Pep's spending is insane (£941m and counting at City)

[SER19]

I wouldn’t know - as I’ve stated on here before I’ve only been following City since the money came in.

Well at least you’re honest about it

Some cracking and wide ranging reaches for pro city posters here from the Cayman Islands and the new York stock exchange to Aston Villa vs Birmingham attendances to the add in stipulations in Martials contract

Straws to be clutched

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Regards the addons, I checked and you are right (I really should learn to do my homework)
You’ve admitted your error, fair enough.

As for the bolded. It's a well-established fact that City is cheating the system and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, at least until the governing body gets their act together and begins a thorough investigation into the goings on at your club. I believe the Spanish league president is actively pursuing this situation as we speak. To no avail. Shocker.
But there you go again. Do you seriously think that the combined power of United, Real, Barcelona, Bayern and co would simply let a rival club steal revenue from them by blatantly cheating the system? They have punished City once and other clubs such as PSG are in danger of failing the criteria this season so the rules are still being enforced.
It would surely be in their interests to throw the book at any offending club if wrongdoing is going on, particularly as in City’s case it would not be a first offence?
The above clubs (who are all billion dollar enterprises not some mom and pop shop) have access to the finest corporate lawyers and accountants who would jump into action if wrongdoing could be proven. You can insinuate all you like but proof is what needed not just the opinion of some guy on a forum dressing up your observations as fact.

In any case it's the supposed proud City fans such as yourself who refuse to acknowledge these shady business dealings or what is infinitely closer to the truth, disbelieve it entirely, that I genuinely cannot understand. Do you even care anymore?
Personally,I believe that all major businesses will use any advantages they can to advance their situation. To not do so would leave you amongst the also rans.
City’s owners are in it to advance their own agenda. If they do it within the rules that’s fine by me, if not they’ll be dealt with and marginalised.

 

[roonster09]

You're quoting the daily mail again..

Telegraph, Guardian and even the sun don't have it anywhere near that figure

Telegrpah (Ducker) reported that with image rights and everything KdB will earn upto 16 million per year which is more than 300K

The impending new deal is likely to see De Bruyne’s basic salary catapult from £120,000 a week to at least £200,000 a week although once a remodelled image rights and heavily incentivised performance related bonus package are factored in the player could be earning as much as £16 million annually with incremental rises to follow.

All these means feck all where there is huge difference in how the wages are reported, some are reported including all the bonuses and image rights, some are reported just basic.

 

[M18CTID]

Well at least you’re honest about it

Some cracking and wide ranging reaches for pro city posters here from the Cayman Islands and the new York stock exchange to Aston Villa vs Birmingham attendances to the add in stipulations in Martials contract

Straws to be clutched

Can you please explain to us all how the attendance at the Villa v Birmingham derby has anything to do with City fans and straw clutching? Did you bother reading that particular exchange? If you did, then you’d know it was about John Terry. The poster claimed that he played in front of a bigger home attendance while playing for Villa than he ever did when he played for Chelsea. It was immediately debunked as pure, unaldurated bollocks. Yet somehow that constitutes straw clutching by City fans. Christ, you don’t half talk some shit. By the way, do you have a life outside of this forum? Actually, I’ll re-phrase that - do you have a life outside the City topics on this forum? Do us all a favour and either up your game or take your trolling elsewhere.

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Can you please explain to us all how the attendance at the Villa v Birmingham derby has anything to do with City fans and straw clutching? Did you bother reading that particular exchange? If you did, then you’d know it was about John Terry. The poster claimed that he played in front of a bigger home attendance while playing for Villa than he ever did when he played for Chelsea. It was immediately debunked as pure, unaldurated bollocks. Yet somehow that constitutes straw clutching by City fans. Christ, you don’t half talk some shit. By the way, do you have a life outside of this forum? Actually, I’ll re-phrase that - do you have a life outside the City topics on this forum? Do us all a favour and either up your game or take your trolling elsewhere.

Be fair, he seems to hate Liverpool almost as much. Not much evidence of a passion for United though.

