Pep and City's dominance only good for the league | Theafonis discovers he's a City fan

[M18CTID]

I still think your point about other owners is way too short sighted. They do spend a fortune. Most teams are heavily backed but a line has to be drawn somewhere and it happens that city's line is way further away than most teams. By smug this is what I meant, you're currently in a position where you can (and it suits) criticise the policies of all the other clubs however well run. You simply can't expect that other owners, just because they are incredibly wealthy to chase after a runaway train like city.

Obviously talent and a good manager has a huge part with just how well city are performing right now, but it all comes back to one single decisive turning point in their history. To assume that clubs like Tottenham should be doing what city themselves simply would not be doing had they not been lucky represents denial to me.

If the show was on another foot and city were a top 8 club backed well, reaping tv money, but arsensl had the backing of an oil country and were streets ahead in points despite your own team actually improving at a really good rate there's is a zero percent chance that any worthwhile number of city fans would be so pragmatic about it all.

While I recognise how well they are doing I will think before I give them credit where it's not due and I certainly won't in a million years see them as any sort of good influence on football

(For example at what point do they look within and bring up a young prospect to fill a gap for a few weeks. Planning on going spending another small fortune in January instead is hardly something to respect)

Crikey mate, you seem to like emphasising the point that City might strengthen in January. Let it go

Look, I'm not telling other clubs how they should be run. If anything, it's the other way round and for years City fans have had to put up with opposition fans telling us how our club should be run as if there's some sort of unwritten rule about it. Yet as soon as we join in the party and dare to suggest that there might be other ways to run other clubs we get accused of being smug. There's no right or wrong way to run a football club but clearly there are some owners who are far worse than others, as Blackpool fans will testify.

If another club had come along and done what City have done while we were reasonably competitive, what makes you think City fans would've had a problem with it? In fact you can argue that Blackburn did exactly that when Jack Walker bought the club - they were in the 2nd division at the time and City had just finished 5th in the top flight. We finished 5th again the season that Blackburn were promoted, and the following season they finished above us so as a result of their investment they leapfrogged us in the table. And guess what? I know of not a single City fan that ever had a problem with it.

By the way, Arsenal do have the backing of an oil county - have you seen who their main sponsor is?

 

[NoLogo]

Agree with that, its not about pep though i think for over a decade the best or say better managers were playing outside england so was the best players. With pep, klopp, conte, mourinho back in epl i think players would follow behind soon. 5 teams in knockout stage in ucl is a proof of it. Hope it also improves home grown players.

The massive amount of money in the PL right now will show in the long run, the best players and manager go where they can earn the most and that's definitely the PL right now. Add to that the fact that this league is very competitive compared to a lot of other European leagues and it's a no brainer that all the most competitive and best managers and players will flock here. And yes if one team sets the bar as high as City does this season it will drive other teams to get to that level as well and benefit the leagues performances in the Euro competitions even more.

 

[BluesJr]

No such thing. It's all about style combined with personnel.

With good players, it is the best way to play. You are dominant every game and you force opposition to change to your style, already putting them on the back foot.

 

[GhastlyHun]

Whenever that blessing in disguise tag appears, hilarity is guaranteed.

 

[LoneStar]

I can see how this would inspire United and other title rivals to become better. But the flaw is that few or none can match the spending that City do. If both us and City wanted a player badly, we simply cannot outspend them without blowing our budget. A club which simply doesn't care about profits or losses is completely different to clubs like us or Spurs.

 

[sunama]

I really don't give a shit about them and would love it if Pep got them relegated - that would be great for league.

Same here man.
There is far too much Pep worship.
MUFC fans fawning over MCFC...WTF!!!

 

[Hughes35]

I think Pep and City's dominance will only be good for the league in terms of raising the standard of football and forcing the chasing teams to match the quality they've set this season. They've just won 15 matches on the bounce and will probably go the season unbeaten. I think this is really similar to how Wenger revolutionized player diets and implemented sport science techniques when he entered English football. Also how Mourinho reshaped the tactics or even billionaires bankrolling clubs to change the approach to a transfer window or unique players influencing tactics. Pep may influence another revolution.

A bit early to say that surely? People say this almost every year. If you had to bet your house right now on either an unbeaten season or them losing a game you think there is more chance of them going unbeaten?

