Patrick08
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- Mar 30, 2018
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They can't fill their stadium, yet the revenue figures were boasted to be crossing 500m.
Because nobody likes noise when they're in a library.
A few maybe but I think they do legit sell the stadium out when it's the Derby.How many of those home tickets are actually picked up by United fans, though? I know if I lived in Manchester I'd try get a ticket to that game, wouldn't give a feck what end I was in.
Arteta knows.Arteta was asked in his post-match press conference if he thought the atmosphere at the Etihad was poor, but insisted that was not an issue.
"I wouldn't like to use that as an excuse because we had that type of crowd in the Champions League before and we were able to win.
"The ideal scenario is to have a full stadium every time and being behind the team like crazy but we know sometimes it doesn't happen. I don't think that's an excuse though."
More like for a lot of people football is pure entertainment, rather than a way of life, or something to have loyalty for.Wouldn't I be overestimating them then? If all it takes to move your loyalty is a cool shirt and a cooperation with a fashion icon, then you're not much of a football fan.
Bluemoon said:A lot don't go and me included in the week as it's a nightmare to get to and from the ground in the week.
Manchesters roads simply cannot cope with traffic anymore.
Video is more damning than pictures. Just watch the match highlights.Seen any pictures, that are for sure from tonight? Sounds pathetic.
Looks like they applied the same punishment to City last night.Its to do with the fines that UEFA have given to City compared to what others teams have received.
If my memory serves me correctly against Porto under Mancini we arribed on the pitch 30 secs late for the 2nd half. Rules are rules, i get that but the punishment has to fit the crime.
I believe it was either Balotelli or Yaya that was racially abused during a CL game and our fine for being 30secs late onto a pitch exceeded that of racial abuse. Something i think we can all agree is morally wrong.
The real problem came during the CSKA game though. Uefa held back until City fans had booked hotels, flights etc for this CL tie before they let those fans, who had soent their hard earned cash to watch City, that the game would be played behind closed doors.
Not only did that cause a grievance between most City fans but CSKA fans still got inside the stadium sat in the Uefa delegates seats.
After the continued moving of goalposts on FFP too that has stopped other teams winning the lottery like happened to us. Doesn't break any laws but is highly immoral.
Plenty of other examples i could use but I've just touched on some of the main points. Hence me attitude towards the CL.
Oh, how we were ridiculed for laughing at them when they announced they were expanding the stadium a few seasons ago and now here we are.
Pitiful little club.
I am not sure how Chelsea can be called plastic. They weren't too shabby prior to Abramovich, though he catapulted them to where they are now. They have their legends like Lampard, Terry, Drogba etc to claim a small legacy over. Their support is quite decent. And their current spending status certainly isn't noteworthy.Definition of plastic, And people called Chelsea plastic. Atleast our fans show up home and away.
You listen to him??? And you expect people to take your views seriously??It doesn't matter how much they spend, how many league titles they win, how much they try to improve the stadium or how many 103 year old Man City supporting ladies they have in the fanbase; they'll never be the giant that Mancheser United are.
Noel Gallagher said as much when I was listening to an interview with him last year. He knows it, they know it and it's what eats at them inside.
City are as plastic as you can get. Their 'atmosphere' at every single game (unless we're visiting) is dreadful. Liverpool couldn't believe their luck when they travelled to the Etihad in last season's CL knock out tie. They just can't get up for any game because the atmosphere is manufactured, the whole club and ethos is bought with oil money, petro dollars, by a random bloke with absolutely no historic connection to the club who lives in Abu Dhabi.
It's laughable when you think about it. An absolute farce some might say.
Thanks, good ideaVideo is more damning than pictures. Just watch the match highlights.
Part 1 said:Money can't always buy you love. And despite the riches and prestige of the Champions League, Manchester City fans don't seem to fancy it.
While Pep Guardiola and his Abu Dhabi bosses would see winning Europe's biggest club prize as the culmination of 10 years work and a £1.3billion investement, their supporters are practically rebelling against the competition.
How else to explain Wednesday night's attendance of 40,111 to hear the famous music played against Lyon? Why was the Etihad Stadium a quarter-empty to see their heroes begin a European campaign in which many fancied them to triumph ahead of Barcelona,Real Madrid and Bayern Munich?
