Falling out of love with football (warning - miserable moaning post)

A lot of posters here forget how they complained about ref decisions before var.

Plus how much worse we are now, var basically makes little difference.

We are not losing because of var, we simply are not good enough and we don't have the football expertise to fix ourselves.
 
The combination of City and VAR yesterday was too much to take, I actually stopped even being angry, just completely apathetic. Cheating cnuts have completely ruined the league, and now the refs are hellbent on ruining every game, and the enjoyment of every single goal.
 
Feeling this a bit recently which is horrible because football is everything to me. But the amount of greed in the game is destroying it for me. The likes of City/PSG and likely soon Newcastle winning things and dominating in such an inorganic manner is incredibly boring to me and I have said many times I’d have felt the same if Utd were sportswashed this way.

It’s like playing a video game you really enjoy and then someone joins the lobby with hacks turns on and starts easily winning and boasting about how amazing they are. It just kills the previous enjoyment and competitiveness that was once there. It’s the dullest the league has ever been imo.
 
Conor said:
The combination of City and VAR yesterday was too much to take, I actually stopped even being angry, just completely apathetic. Cheating cnuts have completely ruined the league, and now the refs are hellbent on ruining every game, and the enjoyment of every single goal.
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Agreed. We might be able to beat City on our day with a full strength side (see January 2023) but we cannot compete with their level of financial corruption long-term. They win the title most years due to the squad depth they have which allows them to have players like Kalvin Phillips and Julian Alvarez as playthings. Nobody else can afford to have two world class (or at least walk into most top six sides) options for every position.

The combination of their dominance being inevitable in an era where financial corruption has been permitted with VAR being staffed by officials literally being employed by City's owners and likely earning their UK salary in one or two games, I can't even get angry.

City's corruption has been a masterplan. So well executed that the mainstream media barely even mention it.
 
The integrity of the sport is going. Its slowly turning into a WWE entertainment show.

Systematic cheating is the biggest threat the game has ever faced and those responsible for protecting it are blind to it. A Manchester United trophy means something. So does a Liverpool trophy, or Arsenal, or Spurs (lol). When City win you just skip to the following week. Its like watching Lance Armstrong but you already know hes on drugs. Same with Chelsea, and it will soon be the same with Newcastle. I can't be arsed to watch a competition where one team is playing to a different set of rules than everybody else.


VAR is a blight on the sport but again its an integrity thing. The technology is great but instead of helping decisions it has highlighted how biased and incompetent the officials are and how much they influence games.
 
I actually don't mind the VAR and United not competing for title is irrelevant in this case. it isn't the first time that the club is far from winning the title. what troubles me more is that the team is full of entitled and unlikeable players. plenty of bad players played for the team in the past, which is why Chelsea won the titles with 15 and 20 points advantage in those seasons. it's not like there weren't expensive flops in those years. it's not like there weren't limited players in the team. the difference is, I didn't hate those United teams like I sometimes hate the current one.

from current bunch you have those you simply can't stand and those that have zero personality and you feel nothing for them. that includes the manager itself. even though the football is equally bad, you can't hate him like you hated Mou and you can't laugh at him the way you laughed at Moyes. he's nothing and you feel nothing about him. to think this team used to have clowns like Pogba and Jessie dancing around as well...

watching bad football through 38 games is already bad enough, not being successfull on top of that is even worse, but when you see "Rashy", Bruno, Sancho and the likes... I mean, what's to like here?

btw, I enjoyed the last world cup and it's the same sport. I also enjoy watching tennis. so it isn't football or age that is the issue here.
 
Hammondo said:
A lot of posters here forget how they complained about ref decisions before var.

Plus how much worse we are now, var basically makes little difference.

We are not losing because of var, we simply are not good enough and we don't have the football expertise to fix ourselves.
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This. I don't disagree that VAR has fecked us over this season, but to be blaming VAR for our plight is detracting the blame away from the core issue, which is our atrocious transfer policy.

We need to stop signing any player over the age of 26. Focus on youth, take punts on a few cheaper 20 year olds. And if we do make more glamourised signings, their core attributes need to be strong mentality, high work rate, aggression, and of course ability.

Hojlund and Martinez are the only ones from our recent signings that seem to tick these boxes.
 
Hammondo said:
A lot of posters here forget how they complained about ref decisions before var.

