Topic: General Manchester City thread

[Dave D]

Bless them, still trying to convince themselves and everyone else that they're a big club. A half empty stadium, a couple of small pitches outside their ground and a few bought league titles doesn't make you a big club.

Billions spent and they're going backwards. Glory hunting fans throwing their shirts in the bin, a manager in the middle of a breakdown, zero respect from the rest of the footballing world. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

Poor Manchester City.

[Alan574]

‘Hacking’ scandal? Is this referring to their owners abusive human rights record?

Is it hacking? Thought it was just City failing to change passwords or whatever?  They should have paid us a million quid for pointing out their systems were insecure!

[MJD-L4]

Is it hacking? Thought it was just City failing to change passwords or whatever?  They should have paid us a million quid for pointing out their systems were insecure!

Well, by definition, hacking is gaining unauthorised access to data in a system or computer, so technically it is hacking. Hacking is a broad term though and it's really down to City's own negligence that this happened in the first place. If I knew some of my staff were leaving to work for a direct competitor I'd make sure they were completely wiped from all systems as soon as they walked out the door.

I'd prefer it to have never happened of course as it's simply unethical and didn't really need to be done. Having said that though, it happened 7 years ago and has already been settled outside of court. As other posters have mentioned there's probably some sort of contract involved there, signed by people on both sides, so I'm not sure how the F.A could bring charges or what leg City have to stand on legally.

I wouldn't be surprised to find out they've started including clauses in non playing staff contracts. "You agree not accept employment from Liverpool F.C for X amount of years after ceasing employment with Manchester City F.C" or something along those lines for example. They're that desperate & petty.

[royhendo]

On the hacking, the worst case scenario would be 'misconduct' being tagged to Fallows and Hunter, end of.

The notion of punishment for that? Can't see it being too stringent given the way it was settled between the parties. That's why it's not mentioned in the article, of course.

[4pool]

Did they change Arteta's password...asking for a friend. 

[stevo7]

Did they change Arteta's password...asking for a friend. 

[royhendo]

Basically, he's in the top 10 for sure, guaranteed 2nd though? I'm not sure.

It's a really nice reply this mate. I don't think anyone can say anyone is guaranteed. For me Paisley's number 1, but I'm 100% biased.

I also think Stein gets overlooked - he built his European Cup winning side that won nine in a row with players all born within 30 miles of the ground (and the one 30 miles away was an outlier).

Mourinho though - he got Uniao De Leiria into the European Places which was a bit of a miracle, only for Porto to snap him up mid season... who he then took on to win the UEFA and European Cup in successive seasons, which is pretty amazing, given he didn't have much money and inherited a mixed bag group of players. It's much the same as with Pep though - it all gets a bit jaded the further they get taken away from their own principles in the pursuit of pure trophy winning at any cost. Fergie didn't really succumb to that over time I don't think. He had a few fallow rebuilding periods.

There's Sacchi, Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels etc who revolutionised the game. So many I'd put above the baldie fraud.

In fact his philosophy is just basically a more boring approach of Total Football. 

Klopp's on the way to being the best ever if he stays here long enough I reckon.

[RedSince86]

Has the Real Madrid game not sold out yet?

And if it has, how many weeks did it take.

[Nobby Reserve]

Given the financial stuff, the owners human rights record, the way they use PR, the players singing about us, Sterling's behaviour, the bitterness of the likes of Sinclair and Richards etc. It looks like City don't react too well to competition.

"But it's our league, we bloody paid for it"

It must all feel so hollow for them mustn't it? To "win" so much, but or so few people to be arsed. In fact the majority just see them as useful to stop rivals winning more. If we're honest, we did, and that's why rivals want them to beat us.

[newterp]

I, for one, am enjoying their meltdown from the last two seasons immensely. Yes they outlasted us to the title - but the CL win for us absolutely destroyed them. Especially watching our celebrations from around the world and then our parade. That just made them even more bitter. So then this season has been just an epic effort to denigrate our season so far and it's wonderful - especially as it started so well for them as they snuck past us in the Community Shield. We laughed it off and proceeded to go win two more trophies, bed-in youth, and then begin our mission for 19 which has gone, admittedly, pretty well.

