Cook or Soriano?

[cleavers]

Soriano is a bit more awkward and out of touch, although that could be partly put down to language or cultural issues. Maybe Cook could have achieved similar financial growth, but we'll never really know.

I think your personal dislike of Soriano is clouding your judgement though. In financial terms he has taken the club to another level, and I don't buy the suggestion that anyone could have done it with the Abu Dhabi connection.

Much of it doesn't sit that comfortably with me, but clearly he's being judged on figures and Mansour and Khladoon have faith in him. Like it or not, our financial growth under him has been significant. There's a few factors in that, but it'd be churlish to dismiss his role in it.

But in answer to the OP, I'd still say Cook. He understood us in a way I don't think Soriano can.

You have a point there Ric, but we're not the club we were when SM (Cook as CEO) took over, and no matter how we dislike it, SM wants us as a global force, so we have to accept the people he wants to drive us forward. I've no time for Soriano, but that is because I know nothing about him, but for me he's not Manchester City FC, he's CFG, and I'm only interested in Manchester City FC.

 

[Ric]

You have a point there Ric, but we're not the club we were when SM (Cook as CEO) took over, and no matter how we dislike it, SM wants us as a global force, so we have to accept the people he wants to drive us forward. I've no time for Soriano, but that is because I know nothing about him, but for me he's not Manchester City FC, he's CFG, and I'm only interested in Manchester City FC.

Surely though the main purpose of CFG is to benefit City in the long run?

 

[franksinatra]

Surely though the main purpose of CFG is to benefit City in the long run?

I think CFG is too provide further exposure to the United Arab Emirates. I doubt it has been put in place to benefit City in any way or a way in which it could. The choice of locations highlights to me they were not chosen for footballing reasons. I am also from the camp I could not care less about our sister clubs.

 

[cleavers]

Surely though the main purpose of CFG is to benefit City in the long run?

I don't know, CFG is great, but the headline act will always be Manchester City FC, in the PL, and its the only thing I'm interested in.

I don't see that the rest of CFG will ever add much other than a local global profile, true global profile for Manchester City will only really be best served by winning the PL and CL, so I really don't care much for CFG.

 

[Ric]

I think CFG is too provide further exposure to the United Arab Emirates. I doubt it has been put in place to benefit City in any way or a way in which it could. The choice of locations highlights to me they were not chosen for footballing reasons. I am also from the camp I could not care less about our sister clubs.

Seems odd though that Soriano talked openly about the concept of a global football group whilst CEO of Barcelona, so presumably exposure of the UAE was far from his mind at the time.

 

[Ric]

I don't know, CFG is great, but the headline act will always be Manchester City FC, in the PL, and its the only thing I'm interested in.

I don't see that the rest of CFG will ever add much other than a local global profile, true global profile for Manchester City will only really be best served by winning the PL and CL, so I really don't care much for CFG.

I guess we'll never get to know the intricacies of the deals, but it seems plausible that lucrative deals with the likes of Nissan and SAP could've been struck of the basis of CFG, and that we were deliberately the main beneficiaries in response to FFP. All hypothetical of course, and I'm playing Devil's Advocate to some extent, but I still think these are done with City in mind. We're surely the overwhelming priority in CFG for Abu Dhabi.

 

[cleavers]

I guess we'll never get to know the intricacies of the deals, but it seems plausible that lucrative deals with the likes of Nissan and SAP could've been struck of the basis of CFG, and that we were deliberately the main beneficiaries in response to FFP. All hypothetical of course, and I'm playing Devil's Advocate to some extent, but I still think these are done with City in mind. We're surely the overwhelming priority in CFG for Abu Dhabi.

That's really my point though, I don't think that deals like Nissan are anything to do with CFG, more than Manchester City, its MCFC that drives us globally for me, CFG locally will feed on that, and I've no interest in worrying about CFG.

 

[KingCarlito]

Soriano has taken us to a new level financially, with great backing from investors and the team around him.

But despite what people think of Cook, he cared about the fans. He reminded me of the pissed up uncle at a party, that you know is going to say a foot in mouth comment at some point, but you like him anyway.

It's a shame in many ways that Cook didn't get to experience a lot of the successes that he worked hard towards. But without Soriano, we probably wouldn't have such a fantastic manager in charge as we do now.

Hypothetically, if you were asked this question 7 or 8 years ago, knowing the success we've had since, the answer would be Cook. I believe the ride would have been a lot more fun under him, albeit not as professional. He would have really stuffed it up United, and the fanbase would be much more unified than it seems of late, with more of a personal touch.

So overall, as great a club as we have grown into on all levels, deep down I would prefer unity and pride as a fanbase. Rather than a few more zeros on spreadsheets that we don't get to see, and City having sister clubs appearing in every continent. All of that isn't really relevant for the average match going bloke, who has a pint and watches his team. Cook for me.

 

[Delphacito]

There was gonna be no Guardiola without Soriano and/or Txiki. That about sums it up.

No Pep means no Leroy Sane, no Gabriel Jesus.

 

[mosssideblue]

My view is that if fans believe that football clubs are there to appease them as it was in days gone by, then they will feel more and more disconnected. Football has fast become a commercial enterprise whereby club finances is the predominant landscape.

I appreciate the argument that without fans, there isn't a club, but we are still bringing in big crowds whilst operating in this environment.