Jul 08
On Sneijder, Balotelli, Ozil et al…
All of a sudden United have found themselves making—would you believe it—headline news in the transfer market. And what’s more, we have actually put in a bid—reported at around £29m—for Wesley Sneijder.
Inter president, Massimo Moratti, has confirmed this.
Moratti has also moved to say that he intends to keep Sneijder at the club longer, by opening contract talks with the Dutchman.
There are several reasons why I believe this transfer won’t happen. First of all, Sneijder has been key to Inter’s success last season, helping them to a domestic treble. He has been a fabulous bit of business as Inter bought him from Madrid for £12m. Whilst a tidy profit might be tempting, they’d be idiots to sell him after just one season.
Secondly, he’s just having a brilliant world cup. A cliche, and perhaps a little unfair, but with every goal, his value goes up a few notches. He’s in the final now with the Netherlands, and a potential world cup winner. When the likes of Fabregas are valued at £40m, £30m is laughably low for someone of Sneijder’s stature.
Another significant factor is his wages. Currently he’s reported to be earning £3.5m a year after tax. If you factor in taxes (I used a rough estimate based on taxation slabs for Italy) his weekly wages (pre-tax) is approximately 120k. At United, we would have to offer higher wages just to match his current wages—because, remember, in England the taxation rate is higher, at 50%—and we would have to offer him even more than that because Inter are going to try to match that.
So, it’s going to be the coup of Ferguson’s career to pull of a Sneijder deal. Which means, given his rhetoric on “value for money”, we won’t get him.
The other story doing the rounds is of our reported interest in Balotelli, which has also been confirmed by Moratti. Again he maintains he hasn’t received a single bid that’s satisfactory. If reports are to be believed he reckons Balotelli is worth around £30m. [That much money is too much for a world renowned nutcase.] Also: Man City are interested in him, and have put in several ridiculous bids.
So we’ll leave it at that.
There have been stray reports, without much substance of our interest in Ozil. Wonderful player, on evidence of having seen him play in the World Cup. Highly acclaimed by pundits who follow German football, but since I’ve seen him properly only in the World Cup, I won’t have an opinion on him. As for the veracity of this rumour, well, I believe he’s only going to be a back up.
There is also the story that we’re possibly weighing up a bid for Benzema—some reports claiming Berbatov would be off loaded. I’ll believe it when I see it.
Related items from Red Rants:
- Ferguson Trots the Same Tired Lines
- Can Barca be beaten in Europe?
- Will Promises, Promises Turn Into Lies and Damned Lies?
- Manchester United launch £20m bid for Wesley Sneijder
- Looking Back and Looking Ahead…
Tags: Manchester United News
Opti (541)
Stephen (479)
RedDevilEddy (459)
Craig Mc (345)
Moscow is my heaven (272)
This isn’t going to happen. One source told me the bid was actually $30m – so about £20m – a laughable sum. In reality United will have to bid well over £30m, and make him the best paid player at the club. NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.
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Personally, I wouldn’t want the guy anyway. His arrogance is legendary having once laughed at a Dutch team mate for earning only a quarter of his wages.
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Man utd need midfielders that strong,skilful and so intelligent when holding ball. And also need to change the formation pattern to formal 4-4-2 pattern. We dont need striker much, all we need is strong midfield to serve the two front men. Hernandez will deliver, just need to add some players like: schweinsteiger, khedira, suarez, sanchez, Podolski, Benzema, Ozil, Las Diarra. They know what to do when holding ball and when to serve ball. One united.
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@United Rant: By most accounts it seems to be closer to £30m rather than $30m. Any case, I don’t think Inter are going to be swayed unless the bid touches £40—something the club is never going to hit.
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So the Season Tickets are proving hard to shift? A Reported bid for one of the Worlds best midfielders?
Coincidence?
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It is a shame United did not ask for Sneijder to be made part of the deal that took Ronaldo to Madrid. Now it may prove difficult to get him.
Fergie would do well to sign Ozil.
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Stephen – where are you mate? Any news at all on how season tickets and corporate boxes are going, because not a peep about it from MUST. Is smug traitor Gill right about business as usual at OT?
.
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I guess this depends on Sneijder then. If he kicks up a fuss, says he doesn’t want to play under Rafa (which would be sensible) and he wants to come to United, then £30mil s very much value. He is the type of player we are screaming out for. At 26 he is hitting his peak.
If I had been managed by Mourinho, and then the Fat Spanish Waiter came in to replace him, I’d be off. Inter need to raise around £30mil to buy Marcherano if today’s reports are to be believed.
This would be a great move if it happened.
