FA CUP

[jodrell]

4 hours ago, Tyrone Shoelaces said:

I can't do links but Jonathan Wilson in todays " Guardian " has an excellent article on the subject of City's dominance.

Just two quotes from a really good article -

" But Saturday was miserable ,the traditional showpiece of the game was reduced to a grim parade, devoid of any drama, there to satisfy the propaganda wing of a faraway regime ".

" The gulf between the elites and the rest has never been as defined as this. It is not just City, it is not just England. Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga on Saturday to mean that for the first time in history, the league title in each of Europe's five big leagues has been retained. There comes a time when you have to step back and say this is pointless. Teams like Watford should not be just patsies. They and their fans deserve better than to be mice tossed into the tank for the python to feed upon."

 

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/19/manchester-city-sky-blue-smashing-of-watford-proves-football-is-broken

[AllRoverAsia]

Just now, jodrell said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/19/manchester-city-sky-blue-smashing-of-watford-proves-football-is-broken

Thanks. An excellent read, maybe because I agree with every issue raised and the solution.

[Stuart]

1 hour ago, jodrell said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/19/manchester-city-sky-blue-smashing-of-watford-proves-football-is-broken

Nobody was talking about City as a “killing machine” while Liverpool matched them every step of the way and could, and should, have won it (given the help they had) but for too many draws. If anything, Liverpool’s challenge this season turned City into a ruthless outfit.

The key issue for the purpose of this article is the utter mismatch between City and Watford in the FA Cup Final. This is what made it a non-contest. The only way to minimise the risk of this is to seed the draws for each round - which will ultimately ruin the magic that makes the FA Cup. (Although sponsorship and gimmicks have already damaged it to an extent).

Maybe, if there is not to be the complete revolution of a European Super League then there ought to be a separate “Premier League Cup” competition with the fourth Champions League Spot up for grabs (or even new European Cup Winners Cup, single-team-per-nation) format - and give the FA Cup, the Wembley occasion and the Europa Cup place to the EFL.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

4 hours ago, jodrell said:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/19/manchester-city-sky-blue-smashing-of-watford-proves-football-is-broken

Thanks for putting that up matey.

[Husky]

When I think back to the crying in May 1998. Times like these are simply amazing! ?

[blueboy3333]

12 hours ago, Stuart said:

 

The key issue for the purpose of this article is the utter mismatch between City and Watford in the FA Cup Final. This is what made it a non-contest. The only way to minimise the risk of this is to seed the draws for each round - which will ultimately ruin the magic that makes the FA Cup. (Although sponsorship and gimmicks have already damaged it to an extent).

The utter mismatch in performance was because of the utter mismatch in finances between the two clubs. That is what made it a non-contest. Financial doping by City allowed them to have subs that cost more than the entire Watford team. 

If Watford ever become a oil-rich state-owned franchise like City then they may be able to afford the best manager in the world and a team costing hundreds of millions. 

[AllRoverAsia]

2 hours ago, blueboy3333 said:

The utter mismatch in performance was because of the utter mismatch in finances between the two clubs. That is what made it a non-contest. Financial doping by City allowed them to have subs that cost more than the entire Watford team. 

If Watford ever become a oil-rich state-owned franchise like City then they may be able to afford the best manager in the world and a team costing hundreds of millions. 

Correct. Watford were named simply because they played City in the Final, the article was about a Nation owned Club against anyone else.

In the PL a few Clubs can make an attempt, Liverpool gave it a go this year and with their squad will again next year but have little chance of finishing ahead of City unless their is an unlikely implosion there.

However the Liverpool's, Chelsea's etc as Clubs  will not care that much about Trophies as they are firmly entrenched at the PLs top-table and just about to get get an even bigger portion of the Sky Pie.

At present the financial wealth of City is enabling them to do whatever they want and who can get them in check when the money behind this single Club is 1,000 X+++r that of all the Associations trying to regulate them.

I dislike the rot that City are with more passion than anything else in football in the game has generated for a very long time.

[Stuart]

Funny though isn’t it. People used to say all this about Rovers.

[Norbert Rassragr]

Really, football is dead as a truly competitive sport. The top clubs are toys and money laundering tools for criminals from all over the world, and the games are mostly pointless. The top 6 with their extra money should shove off and play each other in an IPL style tournament, and a wall between them and the rest should be erected so they are outside the FA/FIFA structure so they can't play for their countries, or sign any players from non top 6 clubs. Completely isolate them. 

[Hasta]

9 minutes ago, Stuart said:

Funny though isn’t it. People used to say all this about Rovers.

I was just thinking the same thing.

