Thoughts on this season?

Originally Posted by jem

king louis, yes. 10h, unproven (now, sadly, proven inadequate). mou? get to £#%&!. that @#%&! should never have been allowed near united.

we've bought some good players, but after years of underinvestment and we've spent very badly on some. pogba is not a good example to quote.

I'd say Pogba is a perfect example. Go to the thread when we were trying to sign him, people were saying that we had no chance and he'd go to PSG/Madrid/Bayern because he was regarded one of the best players in Europe. We did get him and now you're trying to convince me it didn't happen because City made it impossible for us to buy the best players in Europe

Originally Posted by believe

I'd say Pogba is a perfect example. Go to the thread when we were trying to sign him, people were saying that we had no chance and he'd go to PSG/Madrid/Bayern because he was regarded one of the best players in Europe. We did get him and now you're trying to convince me it didn't happen because City made it impossible for us to buy the best players in Europe

I'm not trying to convince you of anything. city have spent far better than us. mostly because they took barca's infrastructure wholesale (money) and partly because the money they've actually spent isn't reflected in the figures. we don't have people looking at the basics like character. pogba was considered one of the most talented players in europe. talent can be wasted.

we also didn't help ourselves by trying to use him as a dm.

Originally Posted by Zorg

The idea that it's just sour grapes is frankly ridiculous.

UEFA, The Premier League and fans from 18 other Premier League clubs all just have sour grapes pal. Makes sense if you think about it long enough.

Also good to see how highly believe rated Depay and Mourinho at the time...

Originally Posted by believe

Who?

Originally Posted by believe

always wanted him but I think he's a broken man these day and not getting the United job did that to him. Everything that has come from him this season smacks of bitterness and desperation and I fear that if he did come now he's be coming for all the wrong reasons and to satisfy a personal vendetta.

Just think, we could be going into the run in now top of the tree with a CL semi against Atletico to look forward to had he been brought in last summer.

If I could have asked someone to write a post to make my point I couldn’t have written one better myself

Originally Posted by believe

If I could have asked someone to write a post to make my point I couldn’t have written one better myself

Yes, although it was written sarcastically to the point of being nonsense.

Originally Posted by believe

I'd say Pogba is a perfect example. Go to the thread when we were trying to sign him, people were saying that we had no chance and he'd go to PSG/Madrid/Bayern because he was regarded one of the best players in Europe. We did get him and now you're trying to convince me it didn't happen because City made it impossible for us to buy the best players in Europe

Thing is, whoever we've tried to sign (99% of our buys, anyway), it's always "he's reported to be in talks with Bayern, PSG etc" anyway and we know why - it's to inflate the price and get the signing over the line because we're utterly desperate and have no decent negotiation team to do the job. If City would've wanted Pogba, they'd have got him. Same with Maguire, despite Pep saying they 'couldn't afford' him

If they want a player, that player is already Informed that his wages aren't what they'll tell the media and the league, he'll be getting 2 or 3 incomes. Just like Pep and everyone they've signed from day 1 of Abu Dhabi. ALLEGEDLY.

This 'battle' we had with City for Maguire is absolute bullshit. Smoke and mirrors from the biggest set of liars and cheats in the history of football.

When was the last time City were absolutely desperate for a player and they didn't get him? Which player did they bid for and they got told to £#%&! off? Doesn't happen. Yeah, we're terribly managed but we haven't got the capacity to offer players 3 wages and only declare one.

You're comparing us to City and its absolutely ludicrous.

Originally Posted by Zorg

There were never any stories linking other clubs to Aguero, Silva, Toure, or later De Bruyne. They knew there was no point even enquiring.
Now we know why.

More than one thing going on at once is what believe struggles with.

It's not either/or. There are several strands to it, one of which is city's serial cheating, and another of which is United being atrociously badly run for nearly 20 years.

The entire point of the rules is to stop clubs gaining and unfair advantage. in flouting the rules they did just that. Otherwise, bin the rules and let everyone do what they want.

