When did rivalries stop mattering?

CloneMC16

Full Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2021
Messages
4,641
Does everyone experience football like this?
No, but there will be some people that see it like that. A lot of fans get very invested in the sport, but the point is still true.

This is just a game and there are far more important things in life.
 

AjaxCunian

vexingwijsneus
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
4,248
Supports
Ajax & United
No, but there will be some people that see it like that. A lot of fans get very invested in the sport, but the point is still true.

This is just a game and there are far more important things in life.
I dont think anyone has said that there aren't far more important things in life, but my passion for football is personally not due to escapism at all.
 

SirScholes

Full Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
6,224
It was, no doubt.
But I would still give one of the 4 League Cups won during SAF's era in exchange of one 7-0 victory over the Scousers in those years
If we had 4 to give I’d agree
But we don’t
 

CloneMC16

Full Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2021
Messages
4,641
I dont think anyone has said that there aren't far more important things in life, but my passion for football is personally not due to escapism at all.
I know. I feel the same way as you. It's far more than escapism for me, but I still think that post is correct. It's a game and there is nothing we can do to change the results as fans.
 

jeff_goldblum

Full Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
3,917
People react to stuff in different ways and people come to the caf for different things. It's no surprise that when there's a bad result you get a lot of back and forth between people who each feel the others' way of being a fan is "wrong"
 

MackRobinson

New Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2017
Messages
5,134
Location
Terminal D
Supports
Football
An injury-time loss hurts infinitely more than a hammering. During a hammering, you've already gone through all the stages of grief before the final whistle.
 

croadyman

Full Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2018
Messages
35,657
The worrying thing is that it's not a freak result. Three of the last four games against them have been 0-4, 0-5 and now 0-7!

In response to the opening post, its becoming the norm now sadly!
Yeah we are suffering too many of these kinds of results against scousers and City since Fergie retired. Have to sort out our big six away record next season. Maybe stop this gung-ho approach when conceded 2 or 3 in a short period of time
 

Gehrman

Phallic connoisseur, unlike shamans
Joined
Feb 20, 2019
Messages
11,309
We've been battered so many times thats it hard not be apathetic about it. Apart from the 1-6 vs City under fergie its become a norm after him.
 

Alonzo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
347
What a silly thread.

That was a truly horrible defeat, but have some perspective on the great season we are having. No one’s saying the rivalry doesn’t matter but would you trade our season for theirs? If not, why not move on and get back to winning?! Strange to do anything else.
 

Alonzo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
347
I dunno mate, I'm pushing 40 and I still feel like someone has worked me over with a baseball bat after yesterday's result :lol:. Far more so than the hidings we've suffered in recent seasons, as I just didn't see a capitulation like this coming this time around. All these threads and posts rebuking fellow fans about not being angry enough are nauseating though. Insofar as a bunch of people on a forum can affect anything, I can understand people after the Liverpool hidings last year expecting us to clamour for Ole out and Rangnick out, or Pogba not to be renewed, or Maguire to be dropped.

What on earth are we supposed to be agitating for now though? Sacking the manager who has just led us to our first trophy in 6 years and is currently on a run of 16 wins, 3 draws and 2 losses in his first season here? Binning the likes of Varane and Casemiro and getting some proper winners instead? Dropping everyone who started yesterday and using the rest of our famously deep squad instead?
that’s an interesting take. I’m pushing 40 myself, and am coming at it from the opposite perspective - i took all the recent defeats right up to city 6-3 but ESPECIALLY the Liverpool defeats last season MUCH worse. They felt like our cup finals, and losing so badly seemed to reiterate how hopeless things were. Really didn’t see things improving. This season, it’s completely different, so much positivity for the trajectory we are on, and as a result, have been able to move on quite quickly. I’ll take the lumps, and it’s a humiliating result, but ok, there’s too much to look forward to to wallow in it. Not saying you’re wrong, but i *am* happy that this is where im at with it myself!
 

Alonzo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
347
I do think there's an interesting discussion to be had about the United-Liverpool rivalry specifically regarding the players(not the fans).

I always feel like the game matters more to their players than our players. And even during the Fergie years, they gave us tough games while we were much better. They never really rolled over for us as we've done so recently. It's infuriating and I hope it changes starting next season.
i would be extremely surprised if we don’t come out guns blazing next trip to anfield. Serial winners were on that pitch and humiliated themselves and had their professionalism called into question. Freak result sure, but that won’t be forgotten and they’ll be desperate to put that right. Doesn’t mean we’ll give them a hiding, but i think that’s the end of the big defeats.
 

Lentwood

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
6,940
Location
West Didsbury, Manchester
I used to get really upset and have blazing rows with my mates daily about football when I was 16, then I grew-up, got a life and realized that there's far more important stuff going on the in the world.

