Other games (2024/25)

[St. Maximin]

Each to their own here - I get why Klopp and Arteta aren’t liked but I really struggle to see why people would rather Man City win the league again. Even if you don’t have hatred for their manager, it’s surely really boring seeing the same team win again and again and getting to where they are through being able to spend extraordinarily before the other big teams could surely doesn’t help. 
 

Klopp and Arteta are just whinging idiots. A club goes far deeper than that the person managing. Surely nicer just seeing them not having something to complain about too. 

 

 

Edited April 14 by St. Maximin

[Geordie Ahmed]

14 minutes ago, St. Maximin said:

Each to their own here - I get why Klopp and Arteta aren’t liked but I really struggle to see why people would rather Man City win the league again. Even if you don’t have hatred for their manager, it’s surely really boring seeing the same team win again and again and getting to where they are through being able to spend extraordinarily before the other big teams could surely doesn’t help. 
 

Klopp and Arteta are just whinging idiots. A club goes far deeper than that the person managing. Surely nicer just seeing them not having something to complain about too. 

 

 

 

 A club does indeed go far deeper than the manager, it's the fans and that's where Arsenal/Liverpool are massively insufferable meanwhile City fans are irrelevant

[St. Maximin]

9 minutes ago, Geordie Ahmed said:

 A club does indeed go far deeper than the manager, it's the fans and that's where Arsenal/Liverpool are massively insufferable meanwhile City fans are irrelevant

I think it’s all the same really. Every fanbase has its share of idiots that don’t represent them in general. We’re no exception, but it’s not stopped others from wrongly having this idea we’re all deluded with unrealistic explanations. 
 

City fans have seen their team go from nothing to dominant in pretty much no time during the last 15 years. No surprise we don’t come across many annoying fans given what they’ve been able to enjoy. Given how poor their atmosphere and attendances can be also, in many ways I prefer a more annoying fan base that seems to care than an irrelevant one. 

[Yorkie]

City are pretty meaningless to me. I don't revere them or hate them or even much respect them; they're just a manufactured entity that constantly succeeds. They're everything that, for all its flaws, PSR prevents us from becoming - and for the better. On the other hand, there's a lot more to feel about the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, by virtue of their relative 'real-ness.' I don't feel the disdain towards the Arsenal that some do, but I cannot abide Liverpool and the coverage they receive. Seeing them fail at the expense of the entity succeeding again is entirely preferable to me. 

[Lordshola]

41 minutes ago, St. Maximin said:

Each to their own here - I get why Klopp and Arteta aren’t liked but I really struggle to see why people would rather Man City win the league again. Even if you don’t have hatred for their manager, it’s surely really boring seeing the same team win again and again and getting to where they are through being able to spend extraordinarily before the other big teams could surely doesn’t help. 
 

Klopp and Arteta are just whinging idiots. A club goes far deeper than that the person managing. Surely nicer just seeing them not having something to complain about too. 

 

 

 

It’s because it just doesn’t really mean anything to anyone. They are a cheating, manufactured club with no real fans and we all know it.

 

It’s just fantastic that the likes of Klopp and Arteta are kept away from winning the league as well…

[St. Maximin]

2 minutes ago, Lordshola said:

It’s because it just doesn’t really mean anything to anyone. They are a cheating, manufactured club with no real fans and we all know it.

 

It’s just fantastic that the likes of Klopp and Arteta are kept away from winning the league as well…

Well it’s exactly that which confuses people. It’s not good for football that a cheating, manufactured club without fans gets to win arguably the best league every year, just to ensure teams with real fans don’t win it because they have a manager that annoyed people. 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, St. Maximin said:

Well it’s exactly that which confuses people. It’s not good for football that a cheating, manufactured club without fans gets to win arguably the best league every year, just to ensure teams with real fans don’t win it because they have a manager that annoyed people. 

 

"Without fans".

 

They were averaging 28k plus in the third tier. 

 

They're also the last of the "hit the jackpot" clubs that FFP has made sure must not happen again. Why can't a Derby or Peterborough for example dream of getting the oil baron takeover and become the best team in the world? It's a once a generation thing, but it's just not allowed to happen anymore. 

 

That's why I hope City win the lot while the clubs most intent on keeping everyone else down, continue to miss out to them.

 

 

Edited April 15 by Optimistic Nut

[Erikse]

1 hour ago, Yorkie said:

City are pretty meaningless to me. I don't revere them or hate them or even much respect them; they're just a manufactured entity that constantly succeeds. They're everything that, for all its flaws, PSR prevents us from becoming - and for the better. On the other hand, there's a lot more to feel about the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal, by virtue of their relative 'real-ness.' I don't feel the disdain towards the Arsenal that some do, but I cannot abide Liverpool and the coverage they receive. Seeing them fail at the expense of the entity succeeding again is entirely preferable to me. 