 

[SER19]

Can you please explain to us all how the attendance at the Villa v Birmingham derby has anything to do with City fans and straw clutching? Did you bother reading that particular exchange? If you did, then you’d know it was about John Terry. The poster claimed that he played in front of a bigger home attendance while playing for Villa than he ever did when he played for Chelsea. It was immediately debunked as pure, unaldurated bollocks. Yet somehow that constitutes straw clutching by City fans. Christ, you don’t half talk some shit. By the way, do you have a life outside of this forum? Actually, I’ll re-phrase that - do you have a life outside the City topics on this forum? Do us all a favour and either up your game or take your trolling elsewhere.

meltdown mode. I read the exchange, painfully. While that particular point might have been about Terry (and not disproven) it was spawned from the discussion about attendances. Your post breaks the forum rules by the way.

Be fair, he seems to hate Liverpool almost as much. Not much evidence of a passion for United though.

Blatantly untrue, but for a city fan ranking up the hours on a united forum, perhaps you are best placed to comment on united fans.

While you both may not agree, my opinions aren’t to wind you precious guys up, and I do think I’m fair and consistent and always happy to separate footballing issues and guve credit where it’s due. But I won’t be apologetic for having a true dislike of the vile club you support. There are issues with supporting most clubs that don’t sit well with fans, united included, but I would be physically sickened had I been unlucky enough to be a city fan. In my opinion, the club is a rotten testament to the state of many aspects of football. I’m not alone in that opinion within united, or global ranks, even some old school city fans I would wager. If it doesn’t bother you then great, enjoy it, but it doesn’t mean you have to judge me. I’m entitled to my opinions.

 

[Lentwood]

What City are doing has almost never been done before in football.

You have you’re historical big clubs - Real, United, Barcelona etc....who make plenty of money and therefore spend plenty of money - but always against a strict budget

Then you have your ‘new money’ clubs. Anyone bought by an oil magnate, Sheikh or Chinese billionaire in the last ten years or so. These clubs often spend heavily to build a winning squad and then retreat back to fairly regular spending after a few seasons because it’s all about ROI for the investor.

City and maybe PSG stand apart. Their owners are so rich that they could spend £500m every summer until 2100 and not even notice the cash had gone. For them it’s all about building a dynasty and it’s become about more than just football as effectively they are both owned by countries looking to diversify their income and improvement their global image.

That’s why any comparison between spending of City and anyone else or to some extent PSG and anyone else is totally unfair and inaccurate. They have no budgets, they have no limitations bar the token half-arsed FFP nonsense. Unfortunately that’s the way football has gone and really as much as people might like the fact that the likes of City are able to put it up to Utd, ultimately the games dead in the long-run because we’re going to end up in a situation where only one or two teams can win the league in the “elite” European leagues. I see no real way to save the game and keep the ‘product’ entertaining for the fans besides going down the Super League route

 

[SER19]

What City are doing has almost never been done before in football.

You have you’re historical big clubs - Real, United, Barcelona etc....who make plenty of money and therefore spend plenty of money - but always against a strict budget

Then you have your ‘new money’ clubs. Anyone bought by an oil magnate, Sheikh or Chinese billionaire in the last ten years or so. These clubs often spend heavily to build a winning squad and then retreat back to fairly regular spending after a few seasons because it’s all about ROI for the investor.

City and maybe PSG stand apart. Their owners are so rich that they could spend £500m every summer until 2100 and not even notice the cash had gone. For them it’s all about building a dynasty and it’s become about more than just football as effectively they are both owned by countries looking to diversify their income and improvement their global image.

That’s why any comparison between spending of City and anyone else or to some extent PSG and anyone else is totally unfair and inaccurate. They have no budgets, they have no limitations bar the token half-arsed FFP nonsense. Unfortunately that’s the way football has gone and really as much as people might like the fact that the likes of City are able to put it up to Utd, ultimately the games dead in the long-run because we’re going to end up in a situation where only one or two teams can win the league in the “elite” European leagues. I see no real way to save the game and keep the ‘product’ entertaining for the fans besides going down the Super League route

Sounds like somebody needs to read up on the New York stock exchange, bogus sponsorship deals and start applying unverified and inane inflation rates and figures to discussions. Or come to some roundabout conclusion that because city have never spent more than 65m (yet) on a single player it means that they’re operating within a tightly arranged budget. Do these things, or you’re just a bitter wind up. Something like that

 

[Gentleman Jim]

Blatantly untrue, but for a city fan ranking up the hours on a united forum, perhaps you are best placed to comment on united fans.