Of course I still get down/angry/upset to a degree (especially during/in the immediate aftermath of a game) but if you're a grown adult and you're spending more than a day or so miserable about a football result think you might need some perspective
 

baskinginthesun

Full Member
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
Messages
1,136
It's just different. I had to watch the match in a hotel room. In the 2nd half I was half watching half packing my bag and getting ready for work. As soon as it was over I had to run downstairs and be focused on my job. So it's easy to put these types of losses behind me. I didn't have to hear about it for the rest of the day either because I was at work.

So yeah, as others have said there are other priorities where you can move on quicker from these types of results.
 

Rayman96

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
1,327
Location
Glasgow
Supports
Also supports Rangers
Now that the dust has settled, it's humiliating and rage-induing but ultimately it's just a league game, albeit a bitter one. To compare to Brazil losing 7-1 to Germany or Barca losing 8-2 to Bayern, they were knockout games, no chance of respite. Let's not forget we lost 6-1 to City under Fergie and then went on a brilliant winning run. Football is only as good as your last game and it hit extra hard for those teams because it was their last game of the season. It's far from ours and it's all about the reaction. If we beat Betis 4-0 with brilliant football, it won't make up for the Liverpool game but football and news moves onto the next story.
You are correct but just not in the way you think.
You cannot compare it because it is much much worse. We got a hammering by out biggest rivals, they didnt. That would have been Argentina and Real Madrid.
Yes we can bounce back and I pray we do but don't be naive, those feckers will be ramming this down our throat for a decade.
 

Rayman96

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
1,327
Location
Glasgow
Supports
Also supports Rangers
What a silly thread.

That was a truly horrible defeat, but have some perspective on the great season we are having. No one’s saying the rivalry doesn’t matter but would you trade our season for theirs? If not, why not move on and get back to winning?! Strange to do anything else.
If their season is 4th place I would trade it.
What you saying then is Carabao cup v 7/0 win against Liverpool. I would take that every time.
 

Rayman96

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
1,327
Location
Glasgow
Supports
Also supports Rangers
I used to get really upset and have blazing rows with my mates daily about football when I was 16, then I grew-up, got a life and realized that there's far more important stuff going on the in the world.

Of course I still get down/angry/upset to a degree (especially during/in the immediate aftermath of a game) but if you're a grown adult and you're spending more than a day or so miserable about a football result think you might need some perspective
Ok Dr Freud. We are all sad feckers with no life if we are raging it seems.
Your amazing life with all its important stuff still has you posting 6000 times on here :lol:
 

Rayman96

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Apr 28, 2019
Messages
1,327
Location
Glasgow
Supports
Also supports Rangers
Id take the actual trophy. The one that makes us a more successful club than Liverpool
It does but results like that have generational timescales of ripping.
This will live with me for a long time
 

TheReligion

Abusive
Joined
Nov 22, 2006
Messages
51,654
Location
Manchester
It does but results like that have generational timescales of ripping.
This will live with me for a long time
More generational than being a more successful club historically?

If you asked them if they’d swap their season with ours right now they’d snap our hands off.
 

Lecland07

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2021
Messages
2,835
To be honest, how many people even view Liverpool as the biggest rivals outside of those from Manchester?

You have to remember that Liverpool and Manutd haven't really rivalled each other in competition much in the Premier League era. I don't believe we have ever played each other the Champions League. We only competed for the league title once in that time. I actually don't really remember playing them in the other cups, either; maybe they just weren't memorable?

I would say a lot of fans probably see Arsenal and Chelsea as bigger rivals, considering they were the main competitors under Ferguson.

Aside from that, we haven't exactly been in a position to think about rivalries all that much. There have been far bigger issues at the club than losing to bigger sides; we couldn't even beat the smaller sides last season, and got trashed by them on multiple occasions. There is a much bigger picture, at the moment, and what we have seen is immense improvement (not perfect) in play style and mentality (yes, we have - remember the come back against West Ham and Barcelona. We also came back against Leeds. It has happened quite a lot).

The fact of the matter is that this result may not be big. Liverpool could easily lose their next game, so what does this result mean then? Not much, to be honest. We could go on and win against Betis and Southampton. Again, it really dampens the idea that this was a massive result.
 

KeanoMagicHat

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
4,174
They never stop mattering. We just lost 3 points on a close title race, the kind of 3 points that are "make or break" at the end of the season. We also lost by a seven-goal difference to fecking Liverpool. If that does not sicken you I don't know what will.
Of course it sickens me, but also there are still potentially 23 games left in the season, that's why the reaction to this is important, it doesn't take away the loss but if we win a few trophies and finish 3rd then there's no point ragging on the players for one match in March, no matter how bitter the loss was.

