The state of English football

Originally Posted by Switching Off

Does this face look like it gives a £#%&! about playing philosophy or success on the field?

Bloodsucking @#%&!

English football isn't in a state, manchester United is. For nearly 20 years we have been the standard bearers for English football in europe.... this season however we've been so utterly appalling we have allowed teams like Arsenal and yes even city (saffers was right, without aguero they aren't the same team) to think they are better than they are along with all the football media and hype merchants.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

English football isn't in a state, manchester United is. For nearly 20 years we have been the standard bearers for English football in europe.... this season however we've been so utterly appalling we have allowed teams like Arsenal and yes even city (saffers was right, without aguero they aren't the same team) to think they are better than they are along with all the football media and hype merchants.

not to mention the £#%&!ing dippers, of either colour

Originally Posted by Sparky***

English football isn't in a state, manchester United is. For nearly 20 years we have been the standard bearers for English football in europe.... this season however we've been so utterly appalling we have allowed teams like Arsenal and yes even city (saffers was right, without aguero they aren't the same team) to think they are better than they are along with all the football media and hype merchants.

hype and anti-hype are fundamentally the same thing

and if saffers was pointing out months ago how city are a pale imitation of what a 500 billion pound team should look like then he was right to do so. according to some folk city were well on course for the quadruple. according to some folk they would power past barcelona. it makes me laugh tbh. then suddenly city and arsenal are dismantled and the minority view is back to being the majority view of english football again. by the start of next season the dust will have settled on the latest world cup reality check for Gerrard, Rooney and co and the hype will begin again. Sky and BT have far too much invested in it to do anything else.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Aye. Most of my football watching life I have known nothing but success and seen us win everything in style and dramatic circumstances. It took 6 months of Moyes to erase all that and show me that football is a bit shit.

Moyes, the reality engine.

oh , i remember pre Fergus but i dont remember it being this shit or feeling so blase...maybe it was my age but i used to hang on to heroes like Robson,Hughes,Whiteside etc..now we are out battled , out skilled , out tactic'ed by all and sundry.

that Fulham game broke me

Originally Posted by barrington avenue

oh , i remember pre Fergus but i dont remember it being this shit or feeling so blase...maybe it was my age but i used to hang on to heroes like Robson,Hughes,Whiteside etc..now we are out battled , out skilled , out tactic'ed by all and sundry.

that Fulham game broke me

We need a bit of nastiness and willingness to leave a foot in. Fellaini may have actually helped now the pressure is off a bit and his shiftiness won't see him singled out. Too many who have never faced anything like adversity in their careers look dumbfounded at what's going on.

Originally Posted by Crumps

We need a bit of nastiness and willingness to leave a foot in. Fellaini may have actually helped now the pressure is off a bit and his shiftiness won't see him singled out. Too many who have never faced anything like adversity in their careers look dumbfounded at what's going on.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

hype and anti-hype are fundamentally the same thing

and if saffers was pointing out months ago how city are a pale imitation of what a 500 billion pound team should look like then he was right to do so. according to some folk city were well on course for the quadruple. according to some folk they would power past barcelona. it makes me laugh tbh. then suddenly city and arsenal are dismantled and the minority view is back to being the majority view of english football again. by the start of next season the dust will have settled on the latest world cup reality check for Gerrard, Rooney and co and the hype will begin again. Sky and BT have far too much invested in it to do anything else.

I think the only reason people were predicting city to beat barca is that this is arguably the worst barca have been in about 5-6 years.

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think the only reason people were predicting city to beat barca is that this is arguably the worst barca have been in about 5-6 years.

it is, but you still have to exaggerate* City's status (and their ability, not to mention their tactics and their nous) as a team quite a bit to say you expect them to roll Barcelona over.

*or just not know

Originally Posted by Sparky***

I think the only reason people were predicting city to beat barca is that this is arguably the worst barca have been in about 5-6 years.

Nah. I think if City had been playing now as well as they were pre-Christmas then they could have beaten Barca. We'll see what happens when Aguero comes back but his injury has unsettled the team and long may that continue.