While you both may not agree, my opinions aren’t to wind you precious guys up, and I do think I’m fair and consistent and always happy to separate footballing issues and guve credit where it’s due. But I won’t be apologetic for having a true dislike of the vile club you support. There are issues with supporting most clubs that don’t sit well with fans, united included, but I would be physically sickened had I been unlucky enough to be a city fan. In my opinion, the club is a rotten testament to the state of many aspects of football. I’m not alone in that opinion within united, or global ranks, even some old school city fans I would wager. If it doesn’t bother you then great, enjoy it, but it doesn’t mean you have to judge me. I’m entitled to my opinions.

Ranking up the hours? What does that mean? If you mean racking up the hours I don’t think that my post count is excessive but you can be assured that the postings I make are on a wide variety of topics.
I come here for a natter about whatever takes my fancy on any given day not just to obsess about my teams’ rivals.
I hope you get more pleasure out of your football than you come across as getting.

 

[M18CTID]

meltdown mode. I read the exchange, painfully. While that particular point might have been about Terry (and not disproven) it was spawned from the discussion about attendances. Your post breaks the forum rules by the way.



Blatantly untrue, but for a city fan ranking up the hours on a united forum, perhaps you are best placed to comment on united fans.

While you both may not agree, my opinions aren’t to wind you precious guys up, and I do think I’m fair and consistent and always happy to separate footballing issues and guve credit where it’s due. But I won’t be apologetic for having a true dislike of the vile club you support. There are issues with supporting most clubs that don’t sit well with fans, united included, but I would be physically sickened had I been unlucky enough to be a city fan. In my opinion, the club is a rotten testament to the state of many aspects of football. I’m not alone in that opinion within united, or global ranks, even some old school city fans I would wager. If it doesn’t bother you then great, enjoy it, but it doesn’t mean you have to judge me. I’m entitled to my opinions.

“Physically sickened”. Cry me a river someone As for being fair and consistent, you’re the one who wanted all City fans banned from this forum because you’re that fragile you can’t cope with people having different opinions to you

Do you know something? I’d love to meet you for a pint and discuss all these things face to face because I could bet my mortgage that you wouldn’t have the balls to repeat half of them in person. Easy to do it when you’re hiding behind a keyboard.

 

[SER19]

Ranking up the hours? What does that mean? If you mean racking up the hours I don’t think that my post count is excessive but you can be assured that the postings I make are on a wide variety of topics.
I come here for a natter about whatever takes my fancy on any given day not just to obsess about my teams’ rivals.
I hope you get more pleasure out of your football than you come across as getting.

Yes it was a typo. I don’t think it’s excessive but think it’s a little strange a city fan uses a united forum to judge united fans. All fans are welcome here and it’s not my place to say they’re not (even if last season saw a raft of cit fans join) but perhaps you could apply a less judgemental attitude and not speculate on things you couldn’t really know about a stranger. I love football, it has and continues to give me a lot of joy, probably explains my concern about clubs like city and PSG. Have a great day.

 

[SER19]

“Physically sickened”. Cry me a river someone As for being fair and consistent, you’re the one who wanted all City fans banned from this forum

Do you know something? I’d love to meet you for a pint and discuss all these things face to face because I could bet my mortgage that you wouldn’t have the balls to repeat half of them in person. Easy to do it when you’re hiding behind a keyboard.

Is it a city fan thing to suggest meeting for a pint? You’re the third I’ve seen do it. Anyway, I’m hardly making controversial statements about human rights, my disdain for city and their owners is not a minority opinion and not something that would require censorship in real life. That’s just me, I would really struggle to get on board with a united sugar daddy, operating the way city do. The glazers were famously met with opposition and not all of us would neccesarily be appeased with shiny signings.