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In other news, Bayern Munich are apparently going to offer £20mil for Berbatov, which if they do not only are they mental, but we should snap their hands off. If our transfer budget is the reported £25mil a season, then selling Foster and Tosic and Berbatov would bring in £32mil.
That’s £57mil in total, which if a £25mil bid for Benzema as reported was true, and the £29mil bid for Sneijder that we know is true would leave us with the option to up the Sneijder bid to £32mil if needed.
Again, this is only spending the £25mil transfer budget we are reported to have each season, with the rest made on player sales. Sounds like us.
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Sneijder looks a long shot now. He is certain to win the player of the year award. Balotelli is a good player but has attitude problems. Ozil is the best bet. he has one year on his contract, cant we agree a deal with him now so that we can get him for free next season???
BTW @RedRanter your articles are really good and interesting. Keep up the good work.
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@aig alex is god: He already cried a lot to leave shalke to move to leverkusen, if he does it again he will loose all credebility, then what are the chances he wont do the same with us.
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@Traverse: Who knows whether we actually have such an amount, also i feel even if we have funds they will be saved for next year when a bigger overhaul will be required once 3-4 experienced players will hang-up boots at once. So i feel may be january or next summer onus will be on us to spend.
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@despicable: I think those signings will probably be made this season, not next. At the end of next season when Scholes, Neville and Van Der Sar go if we haven’t already replaced them we will be held over a barrel on prices. I have a feeling Giggs might be here a year or two longer.
Sneijder is a Scholes replacement.
If Rafael kicks on this season, he is our Neville replacement.
VDS’s replacement has to be bought in this season. We can’t afford to wait until next season, when the only goalkeepers on our books will be Kuzczack and Amos.
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@despicable: Who cares, he’ll be 31 or 32 by the time his contract would run out!
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@Traverse: You think Neville is better right now than Raphael? In my eyes he is easily better than the old guy. Yeah he has his problem but what young player not named messi Doesnt?
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Neville is the best right back in the world.
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Sneijder is one of those that got away, Fergie will not spend that kind of money unless we are selling. Neuer had a good WC and I hope we are looking at the goal keeping position more than the attacking players! I think we are going to reserve spending till next season, guess depending on the senior players and the form of Ando, Hargreaves etc. Ozil at anything around what we paid for Valencia would be a good investment. Although Sneijder at 25-30 would still be a very very good deal!
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Yesterday I was trying to feel optimistic about transfer rumours but after a day of thinking about it, I see the same patterns forming. Fergie always seems to be interested in signing the players he has the least chance of getting. Not only can he not afford the selling price Inter will place on Schneijder, but like RR said, his wage demands will be way off the chart. So then we start talking about the head case Balotelli. Why would we want to pay 30 million for somebody who may be talented but has accomplished nothing due to not just a bad attitude but a selfish, childish and disruptive one. Why is it Fergie always feels he can be the one who will solve the problems of bad boys. He reminds me of all stupid women who hook up with men who are bikers, ex cons or brawlers and swear their mission in life is to change them and make them into the men they would never want to be with because they are too straight laced and conservative as well as decent? Foolishly arrogant and overly ambitious I think because Balotelli isn’t just stupid and temperamental. He is emotionally FUBAR. He has serious emotional problems and insecurities and Ferguson isn’t qualified to deal with those kind of issues. Not for over 30 million. Hell I wouldn’t pay 10 million for him. I also think he is massively overrated.
I think there is a chance if Fergie sells a few players that he will in the end try to get Benzema but at only a 5 million discount that is still too high a price Madrid is asking for a bench warmer. Who the Hell do they think they are fooling? They sit this guy on the bench all season and they are telling the world he is worth 30 million? Try more 15 to 20.
Fergie instead should be looking in thew direction of getting players who are damned good but are also young and uncorrupted yet. Ozil would be a good start. Podolski rumours have to be a joke because for the most part, Podolski is a joke. Going after an engine room DMF like Khedira who is in the last year of his contract seems like good business to me and cheap. And now is the time to take a chance on Huntelaar because he can be had for 10 to 12 million. Trust me, for that price he would be the steal of the century. As for goalkeepers, I do not think Fergie has a shot at Neuer but he still could go after Adler if he was actually awake and serious.
Bottom line in all this is that Fergie is yet again giving all fans the royal snow job. Showing them his interest and efforts to buy players but the market is to unreasonable and teams are demanding ridiculous amounts of money for players. Why is he doing this? Because he has no money and he needs to justify the fact he has no money by making calculated inquiries for players he knows he will not get even if he puts in an offer. He is playing the bluffing game and just once i would like a team to say OK, you can have so n so for that price and then lets see Fergie piss himself knowing full well he hasn’t got the money to complete the deal. He’s nothing more than a con man these days but you know what, I’m not going to bite. I almost bit yesterday. Maybe it was just me being in a melancholy mood over the loss by my Germans.