A club's history is built over 40 or 50 years and it'll take time to build that,' said Joey Barton, who used to play for City and also hails from a city famous for its atmospheric European nights at Anfield and Goodison Park.
There is certain merit in what Barton says but there also seems to be lingering disonnect between City supporters and Champions League football, arguably a hangover from arguments the club have had with Uefa in the recent past.
Gestures like booing the famous Champions League anthem are now spilling into performances on the pitch. Lyon are a decent French club with a World Cup winner in Nabil Fekir. But there is no way City should be losing 2-1 to them at home.
Part 2 said:Judging by the City messageboards, many fans do think there is a link between the mix of apathy and enmity in the stadium to performances on the pitch.
'Embarrassing, negative. The players must think the fans don’t care,' was one response in the aftermath.
The irony is City do have European history dating back to the Joe Mercer-Malcolm Allison days. They won the 1970 Cup-Winners' Cup Final against Gornik Zabrze in torrential rain in Vienna with goalscorer Neil Young recalling: 'When the final whistle went it was absolute ecstacy. Our fans were drenched in the stands but going beserk.'
Domestic success was the first priority of Sheikh Mansour when he bought the club in 2008 but after two Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014, thoughts turned to Europe, hence the arrival of Pep Guaridola to Manchester.
Part 3 said:Unfortunately for the feted Catalan, he walked into a club that was already having its problems with Uefa.
City felt, with some justificiation, that Uefa rules about financial fairplay were being backed by traditional powers like Bayern Munich and Manchester United in order to stop newer clubs competing.
The club were fined £49million, hit with a transfer spending cap of the same amount and penalised by having the size of their Champions League squad limited. It appeared a far more serious punishment than that handed out to CSKA Moscow after City's Yaya Toure had been racially abused there. CSKA had to play one game in a partially closed stadium.
Furthermore, Uefa's seeding policy consistently put City in very tough qualifying groups to stifle their progress.
As Premier League champions in 2012/13, they were drawn in a group with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, finalists that season under Jurgen Klopp. It wasn't until the season before Guardiola arrived that City had a proper run in the Champions League to the semi-finals.
City felt as a club there was an overall agenda against them. And the fans picked up on that.
They turned their backs on Champions League anthem. They held up placards with the words “Boo” when the musich was played. They whistled and jeered the song at The Etihad – all harmful to the Uefa brand. When City fans were told at late notice they couldn't travel to another tie against CSKA Moscow in 2014, the protests increased.
Part 4 said:It has all led to the feeling among City fans that the Champions League is somehow tainted. While they thrilled in Guardiola's team breaking all-comers records in the Premier League last season – most points and goals – the same success hasn't been forthcoming in Europe.
Monaco sprung a surprise by knocking out City in Pep's first season. Last season, they were dismantled over two legs by Liverpool. The City team bus was attacked on the way to Anfield but still no arrests have been made.
Further evidence of bias against City? Whether true or not, the mistrust among City supporters is now deep-rooted. It was surely a factor in there being more than 10,000 empty seats against Lyon when City were the bookmakers favourites to win the Champions League and fancied by many pundits, including Mail columnist Peter Crouch. For those fans who did attend, many booed the anthem again.
One defeat doesn't end Guardiola's European aspirations even though no Champions League winner has lost their opening group game this century.
But given the tough competition – Barca, Real Madrid, Juventus, Bayern, PSG, not to mention the other Premier League representatives – the City boss will need everyone pulling in the right direction, particularly the supporters.
City won't win or lose their next home Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk because of the size of crowd, or respect given to the anthem. But it might set the tone for the players on the park.
Give it to some other team then.Why are City considerred in the top 5 teams in Europe?
- 2 CL Semi Finals in their history suggests Not!
- At least 8 to 10,000 never turn up to home CL games
- 4 consecutive Defeats in the CL
- Without De Bruyne how many of their players would really get in Barca, Bayern, Juventus or both Madrid teams
- 5 Domestic Titles only
- A team that is so jelous of United they've cooked the books again this year to inflate turnover to over £500 million when their Attendences have been proven to be overstated by Manchester Police Force!
