Gill Watching …
The Chief Executive is the man the club turns to when bad news needs to be explained away. The killer Daily Telegraph scoop revealing how United spent £44 million on debt servicing alone last year – enough to buy two world class forwards – was just the kind of news copy to be marked “immediate rebuttal” by the club’s media handlers.
Sure enough, less than a week later, United announced a new multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Spanish corporate giant Grupo 2002. Over the next five years, United will promote Royal Resorts Sports and Leisure residential properties. The contract follows other tie-ins with Air Asia, Budweiser, Audi and Kumho Tyres.
With a home attendance of more than 70, 000, a global fan base of millions and an unrivalled brand name, rare is the the moment when United cannot find sponsors with deep pockets.
Nevertheless, Gill could not resist the opportunity to crow about the commercial success, score a few points with the Glazers and settle any nerves about the financial stability of the club.
“In order to do these (sponsorship) deals we fully understand the need for us to have good teams playing attractive and winning football the Manchester United way,” he declared.
“If you wind the clock back, there was clearly some turmoil prior to the takeover. Change is always something you have to think about but I spent some time with the [Glazer] family and got to understand what they were all about.
“They have been true to their word. They said they wouldn’t change things in terms of how it is run, either with Sir Alex Ferguson on the football side and myself on the non-football side. They understand stability is a key requirement in any sports team.
“But they have been there when we have needed them, both in finding money for players and improving contracts but also in an equally constructive way with the various sponsorship deals.
“Obviously, you never know but it has worked out pretty well for everyone - the fans, the staff, the manager and the team. The owners are there for the long term, which means we can concentrate on areas where we can improve the club in terms of income rather than just fighting fires.”
The stump speech might have pleased the new sponsor and gone down well in a small corner of Florida but for veteran Gill-watchers, it was yet another warmed over homily which bears little inspection.
United have done nothing but fight fires since the Glazer family arrived. The club has been less about Red devils and more about Red Adair for the best part of two years. As Gill knows better than most, United are all about the debt. It dominates the business side of the club and if truth be told, the playing side too.
The Glazer family promised a £25 million-a-year transfer budget but have yet to deliver such a sum as the second anniversary of its take-over looms. Of course, Sir Alex’s wizardry has conjured a winning team unexpectedly and enabled the Glazer family to wriggle free from the horns of what in December 2005 looked like the most terrible of dilemmas – how not to spend money on a team desperate for investment?
“We bought Michael Carrick and Tomasz Kuszczak last summer and we will continue to invest in the team as necessary,” Gill stressed. “The funds are there. We will be pitching for players. Hopefully now we can look forward to a great end to the season.”
Indeed. Gill makes exactly the same comment before the opening of every transfer window. Fans need little reminding of the result.
United do look set for a “great end to the season” but what happens thereafter? The dark days of Euro crashes and serial league failures seem long ago now but Premiership glory or not, United will still need strengthening if only to keep pace with rivals at home and abroad.
The team is light in creative midfield talent even though it is Owen Hargreaves, a defensive player, who has been identified as the transfer window’s main target. Ryan Giggs, closing in on Sir Bobby Charlton’s appearance record, would have fewer opportunities if Sir Alex could unearth the left-winger who would offer more of a goal threat than Ji Sung Park. A clever centre forward able to play just ahead of Rooney or lead the line alone as part of an attacking trio, is another recruit pencilled in by most commentators.
Media reports set the price tag of such talent at £60 million. Will Sir Alex, two years from retirement, be handed such a war chest? In any case, would such generosity be funded by the sale of a Portuguese pearl?
If past form is any guide, United will land Hargreaves in the close season, build up further expectation about future arrivals and then disappoint, amid lame excuses and bullish noises about the strength of the current squad.
Standing tall through it all, will be poor David Gill, his eyes ‘Glazed’ over, providing a soundtrack of quiet optimism as the debt piles ever higher. It is a task for which he could hardly be more qualified. AU
© Copyright: Absolutely United 2007