Fergie has no intention of buying anyone unless he can sell first to fund a buy later. Ozil wants to play for us and has shown for a whole season now just what he’s capable of. In past years that would have been more than enough. Christ I remember Fergie spending big money back then for Karel Poborsky just because he was impressed by one lobbed goal he scored in the EUROS. Well ozil has done a lot more but Fergie doesn’t care because Fergie hasn’t got real money. But he does allegedly own Park Place and Boardwalk and a Get out of Jail free card.
Just how long are we all going to keep falling for the same con job. Fergie, just fuck off. 
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@Traverse: They may offer that for Berba and trust me, based on their players and style of play, Berba would be a success there. But Bayern are also seriously looking at Huntelaar and Hunter wants to go there. Since van Gaal is Dutch and van Bommel, Robben and other Dutchmen are there or being linked with a move to Munich, I can see the Huntelaar deal going through at Bayern more so than Berba.
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Inter have demanded that Manchester United include super sub Federico Macheda in any offer for Mario Balotelli
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Speaking as a defender, knowing that I was about to face Rooney and Balotelli would make me shit myself. Would probably be the most intimidating front due in whole of Europe! And with the style of Nani and Van Der Vaart behind them, we would be a much greater force. Can see it to be honest, but just seems to good to be true… Please Fergie, prove me wrong!
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David Villa, at 28, a prime striker, in the World Cup finals as a tournament top scorer cost £34 Million. Why is it that Wesley Sneijder is worth more? Is Barcelona any different from Manchester United?
I guess the market has changed since Villa’s transfer but that doesn’t make the money any different when the player shows he wants to leave. Unfortunately though that may be the case if the kid wants to rack the accolades as ESPN reports. Let’s see what happens.
Althought I will ask…why wait so long Fergie? There was th Ajax – Real Madrid window, then the Madrid-Inter window…. Then the No coach opportunity prior to the World Cup…. what has changed NOW that wasn’t there then? These are my questions.
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Chygrynskiy: Guardiola said I had to go because Barcelona have cash problems
Where is Platini with his debt-should-not-be-allowed talks… Barca might crumble under its own weight… Galacticos methods are not sustainable!
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Well not surprised to be honest inter have said sneijder is going nowhere. I think again this bid of apparently £29m was just another one of those “pulling the wool over our eyes” kind of bids. In other words, we never had any intention of buying sneijder, we knew straight away the bid would be rejected, but we made it public knowledge so the fans would believe we had £29m to chuck at players and werent skint.
Im sorry but it was bollocks from the start. First of all lets look at the current transfer market state. If players like milner are reportedly going for £30m then is sneijder for £29m a realistic valuation.
No way. I think its pretty obvious inter would never accept such a paltry amount, and united knew this and expected the bid to be rejected as soon as it was lodged.
Its clever on uniteds part. Get the fans hopes up and make it look like we do have the cash even though we all know its a cunning way to make fans think otherwise and wonder if the reports we are skint are rubbish.
Unfortunately until i see a substantial bid has been accepted i will continue to think we are skint. Im sorry but i refuse to believe we were ever willing to offer just shy of £30m and ready to smash our wage structure for sneijder.
It was total crap from day 1 and it will be “we tried for sneijder and a few others but their prices were too high” or “we made a realistic bid for a few players but they were turned down”.
And lets just say i believe we have £30m lying around, ok well why dont we bloody well get our finger out and go for ozil asap before we miss out to madrid. Ozil was always a much more realistic option anyway as he only has a year left on his contract and would fit in just as well i believe as wesley would have.
Will we make a move though, no im positive we wont. And why. Well because there is a good chance a bid of £25m would be accepted and not rejected like the players we usually bid for because we know they will never accept our bid.
You see united you may fool alot of people out there but you dont fool me, i can see what your playing at from a mile away.
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Balotelli is an imature, overrated arrogant cock, I would rather stick with Kiko than spend any money on him.
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@CraigMc: The word on the street not so well, but my sources are somewhat biased, probably selling well to day trippers, foreigners and large corporate companies there will be a re great atmosphere next season…
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@Stephen: agree!