 

[Champagne Football]

They can enjoy their brief moment but in the 2019/2020 season this will be the treble winning team
-----------------------De Gea
Fosu-M-----Bailly---Tuanzebe---Shaw
---Milinkovic Savic--McTominay--Pogba
Angel---------Rashford-------------Martial

 

[gaucho_10]

Let them win it at least twice in a row first.

We have had 4 different clubs win it in the last 5 years.

Competitiveness seems to be a subjective category depending on where you're coming from.

EPL fans think their league is competitive because there's a different club winning the league each year and the whole "top 6 nonsense", but I can only partly agree because the league stops being competitive by the end of February season after season and the fight that fans get to see for last 3 months of the season is only for CL spots.

By comparison boring 2 team la liga keeps going down to the wire for last 4 seasons in a row.

 

[RedSky]

Yeah, you know what? Liverpool winning the Champions League this year would be another great blessing for us.

 

[GhastlyHun]

A bit early to say that surely? People say this almost every year. If you had to bet your house right now on either an unbeaten season or them losing a game you think there is more chance of them going unbeaten?

If they make it past Tottenham this weekend and past the holiday matches, there is a chance. But still, going against the rest of the top 6 a second time and remain unbeaten remains a massive task.

 

[Raees]

If it forces United to stop just throwing money at players and actually develop a proper playing style that can only be a good thing. Won't hold my breath though

 

[Rob]

It certainly isn't. Even if I have no expectation that Liverpool will be involved anytime soon, the league is far more interesting if there are more than one team challenging for the title.

 

[Bestie07]

I count my blessings every day

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Why would City's achievement be greater than Arsenal's? Stronger league now (although going by 11 points ahead, I'd say the league is weaker)?


I didn't watch Arsenal back then, only knew about their incredible achievement once it happened. Dive or no dive. Going unbeaten an entire season is pretty incredible.

The league has more stronger sides now. It has so many top managers in comparison to the Invincibles season. That alone should see City lose games.

Ignore all other managers. If Conte, Poch, Klopp, Wenger, Jose can't win one game from 10 against them that would astound me. Not losing even one of ten from those would be an amazing achievement. These are some of the best managers in the world. They should all take a few wins apiece.

For what it's worth, I think there's more chance that City lose 3-4 matches than none.

 

[SER19]

Crikey mate, you seem to like emphasising the point that City might strengthen in January. Let it go

Look, I'm not telling other clubs how they should be run. If anything, it's the other way round and for years City fans have had to put up with opposition fans telling us how our club should be run as if there's some sort of unwritten rule about it. Yet as soon as we join in the party and dare to suggest that there might be other ways to run other clubs we get accused of being smug. There's no right or wrong way to run a football club but clearly there are some owners who are far worse than others, as Blackpool fans will testify.

If another club had come along and done what City have done while we were reasonably competitive, what makes you think City fans would've had a problem with it? In fact you can argue that Blackburn did exactly that when Jack Walker bought the club - they were in the 2nd division at the time and City had just finished 5th in the top flight. We finished 5th again the season that Blackburn were promoted, and the following season they finished above us so as a result of their investment they leapfrogged us in the table. And guess what? I know of not a single City fan that ever had a problem with it.

By the way, Arsenal do have the backing of an oil county - have you seen who their main sponsor is?

I guess there's not much point in this back and forth, we have fundamentally different opinions on the Man City project.

But you are doing the same thing again, you're equating jack walkers Blackburn and present day Arsenal with Man City. Just like you did Tottenham. Just stop, there is no financial comparison that makes sense other than psg. It's not a criticism it's just a fact.

And what makes me sure city would have a problem? Two decades of success by a club that played great football, bred countless home grown stars being absolutely vilified, hated and abused by fans and journalists who knew no depth. You name it we got accused of it, buying the refs, bullying the refs, buying the title, ruining the English game, having no respect for the English game. These weren't imaginary voices.

But now city have an oil country behind them all is forgiven, all is fair game. And from the current perch you can be smug and polite and united forums can be rampant with city fans of a similar sort. This before lord cashiola has won a title. The fact that when it's another team winning the league in a couple of years, that there won't be anywhere near the volume of city fans here (as there hasn't been in the past) is proof enough of any smugness I mention.

City fans are largely dreadful hypocrites who seem to expect the same respect they were completely unwilling to give in the past or will be in the future when guardiola needs another year in a spa.

 

[Seveneric]

They haven't established the kind of dominance that warrants a thread like this. They haven't even dominated for a full season ffs, much less multiple seasons or a decade.

