haha wow, i missed your comment, but yes, lance armstrong is an exact equivalent. That ended well. As will this.
Do City leave you cold?
- Thread starter Pogue Mahone
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haha wow, i missed your comment, but yes, lance armstrong is an exact equivalent. That ended well. As will this.
I dont even hate them, that is the weird part. They have the best manager, best striker, arguably the best player in the league and I don't give a toss about them. That is what makes it weird.
I can't imagine not having a boiling hatred if Liverpool or say Arsenal had that. I remember how I hated Salah and Liverpool during that first season with then when it looked like they had hit the jackpot.
It's also why I don't mind them winning the league over the arse, as I know more arse fans in real life and on social media who will rub in in. With City, it is all so artificial that it doesn't even register for me. Win or lose, they are a fake, artificial club built on corruption and lies. Everything about them is a farce. Disgusting football club.
I can't imagine not having a boiling hatred if Liverpool or say Arsenal had that. I remember how I hated Salah and Liverpool during that first season with then when it looked like they had hit the jackpot.
It's also why I don't mind them winning the league over the arse, as I know more arse fans in real life and on social media who will rub in in. With City, it is all so artificial that it doesn't even register for me. Win or lose, they are a fake, artificial club built on corruption and lies. Everything about them is a farce. Disgusting football club.
And in that 4 season spell you mention, Chelsea won the league twice by such a margin it was no challenge.
I'd prefer them winning the league over Arsenal, since it doesn't mean anything.
Yes the PL should. Other clubs should. But the only news i heard recently was clubs opposing Qatari takeover of United.
I don't know the reasons why, but this season more than any other I'm just not bothered by them.
Maybe it's that the cheating has finally been actually accused and so the things you've suspected seem to have been confirmed, but all I know is they are making the sport boring.
I only caught the last 20 minutes last night as the result felt like a forgone conclusion before a ball was kicked. I can't remember the last season where a massive, potentially title deciding game was played and I didn't bother to watch.
Also, my Mrs is an Arsenal fan so to see a team that has not properly challenged for a title for going on 20 years finally get everything right and just be blown out the water by a team with endless funds and no penalties if they do mess up a year or two. All this even though I'd have to live with endless gloating for the next 12 months if Arsenal had won the title tells me they've broken the sport, to the point where the only way to compete is to bring in oil money and diminish the risk involved in trying to catch up.
Maybe it's that the cheating has finally been actually accused and so the things you've suspected seem to have been confirmed, but all I know is they are making the sport boring.
I only caught the last 20 minutes last night as the result felt like a forgone conclusion before a ball was kicked. I can't remember the last season where a massive, potentially title deciding game was played and I didn't bother to watch.
Also, my Mrs is an Arsenal fan so to see a team that has not properly challenged for a title for going on 20 years finally get everything right and just be blown out the water by a team with endless funds and no penalties if they do mess up a year or two. All this even though I'd have to live with endless gloating for the next 12 months if Arsenal had won the title tells me they've broken the sport, to the point where the only way to compete is to bring in oil money and diminish the risk involved in trying to catch up.
Maybe in like 10 to 20 year's they'll resemble a "football tradition." I'm just watching this really excellent football operation at the moment.
But it didn't seem sustainable because of their manager-sackings. But no such luck with City. Pep could stay another 5 years easily.
But our wins weren't nearly this dominant. City are hitting high 90 points repeatedly.
City should just go full meta and have Live Strong as their shirt sponsor, it's not like anything will ever be done to reign in their financial doping.
For me I’m more bothered by them this season because the CL win (if this happens - very likely now) will give them the legitimacy on a global scale. And then they’re just breaking too many records.
We’re at the point where they have two 11s that can compete with anyone. What’s next - three 11s that can do it followed by the quadruple. The cheating scum need punishing.
What I am afraid of is if they get the financials straight, the heat will come off and all bad doing will be forgotten.
Also, people saying we have many more titles - for me it doesn't make it any better as we're staying in the periphery of title race.
Also, people saying we have many more titles - for me it doesn't make it any better as we're staying in the periphery of title race.
For me i am so impressed, Pep is somewhat of genius for sure.
But fully agree with OP.
What is interesting about sport is not knowing who will win, what will happen. This is a bit like watching Nadal in his prime on clay. Killed my joy of watching tennis.
I know it is still possible for them to lose the odd game, but it is still boring. I take a Leeds- Aston Villa fight every day of the week ahead of a City game.
But fully agree with OP.
What is interesting about sport is not knowing who will win, what will happen. This is a bit like watching Nadal in his prime on clay. Killed my joy of watching tennis.
I know it is still possible for them to lose the odd game, but it is still boring. I take a Leeds- Aston Villa fight every day of the week ahead of a City game.
Sorry I must have mixed you with the guy who keeps bringing up City players in every conversation and says he loves certain City players.
So what?
I’m very impressed, I’m not cold at all. We have net spent more than city in the last 10 years (2022 data), their management team has done a great job however you look at it. Their oil money spent only goes back into football which is a good thing.
Anyway regardless of money, this is a part of the game anyway, it’s not going away, the motto is to spend wisely. Concentrating on the football alone, it has been amazing watching them and Liverpool unfortunately over the past seasons.
