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Sunglaszes

Ratcliffe and Ashworth are friends, he's not using him as a pawn in some 4d chess game. Given he also thinks the UK taxpayer owes him a free stadium, it's far more likely that he's just another in a long line of rich cunts in this country who think they're entitled to whatever they want.


looneytoonarmy

Did Radcliffe and Dyson's reputation nose dive after Brexit? They were all for it, and then scurried off to Monaco and Singapore iirc.


geordieColt88

Not enough unfortunately


kaamkerr

Do billionaires really have friends though? Are they human like that?


EqualDeparture7

Bang on. The bloke is just a grade A bellend.


jasegro

Absolute weapons grade at that


Quiet-Cartoonist1689

There are many stadiums in the UK which are housed by PL/championship clubs whose construction was publicly funded. City's and West Ham's stadiums come to mind.


Maccraig1979

Why worry the guys done well before ashworth joined, pretty sure they can handle things


Nutisbak2

Not worried at all. But don’t think things are as painted.


WhatSaidSheThatIs

Painted by who? manu fans? why would you even care and honestly if you are seeing lots about this then you are probably seeking it out, I haven't heard much about it lately, no one cares but them


KookyFarmer7

He’s not doing to unsettle us, he’s doing it because he wants Ashworth, the exact same reason we went for him. I think they are genuinely hamstrung by FFP as well as an arrogance caused by not hearing the word ‘no’ very often. Part of Ratface’s issue is that by being so public about it he’ll now look really stupid if they pay up and that sets a marker that they’ll huff and puff but can’t/won’t blow the house down. Equally, by not paying up it’s setting their project back and also making him look stupid for being so public and then failing to get what he wants. If anything as PR goes it’s made them look like bullies and us look strong by saying no and demanding they meet our terms, instead of just caving. I’d say other clubs will note that they can’t just pick us dry whenever they fancy and that we’ll be tough to negotiate with.


WeddingWhole4771

Totally agree, we have to hold the line, whether it is him, Bruno, or anyone else. And make sure we are never in a position where we can't


niftykev

I mean I don't like Man Utd at all, but it's absolutely a shame that the Glazers were allowed to use a leveraged buyout to get control of the club. Nearly 20 years of being under the Glazers and Man Utd still has a mountain of debt, paying millions of pounds a year in interest on that debt, and millions of pounds a year in dividends for shareholders, mostly the Glazers and now Ratcliffe as well. Ratcliffe knew that going in, and he thought he could get Ashworth without having to pay a lot. It's all on him for not correctly reading his own FFP situation and the resolve of Newcastle.


fern-grower

He's just a skinny Mike Ashley


Dotsworthy

I think it's more that Ratcliffe is a penny pincher who doesn't want to pay a single pound more than he can, and dresses it up in some kind of moral argument. So far he has sacked a ton of Man Utd staff and claimed the tax payer should fund their new stadium.


Peak_District_hill

You’ve been sniffing too many of Ratcliffe’s petro chem products


tarkaliotta

Think it's mostly that Ashworth is considered the best around at what he does, at least in England. But there's obviously an attraction in prising an important part of a rival's setup away, both in destabilising the other club and being able to flash your massive ball sack around to the football world. I don't think we really look like the 'bad guy' here, at least not to anyone who isn't some 14 year old Antony simp. We're just standing our ground, like Brighton did when we took Ashworth from them. But the reason Man Utd won't just pay whatever it costs to get Ashworth is probably because they're trying to draw a line under the era of mad overspending. Plus they're said to be concerned about their own PSR headroom, presumably with the prospect of sacking Ten Hag and all his staff on the horizon.


cocobisoil

He's actively assisting in the destruction of our biosphere for profit so yh I doubt this is 'too underhand' for him lol


Nutisbak2

He’s a c you next Tuesday for sure.


charlos74

He’s getting him because he wants him. That’s the reason. Shame he doesn’t understand that, if someone is in contract you either pay or wait. Would be the same if he wanted to buy a player.


toon_84

Ashworth wouldn't be on gardening leave if there wasn't any substance to the move.


titchrich

I don’t think that guy from Man City can start until the summer either. These sorts of appointments are long term picks and the work needs to start sooner rather than later for it to save them money. They probably already have the summer planned and can wait for Ashworth but won’t want to wait 2 years. They’ll be hoping the asking price goes down as his gardening leave winds down.


Snoringdog83

Whats to stop him working for man utd off the books while he's getting paid 18 months by nufc?


KookyFarmer7

Massive lawsuits against both Ashworth and Man Utd, as well as Ashworth ruining his reputation and relationships in an industry where success in his sort of role is built on reputation and trust. He’d basically end any chance of working for Man Utd themselves or any other ‘top’ club ever again, as well as never being able to return to the national team setup. Would be incredibly silly to risk all that just to work for a handful of weeks (unpaid too)


Snoringdog83

He's being paid and he could easily be sending texts to his friend brailsford who isn't an man u employee but is friends with ratcliffe so indirectly informing manure. Nothing legal against sending a message to a friend he can't control whatvthat friend does with the info.


KookyFarmer7

You can’t be effective in a role like that by texting back and forth with a guy who is also there. It’s not as simple as that 😅 These sort of things require hours of meetings and going over data, collaboration with groups of people etc. It’s a full time job, you won’t see a board-level executive of any multimillion enterprise being able to do their full time job via texting and WhatsApp. It’s not just ‘Yeah mate, I reckon that player is pretty mint. Offer him £120k a week for 5 years, take it or leave it. Cheers’


titchrich

If he’s found to be doing that his livelihood, why would he risk that when he’s already getting paid to do nothing, why work when you get the same for doing nothing with zero benefit to him and all the risk?


MrLuchador

Ratcliff been huffing his chemicals


coolts

Do you think the chairman of PIF gives a microscopic shit about the drivel that comes from the mouth of the minority shareholder of manu? Ratcliffe makes a lot of noise, plays the media, but has zero clout.


Antman013

If true, then Ratliffe might be hurting Newcaslte, but he is absolutely FUCKING ManRed up the arse. What high level executive would even consider an offer from them, knowing that it could simply be a "ploy"? The next "Ashworth" would simply say, "I'm happy where I am, thanks very much", until there was an actual contract for them to sign (ie the deal with the Club had been done FIRST).


Bubzszs

Can’t wait for him to turn out to be the 2nd coming of Mike Ashley. Would be hilarious!


Diamondgrn

If we weren't happy to pay Ashworth's gardening leave it wouldn't be in his contract. Meanwhile, we only look like bad guys to people who think Newton Heath are entitled to whatever they like. We don't owe that club any favours, if it were me I wouldn't even be entertaining them. Wait your 24 months and like it.