 

[M18CTID]

I guess there's not much point in this back and forth, we have fundamentally different opinions on the Man City project.

But you are doing the same thing again, you're equating jack walkers Blackburn and present day Arsenal with Man City. Just like you did Tottenham. Just stop, there is no financial comparison that makes sense other than psg. It's not a criticism it's just a fact.

And what makes me sure city would have a problem? Two decades of success by a club that played great football, bred countless home grown stars being absolutely vilified, hated and abused by fans and journalists who knew no depth. You name it we got accused of it, buying the refs, bullying the refs, buying the title, ruining the English game, having no respect for the English game. These weren't imaginary voices.

But now city have an oil country behind them all is forgiven, all is fair game. And from the current perch you can be smug and polite and united forums can be rampant with city fans of a similar sort. This before lord cashiola has won a title. The fact that when it's another team winning the league in a couple of years, that there won't be anywhere near the volume of city fans here (as there hasn't been in the past) is proof enough of any smugness I mention.

City fans are largely dreadful hypocrites who seem to expect the same respect they were completely unwilling to give in the past or will be in the future when guardiola needs another year in a spa.

Well I've been around here for over 8 years so I'm not sure that one can be levelled at me. And believe me when I say I was a far more insufferable bastard to my United supporting mates when we were dogshit compared to now. I wouldn't mind, but for all my perceived smugness I've not once posted about Sunday's game since it was played because as much as a twat as you think I am, I've got a bit more about me than to come on here gloating. Now if that was Spurs beating United, you'd have to put up with Glaston banging on about it for God knows how long. In any case, my football supporting life doesn't revolve around t'internet and I'm certainly not after the respect of people I'm unlikely to ever meet in real life. I do, however, enjoy a bit of decent debate and this forum is a good place for it and is welcoming to opposition fans, but when we have fans like you basically saying you don't want City fans posting on here (yes, you did imply that on another thread), it makes me wonder why I bother sometimes.

 

[RuudTom83]

Far too soon for this kind of stuff!

They must have won about 5 games in injury time, so to claim they are some unstoppable footballing force is very premature.

I can easily see United finishing the season with more silverware then them.

 

[Thunderhead]

I can see how this would inspire United and other title rivals to become better. But the flaw is that few or none can match the spending that City do. If both us and City wanted a player badly, we simply cannot outspend them without blowing our budget. A club which simply doesn't care about profits or losses is completely different to clubs like us or Spurs.

that's just not true on any level, we wanted Pogba but couldn't / wouldn't pay the fee so he went to United, we wanted Sanchez and Evans but the selling clubs wanted too much for what we could pay without selling other players (Mangala refused to go somewhere, I forget)

United have spent more on players like Pogba, Di Maria, Lakaku then City have ever spent on an individual player.

 

[DanClancy]

Plenty of decent blues and plenty of idiots too, we've certainly got our fair share like everyone else has. Its only natural that more of their fans have an obsession with United given all the success we've had the last 27 years, that bitterness doesn't disappear over night although the younger generation of City fan will probably think differently given that they've not been through the bad times.

We've fans on here who think the Glazers have done nothing but good for United, their far more insufferable than the bitterest City fan I know.

 

[Thunderhead]

Far too soon for this kind of stuff!

They must have won about 5 games in injury time, so to claim they are some unstoppable footballing force is very premature.

I can easily see United finishing the season with more silverware then them.

2 games out of 16 have been won in injury time.

 

[giorno]

That's debatable. Being 'invincible' has more sex appeal.

It's really not. You could be invincible and finish with 38 points. All that means is you're resilient and lucky. 100 points are a sign of true greatness

 

[SER19]

Well I've been around here for over 8 years so I'm not sure that one can be levelled at me. And believe me when I say I was a far more insufferable bastard to my United supporting mates when we were dogshit compared to now. I wouldn't mind, but for all my perceived smugness I've not once posted about Sunday's game since it was played because as much as a twat as you think I am, I've got a bit more about me than to come on here gloating. Now if that was Spurs beating United, you'd have to put up with Glaston banging on about it for God knows how long. In any case, my football supporting life doesn't revolve around t'internet and I'm certainly not after the respect of people I'm unlikely to ever meet in real life. I do, however, enjoy a bit of decent debate and this forum is a good place for it and is welcoming to opposition fans, but when we have fans like you basically saying you don't want City fans posting on here (yes, you did imply that on another thread), it makes me wonder why I bother sometimes.