 

I agree more on this. Despite their fans whining for ages about referree decisions and such on social media, I kind of wanted Arsenal to take this one. Just because City makes it all so boring to me. Atleast the Arsenal team is somewhat exciting and fun to watch. I used to like Liverpool in their prime under Klopp, but they haven't been the same since they missed out on the quadruple. I don't particularly like them anymore.

 

 

Edited April 15 by Erikse

[Erikse]

4 hours ago, brummie said:

The thing that is impressive with Emery is the total shit show of Gerrard that he took over. 
 

He took us from 17th (and only not 18th on goal difference) and with a squad that was totally demoralised by Gerrard’s mind games after a third of the season and got us into Europe having added only one player in the January window. 
 

He’s been amazing, but I think the circumstances he took over in gets forgotten by the media, mostly because they can’t accommodate the evidence that their hero Stevie G was a total fucking fraud.

 

 One other thing worth memtioning that doesn’t get highlighted much in the media - they also changed the entire football management side of things - Monchi on transfers (another proven winner) and Vidagamy as Emery’s right hand man, they’re the triangle of power basically, it’s not all about the manager. 

 

They also binned Christian Purslow, who I thought largely did a good job, but made the fatal error of pushing hard for Gerrard when Sawiris and Edens (the owners) were apparently far from convinced. 

 

Howe was a similar story. Xabi Alonso even more extreme:

 

 

Some managers use the patience argument after 2 seasons (Ten Hag). Others has a huge impact during that time.

 

 

Edited April 15 by Erikse

[KaKa]

So happy for Alonso.

 

Cannot stand Bayern Munich and how they operate.

 

Of course they were immediately after Alonso too, the pathetic, desperate dopes.

 

Love that he told them to piss off and he's stuck with Leverkusen.

[cosmic]

[Froggy]

6 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

"Without fans".

 

They were averaging 28k plus in the third tier. 

 

Their fanbase is shocking compared to most clubs in the Premier League. They struggle to fill the stadium. I have mates in Manchester who were getting free tickets for City games after they were being handed out at universities to give the illusion of a full ground.

 

The stadium was over half empty by the time they scored the 5th goal on Saturday. They're in a title challenge ffs.

 

5 hours ago, Erikse said:

Some managers use the patience argument after 2 seasons (Ten Hag). Others has a huge impact during that time.

 

Ten Hag's impact was fairly huge in his first season like.

 

 

Edited April 15 by Froggy

[The College Dropout]

10 hours ago, Pokerprince2004 said:

He's pretty much mirrored what Eddie Howe has done. Took a poor prem league team fighting relegation and got them into champions league first full season. Villa have never been in Champions League since 1982 so thats some going if you ask me. He's an outstanding manager in my opinion 

No it’s not the same.  When he joined Villa had the core of a really decent team. Emery has taken them close to where they should be and a couple places higher. 
 

Villa’s wage bill last season was higher than us at 7th.  Gerrard was doing a woeful job. 
 

Emery is a proven manager and a really good one. But that Villa project was already underway when he joined. 

[Guest]

Let's not forget as well that Liverpool have still been able to win a title last 5 years, took it to the last day two seasons recently, will likely do the same this season.

 

Arsenal have spent a shitload and continue to do so. They'll close the gap.

 

Man Utd and Chelsea also have the financial means and have spent the sort of money that should have seen them competing. Can't be put on City just because they've been basket cases off the pitch.

 

There should be scope for decent title races between those 5 clubs. It's just the likes of us, Villa, etc who might have the odd challenge but aren't allowed to spend to keep it up consistently.

[Froggy]

19 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

There should be scope for decent title races between those 5 clubs. It's just the likes of us, Villa, etc who might have the odd challenge but aren't allowed to spend to keep it up consistently.

 

You need to rephrase. You can't spend what your owners would like to.  You have spent £400m since Howe took charge. That's the same as what City has spent in the same timeframe. It's the same as what Man United has spent albeit we have spent it in one less window. It's more than Arsenal and more than Liverpool. The only team who has spent more than Newcastle since you've been bought over is Chelsea.

 

This narrative that you can't spend is utter bollocks and needs to stop. You've spent a fortune. You're among the highest spenders in the league and will continue to be in the upcoming windows.

[Froggy]

No doubt you pay for your players up front too, while we owe over £300m in player installments. Rich bastards.

[bowlingcrofty]

Bit different spending £400m on a starting base of nothing v spending £400m on a starting base of a £1bn squad - and then being told if you want to spend any more you need to sell players, while the squad now worth £1.4bn can continue to spend...