The idea that it's just sour grapes is frankly ridiculous.

I always found it odd that Madrid never came in for Aguero, Kompany, Silva etc and for neither of the big 2 in Spain to want prime Silva (he’s even Spanish ffs) smelt a bit off. De Bruyne has been roundly accepted as the best player in the league for a few years now, but Madrid, who so often want to sign the top talent at the top of their game have never even been rumoured to like him doesn’t add up.

Originally Posted by believe

I think people on here think if they keep telling me City cheated one day I’ll say oh yeah you’re right one day they might get done for some financial irregularities and then everyone can say I told you so but until then I’ll maintain my stance.

I agree with your general point that if we were doing our job then what city got up to would be much less relevant but what exactly is your stance regarding their cheating? They have been found guilty by UEFA receiving a two year CL ban and are up to year 6 of stalling a record amount of charges brought by the Premier League

Originally Posted by Stickman

I always found it odd that Madrid never came in for Aguero, Kompany, Silva etc and for neither of the big 2 in Spain to want prime Silva (he’s even Spanish ffs) smelt a bit off. De Bruyne has been roundly accepted as the best player in the league for a few years now, but Madrid, who so often want to sign the top talent at the top of their game have never even been rumoured to like him doesn’t add up.

City are the current European champions and just won their fourth straight league title, why would de bruyne want to leave?

Originally Posted by believe

Obviously you’ll quote my posts laughing at people for celebrating the Liverpool win.



My point is that I don't give a £#%&! about City, I only care about what's happening at United and everything that City may or may not have done has no affect on that whatsoever, yet for some reason I'm the one always accused of City/Sheik loving.

Did City's cheating cause us to finish 8th this season? Did City's cheating cause us to finish bottom of the easiest group in the CL? It's just this hysterical group of so called United fans who want to use any excuse possible for United being shit. When it wasn't City it was Liverpool using inhalers or referees being hell bent on making sure United don't win the league.

100 percent spot on.

we spent a similar amount to city and have nothing to show for it.
115 charges didn’t make us buy Antony for 80m, sign Mount for 60m etc
City’s alleged cheating has nothing to do with how shit we have Been. It’s not like without city cheating we’d someone be hoovering up trophies.

Originally Posted by MUFC One Love

We have spent money, yes, but in an unorganised fashion.

Panic buying etc.

We could spend less and achieve more and progress. Hopefully now we will.

Well the same fans that want an upturn in results also want repeat the same mistakes so it’s like vicious circle.

we have a shit manager who hasn’t shown he is up for the job or can work in even slightly adverse conditions so keeping him on is like when we kept ole on when it was time to part ways!

We’ve made one step forward and got rid of fletcher and the other clowns we had upstairs. Now we need to get out a manager and we start moving forward!

Originally Posted by believe

City are the current European champions and just won their fourth straight league title, why would de bruyne want to leave?

Probs the same reason Ronaldo did in 2008.

Originally Posted by believe

City are the current European champions and just won their fourth straight league title, why would de bruyne want to leave?

United had just done back to back league titles and were the current european champions when Ronaldo wanted to join them.

You ignoring the pull of Real Madrid now pol? Everyone falls over themselves to go, it’s where so many go to prove their greatness.

Now if any sane player was to compare the prestige of Man City with….(can’t even type it)

Originally Posted by Stickman

United had just done back to back league titles and were the current european champions when Ronaldo wanted to join them.

You ignoring the pull of Real Madrid now pol? Everyone falls over themselves to go, it’s where so many go to prove their greatness.

Now if any sane player was to compare the prestige of Man City with….(can’t even type it)

Are we underestimating the prestige of following in the hallowed footsteps of Gheorgie Kinkladze and Tony Book?

Originally Posted by believe

City are the current European champions and just won their fourth straight league title, why would de bruyne want to leave?

To play for perhaps the biggest club in the world and all that goes with that rather than a provincial lottery winner?

Didn't Bellingham join Madrid for that reason?