I think it’s refreshing to have this level of competition, it can only make the game better, their dominance will end with Pep, he is the main reason they are doing this, I look forward to next season and the challenge to take back our throne. When we had SAF, we were dominant we could pick and choose any player we wanted in England, is that fair, probably not.
Anyway regardless of money, this is a part of the game anyway, it’s not going away, the motto is to spend wisely. Concentrating on the football alone, it has been amazing watching them and Liverpool unfortunately over the past seasons.
I think it’s refreshing to have this level of competition, it can only make the game better, their dominance will end with Pep, he is the main reason they are doing this, I look forward to next season and the challenge to take back our throne. When we had SAF, we were dominant we could pick and choose any player we wanted in England, is that fair, probably not.
I turned off and watched another game the second the first went in, that's how dull watching them is, even in these big games. You just knew the outcome, and they're not compelling enough to watch anyway. Look at that sad little FA Cup semi they took part in on Saturday.
Surely anyone who isn't a City fans wish they'd never been born?
Do neutrals actually watch them?
Surely anyone who isn't a City fans wish they'd never been born?
Do neutrals actually watch them?
Absolutely cold. They remind me of some modern prog rock band I once saw in festival concert. Absolutely fabulous musicians, totally in sync and demonstrating complete musical excellence, but somewhat soulless and devoid of passion and meaning. Went to the next tent over and some guy playing a guitar by himself captivated me a lot more.
Top Football twenty years from now is going to be all state investment fund clubs playing each other. Just a matter of time. Fifa and Uefa are not going to do a thing because they love their fat commissions.
Top Football twenty years from now is going to be all state investment fund clubs playing each other. Just a matter of time. Fifa and Uefa are not going to do a thing because they love their fat commissions.
Are there really people who think that City spent less than us? Really?
Everyone knows that they hid all the expenses under the table and no one really knows how much they spent, in particular on wages.
They spent better than us for sure but please stop with this notion that they spent less than us or anyone else in the world!
Everyone knows that they hid all the expenses under the table and no one really knows how much they spent, in particular on wages.
They spent better than us for sure but please stop with this notion that they spent less than us or anyone else in the world!
City's greatest achievement this season is that they could afford 900k/week for the world's best CF. The fact that he's doing what the best CF is supposed to do is an indirect consequence. And it's hollow because they can keep doing it till that CF is a hit and not a miss. United were so broke after our 500k/week experiment in Ronaldo failed that the Glazers had to put the club up for sale.
Similarly, City's greatest achievement over the last decade is that they could build an entire club structure and put out a $1.2B transfer budget around a top top manager, without having to depend on season-to-season progress.
People often equate our spending to ours - it's a fallacy not only because we earned our budgets and they inflated theirs, but also because we never had the ability to back a singular manager for so much as they did - our managers had to compete with a fraction, show results and then earn their next keep. Pep has bottled the CL year after year and gets away with it. United had limitations, cutoff points, consequences of redundant spending when the next manager had to replace the previous one's signings.
Liverpool's results and title wins will always be far more impressive - because Klopp won his wins with a fair hand, not through brute force. I've said this in other threads today - but a very very significant part about City's win is how they could bring on the likes of Alvarez and Foden when Arsenal only had Trossard.
They play the game with cheat codes - and the wins become hollow and empty. No one cares if City win the league, everyone wants Arsenal to lose it. That's the highest compliment a title challenger can get in the current climate. Pep's cheats will hopefully get their comeuppance soon. Or maybe not - the authorities are corrupt af, as well.
Similarly, City's greatest achievement over the last decade is that they could build an entire club structure and put out a $1.2B transfer budget around a top top manager, without having to depend on season-to-season progress.
People often equate our spending to ours - it's a fallacy not only because we earned our budgets and they inflated theirs, but also because we never had the ability to back a singular manager for so much as they did - our managers had to compete with a fraction, show results and then earn their next keep. Pep has bottled the CL year after year and gets away with it. United had limitations, cutoff points, consequences of redundant spending when the next manager had to replace the previous one's signings.
Liverpool's results and title wins will always be far more impressive - because Klopp won his wins with a fair hand, not through brute force. I've said this in other threads today - but a very very significant part about City's win is how they could bring on the likes of Alvarez and Foden when Arsenal only had Trossard.
They play the game with cheat codes - and the wins become hollow and empty. No one cares if City win the league, everyone wants Arsenal to lose it. That's the highest compliment a title challenger can get in the current climate. Pep's cheats will hopefully get their comeuppance soon. Or maybe not - the authorities are corrupt af, as well.
Almost irrationally cold. Their wins and trophies simply mean nothing to me. It's all plastic and fake.
I don't get this at all. His face really annoys me
Considering how United moved from Bank Street to Old Trafford and how it was financed, probably best not going down this route
It's nice that we can all whisper these lies to ourselves and pretend it doesn't matter. 
One thing that put up big question marks early on for me was that they had absolutely no problems of keeping world class players from SA and Spain, Aguero and Silva, happy at the club.
Barely saw rumours of Real and Barcelona chasing them.