You are correct but just not in the way you think.
You cannot compare it because it is much much worse. We got a hammering by out biggest rivals, they didnt. That would have been Argentina and Real Madrid.
Yes we can bounce back and I pray we do but don't be naive, those feckers will be ramming this down our throat for a decade.
Of course but still football moves fast, if we beat them 4-0 next time we play them, then all the slagging will go the other way etc.
 

Revan

Assumptionman
Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
50,014
Location
London
To be honest, how many people even view Liverpool as the biggest rivals outside of those from Manchester?

You have to remember that Liverpool and Manutd haven't really rivalled each other in competition much in the Premier League era. I don't believe we have ever played each other the Champions League. We only competed for the league title once in that time. I actually don't really remember playing them in the other cups, either; maybe they just weren't memorable?

I would say a lot of fans probably see Arsenal and Chelsea as bigger rivals, considering they were the main competitors under Ferguson.

Aside from that, we haven't exactly been in a position to think about rivalries all that much. There have been far bigger issues at the club than losing to bigger sides; we couldn't even beat the smaller sides last season, and got trashed by them on multiple occasions. There is a much bigger picture, at the moment, and what we have seen is immense improvement (not perfect) in play style and mentality (yes, we have - remember the come back against West Ham and Barcelona. We also came back against Leeds. It has happened quite a lot).

The fact of the matter is that this result may not be big. Liverpool could easily lose their next game, so what does this result mean then? Not much, to be honest. We could go on and win against Betis and Southampton. Again, it really dampens the idea that this was a massive result.
I do not know a single United fan who does not consider Liverpool as our biggest rivals.
 

Alonzo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
347
If their season is 4th place I would trade it.
What you saying then is Carabao cup v 7/0 win against Liverpool. I would take that every time.
if we finish above them and win a trophy, not on your life would i trade our season for theirs.But that’s me
 

Alonzo

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
347
More generational than being a more successful club historically?

If you asked them if they’d swap their season with ours right now they’d snap our hands off.
Not saying some United fans seem absolutely insistent on letting this ruin their view of the season, but i do feel there’s a bit of perspective being lost. It’s incredibly easy to counter Liverpool fans taking shots about that result - our season is better. 7-0 in a season where we finish above them, who gives a feck. If they went on to win the league it’d be different, but 7-0 and being below us just adds credence to the fact this was their cup final. Feck em haha
 

The Brown Bull

It's Coming Home.
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
4,334
Location
Dublin.
I think the OP is BS and that this is a BS thread. Rivalries matter. Big time.
But what do people want? Mass suicides after a bad defeat? Get a fcuking grip.
 

Martial

Full Member
Joined
Nov 4, 2015
Messages
583
The 8-2 was only so funny because Arsenal continued to be shite for so long afterwards (until this season).

If we continue our progression and even win a league in the next few years, the result will be forgotten about very quickly.
 

Rusholme Ruffian

Full Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2017
Messages
3,121
Location
Cooking MCs like a pound of bacon
The important thing to remember is that how this pans out is still in our hands. Liverpool are pissing themselves now, but if we were to end the season in third with a couple of trophies then those laughs will be sounding pretty hollow. I mean, they're in a real dogfight to even finish in the CL places.
 

Lentwood

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2015
Messages
6,940
Location
West Didsbury, Manchester
Ok Dr Freud. We are all sad feckers with no life if we are raging it seems.
Your amazing life with all its important stuff still has you posting 6000 times on here :lol:
Being raging is fine, being raging for days on end, fearing going into work, suddenly flipping on the players/manager after one performance...feels too much.

And it's got nothing to do with having an 'amazing life'....my perspective on football changed when my Dad passed away. He was a lifelong United fan, a ST holder of over 30-years...we used to go to games together before he died young at 54.

You realise at that point that 'football being more important than life and death' is bollocks. It's meant to be fun, it's meant to be something we enjoy with friends and family.

Show some passion, sure, and each to their own.....but the thread asked, sarcastically, "when did rivalries stop mattering?', implying some people are not upset enough...and I am answering....
 

JB7

Full Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2008
Messages
8,888
It's really weird how much this seems to have affected non-matchgoers more than matchgoing United fans who were at the game. And I'm not trying to be a dick with saying that, I say it because I don't think I spoke to anyone on Sunday during the second half or afterwards who wasn't of the view it was a freak game where they scored every time they went forward and our heads fell off after a pretty decent first half. The general view was that we take our medicine, a defeat had been coming (obviously not a 7-0 at Liverpool defeat but still, a defeat), and we need to get it out of our heads and bounce back on Thursday. Listen to the United We Stand podcast for example if you don't want to take my word for it. It was a shite day, let them have their moment but we're still on course for a much better season than anticipated (and than them) with a trophy in the bag, top 4 looking good and a realistic shot at another two trophies.

Whereas on here it was the end of the world, we've got to change captain, the players need to be punished and I've even seen people saying the players should refund us for travelling. :lol: