Other other games (2023/24)

[Disco]

1 hour ago, The Bonk said:

 

He was pretty good last year. Did he get hurt? Maybe he can't stand Arteta like us.

 

 

I don't remember them being this insufferable before that AFTV lot rocked up and made the world around football complete shite.

Wenger for me. 

[The Bonk]

15 minutes ago, Disco said:

Wenger for me. 

 

Aye, entitled french man.  He kinda turned them into heels, I agree.

[Disco]

17 minutes ago, The Bonk said:

 

Aye, entitled french man.  He kinda turned them into heels, I agree.

No no. I absolutely loved the bloke. The way he was treated by Arsenal fans was rank. Best football I’ve seen in “our league”.

[WilliamPS]

Wenger at the end was such a whinger, think that turned a lot of people off Arsenal.

 

Particularly the ridiculousness of a manager who sent out a team with Adams, Petit, Viera etc complaining that physical teams were unfair! 

[Nucasol]

53 minutes ago, WilliamPS said:

Wenger at the end was such a whinger, think that turned a lot of people off Arsenal.

 

Particularly the ridiculousness of a manager who sent out a team with Adams, Petit, Viera etc complaining that physical teams were unfair! 

His first double season had characters like Dixon in it, hardly shy of a tackle as Daveed G will attest to.

[Optimistic Nut]

I think it is their awful fanbase that puts me off them. I can relate more to Man City as we were very similar clubs up to 1992 with similar honours lists, attendances, etc. 

 

The 28k or so who went regularly in the third tier watching the likes of Jamie Pollock late 90s while Man Utd won everything for example should enjoy everything they have. 

 

The entitlement Arsenal fans seem to have in comparison is off the scale. Hope they lose out by 2 points as well so that the goal they cry about up here is a difference maker. 

 

[Cronky]

5 hours ago, Erikse said:

 

Not a fan of lets say Chelsea breaking/bending the rules to spend £1bn while we are restriced due to actually following them.. If Liverpool were breaking the FFP rules that we are following, would you still not mind? I would imagine that if Liverpool had 115 charges against them, pretty much everyone here would wish for the harshest punishment possible, and would definetly not make excuses that they are just spending the money of the owner. In this case it would be a very unpopular opinion to say that you don't see it as cheating.

 

 

 

 

Is exactly the point. Whether you agree with the rules or not, if one team is breaking them and another is following them, then the rule-breaker is gaining an unfair advantage. 

 

With City it doesn't look like they've just taken a few risks which haven't come off, as I think is the case with Forest and Everton. The evidence is that the cheating and the cover-up has been systematic, planned and sustained. It's of a different order altogether.

[54]

 

 

[54]

9 hours ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

 

 

 

It almost like he tries to form a discourse narrative around everything he does in order to get more engagement. Shock horror.

[The Prophet]

On 14/04/2024 at 16:55, The Prophet said:

 

While City's domination is a snooze, I've become completely desensitised to it. 

 

Arsenal on the other hand. An absolute tool of a manager, who is both a terrible winner and an awful loser, along with players like Havertz is one thing. But the entitlement and arrogance of their fans is absolute unbearable. Its reaching Liverpool-esque levels, despite having not won the league in over a decade.

 

Still this. I want to like them too, they play some lovely stuff.

[Pixelphish]

48 minutes ago, 54 said:

It almost like he tries to form a discourse narrative around everything he does in order to get more engagement. Shock horror.

Beat me too it, 100% engagement farming. Humanity is in the bin.

[Shearergol]

I actually like Havertz  Realise I'm in the minority.

[Tiresias]

1 hour ago, 54 said:

 

 

 

That is surely a pisstake account.

[The College Dropout]

Would like Arsenal to win the league.

 

I just want to feel something.

[Lush Vlad]

1 hour ago, The Prophet said:

 

Still this. I want to like them too, they play some lovely stuff.

Same feelings as you.
 

My old man supports them, quite a few family and some good friends are all Arsenal fans.
 

Almost always played great stuff and I’ve even been to the Emirates in the home end a good few times with mates. Quality away day on the beers and generally been fond of them over the years. When they were successful under Wenger and the not so good stuff after he left. 
 

But since Arteta and their fans weird carry on since he’s been there. I just can’t abide them. 
 

City represent a lot that is wrong with football. Yet I just shrug when they win it and it doesn’t feel as bad for various reasons. 

[Jordan]

8 hours ago, Erikse said:

 

Not a fan of lets say Chelsea breaking/bending the rules to spend £1bn while we are restriced due to actually following them.. If Liverpool were breaking the FFP rules that we are following, would you still not mind? I would imagine that if Liverpool had 115 charges against them, pretty much everyone here would wish for the harshest punishment possible, and would definetly not make excuses that they are just spending the money of the owner. In this case it would be a very unpopular opinion to say that you don't see it as cheating.

 

 

 

I wouldn’t have an issue with Liverpool doing it either. If anything, i’d rather more clubs broke FFP so that it could be challenged in a court and proved to be anti competitive. 

[Froggy]

Arsenal for me like.

 

Don't want Liverpool because it's Liverpool and don't want them to equal 20 titles, even though it's coming at some point.