I've done more than imply it. I've explicitly said it. And that's not personal, there are some great opposition fans on here but you unfortunately can't nit pick, in my opinion unfortunately the decent ones being sacrificed for blocking the dreadful ones would improve the site. That's not my decision to make, that's just my take on part of fixing a drop in quality of the site in recent years. You're taking it too personally- I never levelled personal things at you, it's a broad conversation. (Other than what I felt was smug but even that isn't an insult)

For the record my previous post was a perfectly understandable explanation of why i disagree with you (flat out think you're being hypocritical) and of my feelings towards city fans, you've just decided to ignore it.

 

[SER19]

It's really not. You could be invincible and finish with 38 points. All that means is you're resilient and lucky. 100 points are a sign of true greatness

Is 97? 98? 99?

 

[SteveJ]

I've been run over by a steamroller, but I count my blessings because it could've been a tank...driven by Barry White.

 

[M18CTID]

I've done more than imply it. I've explicitly said it. And that's not personal, there are some great opposition fans on here but you unfortunately can't nit pick, in my opinion unfortunately the decent ones being sacrificed for blocking the dreadful ones would improve the site. That's not my decision to make, that's just my take on part of fixing a drop in quality of the site in recent years. You're taking it too personally- I never levelled personal things at you, it's a broad conversation. (Other than what I felt was smug but even that isn't an insult)

For the record my previous post was a perfectly understandable explanation of why i disagree with you (flat out think you're being hypocritical) and of my feelings towards city fans, you've just decided to ignore it.

So does that mean all United fans should be banned as well? And what makes you think that your own posts are of a sufficiently high quality not to fall foul of this proposed cull? Don't get me wrong, you're not as bad as namco but you've not exactly covered yourself in glory on occasions (neither have I to be fair). As it happens, you don't own or run this forum so I doubt anyone of any note will be taking on board your suggestion that you don't want City fans posting on here.

I'm not ignoring anything - you yourself have said there's not much point in going back and forth as we're never going to agree on this topic.

 

[M18CTID]

Plenty of decent blues and plenty of idiots too, we've certainly got our fair share like everyone else has. Its only natural that more of their fans have an obsession with United given all the success we've had the last 27 years, that bitterness doesn't disappear over night although the younger generation of City fan will probably think differently given that they've not been through the bad times.

We've fans on here who think the Glazers have done nothing but good for United, their far more insufferable than the bitterest City fan I know.

As a City fan, even I get wound up when I see United fans saying that about the Glazers.

 

[SER19]

So does that mean all United fans should be banned as well? And what makes you think that your own posts are of a sufficiently high quality not to fall foul of this proposed cull? Don't get me wrong, you're not as bad as namco but you've not exactly covered yourself in glory on occasions (neither have I to be fair). As it happens, you don't own or run this forum so I doubt anyone of any note will be taking on board your suggestion that you don't like City fans posting on here.

I'm not ignoring anything - you yourself have said there's not much point in going back and forth as we're never going to agree on this topic.

I don't think that, and I've made that clear in other threads. The internet usually has enough rubbish to sift through (many will consider my posts that) , that on a tough to control forum one obvious filter would be to reduce or cull the number of opposition fans here. Going onto a United forum and seeing so many threads derailed by opposition fans defeats the purpose and is something that could be looked at. As for "nobody of note taking anything on board" I've been told that mods accept all constructive feedback and in any case I'm not campaigning for it, it's something I'm perfectly entitled to feel and know I am not alone in as many others have said the same.

Perhaps a temporary block on new opposition fans joining for a few months would be a good test. Give me one good reason why a United site has such an upsurge in city fans when doing are doing well, coincidence I suppose

 

[SteveJ]

♪ Blue moon
You saw me standing alone
But that's because of traffic
In actual fact, all the tickets were sold♪

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Nah, I'd rather not have this sort of blessing.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Pep is not bringing anything new, other than successfully managing the egos of a lot of expensively acquired talent.

He is reaping the rewards of City spending money to his plan even before he started working for them, by having his background staff working there before he arrived.

Wenger brought new training methods and focus on diet - fair play

Mourinho brought a different tactical approach -

Pep has brought a friend with deep pockets or has taken over an existing team of winners wherever he goes. Unless of course he is bringing his own attitudes to Nandrolone or more exotic supplements?

Spending an unsustainable amount of money on foreign talent, not giving opportunities to young players despite trying to hoard them from other teams is a business model we have seen before. It will deliver some short lived success and then something will crack the facade and it will all come down in a shower of recriminations.