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Most beautiful World Cup players of 2010
1) Fabio Cannavaro, Italy
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
2) Fernando Torres, Spain
3) David Villa, Spain
4) Landon Donovan, USA
5) Thierry Henry, France
6) Edinson Cavani, Uruguay
7) Kaka, Brazil
9) Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast
10) Keisuke Honda, Japan
11) David James, England
The ugliest World Cup players of 2010
1) Wayne Rooney, England
Scott Chipperfield, Australia
2) Franck Ribery, France
3) Carlos Tevez, Argentina
4) Vladimir Stojkovic, Serbia
5) Benjamin Huggel, Switzerland
6) Zdenko Strba, Slovakia
7) Rafik Saifi, Algeria
9) John Terry, England
10) Ryan Nelson, New Zealand
11) Daniel Agger, Denmark
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@Owen: Isn’t that a little gay?
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@Owen: I have no problem offering Macheda for some rolls of two ply toilet paper and a
case of ribbed Trojan condoms but for Balotelli that’s just to stiff a price.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: Why are you and everyone dismissing the fact that Balotelli is a complete sack of shit and a scumbag on top of that? He took of the Inter shirt and treated it like a rag in front of fans mate. How many of us United supporters would appreciate him taking of the United colours and treating it like that in front of us just because he got subbed off when he didn’t like it? I hate fucking punks like him and yet fans like yourself are fickle. It seems that if the player has talent and can play, he could have a sideline as a world renowned assassin or child molester and that would be OK as long as he scored goals and entertained. Our club’s already broken. We certainly do not need the presence of a disruptive and disrespectful scum like Balotelli to make things worse. I’m not questioning his talent, i’m questioning his lack of heart, good judgment and his pea sized brain.
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@Grognard: Amen to that brother..
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@tonymontanna4united: You said it mate. Well said.
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@Stephen: And I think you are being too kind in your attack on him. Absolutely right mate. As if this club hasn’t got enough problems we now are seeking trouble makers to enter the dressing room and completely destabilize the team. Hell, at this time all for selling Evra after finding out what he did at the World Cup. Balotelli is like committing suicide if we sign him. I have no faith that Fergie can remove the fangs and venom from this cobra and then tame it as a house pet. I mean if the consummate player’s manager Mourinho couldn’t get him on the same page, and old codger like Fergie won’t do it.
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@Owen: Rooney may look like Shrek but he is not uglier than Ribery and I am totally surprised that Puyol is not in that ugly group. Why am I and my two footy friends here in Vancouver the only ones who can see the striking resemblance to Herman Munster?
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@Grognard: I posted a comment regarding RedNev.Why you have not replied to it?
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Well thats that then. And Fergie knew this because Schneijder said the same thing last year while with Madrid. Still, it was a safe bluff their Fergie. As usual, thanks for nothing.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/3046663/WESLEY-SNEIJDER-has-snubbed-interest-from-Manchester-United-by-pledging-to-stay-at-Inter-Milan-next-season.html
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@Owen: Sorry mate. I agree, but why stop with the world. Lets include the Universe even if we don’t know what’s out there, we do know that whoever is out there, they can’t possibly be better than Neville.
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@tonymontanna4united: &@Grognard: well i agree its a shrewd piece of business, well fact is we always end up paying over the odds for many players and we aren’t in a position to win a bidding war with either real, chelsea or shitty..I agree ozil is a good pick up if possible and we are really suffering true quality in midfeild and I hope fergie addresses this..Gosling anyone?
About Balotelli, he is a true wild card don’t like him and i seriously doubt Fergie will pick up anyone who has such authority issues and its more likely tabloid filth..well Sneijder was never gonna come and his market value has surely hit the roof with the dutch in the WC final and all…
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@Grognard: I think one of the main reasons Fergie wants Balotelli is his personality. As weird as it may sound, I think Sir Alex may look at this as another challenge, one he wants to make to compete with Jose. Jose is renowned as the best man-manager in the world, but he didn’t manage to tame Mario. So if Fergie could, it would be another personal victory over Mourinho, and one thus would mean he is the best manager alive.
Freaky stuff yeah, but wouldn’t surprise me to be honest
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Ozil is out there. He is ready willing and able to sign for United but you just watch how Fergie avoids him like the plague even though he is cheaper than Scheijder but just as good and with a greater potential upside. Fergie cannot place a bid to Bremen for Ozil because they will accept it and then what? Fergie has to go to Manchester town centre with a soup can begging for coins. Fuck it amazes me that so few have clued into this old bastards transparent as air lame assed strategies to hid the truth from fans. WAKE UP PEOPLE, we are broke and busted and the only way we can buy players is to sell players.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: That’s pretty egotistical stuff if it were true. I personally think it’s all BS mate. Honestly, we have money for nothing more than a few deep fried pieces of fish with some chips wrapped in Manchester United monthly newsprint.
