United on and off the pitch
It was at the end of my interview with Sir Bobby Charlton, during what we call in television terms a 2-shot, that the great man spoke in awe of the history surrounding us here in Rome.
"Look down from the lift of this hotel", he said, "and there are amazing ruins everywhere."
How appropriate that, in this city where history barks at you, both United and Barcelona are seeking to make football history of their own.
But whatever the result, the most significant thing to emerge from Rome may be how comfortable United currently feel in their own skin at almost every level of the club.
While I was speaking to chief executive David Gill at the team hotel, the club's American owners, the Glazer brothers, mingled in the foyer with not a hint of trouble.
Hard to imagine that four years ago, they had to be virtually smuggled out of Old Trafford and many fans deserted the club in protest.
Gill, who himself opposed the takeover, now sees the Glazers as central to lifting United from the 'nadir' (his word) of the protests and relative lack of success the club was going through in 2005.
He argues they have liberated Sir Alex Ferguson, who now operates under a much simpler decision-making process, that they manage the finances very well, and there is no pressure from the stock market to pay dividends.
Of course there is debt, but Gill doesn't see it as unmanageable or as giving the club an unfair advantage. Rome's Olympic stadium is financed by the local government, French local authorities and governments put money into football - so why can't owners borrow heavily to finance their ownership of clubs?
Ferguson clearly relishes the set-up at the club under the Glazers' ownership. But just as significant is that the club appears not to be overly worried about the great question of what happens when Ferguson finally does bow out.
It took United a generation to recover from the departure of Sir Matt Busby and United's rivals have long hoped that Ferguson's departure will provide them a two or three-year window to catch up with them.
But Sir Alex has again recently quashed any imminent retirement talk.
And given how well the club appears to have managed the transition to foreign ownership, those at the top of the Old Trafford tree give every indication they are also in good shape to manage the even more challenging transition of life after Fergie.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~14~RS~)
Comments
Sign in or register to comment.
A wonderful blog, and something that may not instantly stick out in many fans minds, including us neutrals.
A few years ago the Glazers were some of the most hated men in football. But they have shown that if you keep low, stay out of the limelight, and carry on doing the job you intended to do, then ultimately you will reap the benefits...
I just wish Newcastle United took a similar approach........
Complain about this comment
Unfortunate alignment of the Great Man's quotation, placed immediately above his picture...
I'm not so sure that carrying forward into a new season debts in excess of £600 million is something which can be so airily dismissed. If MU want to see a consequence of a seemingly indestructable brand ignoring huge debts, they should examine the sponsor logo on their shirts.
Getting debt levels under control is a far more pressing consideration than speculating on SAF's successor. Harder times lie ahead.
But, for the moment, let's concentrate on tonight.
Complain about this comment
As ever, so long as you bring success it doesn't really matter how you are or where you come from. Success brings you an awful lot of leeway!
The protests in 2005 seemed a bit premature to me at the time, now four years on it's positively laughable to see the amount of venom that was going around.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
```
Complain about this comment
The comparrison between Man Utd's, French and Italian club financing is curious at best...
The Olimpico was built for Italia 90 by the state as Italian clubs didn't have finances in place to construct stadiums that met newly introduced safety standards. With Italian and French bank attitudes to debt I doubt you could convince them that you NEED a privately owned stadium for a football club. The fact that Juventus have become the first major club to break this tradition and construct their own privately owned stadium marks a move towards to English model.
You also have the problem that to service the huge debt building a new stadium incurs you need huge assured annual income. The Premiership is completely different to Serie A or La Liga, it is a breakaway league that negotiates it's own TV, Endorsement and licensing rights. As a result, as we all know, it makes a hell of a lot more money than the Italian and Spanish League. With less money coming through the books it is a much bigger gamble to build a new stadium for a French, Spanish or Italian club... Just look at the catastrophe Valencia find themselves in, trying to dig their way out of a financial hole with a new stadium they can't afford.
Man United can afford such collosal debt because their turnover is equally collosal, it's that simple.
Complain about this comment
Go Barca. On behalf of all football-lovers, Go Barca!
Complain about this comment
an astute blog as ever...
I think people are comfortable only because things are going our way at the moment. We've seen before how quickly a mood can change, and i'm sure it still rankles with most United supporters that buying a club with a loan purchased on the basis that the club could afford to service it was allowed to ever happen.
But at the moment, the money men are supporting the manager in his purchases, because they at least understand that it brings the success that ensures the debt is serviced, and that he is proven in the transfer market.
But i don't think people are exactly united behind the Glaziers, at least not behind closed doors.
Complain about this comment
WARNING
"bingbingo 123" and "suewin123" still getting in. Don't go near the link.
VERY dodgy.
Complain about this comment
This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
And "kkandnathen" are from the same stable. I THINK that the moderators are, at last, onto this scam - but be wary.
Complain about this comment
I looked up the term two shot - and it seems to mean when two people are filmed from a medium range and given equal prominence in the shot. Did nobody tell you you weren't pictured in this one?
Complain about this comment
View these comments in RSS