Champions League dilemma

Jesus. What a sad outlook on life. Mi old.

 

Made up for John Stones

But I’ll never forget when we played City back in 2013 at the Etihad, 5-0 loss Tevez ripped us to shreds, the City fans celebrated every goal like they had won the treble back then! Our fans were waving £20 notes back at them, the irony was lost on them that day for sure. I just couldn’t support a team that wins every week, it would be boring. I can guarantee our win against Chelsea for example was more celebrated & cherished more than City’s win tonight.

 

Feel genuinely miserable that City have won. Another nail in the coffin for football as a meritocracy.

 

Mixed feelings on it to be honest. I'm pleased for every individual player out there who has worked from being probably less than 10 years old, believed in themselves, put in the graft, and are now European champions. This is their moment and through their ability they have rightly gone down in history. As we cheer on Ar John, every other player out there has another club they came through cheering them on.

I hate that they've bought their success. At the same time other teams have spent stupendous amounts and finished in the bottom half of the Premier League. It's a different game now for sure, and nobody can argue it's for the better, but there will always be a team winning the European Cup, and they will always be made of the best talent and the best coaching. No matter how much the fees and wages inflate, there has always been and will always be a small group of clubs who can pull in the top talent. Other clubs are pulling in talent right now, but City have used theirs to win a treble. It's no easy feat even with unlimited money.

But I'd still much rather watch a scrappy 1-1 draw against Port Vale on a Tuesday night next year, because this is my club.

 

To be fair to Gary at least he’s honest about it. He’s often said on tele that he wouldn’t have coped playing high lines & been exposed like Trent & Walker are. He knew his own limitations.

 

Couldn't? So hypothetically we get bought by billionaires & have the success City have had & you would stop watching?

 

It's not what Gary's saying, it's what the pundits and radio phone-ins (TalkSport etc) are saying. I agree with what Gary has said there, he'd be massively exposed. He wasn’t the fastest player, a very traditional right back who liked to defend, and going forward would play the ball down the line. I've no doubt many would get the better of him today on fitness alone.

 

Surely the meritocracy of football stopped when the Premier League and cash injections from tv money etc began? Big clubs cherry picking young talent from clubs lower down the leagues, the first 15 million pound man (Shearer - and then every ridiculous transfer record since) Roman Abramovich, the widening gulf between Prem and Championship, parachute payments, dubious billionaire owners.. The end of football as a meritocracy began long ago, that's why I find it harsh when people single out City. And as paying fans and subscibers to Sky etc, we're all complicit in this new age of football, as ugly as it is. Credit where it's due on a managerial masterclass and the graft and talent of the players involved. Would rather City than billionaire owned Inter, or United winning it again, or Chelsea etc. Football has gone crazy, and until transfer fees are capped, and wages are capped, and managers are given more time etc, it's only going to get worse.

 

City are by no means the only ones I agree, but they've taken it to a whole new level. The commentator last night described it as a"fairytale". Seriously?! I'm looking forward to hearing similar things about Newcastle when they inevitably start winning stuff over the next few years.

I have massively enjoyed seeing Chelsea struggle this season, long may it continue.

 

It’s not sad it’s reality…….in life some things are beyond our control, you either go with it or sit and sulk, I 100% wish football finances were managed and policed better but sadly there not, I love my club but I also love football too!

 

Yes, the use of 'fairytale' should be reserved for those teams still capable of a huge FA Cup upset, or a small nation getting to the World Cup.. I agree there.

I do find this fact disingenuous though.. those people who loudly shouted that Pep had underarchieved at City because he'd never won the Champions League - and were therefore totally invested in the conversation and in this new world of football - will now be playing down his success, saying that it's bought etc. His pedigree as a manager, his man-management, is unquestionable - he deserves it. And money doesn't buy success outright - look at Chelsea this season. As I said, on footballing terms, and on the way City have been managed and developed, I give them credit. I can also see the financial advantages, but I also see it with United, with Chelsea, with Newcastle, with Arsenal etc etc etc. This is now the modern game, sadly. It's a different world.

 

The Manchester derby will grow and grow in the coming years. It will be the most fierce in our country, Liverpool will soon be forgotten for the Mancs

 

Gotta love Kalvin Phillips for this post. Add in Kyle Walker and you've four Yorkshire born and bred lads winning the big one at the same time.

 

That's fair enough and I can see how it can be healthy to not get down by things outside of your control. Apologies if I was a bit rash in my response yesterday. But personally I don't sit around sulking about city's 115 FFP breaches or the fact that some clubs are effectively owned by murderous regimes. But I also don't support it and I don't really support it being swept under the rug.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65859398

Alavarez cost £14 million and has completed Football aged just 22, making history in the process. They have the likes of Foden, Palmer, and Lewis from the youth system. Many clubs spend more than them and have a worse profit/loss.

 

No need to apologise mate, we all have views and opinions…….your quite right with some of the regimes, whilst I don’t think all are murderous, some do originate from countries where said crimes do exist and are not how we live out lives in this part of the world……if only we could have more Crynes, Walkers and Whelans owning clubs