Thomas Zilliacus comments show Manchester United fans are right to be wary of takeover bid

On the face of things, Thomas Zilliacus' idea to buy Manchester United sounds positive.

One of the main grumbles supporters have with the Glazer family is the disconnect between the boardroom and the fanbase under their tenure. Both sides of the club have been at loggerheads with each other for too long and this has underlined the post-Sir Alex Ferguson period.

So, a concept that sees the supporters own half of the Reds and allows them to vote on matters concerning the day-to-day running of the club sounds too good to be true. But, as the old saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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Upon announcing his statement of intent to buy United, supporters questioned whether Zilliacus had the financial firepower to buy the club. On Sunday, he refuted this suggestion.

He tweeted: "My bid for Man United is not depending on funding by fans. My group wants to first buy the club, then open it up for the fans to ultimately own 50 per cent and have a say in all major decisions.

"That is a model that works perfectly in Scandinavia, no reason it wouldn't in the UK." While this may have put some fans at ease, his comments less than 24 hours later will have no doubt led to concern.

"I want to buy Manchester United to make it the best club in the world, on and off the field," he wrote. "If my main rivals want the same then we should join forces.

"Three strong owners equals three times more money for the club equals a better and stronger Man United." Zilliacus' willingness to suggest a three-way partnership between himself, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, potentially signifies that he feels he is on the back foot already.

Whichever camp you