At a time when those clubs where picking the best players from the Premier League every single year. Ronaldo, Bale, Suarez, Hazard, Modric, Alonso, Henry etc. If the big two from Spain came calling, everyone was falling over themselves to get there. But two of the very best players ever in the league, Aguero and Silva, nothing. They were, unlike all the other top players in the league, really happy sat where they were. Playing for a fairly unknown midtable club in rainy Manchester. A club they barely knew existed before the takeover.
So nothing. I disagreed with you and said why. That's all.
yeah I do agree with this that it’s more efficiency than entertainment - but the stakes are so high and they’ve built a winning machine. It’s now on us to compete at that level to maker it entertaining again. And I don’t think that’s impossible, just really hard. But we have the right man with the right mentality to get us there, but he now needs the state and infrastructure which hopefully new owners will bring.
They are charged with cheating the rules. Not once, or even 25 times. Over 100 times! They should be relegated
They've spent MUCH more than us and they've done it through shady side companies and secretive "bonuses". There's no legitimacy about them. Even at the weekend there, there was only 69,602 odd for their game - and 81,445 odd for ours... The numbers don't add up and they are lying about them. But nobody cares because money. The only way the BBC will ever care is if the Qatari's buy us because they already hate us. feck it I say, let it happen, they deserve what's coming to the sport.
They should be, 100%. 25 times would have been enough to throw them out head first.
We all know it is more likely to end up with a slap on the wrist, nothing more. Their money will make sure of it.
It is what it is.
Wrexham gaining promotion will attract more attention than this lot winning the league.
They can't even give away tickets to watch them at home, and apart from the media crywanking about how great they are, no one outside stockport gives a toss.
They can't even give away tickets to watch them at home, and apart from the media crywanking about how great they are, no one outside stockport gives a toss.
Do they really though?
I've loved the way Pep makes his teams play ever since his first season at Barcelona. His teams are the most exciting to watch imo, and i like seeing the tactics that other teams can apply to beat them.
I think the money/cheating/fair play stuff is something for bitter fans to cling onto…so many teams have had unfair levels of investment in comparison to their rivals and failed to assemble a strong, balanced squad where superstars are happy and the football is cohesive and attractive and innovative and progressive - he has also rebuilt and has has also done so while ensuring that performances are consistent…City go into every single game as favourites and rarely disappoint even if the result goes against them. What Pep does shouldn’t be underrated just because he is City’s manager.
While I don’t watch them and jump out of my seat - that’s mainly because they are just too dominant - no ebb and flow to games - that doesn’t mean that I can’t acknowledge that they play wonderful football. Each player so comfortable in demanding and wanting the ball - against Arsenal last night second half, Arsenal were pressing them so high and some of the one and two touch stuff, the movement , the angles they used to get out of the press was just mind boggling. players knowing the spaces to drop into on and off the ball to move Arsenal around….How you coach that is beyond me - especially when you look at us when we struggle to string 2 passes together out of defence.
In the same way great players annoy me but I can respect they are brilliant without trying to pull them apart strand but strand - Pep is a fuking genius full stop. Arsehole - yes…but genius none the less.
While I don’t watch them and jump out of my seat - that’s mainly because they are just too dominant - no ebb and flow to games - that doesn’t mean that I can’t acknowledge that they play wonderful football. Each player so comfortable in demanding and wanting the ball - against Arsenal last night second half, Arsenal were pressing them so high and some of the one and two touch stuff, the movement , the angles they used to get out of the press was just mind boggling. players knowing the spaces to drop into on and off the ball to move Arsenal around….How you coach that is beyond me - especially when you look at us when we struggle to string 2 passes together out of defence.
In the same way great players annoy me but I can respect they are brilliant without trying to pull them apart strand but strand - Pep is a fuking genius full stop. Arsehole - yes…but genius none the less.
Since this thread has 21 pages I'm pretty sure the answer to the thread title is no.
Very well put.
There's a resounding silence in all the papers about this. Probably a combination of payoffs and legal threats.
This is not the case or not just the case. They cooked the books massively.
I know they cooked the books. That’s not ok and should not be allowed but, for the sake of trying to determine if cooking the books is a good enough reason to deride city’s/Pep’s achievements altogether - I am saying that if every other team was also allowed to cook the books - Peps teams would still be a dominant force because he is an amazing coach.
What a ridiculous thing to write. Its not about oil state investment. Its about that STILL not being enough of an advantage for them that they have also (allegedly) broken the leagues rules consistently over a long period of time. It boils my piss how quickly everyone has forgotten about it. Its no wonder they gave such little consideration to the rules.
That's a strange thing to say. He is an amazing coach but they possibly wouldn't be as dominant cause he wouldnt have been able to amass that kind of force in the dressing room.
And also saying it's not ok and not be allowed. Its not they nicked chewing gum from the store, it's they cheated the rules as a way as assembling basically 2 teams and having an unfair advantage over other clubs.
And not every other team is allowed to cook the books the way they did so we dont know if he would be as dominant.
Yes. Laporte, Dias, Foden, Mahrez, Alvarez, etc are backups. It’s mental.