Everything that goes wrong at the club isn’t down to ownership — the players, coaches and staff have to take some of the blame, too — but this downfall is on the Glazer family watch. Surely, the bottom line for any serious investor must be regime change? If Ratcliffe is boarding this plane, surely he can’t be comfortable flying with the same pilot who seems confused by the controls? He failed to become worth nearly £11 billion by making dumb decisions. Manchester United co-chairmen Joel Glazer (right) and Abram Glazer (left) are reportedly open to selling a stake in the club Sir Jim Ratcliffe officially expressed an interest in buying the troubled club this week It is different for Apollo who would only be investors. There is no proposal for a majority stake, a takeover or even an injection of capital to help with recruitment. It’s just another profiteering move by American capitalists. The new boss will be the same as the old boss. And not even a boss, really. As a minority investor, the best we could hope for is that they put pressure on the club’s executive management. In fact, there was little they could do. And so United continue, falling wildly. Few things about the machinations of their recruiting strategy this summer make sense. They missed out on £15million Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot after they could not agree on his wages. It is now being suggested that there is a £60m move for Casemiro to Real Madrid. He’s a much better player, but if he’s not the worst negotiator in football, surely he earns more than Rabiot? He is 30, but has won the Champions League five times and La Liga three times. Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has studied Manchester United and their decline into mediocrity And Casemiro is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe. If Rabiot’s demands were too rich for United’s liking, what about Casemiro? A proposed five-year contract would leave United in the lurch given his age and while it could be argued that he would justify his salary and fees as a top talent, so was Raphael Varane when he left Real, and the United seem to have made their place. -Ferguson’s magic on him. Another target is Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic, a light striker or wide player not entirely different from the many already at United, certainly Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford. It has been so haphazard, United’s activity this summer and, as goals fall more and more, it becomes more so. United’s transfer dealings are a fluke – why do the club want another light forward in Christian Pulisic? Off-field uncertainty won’t make it any worse, but it won’t make the outlook any brighter either. Further fan protests against the Glazers are planned for Monday night’s game against Liverpool, and there is already a movement against Apollo, who are seen as an ally of the Glazers rather than their replacement. Also Josh Harris, a minority shareholder of Crystal Palace is the co-founder of Apollo and is listed as a member of the board and executive committee. So the Premier League should consider his involvement very carefully. Nothing is clean here, nothing certain. The Ratcliffe camp say their man is a buyer, but only if the club is for sale, which it is not. Whether their man is considering making an immediate play for ownership is not apparent. The only billionaire to talk about taking over United appears to have been joking. In the meantime, Wolff will have plenty of material for his next research into reverse alchemy. By the time this is over he may be able to write a book. Crystal Palace co-owner Josh Harris (centre) is involved in Apollo, who are in exclusive talks to buy a minority stake in Manchester United