How time flies…..

How time flies. It’s a year Thursday (Feb20) that Jim Ratcliffe turned up to fanfares at Old Trafford, having added £1.25b to the Glazer family fortune. Not a penny of that money went to Manchester United by the way.

The Glazers must still be pissing themselves. They got a nice few quid and a quiet life - Ratcliffe got control of footballing matters at Old Trafford and one nightmare after another - all of his own creation.

When he turned up to watch his first game Ratcliffe was afforded a hero’s welcome. I understand why. Desperate United fans wanted to believe. Initially they did believe, but it’s all gone horribly wrong hasn’t it?

It wasn’t good at United post-Fergie, but it’s never been as bad as it is now. Not only has Ratcliffe ripped the heart and soul out of the club off the pitch - sacking long time employees and even Fergie - but on it he’s reduced United to little more than bits and pieces. I’m afraid to say - a laughing stock.

I hate to keep writing about it. I genuinely want to see United back at the top table of English football, but they’re light years from re-joining the best. Light years and a £1b spend on the team.

They’ve got a manager who clearly doesn’t want to be there - a cycling expert in charge of football matters (who should never have been allowed back into pro sport after his time in charge of Team Sky) and an owner flailing about without a clue what to do next - except sack more good people.

It’s sad. It really is. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. How many times have I pointed out what happened at both Lausanne and Nice after Ratcliffe took controlling interests in those clubs?

Every time I do my mates accuse me of hating United. Wrong. I hate what’s happening at United.

And I don’t see it getting better anytime soon. I tweeted an article I saw in the business section of The Guardian last Thursday. The Mail on Sunday’s Riath Al-Samarrai referenced it in his column this weekend. I’m impressed. His reading is clearly as broad as mine.

The article points out much financial trouble Ineos’s chemical empire is in. According to The Guardian, debts are forecast to reach almost £10b this year. It went on to claim at least two leading credit rating agencies estimate the burden to be five to six times the size of the companies annual earnings. If true - and I’ve no way of finding out, but I trust my favourite newspaper - this will inevitably impact United. I believe it already has.

As for Spurs. It was good to see them back to something like their old selves. Good on you Ange. Oh - you’ll be interested to hear that I was in the company of someone this weekend that reckons a deal to buy Spurs is done. I don’t think it is, but I’m pretty sure conversations have been taking place.

If so, I’d say this to Daniel Levy. Don’t play hard ball Daniel - you might regret it. I’m also hearing the owners of one of the top four clubs could be ready to sell. They’re arguably a better proposition for a buyer and would tempt a bid before Spurs.

And now we know why Konate wasn’t sent off. According to Peter Walton in The Times it’s because of a directive for less fussy refereeing. What absolute nonsense. Laughable nonsense. Why do these PGMOL patsies treat us like idiots?

No. It was because Simon Hooper fucked up. Everybody knows Konaté should’ve been booked a second time for clattering into Cunha. Hooper shit it.

He didn’t have a very good game I’m afraid. He doesn’t look fit to me and I think he struggled to keep up with play again. I’ve watched him a lot recently. Keep your eye on him and see how many free-kicks he gives in the last 15-20 mins of games when he starts blowing and needs a rest. I might be wrong, but I think the frequency increases in the last quarter-hour of games he’s in charge of.

VAR was at it again. What was that all about at Palace - a four minute delay whilst they tried to disallow Mateta’s goal? At Anfield they were making similar decisions in the blink of an eye.

I’m told there’s semi-automated tech on the way. Not as we know it. Tech we know that works in the CL, but the PGMOL have developed their own system using Apple cameras - working with Genius Sports.

Is this the same Genius Sports who own BetVision, a sportsbook streaming solution on the NFL, used by Caesars, Fanatics, BetRivers and FanDuel? A Quick look at their website makes for very interesting reading. I’m quoting from it.

I don’t agree with Guardiola that City have only a one per cent chance of winning in Madrid. I’d say it was less than that. I’m joking - but why say it? Perhaps he’d like to refund fans who’re paying good money to go and watch their team, in the knowledge that the coach has written them off before a ball has even been kicked. Mad.

Well done the Moyesiah at Everton. In no time at all he’s got the Toffees higher in the league than both West Ham and United - two clubs that sacked him. 😜