That is some serious wealth right there 
. Wonder how long they envisage it will take them to start competing for the top prizes.
Playing the devilās advocate here but what if the shoe were on the other foot. What if Newcastle had Liverpoolās football history and owners and we had theirs?
How many Liverpool supporters would object if the Saudi Public Investment Fund took over, just saying ā¦
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Iām glad the Toon Army are finally able to shake off Mike fucking Ashley. Heās ruined a big club with an awesome fanbase for too many years. Their fans (I know a fair few, having grown up in the North East), are deserving of a team that can challenge for honours.
Yes, there are concerns around Sport Washing and human rights etc, but they wonāt become a City overnight. They will take a few years to get to that. The hope is that whoever comes in to actually run the club doesnāt wash away the NUFC history/story and does stuff in keeping with how it should, kind of like FSG have done with us.
Given the way football is going, the only people able to afford clubs these days are dodgy as you like - all billionaires are - itās the future of the sport unfortunately. Just gotta hope theyāre not corrupt like the Man City lot.
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I wonder, how do we even evaluate Newcastleās history? Or is it more the story because we have a soft spot for them (which I feel might disappear soon) and like to imagine them enjoying better times/money/be able to compete? Theyāve won 11 major trophies. City had 9 before the big takeover. And arguably more spread out (Newcastle never won the League Cup which City did and City won a more prestigious European trophy than Newcastle) and more important ones, too.
The big question is why Norway hasnāt bought a team and won multiple Champions League titles yet?
Geographically, Newcastle would be the perfect pick for them, and they clearly have money to spend. Buy Newcastle, sign Haalandā¦ just a ferry ride from Osloā¦
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I would for sure. The Saudi state is abhorrent. Forget the Jamal Khashoggi murder. They are basically what IS wanted to become. They do the same shit. Public stonings and beheadings. MBS is ironically the most moderate of the bastards. Dont forget that the Islamic Terrorism of the noughties was exported by saudi Arabia across the world.
Ask yourself would you have the Trumps own LFC? I bet the answer for most would be a heck no! But then why would anyone be okay with the Saudis? Theyāre much much much worse.
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Gotta say, Iād be welcoming it. We donāt have to imagine swapping places either, just rewind 11 years.
Iād have taken Saudi Arabia coming in to get rid of Hicks & Gillett. Iād have snapped their arms off - a phrase Iād want to be careful they didnāt take literally.
Iād like to think that Iād also be taking the opportunity to challenge them on their human rights record. Sports Washing - why does it have to work one way? Why donāt supporters realise that itās a double edged sword. That the very thing these regimes need is precisely what can be utilised to put pressure back on them?
If Saudi Arabia wanted to associate with Liverpool because of our global reach, our ābrand valueā if you like, they should be aware that a social and moral conscience lies at the heart of what this club is all about.
Iād hope that at every game weād prominently display messages critical of human rights abuses. Maybe even have flags naming victims of abuse by the Saudi Regime, thereby using the very public exposure the new Owners sought to turn the spotlight back on them and hopefully bring about change.
So the sport washing endeavour could be reversed so that rather than act to distract from injustices, it would bring them into greater focus and public consciousness.
Just a thought.
Makes you wonder why City and PSG fans donāt already do this.
Sadly many many worldwide fans for sure wonāt care as long as thereās excitement in transfer windows, youāre signing the Mbappes and Haalands, and you are competing at the top end. Didnāt matter with City, wouldnāt matter with Newcastle and to a small extend wouldnāt matter with us.
I still hope for us the indifference would be much less as compared to others, but thereās no guarantee with these things. They day Klopp leaves and couple of seasons of mid table finishes, the long term plan suddenly looking fallible, likes of Newcastles on the top end would be enough impatience for many to jump ship and defend the same.
Thereād be a lot of fans disappearing under mysterious circumstances, never to be seen again, if we did that.
Still, on the bright side, the season ticket queue might move forward a bit.
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Because Norway spent all their money on research and development to make Halaand in a lab. World cup winners in a few years when they line up with 11 Halaands.
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Iām with amnesty on this, there is dubious like Roman and then there is this lot.
Norway I donāt think need to sports wash and really have better things to spend money on than a football club like social health and infrastructure.
It would be a very sad day if Liverpool signed out to groups like this. Ah well the climate is fucked so football wonāt be much of an issue in 30 years.
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Because a sovereign wealth fund focused on long term returns to secure the future prosperity of its population would not touch footy with a bargepole. City has been a hole in which to pour money, they trumpet the fact that the hole is nowhere near as large as it once was as commerical success.
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To be fair it will take them a number of years to get right and they need the best people in place to deliver it, so it probably doesnāt effect us on the pitch until Klopp leaves, so I guess just enjoy this next few years.
Fingers crossed they are relegated so it delays the āgreat eraā like Sheffield United. Championship does restrict its clubs so if you get stuck there your fucked and it looks like Sheff United will.
At what point will we get relegation removed by clubs like this sloshing money about mind.
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You dont get too many stonings or public floggings in Oslo.
No need to try and make the world like them.
Iām sure most of us would turn a blind eye if this happened to LFC, but itās just another step in the wrong direction. The league is already dominated by teams owned by multi billionaires and we are only keeping up because we have the best trainer in the world.
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They are whale murderers though
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This.
Their brand of wahabbi islam has tarnished an entire religion. Not to mention their repressive human rights
Look for them imposing dress culture at newcastle. Afterall a woman showing her face at the cameras will offend their religious sensibility
This is my concern. You could assemble the best XI in the world on paper but with the right coach the next best 11 players, and the next, and the next etc could beat them.
But you canāt keep going down the line. There are more than 22 players that can form two teams of near enough equal strength. Three teams even. Maybe even four. But there arenāt 10.
If the top 100 players become consolidated in 5 or 6 clubs with extremely wealthy owners, the clubs competing for players in the tier below will never outperform them.
Right now we have a chance because even if we were limited to compiling a first 11 from players outside the top 50 but inside the top 100, those players are still good enough for coaching to close the gap. Beyond that and youāre asking a lot.
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I wouldnāt. If the alternate was SA for Hicks & Gillette , i would have stopped caring about football.
I was pretty close to quitting bothering about football during the H&G era. Wasnt worth the heart ache. FSG despite their glaring flaws have shown that they care about the club and all people connected to the clubā¦ Were there mistakes made under FSG , yes. But to have morally bankrupt owners is a step too far for me to support a club.
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Maybe you can say that, but truthfully, I think youād be in the minority. I remember when many fans wanted DIC and then China.
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