I never wanted them banned, as I’ve said above, but the newbie system not being there last season allowed a massive surge that many posters felt was taking lots of threads in a city related direction. I wouldn’t take it personally

 

[M18CTID]

Ranking up the hours? What does that mean? If you mean racking up the hours I don’t think that my post count is excessive but you can be assured that the postings I make are on a wide variety of topics.
I come here for a natter about whatever takes my fancy on any given day not just to obsess about my teams’ rivals.
I hope you get more pleasure out of your football than you come across as getting.

Exactly. He seems a very unhappy person.

 

[SER19]

Exactly. He seems a very unhappy person.

This also breaks forum rules. With respect, it’s probably ill advised to speculate on a persons happiness based on posts on a football forum. I’m not sure how you could come to a conclusion with any accuracy. It would be like me saying your posts today about talking shit, going elsewhere or meeting for a pint to test my balls, would suggest you’re an angry person. I couldn’t possibly know.

Best not to derail threads with amateur psychology

 

[M18CTID]

Is it a city fan thing to suggest meeting for a pint? You’re the third I’ve seen do it. Anyway, I’m hardly making controversial statements about human rights, my disdain for city and their owners is not a minority opinion and not something that would require censorship in real life. That’s just me, I would really struggle to get on board with a united sugar daddy, operating the way city do. The glazers were famously met with opposition and not all of us would neccesarily be appeased with shiny signings.

I never wanted them banned, as I’ve said above, but the newbie system not being there last season allowed a massive surge that many posters felt was taking lots of threads in a city related direction. I wouldn’t take it personally

Funny really because I know plenty of old school United fans and as much as they don’t like seeing City do well - perfectly understandable of course - none of them have a real issue with City’s money and where it’s come from so this “not a minority opinion” thing is more than likely a figment of your own imagination because when you step out into the real world you don’t see many real match-going fans spouting off about it. They’re more arsed about their own club and what’s going on there. In fact, I think it’s safe to say if United were taken over by the Saudis tomorrow then most reds would lap it up. As for shiny signings, you only have to look at the wankfest on here when you’ve made big name signings of late to see that you yourself are in a minority on that score.

 

[roonster09]

Do you know something? I’d love to meet you for a pint and discuss all these things face to face because I could bet my mortgage that you wouldn’t have the balls to repeat half of them in person. Easy to do it when you’re hiding behind a keyboard.

We have Internet bad ass here

Spoiler: Badass

 

[MalcolmTucker]

Do you know something? I’d love to meet you for a pint and discuss all these things face to face because I could bet my mortgage that you wouldn’t have the balls to repeat half of them in person. Easy to do it when you’re hiding behind a keyboard.

 

[SER19]

Funny really because I know plenty of old school United fans and as much as they don’t like seeing City do well - perfectly understandable of course - none of them have a real issue with City’s money and where it’s come from so this “not a minority opinion” thing is more than likely a figment of your own imagination because when you step out into the real world you don’t see many real match-going fans spouting off about it. They’re more arsed about their own club and what’s going on there. In fact, I think it’s safe to say if United were taken over by the Saudis tomorrow then most reds would lap it up. As for shiny signings, you only have to look at the wankfest on here when you’ve made big name signings of late to see that you yourself are in a minority on that score.

There’s a lot of speculation here. I can only comment on my own experiences and like I said, don’t think my opinion is inflammatory or controversial and certainly doesn’t need ‘balls’ to discuss in real life. Many main stream media outlets have been running stories about the ethics or affects on the game since the abramovich days. Not every discussion about city needs to be turned into a comparison with man united. My opinions would likely be the same if I supported Bangor city. If you are particularly interested in how man united fans feel you could always make a poll, but I can’t offer you any more insight. I myself would detest it and know lots of people personally who would feel the same

I know for example that the arsenal supporters trust has said they would oppose it.

 

[MalcolmTucker]

In fact, I think it’s safe to say if United were taken over by the Saudis tomorrow then most reds would lap it up. As for shiny signings, you only have to look at the wankfest on here when you’ve made big name signings of late to see that you yourself are in a minority on that score.