[Dave D]

Has the Real Madrid game not sold out yet?

And if it has, how many weeks did it take.

Ha ha good one...of course it is. It always is.

But you can also buy 20 tickets seated together from their official matchday agent. You know those websites where their season ticket holders who've never gone to a game sell on their ticket and it gets counted as being in attendance even if the official matchday agent doesn't sell it. Those ones.

Unfortunately for our game at theirs, you can only select 6 tickets seated together.

[rob1966]

Ha ha good one...of course it is. It always is.

But you can also buy 20 tickets seated together from their official matchday agent. You know those websites where their season ticket holders who've never gone to a game sell on their ticket and it gets counted as being in attendance even if the official matchday agent doesn't sell it. Those ones.

Unfortunately for our game at theirs, you can only select 6 tickets seated together.

So thats where the Sheik gets shut of his spares

[Red Beret]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/bB4OuaH0UAE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/bB4OuaH0UAE</a>

[Son of Spion]

Fella in our work said he was talking to a City fan whilst in mancland last week & the cheeky c*nt said 'Is it really worth bothering watching football when one team is so dominant winning the league'?
Lost for words..

It's the very same losers mentality they have over at Goodison. Who can forget the infamous ''What's the point of getting to a final if you don't win it?'' mantra they were pushing after Sevilla and Madrid. Now we have this shower (and a lot of United 'fans' going on what I'm hearing) suggesting football is not worth watching now they themselves aren't dominating.

It's deeply pathetic, but shows the mentality of many a modern football 'fan'. They are on it like flies on shit when the going is good, yet disappear like Dracula before sunrise when things drop off a little. With comments like that from the Abu Dhabi 'fan' I can't help seeing it as a real insult and slap in the face of every fan who supports their club through everything. All those fans who support clubs in the Championship, League 1 and 2, and even the mid-table and relegation candidates in the Premier League who will never see the likes of What Abu Dhabi have been gifted.

Here we have Abu Dhabi, second in the league after being declared the best football team in the history of the sport. Still in both domestic cups as well as the CL, yet many of them now declare football not worth watching, simply because they are not going to buy the league this time around. How pathetic, how entitled, how spoilt, how insulting to the fans of every other club out there not lucky enough to be gifted unearned billions to purchase 'success' with.

Pathetic! Gutless!

[Medellin]

It's the very same losers mentality they have over at Goodison. Who can forget the infamous ''What's the point of getting to a final if you don't win it?'' mantra they were pushing after Sevilla and Madrid. Now we have this shower (and a lot of United 'fans' going on what I'm hearing) suggesting football is not worth watching now they themselves aren't dominating.

It's deeply pathetic, but shows the mentality of many a modern football 'fan'. They are on it like flies on shit when the going is good, yet disappear like Dracula before sunrise when things drop off a little. With comments like that from the Abu Dhabi 'fan' I can't help seeing it as a real insult and slap in the face of every fan who supports their club through everything. All those fans who support clubs in the Championship, League 1 and 2, and even the mid-table and relegation candidates in the Premier League who will never see the likes of What Abu Dhabi have been gifted.

Here we have Abu Dhabi, second in the league after being declared the best football team in the history of the sport. Still in both domestic cups as well as the CL, yet many of them now declare football not worth watching, simply because they are not going to buy the league this time around. How pathetic, how entitled, how spoilt, how insulting to the fans of every other club out there not lucky enough to be gifted unearned billions to purchase 'success' with.

Pathetic! Gutless!

Well said mate.

Gloryhunters.

[red_Mark1980]

It's mad that so many reds on Twitter were seemingly struggling for a stream.

Plenty of City fans seemed to have found one for our game judging by their knowledge of what was going on.