There's no denying how well they were playing earlier on in the season and the consummate ease with which they destroyed a lot of teams. On top of which, they're already at one cup final, will probably get to a second and are still well placed to win the league.

Not sure the argument about how much better they should be doing with all their investment will carry me if they do the domestic double or triple this year.

Originally Posted by My Name is Keith

Nah. I think if City had been playing now as well as they were pre-Christmas then they could have beaten Barca. We'll see what happens when Aguero comes back but his injury has unsettled the team and long may that continue.

There's no denying how well they were playing earlier on in the season and the consummate ease with which they destroyed a lot of teams. On top of which, they're already at one cup final, will probably get to a second and are still well placed to win the league.

Not sure the argument about how much better they should be doing with all their investment will carry me if they do the domestic double or triple this year.

When they got battered by Munich

City have 2 genuinely world class players - Aguero and Toure.

We had, by my count, at least 5 when we did the double in 08 (Rooney, Ronaldo, VDS, Vida, Rio).


City didn't have a chance without Aguero. Toure doesn't always turn up neither.


So no, I wasn't surprised Barca completely pissed on their chips.

That's the infuriating things about us at the moment - we still have world class players but unfortunately there all up front and we're managed by a £#%&!ing imbecile who plays football that would have been outdated 10 years ago.

Originally Posted by bigMikeA

City have 2 genuinely world class players - Aguero and Toure.

We had, by my count, at least 5 when we did the double in 08 (Rooney, Ronaldo, VDS, Vida, Rio).


City didn't have a chance without Aguero. Toure doesn't always turn up neither.


So no, I wasn't surprised Barca completely pissed on their chips.

That's the infuriating things about us at the moment - we still have world class players but unfortunately there all up front and we're managed by a £#%&!ing imbecile who plays football that would have been outdated 10 years ago.

Kompany? Without him the other night they would have lost by 4 or 5

Originally Posted by ScholesScoresGoals2

Kompany? Without him the other night they would have lost by 4 or 5

Not a chance. Very good, but looks a lot better because he's surrounded by turd in that defence. I don't think he's anywhere near world class.


IMO of course

Originally Posted by ScholesScoresGoals2

Kompany? Without him the other night they would have lost by 4 or 5

Yeah

Whatever you think about blockhead he is a great defender and Silva is world class as well

They have a top class team but just not as good as Barcelona and especially Bayern despite all the money they've spent

Originally Posted by ZiggyStardust

Yeah

Whatever you think about blockhead he is a great defender and Silva is world class as well

They have a top class team but just not as good as Barcelona and especially Bayern despite all the money they've spent

Forgot about Silva tbf.


Again though, 3 world class players a team does not make. They have too much garbage in there to be considered anywhere near bayerns or barcas level.


Still better than us though

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

In fairness Arsenal were all over Bayern's defence last night and should have taken the lead. I reckon they would have continued in the same vein had Ozil not fluffed his lines. Whilst it was clearly Barca's superiority that eventually forced City to go to 10 by professional foul, Arsenal going to 10 changed the game last night.

Agree with that. I thought it was a decent effort from Arsenal, who started surprisingly confidently, and Bayern weren't quite on their game when the sides were equal. Barca were clearly better than City, albeit not at their best either and lacking a little incision in the final third.

But overall it's true to say that Bayern and Barca are clearly still the best two sides around. The depth of English football is still greater than anywhere else. The Premier League still has a far stronger top six or seven teams than La Liga or Bundesliga overall.

So I make that 4 world class players because I think Kompany is world class. He's a leader as much as anything else and is key to driving their team. Silva's exceptional - so is Aguero.

So it's certainly not far fetched for them to beat Barca - that isn't to suggest that they're on a par with them or Bayern for that matter.

Originally Posted by ScholesScoresGoals2

Kompany? Without him the other night they would have lost by 4 or 5

It was his fault Demichelis was sent off. Terrible decision to play Messi offside. So for that, and our dismal form, yhbr

The fact is, some people on here went way OTT about how good city really were.

As with so many deluded berties, they even cited that win over Bayern as "evidence" - IT WAS A £#%&!ING DEAD RUBBER, FFS