This is bullshit - considering how much opposition the Glazers faced with the take over you have absolutely no ground to stand on with that statement. Just because your club happily surrendered its roots and allowed itself to be nothing more than a middle eastern oil state's PR vehicle, don't think that everyone else would. I'd tell you that over a pint as well before you offer me out on a date

 

[M18CTID]

There’s a lot of speculation here. I can only comment on my own experiences and like I said, don’t think my opinion is inflammatory or controversial and certainly doesn’t need ‘balls’ to discuss in real life. Many main stream media outlets have been running stories about the ethics or affects on the game since the abramovich days. Not every discussion about city needs to be turned into a comparison with man united. My opinions would likely be the same if I supported Bangor city. If you are particularly interested in how man united fans feel you could always make a poll, but I can’t offer you any more insight. I myself would detest it and know lots of people personally who would feel the same

It’s not inflammatory or controversial to have that viewpoint. I never suggested it was. The point I was making is that it isn’t an active topic of discussion for most football fans - of any club - because quite simply few of them are arsed about it. Even on this forum, aside from a couple of dozen or so people, it isn’t deemed worthy of discussion for tens of thousands of other members. If you actually got out and about and attended a few matches, it wouldn’t even register on the radar of the vast majority of United fans enjoying a pre-match pint.

 

[SER19]

It’s not inflammatory or controversial to have that viewpoint. I never suggested it was. The point I was making is that it isn’t an active topic of discussion for most football fans - of any club - because quite simply few of them are arsed about it. Even on this forum, aside from a couple of dozen or so people, it isn’t deemed worthy of discussion for tens of thousands of other members. If you actually got out and about and attended a few matches, it wouldn’t even register on the radar of the vast majority of United fans enjoying a pre-match pint.

You’ve made a judgement here again that has no basis in reality. Unfortunately I live overseas at the moment due to work but have been a season ticket holder and regular attender and will be again.

It is in city owners interests for most of the average fans, working class football loving folk, to just get on with it. But it’s also In the interest of the game that big number of fans do in fact care about the big picture and the integrity and future of the game. This is evidenced by the protests to the glazer takeover, the arsenal supporters trust speaking out against a sugar daddy owner and several intelligent and credible journalists regularly writing about it. My standards of following the game are my own and don’t need to be measured against what you consider ‘the average fan’. I wonder if the average Newcastle fan doesn’t care about their owner.

 

[Treble]

Let's not derail the thread with personal comments.

City have spent much more than the other English teams since Guardiola has taken over (albeit I expect Jose to be up there by the end of this transfer window). Thus the PL title was sort of obligatory. It's not a big achievement at all. Nevertheless, Guardiola has done very well to win 100 pts and break most records with this team. Because it is not a patch on the great PL teams individuals wise: United 99 and 08, Arsenal 04 and Chelsea 05 had better players in the starting XI.

E.g., United started the CL final in Moskow with players like VDS, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and had on the bench Giggs, Nani, Anderson. Park couldn't make the bench. Same with the great teams of Arsenal and Chelsea. They had more individual quality. The only City players who would be guaranteed starters for United 08 are Walker and KDB for Brown and Hargreaves. That's it. Maybe Aguero for Tevez but the current slowish version of Aguero isn't particularly great. Tevez contributed much more than goals. David Silva would struggle to start as Scholes was pretty good.

 

[CA1]

Imagine having thousands of posts on an opposition football teams forum. That's surely the biggest sign of an unhappy person. Maybe instead of offering out fans on here for a "face to face pint" you should ask somebody in the real world.

 

[M18CTID]

This is a bullshit - considering how much opposition the Glazers faced with the take over you have absolutely no ground to stand on with that statement. Just because your club happily surrendered its roots and allowed itself to be nothing more than a middle eastern oil state's PR vehicle, don't think that everyone else would. I'd tell you that over a pint as well before you offer me out on a date

Are you seriously comparing the Glazer takeover - one that loaded hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt onto the club - to one with a rich owner who invests money rather than takes it out?

You obviously weren’t around in 1989 when Michael Knighton nearly bought the club and United fans were creaming their pants over his promise of investment for new players.

As for “surrendering roots”, I’d hardly call Martin “I like to peer under cubicle doors in ladies toilets” Edwards and his father Louis “I like to sell condemned meat to schools across Greater Manchester” Edwards particularly good examples of that. Especially when you look at the way Louis Edwards acquired the club in the first place.

So yeah, I’ll take up that offer of a pint mate. What are you having?

 

[Bearded One]

I still don't get the reason for the moaning. The difference between their net summer spend and ours was Laporte who was signed in January when we ourselves procured the services of one who was considered one of the best attackers in the epl (shrewd business by the way). There is hardly any player they have signed that we couldn't sign ourselves. I'll say it again people are making excuses about why we don't need a Mahrez in our team but when he begins to tear it up at he other end, instead of ask whether we could ourselves do with a Mahrez in our tam, we begin to complain that their wealth is ill-gotten.

A fan of another club say a West Brom looking at this forum will surely have a laugh that United fans are complaining about City's spending. It makes you wonder when we are happy to see the back of Martial whilst there was discussion around giving Fellaini a new and improved contract.

My gripe with all these claims is that they turn our attention from more germane issues like improving our attacking formations and our attacking play in general and a clear direction of how we want to play leading to a more focused activity in the market.

 

[SER19]

I still don't get the reason for the moaning. The difference between their net summer spend and ours was Laporte who was signed in January when we ourselves procured the services of one who was considered one of the best attackers in the epl (shrewd business by the way). There is hardly any player they have signed that we couldn't sign ourselves. I'll say it again people are making excuses about why we don't need a Mahrez in our team but when he begins to tear it up at he other end, instead of ask whether we could ourselves do with a Mahrez in our tam, we begin to complain that their wealth is ill-gotten.

A fan of another club say a West Brom looking at this forum will surely have a laugh that United fans are complaining about City's spending. It makes you wonder when we are happy to see the back of Martial whilst there was discussion around giving Fellaini a new and improved contract.

My gripe with all these claims is that they turn our attention from more germane issues like improving our attacking formations and our attacking play in general and a clear direction of how we want to play leading to a more focused activity in the market.

I think you’re missing the point that any sugar daddy club, PSG , city, Chelsea so on, will cause the competing clubs to have to spend more. They inflate the game. Of course united have to spend to match it, doesn’t mean clubs like West Brom can

Any discussion about our obvious on field issues can be held absolutely independently of a discussion about any club that has risen from nothing to win the league easily after 1bn of spending, without any hint of slowing down that spending. It might not be fun, you may not enjoy it - but in my opinion anybody that cares about the sport will keep a close eye on any clubs behaving this way. I’d prefer not see the premier league become Ligue 1

 

[Alfie092]

I thought Pep said in a recent interview that last summers heavy spending was a one-off due to major surgery needed and that they will be more modest spenders in the market in the upcoming windows?

If they only end up signing Mahrez and Jorginho for ~£100m then that isn't too bad and would call it fairly modest in today's market but who is to say their spending would stop there!

Kompany apparently may be out for the World Cup and Pep may have finally had enough of him, Stones has been average, so they may go in for yet another defender!

 

[Varun]

@SER19 @M18CTID

The thread is turning to shit now. Safe to say, this doesn't look like a discussion that's going to turn constructive any time soon so either continue it via PM or let it rest.

 

[MalcolmTucker]

Are you seriously comparing the Glazer takeover - one that loaded hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt onto the club - to one with a rich owner who invests money rather than takes it out?

You obviously weren’t around in 1989 when Michael Knighton nearly bought the club and United fans were creaming their pants over his promise of investment for new players.

As for “surrendering roots”, I’d hardly call Martin “I like to peer under cubicle doors in ladies toilets” Edwards and his father Louis “I like to sell condemned meat to schools across Greater Manchester” Edwards particularly good examples of that. Especially when you look at the way Louis Edwards acquired the club in the first place.

So yeah, I’ll take up that offer of a pint mate. What are you having?

Are you seriously comparing Louis Edwards with a Middle Eastern regime?

Don't worry the drinks are on me, I'll assume you'll be having a bitter...

 

[SER19]

@SER19 @M18CTID

The thread is turning to shit now. Safe to say, this doesn't look like a discussion that's going to turn constructive any time soon so either continue it via PM or let it rest.

That’s a fair summary, but I would deny derailing the thread in any way myself. I’ve suggested more than once to stay on topic and not resort to personal name calling and posting

 

[Bearded One]

Let's not derail the thread with personal comments.

City have spent much more than the other English teams since Guardiola has taken over (albeit I expect Jose to be up there by the end of this transfer window). Thus the PL title was sort of obligatory. It's not a big achievement at all. Nevertheless, Guardiola has done very well to win 100 pts and break most records with this team. Because it is not a patch on the great PL teams individuals wise: United 99 and 08, Arsenal 04 and Chelsea 05 had better players in the starting XI.

E.g., United started the CL final in Moskow with players like VDS, Rio, Vidic, Evra, Carrick, Scholes, Ronaldo, Rooney, Tevez and had on the bench Giggs, Nani, Anderson. Park couldn't make the bench. Same with the great teams of Arsenal and Chelsea. They had more individual quality. The only City players who would be guaranteed starters for United 08 are Walker and KDB for Brown and Hargreaves. That's it. Maybe Aguero for Tevez but the current slowish version of Aguero isn't particularly great. Tevez contributed much more than goals. David Silva would struggle to start as Scholes was pretty good.

That's my point precisely dude. They have spent loads no doubt but we prefer to fix our gaze on the numbers rather than look at what they are doing differently. If you quote the raw numbers, you wouldn't see that Mendy their 2nd most expensive signing was pretty much not part of their 100 points haul. Similarly their most expensive buy, Laporte was bought in January when they had one hand on the trophy. I mean Sterling was unplayable many times this season and I wondered whether it was PEDS. You see they have a clear system that works and are doing so much in training to perfect the arts. That's what they are doing differently. If you handed this team to a Rafa Benitez for example, don't be surprised if he let's you down seeing he had Madrid that boasts more accomplised stars in regression mode.

I think you’re missing the point that any sugar daddy club, PSG , city, Chelsea so on, will cause the competing clubs to have to spend more. They inflate the game. Of course united have to spend to match it, doesn’t mean clubs like West Brom can

There is no way football will remain at a single point. Investors will defo come and push the limits. It's what it is. You can see things from your point of view but another person would say without these investors there is no unseating the establishment. Furthermore increased revenues are evidence that on the balance, their presence is of a greater good. The likes of West Brom weren't even competing back then so I'm not sure the coming of the investors is directly responsible for their not having to compete for honours.

 

[M18CTID]

You’ve made a judgement here again that has no basis in reality. Unfortunately I live overseas at the moment due to work but have been a season ticket holder and regular attender and will be again.

It is in city owners interests for most of the average fans, working class football loving folk, to just get on with it. But it’s also In the interest of the game that big number of fans do in fact care about the big picture and the integrity and future of the game. This is evidenced by the protests to the glazer takeover, the arsenal supporters trust speaking out against a sugar daddy owner and several intelligent and credible journalists regularly writing about it. My standards of following the game are my own and don’t need to be measured against what you consider ‘the average fan’. I wonder if the average Newcastle fan doesn’t care about their owner.

Arsenal fans would take Usmanov over Kroenke in a heartbeat.

Newcastle fans were desperate for Amanda Staveley’s takeover backed with middle-eastern money to go through.

Liverpool fans were turning up with banners pleading with Dubai to buy them out when it went tits up under those 2 clowns H&G.

Everton fans were delighted to see Moshiri buy a stake in the club and promise heavy investment.

Ask Wolves fans if they’re currently happy or unhappy with their billionaire owners and see what answer you get.

 

[M18CTID]

@SER19 @M18CTID

The thread is turning to shit now. Safe to say, this doesn't look like a discussion that's going to turn constructive any time soon so either continue it via PM or let it rest.

Apologies mate.

 

[SER19]

Arsenal fans would take Usmanov over Kroenke in a heartbeat.

Newcastle fans were desperate for Amanda Staveley’s takeover backed with middle-eastern money to go through.

Liverpool fans were turning up with banners pleading with Dubai to buy them out when it went tits up under those 2 clowns H&G.