Absolute state of them

[Lycan]

These sore losers really are desparate for a points deduction for us aren't they

https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/liverpool-hacking-man-city-investigation-17693347

[Samie]

That's already been posted mate but we seriosly don;t need to give this guy the time of day.

[rob1966]

It's the very same losers mentality they have over at Goodison. Who can forget the infamous ''What's the point of getting to a final if you don't win it?'' mantra they were pushing after Sevilla and Madrid. Now we have this shower (and a lot of United 'fans' going on what I'm hearing) suggesting football is not worth watching now they themselves aren't dominating.

It's deeply pathetic, but shows the mentality of many a modern football 'fan'. They are on it like flies on shit when the going is good, yet disappear like Dracula before sunrise when things drop off a little. With comments like that from the Abu Dhabi 'fan' I can't help seeing it as a real insult and slap in the face of every fan who supports their club through everything. All those fans who support clubs in the Championship, League 1 and 2, and even the mid-table and relegation candidates in the Premier League who will never see the likes of What Abu Dhabi have been gifted.

Here we have Abu Dhabi, second in the league after being declared the best football team in the history of the sport. Still in both domestic cups as well as the CL, yet many of them now declare football not worth watching, simply because they are not going to buy the league this time around. How pathetic, how entitled, how spoilt, how insulting to the fans of every other club out there not lucky enough to be gifted unearned billions to purchase 'success' with.

Pathetic! Gutless!

Utter pricks the lot of them. No wonder the other Mancs have always despised them and everything about their poxy little club.

2005, struggling to get 5th, Chelsea dominating the league, beating us in the League Cup final, yet we all got behind Rafa on that amazing journey to Istanbul, we enjoyed the drama, the fightback and late winner in the group, the screamers from Garcia, the Ghost goal. We stood behind the team as they were torn apart and then we danced like loonies at the end.

Last season, knowing in our hearts we weren't going to win the league, but still riding the wave and after the disappointment of 2018, still backing the boys all the way to Madrid.

This is what football is all about. If they stopped being a bunch of crying faced c*nts, they might actually enjoy it.

Vamos a Real Madrid.

[Lycan]

That's already been posted mate but we seriosly don;t need to give this guy the time of day.

Fair enough. Didn't see it lad.

[thejbs]

Is it more interesting that we were looking at coutinho as a proper target and low and behold Liverpool went in first! Consequently from that they managed to flog him and buy Allison and VVD with the money?

What’s this horseshit? Southampton were the only other team in for Coutinho. And he was only on our radar because Rafa recommended him to Comolli.

[Son of Spion]

What’s this horseshit? Southampton were the only other team in for Coutinho. And he was only on our radar because Rafa recommended him to Comolli.

Revisionist nonsense from our Abu Dhabian friend.

From what I remember, there was very little interest in Coutinho, who hadn't set the world alight in Milan and had been loaned out to Espanyol the year before we bought him for a quite modest fee of around £8m. I vaguely recall him being seen as something of a gamble at the time, but he really developed well once at Anfield. I'm sure if Abu Dhabi had been interested they could easily have submitted a bid of their own.

These clowns really are embarrassing themselves at the moment. 

[Darren G]

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/bB4OuaH0UAE" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/bB4OuaH0UAE</a>

  Fantastic.  No pun intended.

[DangerScouse]

Should be start a two year cry arsing campaign over our bus being attacked at West Ham or just get on with things realising it's a fairly minor matter?

[JC the Messiah]

Ridiculous. No team starts the season with the aim of going unbeaten. To be the best you can be, probably. Winning the title certainly. But going unbeaten is a vanity project. Even Arsenal only stumbled into it by accident.

You may as well claim every snooker player sets out to score 147 in each frame.

Missing the point and the context dramatically.

[Red Beret]

What’s this horseshit? Southampton were the only other team in for Coutinho. And he was only on our radar because Rafa recommended him to Comolli.

For the sake of argument, even if Coutinho had gone there he would have been out within 2 seasons.  I wont say players who go to City don't develop, but Coutinho just wouldn't have fit their style at all.  At best they'd have trebled their money on him.