[Froggy]

2 minutes ago, bowlingcrofty said:

Bit different spending £400m on a starting base of nothing v spending £400m on a starting base of a £1bn squad - and then being told if you want to spend any more you need to sell players, while the squad now worth £1.4bn can continue to spend...

 

It's not different at all. The starting base is irrelevant since the takeover. We couldn't sign anyone in January because of FFP and our revenue is triple what yours is. I don't know why you think these rules only apply to your club.

 

I'm sure you'll drop another £100-150m in the summer, same as us.

[Nucasol]

1 hour ago, Froggy said:

 

Their fanbase is shocking compared to most clubs in the Premier League. They struggle to fill the stadium. I have mates in Manchester who were getting free tickets for City games after they were being handed out at universities to give the illusion of a full ground.

 

The stadium was over half empty by the time they scored the 5th goal on Saturday. They're in a title challenge ffs.

 

 

Ten Hag's impact was fairly huge in his first season like.

 

 

 

Like all the Sinister 6 they’ve got hordes of wacky Twitter (Pessi/Penaldo types) or student/tourist plastics supporting them now. Spent years working in Manchester when City were on the rise 2010-2017 but the overriding feeling and perspective on the ground was there’s far more Man Utd fans, despite the old claim all Mancs were City fans and Man Utd were all out of town day trippers (‘taxi for London’ and all that).

[Nucasol]

Just now, Froggy said:

 

 

 

I'm sure you'll drop another £100-150m in the summer, same as us.

Zero chance unless we sell one of the Crown Jewels of Isak, Gordon or Bruno. You lot can though.

[Froggy]

5 minutes ago, Nucasol said:

Zero chance unless we sell one of the Crown Jewels of Isak, Gordon or Bruno. You lot can though.

 

We will see. The last financials report I read from Kieran Maguire seemed to suggest you would be able to spend quite a bit this summer when the CL revenues and new sponsorships kick in.

[bowlingcrofty]

7 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

It's not different at all. The starting base is irrelevant since the takeover. We couldn't sign anyone in January because of FFP and our revenue is triple what yours is. I don't know why you think these rules only apply to your club.

 

I'm sure you'll drop another £100-150m in the summer, same as us.

How can the starting base be irrelevant when you had two centre halves alone who were worth more than our entire squad on the day of the takeover? We're not just needing to match the big spenders to catch them, we need to significantly outspend them to make up the gap - but we can't, because arbitrary reasons.

[Froggy]

3 minutes ago, bowlingcrofty said:

How can the starting base be irrelevant when you had two centre halves alone who were worth more than our entire squad on the day of the takeover? We're not just needing to match the big spenders to catch them, we need to significantly outspend them to make up the gap - but we can't, because arbitrary reasons.

 

That was the entire point though wasn't it. 

 

20 minutes ago, Froggy said:

You need to rephrase. You can't spend what your owners would like to.

 

You've spent the same as Man United and Man City since the takeover, and more than Liverpool and Arsenal despite thsoe clubs dwarfing yours in every way financially. 

 

Your revenue will grow extremely fast, and your spend will increase. It's all about patience. You're going to be at the top soon.

 

 

 

Edited April 15 by Froggy

[bowlingcrofty]

How can you improve your revenue dramatically with Paul Dummett and Jeff Hendrick on the pitch? There has to be a way for clubs to accelerate the on-field so that the off-field can then catch it up. The clubs who had massive revenue before these rules have been essentially unaffected by them, whereas those who are trying to make up the gap, can't. 

 

It's not 'fair play' at that point. It's skewed towards those who already benefitted from the rules not being there who already have the massive revenue to then be able to continue spending once the rules are in place.

[Froggy]

Just now, bowlingcrofty said:

How can you improve your revenue dramatically with Paul Dummett and Jeff Hendrick on the pitch? There has to be a way for clubs to accelerate the on-field so that the off-field can then catch it up. The clubs who had massive revenue before these rules have been essentially unaffected by them, whereas those who are trying to make up the gap, can't. 

 

It's not 'fair play' at that point. It's skewed towards those who already benefitted from the rules not being there who already have the massive revenue to then be able to continue spending once the rules are in place.

 

Do you genuinely not think the rules are better for football? Well supported clubs like Newcastle will prosper regardless. If there was nothing done about this the entire league would have been owned by America, Saudi and Qatar in 20-30 years. 

 

Your revenue is growing dramatically by the way. Up 36% on the year before. Your commerical revenue up two thirds. 

 

Players like Hendrick and Dummett won't be there for much longer. You've spent big on some great players but were still able to drop £30-40m on prospect full backs like Hall and Livramento who weren't even starting for you. They'd bloody start for us.

 

Like I said, it's only a matter of time. In my humble opinion.