Plus how much worse we are now, var basically makes little difference.

We are not losing because of var, we simply are not good enough and we don't have the football expertise to fix ourselves.
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You're absolutely right in one sense, VAR makes little difference to the sort of soft wanker that couldn't take refereeing decisions, they whinged about them before VAR and they whinge about them after VAR, that's their personality, it's what they do.

The difference for the rest of us is that the moment of goal-scoring has been tragically devalued. You see the goal and then have to wait to find out if it actually is a goal or not; the opposition score and you wait hoping they haven't.

One of the reasons football is more popular than other sports is that goals are few and far between, compared to others where they steadily amass points. Each goal therefore creates a rush of excitement or disappointment. Or it used to, now it's less.
 
Interesting thread, although I haven't read opening statement in detail, after skimming through I can pick up the sentiment. In many ways, I agree, and I think it's a wider issue, not just football (note the weekend's absurdity of Tyson Fury and Ngannou).

The influence of money in football is now reaching it's second stage, with a truly global audience,watching on smartphones, with an insatiable appetite of a world built on short-term relief, short attention spans, and no real interest in the important things in football, (loyalty, development, history etc...). We have the middle-class hipsters introducing stats-based assessment of football; players with no real association with their fans; opportunism seen through sponsorship, frequently through betting, which has some awful consequences; a massive industry of pundits, commentary, which is just demand, demand for headlines, with a 'boosterism' narrative (everything is unbelievable or outstanding, when it clearly isn't...) ; and of course, petrol money dictating things on a strategic level.

Look at the crowds at the Qatar World cup, of course there were fans, but now it's a tourist trip. Remember, many, many players are from the working/lower classes. Does anyone really care about whether football develops in Qatar? Have we all forgotten the disgusting treatment of the workers who built those stadiums? Some of these workers lost their lives.

It's all about the brand, and we do not have the Executive oversight to manage all of this responsibly.

So yes, I do feel a sense of disattachment.

And are the players better? Really? How many players in the Premiership would you pay, as a neutral, to go and watch play? I'll be surprised if you name five.
 
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Garnacho's Shoelaces said:
VAR being staffed by officials literally being employed by City's owners and likely earning their UK salary in one or two games, I can't even get angry.
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I get that you are feeling sore about the soft penalty yesterday, but the above is the most ridiculous thing I have read in a quite a while.

You will presumably be blissfully unaware of the outrageous VAR decisions that went against City over the last few seasons - a lowlight being when they were bending over backwards to try to ensure Liverpool won the title rather than City again.

And also unaware of the stat that City have been awarded 1 penalty - yesterday's - against United at old Trafford in the last 30 years? If the VAR officials are on City's payroll, then all I can say is they are doing a shit job.
 
I miss exciting players. See 15 - 20 years ago where players like Ronaldinho, Messi in his youth and Ronaldo, Kaka, any number of players. I genuinely don't see any play like that at all any more and I miss it. Never mind VAR and the incompetent refereeing, the actual enjoyment of watching players who would thrill you to watch them. Maybe I'm just a 33 year old nostalgic fecker.
 
I don't think VAR has ruined enjoyment for me, it's more like the final nail in the coffin kind of thing.

Middle-East money has ruined the integrity of sport in my eyes. It started with the purchase of City, and look where it's gotten us. The likes of Chelsea this summer dumping all their deadwood in the Saudi League, and the likes of Newcastle being able to sell Saint-Maximin to the Saudi League when you look at their owners. Young players moving to the Saudi Leage clearly for money, sell-outs like Henderson. It's all so fake.

It's just beyond sickening to be honest, and it's all started with City and PSG. I genuinely think City will win the league for the next 5 seasons, and we're all just waiting for the outcome of the PL investigation and for Guardiola to leave so the rest might have a chance.

Football has never been more stale and boring to watch for me. I watched The Classico and it was a shocking watch deviod of everything, when you compare it to five years ago. But even forgetting the Messi / Ronaldo era, before that you has Zidane, Roberto Carlos, Raul, Figo, Rivaldo, Rondinho, Kluivert, Eto'o etc.

I find myself watching rugby more these days, and I enjoy the respect shown, the integrity and honesty from guys no matter what the score. Seeing the likes of Uruguay and Portugal fighting cleanly and without petulance for every ball despite getting destroyed by the bigger teams, and the respect after the games, and the respect between fans mixed in the stadium.

Football is in a sad state.
 
Arthur Pewty said:
I get that you are feeling sore about the soft penalty yesterday, but the above is the most ridiculous thing I have read in a quite a while.

You will presumably be blissfully unaware of the outrageous VAR decisions that went against City over the last few seasons - a lowlight being when they were bending over backwards to try to ensure Liverpool won the title rather than City again.

And also unaware of the stat that City have been awarded 1 penalty - yesterday's - against United at old Trafford in the last 30 years? If the VAR officials are on City's payroll, then all I can say is they are doing a shit job.
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If you honestly believe City get a raw deal from officials, there's no point in us debating.
 
Ekkie Thump said:
Me too. I'm finding football far more enjoyable this year. We're winning a lot more though so I'm not convinced it's just the lack of VAR
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I agree .. It's not just VAR but it's refreshing to watch football without it. My club playing decent football & winning obviously helps.
 
Hammondo said:
A lot of posters here forget how they complained about ref decisions before var.
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It's true, VAR eliminates lots and lots of blatantly incorrect decisions. I like the idea of it but I don't think it's implemented optimally, especially with offsides. I don't think they should be allowed to draw lines on the pitch, if it's too tight to call after watching the replay two or three times then go with the original decision.
 
I always thought if there's an element of doubt with offside, it should go with the attacking team. I'm sure that was the unwritten rule years ago. Football without VAR is actually better, I watch my local side in league one and I prefer it a whole lot more.

I don't enjoy the EPL that much and gravitate towards other leagues where I feel the 'fun' factor is still there whereas cutbackEPL just doesn't do it for me
 
I feel so sorry for United fans in their late teens or early twenties who were too young / non-existent to appreciate the Fergie era, and have had to put up with this shite in their peak fandom years.
 
If these are pens just blast the ball at defenders and ping pong it around the box. Antonio Valencia has to make a come back, he missed his era.

What a joke.
 
Just feel numb watching games these days. Don’t celebrate goals, don’t care if we lose.
 
Erics_Collar said:
I feel so sorry for United fans in their late teens or early twenties who were too young / non-existent to appreciate the Fergie era, and have had to put up with this shite in their peak fandom years.
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There's not too many of them in their teens tbf. Liverpool and Man City are far more popular in that demographic.
 
I've been close to this feeling for some time, but the game tonight did it for me. Not even having the slightest bit of fun as I watch United, as I know every attack the opposition has is a genuine goal scoring chance. It's actually draining. fecking hell.
 
It's very disheartening to know that those lads are pocketing hundreds of thousands.....some of them millions.....each month depsite being so bad at their jobs. Mad isn't it? Any of us would be hauled in front of HR and let go.
 
As football has got better, its got boring. Everyone plays the same way, tries to do the same things from similar positions. Football itself has become formulaic.

Worth saying that it's happening to other sports too.
 
I just find myself not really caring anymore, about our results or anyone else’s. I don’t care if I miss our games and usually don’t even bother watching highlights when I do, can’t actually remember the last non united game I watched live. When I think back to how I was just 4 or 5 years ago it’s a bit sad really and a lot of the people I know are feeling the same. (not just united supporters to be clear)
 
Skills said:
There's not too many of them in their teens tbf. Liverpool and Man City are far more popular in that demographic.
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My kid hasn’t long started school and all his friends support Liverpool and he wants to as well. His Nan is a cockney as well and has been in his ear about Arsenal since birth which hasn’t helped.
 
Ady87 said:
My kid hasn’t long started school and all his friends support Liverpool and he wants to as well. His Nan is a cockney as well and has been in his ear about Arsenal since birth which hasn’t helped.
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This is where your duty as a parent comes in. You must bribe him. "Yes, son, I'll get you that PS5 but it comes with a Manchester United top"
 
Ady87 said:
My kid hasn’t long started school and all his friends support Liverpool and he wants to as well. His Nan is a cockney as well and has been in his ear about Arsenal since birth which hasn’t helped.
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Let him. Why ruin the rest of his childhood?
 
Cant believe that will say this but i wish i was a glory hunter and lack of success is what drives me away from football and United but sadly reasons are that i dont see this United as a football club at all, most of the players i dislike, think they are overpaid bunch of cnuts. Winning wouldnt change those views thats the fecked up part.

Things that should change imo and would spark up interest will never happen anyway, so slowly i am getting into cba mode.
 
Skills said:
Let him. Why ruin the rest of his childhood?
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My 5 year old who is obsessed with football, asked me if he can support a different team to United a couple of weeks ago :lol: :( I told him yeah sure, go ahead but it seems he's still sticking with United for now.
 
Lay said:
My 5 year old who is obsessed with football, asked me if he can support a different team to United a couple of weeks ago :lol: :( I told him yeah sure, go ahead but it seems he's still sticking with United for now.
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How do you convince them that our dogshit brand of football is what's worth watching? And what the likes of Liverpool and especially City are putting out is dead boring to watch? (Which many of our fans have deluded themselves into believing).
 
Vault Dweller said:
I miss exciting players. See 15 - 20 years ago where players like Ronaldinho, Messi in his youth and Ronaldo, Kaka, any number of players. I genuinely don't see any play like that at all any more and I miss it. Never mind VAR and the incompetent refereeing, the actual enjoyment of watching players who would thrill you to watch them. Maybe I'm just a 33 year old nostalgic fecker.
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Talking as a 34 year old nostalgic fecker, I saw a goal of the season compilation the other day from 2006 (I think). The one where we had that white AIG kit with the black badge. There was about 20 better goals in that than I’ve seen for years. Just unreal volleys or screamers. All I can imagine is Pep moaning at them that they should have passed their way to the byline and cut it back for Haaland.

Football is just so systems based that it’s sucked a lot of joy out of the game. It’s all about overloads and forcing mistakes, footballers are athletes now, individuality and creativity is almost non existent. I don’t know how any neutral can watch a game Premier League football and say it’s more entertaining than it was even 10 years ago.

I’m sure Man City fans are having fun, as are Brentford or any other fans of smaller teams that are doing well, plus the tactics nerds. I pretty much exclusively watch United these days, I have no interest in watching other premier league games for this reason.
 
I don't give a shit about us not being consistently successful again. It's more that I hate what modern football is, like loads of people. VAR marring every single game, players partying after a drubbing from local rivals, said local rivals cheating their way to the top, World Cups going to nations that have bribed officials, physicality all but eradicating flair players, the normalisation of the obscene money involved. It's just not that good anymore.
 
Stan Jefferson said:
I just find myself not really caring anymore, about our results or anyone else’s. I don’t care if I miss our games and usually don’t even bother watching highlights when I do, can’t actually remember the last non united game I watched live. When I think back to how I was just 4 or 5 years ago it’s a bit sad really and a lot of the people I know are feeling the same. (not just united supporters to be clear)
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Same. I know it's easy to point to how crap we've been as the reason and, sure, there is an element of that. I certainly don't like a lot of the melts that get paid obscene amounts of money to wear our shirt. But it's more than just that. It's the horrible ownership we've had to endure, the ever increasing commercialisation of the sport, the fact that the sport is essentially owned by oil states, VAR killing all joy from the game without even delivering on the one thing it was meant to.

I haven't really enjoyed the sport for a long time. It was only United that kept me interested, and even that is being tested these days.

But who knows, maybe the 104-team World Cup in Saudi Arabia will rekindle my love for the sport.
 
It’s only going to get worse with the increase of state/oil run clubs and the shadiness that comes with it.
 
Dan_F said:
Talking as a 34 year old nostalgic fecker, I saw a goal of the season compilation the other day from 2006 (I think). The one where we had that white AIG kit with the black badge. There was about 20 better goals in that than I’ve seen for years. Just unreal volleys or screamers. All I can imagine is Pep moaning at them that they should have passed their way to the byline and cut it back for Haaland.

Football is just so systems based that it’s sucked a lot of joy out of the game. It’s all about overloads and forcing mistakes, footballers are athletes now, individuality and creativity is almost non existent. I don’t know how any neutral can watch a game Premier League football and say it’s more entertaining than it was even 10 years ago.

I’m sure Man City fans are having fun, as are Brentford or any other fans of smaller teams that are doing well, plus the tactics nerds. I pretty much exclusively watch United these days, I have no interest in watching other premier league games for this reason.
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Think I seen that the other day aswell actually. The year Scholes pinged one in off the crossbar v Villa. Unreal compilation
 
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