Everton fans were delighted to see Moshiri buy a stake in the club and promise heavy investment.

Ask Wolves fans if they’re currently happy or unhappy with their billionaire owners and see what answer you get.

I’m going to take admin advice and leave this discussion. We won’t ever see eye to eye on the issue. I find current day city to be abhorrent, you obviously don’t. We’re coming at things from too far apart

 

[M18CTID]

Are you seriously comparing Louis Edwards with a Middle Eastern regime?

Don't worry the drinks are on me, I'll assume you'll be having a bitter...

No mate - I’m just saying that I wouldn’t class the Edwards family as being indicative of United’s “roots”. People like James Gibson, fair enough.

 

[SER19]

That's my point precisely dude. They have spent loads no doubt but we prefer to fix our gaze on the numbers rather than look at what they are doing differently. If you quote the raw numbers, you wouldn't see that Mendy their 2nd most expensive signing was pretty much not part of their 100 points haul. Similarly their most expensive buy, Laporte was bought in January when they had one hand on the trophy. I mean Sterling was unplayable many times this season and I wondered whether it was PEDS. You see they have a clear system that works and are doing so much in training to perfect the arts. That's what they are doing differently. If you handed this team to a Rafa Benitez for example, don't be surprised if he let's you down seeing he had Madrid that boasts more accomplised stars in regression mode.

There is no way football will remain at a single point. Investors will defo come and push the limits. It's what it is. You can see things from your point of view but another person would say without these investors there is no unseating the establishment. Furthermore increased revenues are evidence that on the balance, their presence is of a greater good. The likes of West Brom weren't even competing back then so I'm not sure the coming of the investors is directly responsible for their not having to compete for honours.

If you think the likes of city’s owners are for the greater good of football, then like the city fan above, were best not to get into it. We will never agree. I do believe, without any risk of melodrama, that the likes of city and PSG are the single greatest threat to the sport as we know it. It has changed before our eyes in no time at all and will continue to.

 

[M18CTID]

I’m going to take admin advice and leave this discussion. We won’t ever see eye to eye on the issue. I find current day city to be abhorrent, you obviously don’t. We’re coming at things from too far apart

I don’t see why you need admin advice for that post you just quoted, or if we’re poles apart on opinions. Let’s just agree to disagree.

 

[SER19]

I don’t see why you need admin advice for that post you just quoted, or if we’re poles apart on opinions. Let’s just agree to disagree.

If I gave my genuine response to that post we would go round in circles again. As I said above, I’m not continuing the discussion and will agree to absolutely disagree entirely.

 

[Treble]

That's my point precisely dude. They have spent loads no doubt but we prefer to fix our gaze on the numbers rather than look at what they are doing differently. If you quote the raw numbers, you wouldn't see that Mendy their 2nd most expensive signing was pretty much not part of their 100 points haul. Similarly their most expensive buy, Laporte was bought in January when they had one hand on the trophy. I mean Sterling was unplayable many times this season and I wondered whether it was PEDS. You see they have a clear system that works and are doing so much in training to perfect the arts. That's what they are doing differently. If you handed this team to a Rafa Benitez for example, don't be surprised if he let's you down seeing he had Madrid that boasts more accomplised stars in regression mode.

My point wasn't that their success last season was down to out spending the other teams. Sure, they collected a great group of players but those 100 pts were won due to Guardiola's work. Because their squad is not exactly comparable to the great PL teams. I'm sure that Guardiola rates that season amongst his best. He couldn't hit 100 pts even with Messi, Xavi and Iniesta. It's a hell of an achievement.

 

[Janson]

Baffling to see people keep going on about City's spending. They aren't doing anything to break FFP's rules and from what I've seen most of thier funds now are self generated. You can argue about the initial investment and finanncial doping that kick started their current 'era' but today they aren't spending more than they can generate and if they were sold, they will still be in a great financial position.

I know there is rivalry that exists here but why is it so difficult for some posters on here to just accept reality? City fans have posted things time and time again yet posters here keep parrotting the same nonsense rhetoric...

Yeah, it really is baffling how people come up with this. There is no reason for it whatsoever.