The Middle-eastern business model is to gather together big shiny brands that emphasise how influential the moghul at the heart of it is. Each brand enjoys a brief period in the sun while they are the newest toy, but soon they get replaced by the newest toy and the bean counters take over who naturally start making more rational financial decisions, because ultimately they know the source of their money is running out and these are the final decades of that income source.

So if City go and win everything this year, then maybe that is a good outcome in the long run, because as soon as the gloss starts to fade, then City will become a tier 2 or Tier 3 investment in the Sheikh's eyes and they will try and do an Elon Musk in some other field before the oil runs out in 2030

What is this crap?

 

[2ndTouch]

I think you should all aspire to be like your blue neighbours

 

[LoneStar]

that's just not true on any level, we wanted Pogba but couldn't / wouldn't pay the fee so he went to United, we wanted Sanchez and Evans but the selling clubs wanted too much for what we could pay without selling other players (Mangala refused to go somewhere, I forget)

United have spent more on players like Pogba, Di Maria, Lakaku then City have ever spent on an individual player.

City have spent what? 130m+ on defenders over the last 2/3 years. Which team even comes close to that amount of money spent? Pogba clearly wanted to come to us, and nobody knows how much you offered to pay up. So stop pretending the only reason Pogba chose us over City is money.

 

[SER19]

City have spent what? 130m+ on defenders over the last 2/3 years. Which team even comes close to that amount of money spent? Pogba clearly wanted to come to us, and nobody knows how much you offered to pay up. So stop pretending the only reason Pogba chose us over City is money.

265m on keepers and defenders in three years

 

[M18CTID]

I don't think that, and I've made that clear in other threads. The internet usually has enough rubbish to sift through (many will consider my posts that) , that on a tough to control forum one obvious filter would be to reduce or cull the number of opposition fans here. Going onto a United forum and seeing so many threads derailed by opposition fans defeats the purpose and is something that could be looked at. As for "nobody of note taking anything on board" I've been told that mods accept all constructive feedback and in any case I'm not campaigning for it, it's something I'm perfectly entitled to feel and know I am not alone in as many others have said the same.

Perhaps a temporary block on new opposition fans joining for a few months would be a good test.

Which threads are getting derailed though? I don't see much of that on the United threads. Not that I trawl through every one of them but I do dip in and out of them every now and then. If it's opposition fans posting mainly on threads about their own club then surely that's understandable. I think there's just as much of an issue with United fans fawning all over City at the moment as there is with an increase in the number of City posters

 

[amolbhatia50k]

If City get to 100 points it's going to be sickening. I don't want them to reach that barier. The best thing in our interest apart from us winning the league will be for City to lose a bit of momentum and hit some sketchy form in the second half of the campaign. Their 'feel good factor' is mental which comes from seemingly endless winning of football matches. They're not only winning what they should but also games where they're not playing great. I don't want them to carry this level of self belief and euphoria into next season.

 

[SER19]

Which threads are getting derailed though? I don't see much of that on the United threads. Not that I trawl through every one of them but I do dip in and out of them every now and then. If it's opposition fans posting mainly on threads about their own club then surely that's understandable. I think there's just as much of an issue with United fans fawning all over City at the moment as there is with an increase in the number of City posters

Agree with the last part. Just as big an issue.

Maybe we should have separate threads where united fans can discuss rival clubs where fans of those clubs are not allowed to post, in case they get offended by any slight against their team. Individual player threads also. Any thread regarding mourinho...

 

[M18CTID]

City have spent what? 130m+ on defenders over the last 2/3 years. Which team even comes close to that amount of money spent? Pogba clearly wanted to come to us, and nobody knows how much you offered to pay up. So stop pretending the only reason Pogba chose us over City is money.

On the flip side, before this summer City hadn't forked out a single penny in transfer fees on full-backs since we bought Clichy in the 2011 summer transfer window. Pretty much everyone was telling us last season that our full-backs were too old and not suited to Guardiola's style of play so we did what was recommended by all these experts and let all 4 go, while signing 3, and now we're getting stick for addressing glaring deficiencies in the squad. People can't have it both ways.

 

[DanClancy]

As a City fan, even I get wound up when I see United fans saying that about the Glazers.

You only find the intelligent Glazer stooge online though so no point getting worked up about it. The club are still suffering from what happened in the transfer market between 2009-11.