Originally Posted by believe

In the time Abu Dhabi have been at City we’ve had three managers who were regarded as the best in the game and spent billions on players who were regarded the best in the game

Which three?

LGV I thought we brought out of retirement. Long time since he was considered one of the best.
Mou was a gamble - but yes was considered one of the best
ETH - not a chance. He was seen as a strong up and coming manager

Believe makes some good points. I don’t think city has inflated the market. If anything that was us. Ronaldo at 80m, Pogba at 90, Maguire at 80! , Antony 80m (ffs). Apart from Grealish who did they buy where you thought that’s outrageous.

Same with the refs thread and all that corruption nonsense. It’s just Rawk under another veil.

Obviously they have cheated in that a lot of the money they’ve made and spent hasn’t been generated in ways it should have been or in accordance with the current rules. They should have the book thrown at them for that. Obviously that then enables them to engineer succsss which in turn helps them attract better players so it does have an effect on the playing field for other teams.

Shouldn’t put us in 8th though. And Liverpool and Arsenal have both found a ways to compete.

It's true that if City hadn't have cheated we'd still most likely be shit and nowhere near, it's not like our ownership would've changed in a different reality where City didn't cheat, so I don't imagine the decision making would be all that better, and we'd still be in the shit. I absolutely agree with that.

But that's completely separate to what City have done to get to where they are now.

They wouldn't have hoovered up titles and trebles if they hadn't have cheated.

If City hadn't have doped themselves up and it was Liverpool gobbling up titles for fun we'd all be livid and pissed off at our club still, probably more so. That'd be an even worse reality than this one. But that'd for proper football reasons, and because most would actually care about it. And I wouldn't be saying they cheated to win them either. I'd still prefer that to this shit.

It doesn't matter if it was a different club than City, if Burnley were obviously cheating to start hoovering titles then I'd want them to be properly punished as well.

Originally Posted by Gypsum Fantastic

Believe makes some good points. I don’t think city has inflated the market. If anything that was us. Ronaldo at 80m, Pogba at 90, Maguire at 80! , Antony 80m (ffs). Apart from Grealish who did they buy where you thought that’s outrageous.

Same with the refs thread and all that corruption nonsense. It’s just Rawk under another veil.

Obviously they have cheated in that a lot of the money they’ve made and spent hasn’t been generated in ways it should have been or in accordance with the current rules. They should have the book thrown at them for that. Obviously that then enables them to engineer succsss which in turn helps them attract better players so it does have an effect on the playing field for other teams.

Shouldn’t put us in 8th though. And Liverpool and Arsenal have both found a ways to compete.

Well, when I read how much Haaland is actually being paid a week instead of what was actually being reported I thought that was outrageous.

The money they were paying Yaya Toure (and that was just his declared income) was mental at the time. Robinho was earning (again, just on the books) stupid money and the list could go on and on. They inflated the wages market, long before we signed Maguire and Antony. Yaya Toure back then, was earning more than a lot of top players in today's game.

And now we all know that one inflated pay packet wasn't all they were/are getting.

We've massively over paid because of sheer incompetence, not because it was a planned buying structure. How much did they pay for Kalvin Phillips to sit on the bench every week because they already had two better players in his position?

And let's not forget, the money they've spent is bent as £#%&!. Ours, however misused and stupidly, has been generated by us and well within the rules (fee and wages).

Originally Posted by magic_cantona

Well, when I read how much Haaland is actually being paid a week instead of what was actually being reported I thought that was outrageous.

So when you read what was reported in one place instead of reported in another place?


Or have you seen his wage slip?

Anyway, getting a bit off topic. The season was £#%&!. Erik out!

Awful season. Enjoyed the cup win against Liverpool, the emergence of Mainoo, Garnacho's goal against Everton and that's about it.

Looking forward to Saturday (until we go three down) and the Euros though

Originally Posted by believe

I think people on here think if they keep telling me City cheated one day I’ll say oh yeah you’re right one day they might get done for some financial irregularities and then everyone can say I told you so but until then I’ll maintain my stance.