Man City - Burton on Hesgoal

I'm in two minds about it. On the one hand they (as well as perhaps Liverpool but we'll wait and see) represent England's best shot in Europe, but on the other hand it's hard to think of many other clubs who sum up so perfectly everything that is wrong with modern football. Although I'd argue Chelsea might be worse.

 

Maybe I can afford to keep my opinions to myself then and play my second opinions?

 

It's modern football incarnate. They were playing a side from two divisions below, whose annual turnover is £1m. Which is probably roughly equivalent to what around half of their starting XI earned this week.

4-0 up at half time, in the first leg of the 2nd national cup competition. Did they think, ok, maybe we'll go easy on these for 45 minutes now, given the massive advantage we have and the fact there's absolutely no chance they'll get anywhere near us in the game?

Did they ********. Slam another 5 past them. If it were United, or Liverpool, or Real, fine. Burton Albion? It's like me smashing six after six playing an under eights team. It's classless.

After the match Guardiola talked about having respect for Brian Clough and wanting to have a drink with Nigel to talk about the game. I'd love to know what Brian would have made of it.

 

I used to get pissed off at Chelsea first time round but oblivious to it nowadays with City it’s been going on for that long.

The wages them & United are paying out are incredible, shouldn’t really be any other English teams coming close to winning the league

 

I actually think it is more respectful to play your best agsinst your opposition as professional sportsmen. If that involves a cricket line score so be it. And actually the money isn't really the issue, the gulf in ability is.

 

Liverpool received 145 million for couts. There net spend is way lower than others in top6 bar spurs

 

Sorry Helen but there's always been a gulf in ability. It's the money that has allowed teams like City to hoover up the best talent from around the world and stack their first andsecond teams with it while the rest are left with scraps.
The spending power of the few has even reduced once great clubs around europe to also rans.
It's become like watching the Haarlem Globetrotters. You can appreciate the talent but it's not really sport.

 

Loads of teams have many few play football as good as Man City

 

How does “you’re so **** that we don’t even want to play anymore.” Show respect, exactly?

It’s a professional sports game between adults, not kids playing against the England team. It’s literally their job to play to their best for the whole 90 minutes.

 

In fairness that's the case for pretty much every Premiership winning team, bar Leicester really. Doesn't make it right, but it's certainly not something exclusive to City

Edit, probably should have read the whole thread first, realise this discussion has already taken place

 

10,000/1 for burton to win the cup. Shocked they're even offering odds.

 

If you look at how much of that oil money has done for the community and especially sports community around Manchester then i think there is a romatic story there

 

I can't stand City or Guardiola. The bloke is a great manager but a massive hypocrite.

 

I’d wager he’d have been more put out if Guardiola hadn’t picked as strong a side as he did - or made them take their foot off the gas.

It’s a professional game, city were much better and did the job that they’re paid to do and that the punters who paid to get in paid to see.

How much respect to the 30+ thousand who attended would have been given if they’d just messed around second half?

There is an argument they could have eased off - but there’s just a strong an argument that it would have been belittling and disrespectful for city to have stopped playing last night.

 

Imagine it was Barnsley, and at half time the city reserves turned to our professional footballers, tussled our hair and said “bless, don’t worry we won’t bother trying now you’re clearly far worse than us”.. pure class

 

They will if people are daft enough to bet on it. I'm sure theyll receive plenty of 50p's and £1 bets which makes it worthwhile

 

I don't deny they play good football. All I'm saying is that to me it's meaningless.