[Red Beret]

Missing the point and the context dramatically.

Well your context seems to be that Liverpool aren't aiming for more points because of City, because every team aims for 114 points at the start of the season. 

I am saying that is a ridiculous assertion and that NO team aims for 114 points - they aim to be the best they can possibly be and get as many points as possible.

Now - not that I want to rehash an argument from several pages ago - I get there is a divide between people claiming it is City that have spurred Liverpool and Klopp on to be where they are, and those who reckon Liverpool would have been in this position regardless.  But that has nothing to do with the outlandish claim that all clubs aspire to get 114 points.  A fair chunk of teams go into the league just praying for 40 points, never mind 114.

But of course I will welcome clarification and correction to the point you are making.

[stewil007]

I, for one, am enjoying their meltdown from the last two seasons immensely. Yes they outlasted us to the title - but the CL win for us absolutely destroyed them.

I think this cant be understated - we lasted the course in the premier league last year and we went all the way in the CL, it wasn't one or the other.  There was no easy ride in the CL, there was no let up in the pressure of the PL.

They couldn't hack the pressure in the quarter final and we carried on.

This year we've taken the pain and excelled, they have stumbled and stuttered because of the pressure.

[MJD-L4]

Well your context seems to be that Liverpool aren't aiming for more points because of City, because every team aims for 114 points at the start of the season. 

I don't think it's that ridiculous to suggest that the majority of teams aim to win every game they play.

[TheTeflonJohn]

Should be start a two year cry arsing campaign over our bus being attacked at West Ham or just get on with things realising it's a fairly minor matter?

I`d be fucking embarrassed if we were moaning about that for years.

[Schmidt]

Discussing some of the mad conspiracy theories from bluemoon and that clickbait artist Brennan gives these theories way more traction/visibility than they deserve. I doubt many fans read whatever shitty local site Brennan works for or peruses bluemoon for more than 5 minutes without closing the tab in disgust, but plenty read rawk.

Can't we just stick to making fun of fraudiola and the gang of entitled twats he's assembled?

[GreatEx]

Should be start a two year cry arsing campaign over our bus being attacked at West Ham?

Only if they become better than us

[red_Mark1980]

Discussing some of the mad conspiracy theories from bluemoon and that clickbait artist Brennan gives these theories way more traction/visibility than they deserve. I doubt many fans read whatever shitty local site Brennan works for or peruses bluemoon for more than 5 minutes without closing the tab in disgust, but plenty read rawk.

Can't we just stick to making fun of fraudiola and the gang of entitled twats he's assembled?

Would you say that to his face or to their players?

I'm as guilty as the next person of saying things in the past that I wouldn't say to someone's face in the real world and I'm genuinely trying to change.

Take a look at any thread on Blue Loon and it'll be full of sly weird digs at our fans, club, player or coaching staff.

They are an unbelievable side who've let themselves down this season and have come up against an absolute monster of a team who literally look like a team possessed.

It's entirely possible next season some of our players can't continue on as they have done this year. Euros, AFCON (another Copa America unless I'm mistaken somehow).

Who knows what next year brings. I highly doubt we are sat in February 2021 have won 24 out of 25 league games.

They could be top, God only knows. Im going to try and conduct myself with a bit more dignity than large amounts of their support do from now on

[Yiannis]

Just on here senor! Well, here and WhatsApp.

Was Abidal left back? I can’t honestly remember now you say that. Who was right back then? Not Alves.

He created what was up until then the best side the game had ever seen. They’d lost their way under Rijkaard. Diminish it all you like but he’s maybe the 2nd best manager in the history of the game. Klopp’s got a chance to make him 3rd now.

He very much was, Roy. Left footed. Only at the end he moved to central defense. Alves moved to Barca the summer Pep took over. Prior to that, they had Zambrotta who they sold that summer. It's all in your original post, with which I very much agree on.