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@Grognard: I’m better than Neville.
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I’m suprised the mass media haven’t reported this yet, but I have on good authority that contract negotiations with Owngoalinho have broken down and he has submitted a transfer request.
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@RMJ: The other thing that I find the most disturbing of all is how so many great players now don’t want to play for us anymore because they read the stories about the clubs financial troubles and also, they have watched our club play some of the ugliest and dullest football imaginable in the last two years and although we have success, attack minded players are not keen on being forced out of position and being told they must track back and play conservatively all game long against a minnow. United has lost allure and glow with a lot of players in the world. Fortunately not all have been swayed yet and a player like Ozil is still out there. But Fergie is just a lying manipulative bastard with holes in his pockets. Yet another summer of incredible disappointment.
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@EduardoDaVinci4: BS. Neville is going to be the Balon D’Or winner this season and will captain England right into 2018 where he will be still young enough to be at his peak. Man you have bballs to compare your abilities to those of the great world class Beckenbauerish virtuoso Gary Neville.
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@Johnsom33: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
He was our only hope, our best player and a true finesse artist of the first order. United need to go borrow whatever money they need from banks to keep him or we are in the shite. 
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@Grognard: Wow that was one quick reply!
I know Balotelli is a sobby git, and an immature one. But I think there is hope for him. He reminds me of one of my mates, so I know he is hard to deal with. His ego is huuuuuuuuuuuuuge, but I think it can be tamed or fulfilled at United. His ego is the same as The Greasy One’s, but in a completely different way. I think Fergie would relish a guy like Mario, even though the whole team wouldn’t…
On one hand though, the Inter squad is known for having lots of arrogant tits who don’t know how to behave. I mean, how can a team get 3 of their players yellow carded while on the bench?!
It’s a ridiculous team. Materazzi we know all of, and Toldo, Cambiasso and Etoo aren’t known for being the best blokes either. Hell, even Sneijder is known to have mocked a fellow Dutch team-mate for having a smaller paycheck than him! That teams spirit is shite, I think even I would have snapped there! 
While in United you’ve got temperamented players like Rooney, Scholes and Evra, but they do know how to behave off the pitch. We’ve got one of the best social enviroments within a team in Europe! When Tevez and Ronny left it looks as though everyone is getting along much better, it’s a real team now. Now I don’t know Balotelli, and neither do you, but a change of environment from the Inter one to United may put him on course. I think he would become a massive player here, but we’ll see..
By the way, much of his problems with the Inter fans were because of racist remarks by the guys in the stands. It’s tough being the only black guy in that side who isn’t brasilian, we know Muntari had difficulties there, but since Mario is so young he has taken it much worse. Can’t blame him for that to be honest. Not trying to excuse his behaviour though, it’s shite and immature. But can’t say that his teammates and fellow fans have helped him really…
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@Grognard: I think the fact that we decided we didnt want him last year for £13m, and yet a year on were supposedly willing to spend £29m shows me the bid was just bollocks from day 1.
I ask anyone why you would wait a year on sneijder when he was there for the taking at a pathetic £13m. Now he was ready to spend over twice that amount.
Yeah thats right fergie i believe you. This bid was just the usual crap. Bid for a player you know will reject you, but will show the world you were willing to spend money people say you dont have.
Its total crap. I mean for gods sake millwall could bid £60m for ronaldo tomorrow, it doesnt mean they have the money.
Its just another way of shitting in the fans faces. Were just stupid and know nothing, and this bid shows we have £29m lying around. Any fans who say otherwise are idiots.
Oh yeah brilliant ploy fergie, unfortunately not every fan believes what you say anymore, thank god.
And yet fergie here we are, on the face of it you apparently have that £29m to spend. So would that not be enough to get ozil.
Yes ofcourse it would. Unfortunately he wont bid that £29m for ozil because he knows that offer would be accepted, and the money which doesnt exist would have to change hands.
You see fergie i can ready you like a bloody book these days.
Im sorry im repeating myself again but its just the same old same old with united isnt it. Go for players who dont want to play for us and totally ignore the many talented players who would give their left nut just to pull on the united shirt. And why. Well just because if you bid for benzema, sneijder, and lets just add for good measure gerrard, terry and lampard, you know they will never want to join you so despite telling the world you have bid £30m for a player, that imaginary money never has to change hands.
Its just pathetic really. Worse thing is it shows how far we have fallen when wesley would rather play for the clueless fat spanish waiter than to join us. Man i pissed at the constant bad news after bad news and let down after let down this club serves up to its millions of fans on a weekly basis. We deserve so much more than this shit.
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