- Like PSG who have spent billions, I doubt very much either of the state run clubs will be in the last 4 of the CL this season.
- Pep has not won the CL for 8 years and took the best team of the century to Bayern who thrashed them 7-0 over two legs in a SF
- City are far to naive to win the CL
- They still have a shaky defence which will be more exposed the more teams hit them on the counter attack
For any of those on the thread who live in Manchester you will fully understand what I mean when I say their true hardcore fans don't even want to be in the Champions League, they are far more interrested in the Domestic League!
100% AgreeGive it to some other team then.
In all seriousness, there isn't a City fan alive that wouldn't love to be crowed kings of Europe. Anyone who states otherwise is lying. They'll all get giddy once they get to the QF this year just for them to crash out again and pretend like they didn't care anyway.
They've a great squad and manager (which is what you get with billions) but as a club, they are an embarrassment.
In terms of the integrity of the sport, yeahI honestly do believe they're the worst thing to happen in football for years and years.
All that money to buy fantastic players and win trophies but with no passion, atmosphere or emotion whatsoever. They're a waste of a great team.
English media were giving PSG stick for similar reasons this week, the biggest culprits are in their own backyard- The CFG Manchester branch.
Doss he genuinely buy this drivel about City boycotting the tournament? These journos would refuse to slag City off even if their owner attacked them with one of his regime's beloved cattle prods.
Haha.Looks like they applied the same punishment to City last night.
So you're against the CL because of the corruption, what are your thoughts then on the regime that owns City?What a day to join this site
Utterly embarrassing performance that has to be said first.
Im one of those fans that couldn't give a rats arse about the CL and the corruption behind it. Dont get me wrong, a trophy is a trophy.
That said still a dire team effort for our team that probably has the easiest group this year.
Im a Utd fan and Im not in the least bit bothered about the CL.So you're against the CL because of the corruption, what are your thoughts then on the regime that owns City?
You don't mind the way they behave? It's just UEFA you have a problem with?
To me these City fans who claim to not be bothered about the CL, it's just ridiculous. I guarantee if you reach the semi finals or the final there'll be plenty of those fans who claim not to care desperately trying to get a ticket.
Not sure what thats got to do with City fans claiming they don't care about the CL because it's corrupt.Im a Utd fan and Im not in the least bit bothered about the CL.
Its the same old, same old for the last 5 years. Im bored of it.
Try to keep my political views off here until i gain the privilege to talk about them but since you ask pro YemenSo you're against the CL because of the corruption, what are your thoughts then on the regime that owns City?
You don't mind the way they behave? It's just UEFA you have a problem with?
To me these City fans who claim to not be bothered about the CL, it's just ridiculous. I guarantee if you reach the semi finals or the final there'll be plenty of those fans who claim not to care desperately trying to get a ticket.
Try to keep my political views off here until i gain the privilege to talk about them but since you ask pro Yemen
We've already reached a Semi and i wasn't bothered by it. It's not corruption either and any City fans that say that are often misunderstood. It's just morally incorrect.
Can i ask you do you think turning up late for a 2nd half by seconds warrants a bigger fine than racism?
I just get the feeling City's success hasn't caught people's imagination in the way the owners would have hoped. Plus they can't expand their fanbase locally (which is a key requirement to fill a big stadium) due to United.Haha.
City's continuation of squeezing the fans for money each season has a bearing effect too. I know of 2 people who gave up their seasoncards at the end of last season cos they've now been priced out. 10 rises over the last 9 years has helped cause this too.
People are much poorer than they used to be and usually its your hobbies that pay for it first
He could have but, and it's a big but, Newcastle aren't Manchester United's neighbours. With a global footballing interest in the city already due to United's success and name it made perfect sense to buy up the failing team down the road and give them trophies.I just get the feeling City's success hasn't caught people's imagination in the way the owners would have hoped. Plus they can't expand their fanbase locally (which is a key requirement to fill a big stadium) due to United.
Mansour would have done far better publicity-wise by buying a club like Newcastle, which had an unchallenged hold on the local community and could fill a massive stadium.