[the oxonian]

My wife once said that people who accuse others of cheating or bad things, expect it to be so, since they are doing it... and I agree wholeheartedly.
If you're cheating, you'll justify it by convincing yourself that others are doing it. Rarely, do people own up to that.
If you're a thief, you'd be quick to judge and suspect others of it, since you believe that others also steal. In fact- you'd do that with everything "bad"!

City's thing is- "Every big club 'cheats', 'robs' and 'steals'- they MUST be, so we have to go "bordeline" in order to best them! Why can't we? Besides, we've only "pushed the envelope" for a few years. We're not as bad as them! Since they've been at it for so long, they are in no position to lecture, judge or regulate us."
That's a dangerous attitude. Justification has often led to the worst atrocities, because it suspends YOUR moral responsibility, which appears as justice to someone or something that YOU perceive as morally corrupt. Pretty soon, you'll find that you can do anything you want, because "the other guy is worse!"

When you find yourself justifying bad behaviour, you know you've lost the plot. You're on a slippery slope!

I have to say what a post!

[newterp]

I`d be fucking embarrassed if we were moaning about that for years.

especially since we don't know what kind of beer it was. I'm not going to sit here and moan like a 3 year old if it was a bottle of bud light, no I'm not!

[Schmidt]

Would you say that to his face or to their players?

Why does that matter? All I'm saying is we should stop bringing attention to their ridiculous theories and go back to poking fun at them.

[paulrazor]

When you find yourself justifying bad behaviour, you know you've lost the plot. You're on a slippery slope!

i saw this happen in work once, someone piped up at a meeting in front of about 60 people and got on her high horse about workloads etc and saying some people didnt work

the one she had a go at watched her the following day and said for all her moaning all she did all day was piss off on long lunches and breaks, and ponce around chatting and faff around on the internet.

so he kept a watch on her, we were on flexi and it turned out she was fiddling the clock (clocking out for half an hour and legging it  for two hours).

tried to say everyone else did it (which was bull) and ended up with her pay docked

she would have got away with it longer had she said nothing at that meeting. just drew attention to herself

be hilarious if city got done over something here after having a go at us for "hacking"

[Romford_Red]

Would you say that to his face or to their players?

I'm as guilty as the next person of saying things in the past that I wouldn't say to someone's face in the real world and I'm genuinely trying to change.

Take a look at any thread on Blue Loon and it'll be full of sly weird digs at our fans, club, player or coaching staff.

They are an unbelievable side who've let themselves down this season and have come up against an absolute monster of a team who literally look like a team possessed.

It's entirely possible next season some of our players can't continue on as they have done this year. Euros, AFCON (another Copa America unless I'm mistaken somehow).

Who knows what next year brings. I highly doubt we are sat in February 2021 have won 24 out of 25 league games.

They could be top, God only knows. Im going to try and conduct myself with a bit more dignity than large amounts of their support do from now on

Agree with a lot of this.

I also cringe so much I'm in danger of folding in on myself when I see all of the juvenile wordplay used over on Blue Moon. Grown adults making sure to say 'Klanfield' or 'Salad' (seriously, what? Is that an insult? I genuinely can't tell) or Klipperty or PiGMOL. There's loads of others that I can't even think of right now. It is literally 12 year old levels of playground shit that no adult should be proud of.

I find it nauseating over there and I find it the same here. Don't get me wrong, wordplay is fun and where it has meaning it is appropriate (like maybe calling their forum 'Balloon' because it sounds a fair bit like Blue Moon and the users are full of hot air. That's clever.) but even the 'Fraudiola' jibes have me cringing. Make us look no better than those.

There's enough to laugh about without sounding like White fucking Goodman.

[red_Mark1980]

Why does that matter? All I'm saying is we should stop bringing attention to their ridiculous theories and go back to poking fun at them.

Because by poking fun at them, you sound like the Blue Loon idiots.

They are a great side, that messed up in the summer and have fallen off a cliff.
If we are 15 points behind them next season is Klopp a terrible manager. Are our players frauds?

No. Just like their players arent.. what did you call them "entitled twats" was it?