 

Don't want City because we should all despise clubs being successful due to money from the middle east. 

[Joe1984]

20 minutes ago, The College Dropout said:

Would like Arsenal to win the league.

 

I just want to feel something.

Did you not feel something when Palace beat us? Or when we beat Tottenham?

 

Er, are you a robot? 🤣

[Nucasol]

5 minutes ago, Froggy said:

Arsenal for me like.

 

Don't want Liverpool because it's Liverpool and don't want them to equal 20 titles, even though it's coming at some point.

 

Don't want City because we should all despise clubs being successful due to money from the middle east. 

😂

[The College Dropout]

32 minutes ago, Joe1984 said:

Did you not feel something when Palace beat us? Or when we beat Tottenham?

 

Er, are you a robot? 🤣

Regarding the title race.

 

Tired of City and Pep dominating. Winning 6 of the last 7 titles is too much. 4 peat? Come on man. They're not even that good this season too.

 

Fergie didn't even dominate like this.

 

They'll be better next season too assuming Pep stays. They'll lock off those Kovacic, Nunes, Grealish shit next season imo.

[Froggy]

1 minute ago, The College Dropout said:

They're not even that good this season too

 

This is the issue.  They've raised the bar so high that this season is considered "not even that good." They can still break 90+ points.

 

For years the record points for a second place finish was 89. 

[Pixelphish]

53 minutes ago, Froggy said:

Arsenal for me like.

 

Don't want Liverpool because it's Liverpool and don't want them to equal 20 titles, even though it's coming at some point.

 

Don't want City because we should all despise clubs being successful due to money from the middle east. 

 

It's too early for this Froggy, come on. Why you gotta do us like this.

[The College Dropout]

24 minutes ago, Froggy said:

 

This is the issue.  They've raised the bar so high that this season is considered "not even that good." They can still break 90+ points.

 

For years the record points for a second place finish was 89. 

They have raised the bar. 

 

But I do think a part of that is the gulf between 1-3 and 16-20 is just so big in terms of squad cost and wages. You're talking 4x the difference, sometimes 5x. It's no wonder they can go to Forest (ok, bad example) not really play too well and still win 0-2.

 

Performance wise this is the weakest City side (to possibly win a league title) since Pep won the league. Which is likely to be reflected in a slightly lower points total than usual.

 

It's shit. The football this season has been especially boring.They haven't even beaten Arsenal this season. I hope they lose this season.

 

They can win it next season though like. Arteta going back-to-back, Liverpool winning, Man U winning 

[Optimistic Nut]

1 hour ago, The College Dropout said:

Regarding the title race.

 

Tired of City and Pep dominating. Winning 6 of the last 7 titles is too much. 4 peat? Come on man. They're not even that good this season too.

 

Fergie didn't even dominate like this.

 

They'll be better next season too assuming Pep stays. They'll lock off those Kovacic, Nunes, Grealish shit next season imo.

 

In the last 6 seasons they've lost 1 title, been taken to the final day twice and only won by a point (probably going to be 3 after this season). 

 

Only once in the last 6 years have they really ran away with it. 

 

Obviously being able to spend more than everyone helps but they also show huge balls closing out titles and hunting down the leader so consistently. Liverpool and Arsenal could and possibly should have each had a title in that time but bottled it off their own backs.

 

It's not even as if City sign proven seasoned title winners at the top level. The likes of Grealish, Haaland, Ake, Akanji, etc weren't brimming with titles in the top leagues when they arrived there so a lot can be said for the mental side of the game and Pep's ability as a manager. 

[The College Dropout]

Just now, Optimistic Nut said:

 

In the last 6 seasons they've lost 1 title, been taken to the final day twice and only won by a point (probably going to be 3 after this season). 

 

Only once in the last 6 years have they really ran away with it. 

 

Obviously being able to spend more than everyone helps but they also show huge balls closing out titles and hunting down the leader so consistently. Liverpool and Arsenal could and possibly should have each had a title in that time but bottled it off their own backs.

 

It's not even as if City sign proven seasoned title winners at the top level. The likes of Grealish, Haaland, Ake, Akanji, etc weren't brimming with titles in the top leagues when they arrived there so a lot can be said for the mental side of the game and Pep's ability as a manager. 

Yeh they are obviously a great team. They have the best manager in the world and have built a team in his image with a crazy budget. The not buying proven winners doesn't mean much to me. It's the highest wage bill in the league for a reason. The squad depth is brilliant. The youth setup is the best in the country and one of the best in the world if they ever need to dip into it.

 

What makes their dominance so boring is it's predictable. in 2 of their tight races, they won every single game for something like 10 games. Those title races weren't entertaining. City kept winning when it matters. It's what makes this title race not as exciting as it should be. It feels like City will win every game until the end because they've done it before... more than once. They are inevitable.

 

And to top it off the football is boring and formulaic. The best moments in their run-in when it's been tight is a CB breaking code and just lashing one from 30 yards that one year.

 

Man U were dominant. But not 4-in-a-row dominant. And it felt like the competition back then was weaker. City can't even muster a proper rivalry, they just keep winning.