They got put out of the FA Cup by Wigan last year. They got dumped out of the Champions League by Spurs who had spent no money and who, a few days later, were probably the better side again in the league encounter.

Chelsea arguably should have won the league cup. They may have done had Kepa actually been subbed when told to.

On a single game they are not unbeatable.

The problem in the league is the rest of the pack apart from Liverpool are all in a slump. Since Chelsea won the title, they have atet spend of £220million in 2 season but have regressed. Arsenal regressed under Wenger and are having to be built back up.

As for Manu United, net spend of £250 million since Leicester won the league and are still nowhere near.

Of course they are all dwarfed by City's spending, but there are 3 clubs (well 2 + Arsenal) that historically have had spells of challenging or winning the title but in the last 2 seasons have been nowhere near good enough against the rest of the field, let alone City or Liverpool. All of those clubs should be able to attract the talent needed to make the league more competitive and put up a stiffer challenge to City but in my view have failed. That's not purely down to Man City. It's also down to their own management.

 

[Hasta]

Just now, Norbert Rassragr said:

Really, football is dead as a truly competitive sport. The top clubs are toys and money laundering tools for criminals from all over the world, and the games are mostly pointless. The top 6 with their extra money should shove off and play each other in an IPL style tournament, and a wall between them and the rest should be erected so they are outside the FA/FIFA structure so they can't play for their countries, or sign any players from non top 6 clubs. Completely isolate them. 

Surely then another 'top 6' would occur unless you cut the money floating around in football in general.

[K-Hod]

If City hadn’t had any serious cash injections and weren’t currently dominating, someone else probably still would be. In many ways, I like it that an unestablished club is sticking to the usual suspects like United, Liverpool and Arsenal..

[JHRover]

Guardiola is a big part of the dominance of City. Their entire operation has been assembled to work around him and with him as the icing on the cake. He is clearly in another league in terms of managerial ability with very few able to get close. Klopp has given him a run for his money at Dortmund and Liverpool but fallen short on both occasions. Mourinho can rival him for trophies and achievements but in the last 3-4 years has fallen out with everyone around him and picked a couple of poor jobs.

As long as Guardiola remains City will remain dominant. The trouble for them is that he has no connection to Manchester and is only there for the project and vast salary he'll be on. As he showed at Barcelona he'll get tired and move on before too long. I don't believe he'll do a Ferguson and be there for many years. I reckon he'll walk after next season if they win the league again and don't win the Champions League. Then he'll have a break before picking another project.

For City whatever comes next will be a comedown.

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, JHRover said:

Guardiola is a big part of the dominance of City. Their entire operation has been assembled to work around him and with him as the icing on the cake. He is clearly in another league in terms of managerial ability with very few able to get close. Klopp has given him a run for his money at Dortmund and Liverpool but fallen short on both occasions. Mourinho can rival him for trophies and achievements but in the last 3-4 years has fallen out with everyone around him and picked a couple of poor jobs.

As long as Guardiola remains City will remain dominant. The trouble for them is that he has no connection to Manchester and is only there for the project and vast salary he'll be on. As he showed at Barcelona he'll get tired and move on before too long. I don't believe he'll do a Ferguson and be there for many years. I reckon he'll walk after next season if they win the league again and don't win the Champions League. Then he'll have a break before picking another project.

For City whatever comes next will be a comedown.

I could see them going down the promoting from internally route. It will be a huge blow to them whenever Pep leaves.

Gas to think that the season before the oil boys bought them, we finished ahead of them in the league. As did Portsmouth. 

[bazza]

I don't mind City doing well up to now. I can remember them always being in the shadow of United. I remember them being in the second tier several times and even in the third tier. Always the true Manchester club with mainly local supporters.

Another few seasons of this, though, and they'll be right up my nose.

[philipl]

Good to have an FA Cup Final which wasn't big 6 v big 6.

Watford needed Pereyra or whatever he is called to have had as good a game as he had a stinker. Certainly they would have scored twice in the first half if the guy hadn't had complete brain freezes.

[Mattyblue]

You’d imagine Wolves would’ve have put up more of a fight...

[Dreams of 1995]

21 hours ago, bazza said:

I don't mind City doing well up to now. I can remember them always being in the shadow of United. I remember them being in the second tier several times and even in the third tier. Always the true Manchester club with mainly local supporters.

Another few seasons of this, though, and they'll be right up my nose.

It's not nice to see it done in the way it has, on the back of oil money.

The truth is if their sheikh got bored of Man City and bought Leyton Orient in 6 years time we'll be discussing Leyton Orient at the top of the Premier League. Their success isn't built around Pep, David Silva or Aguero it's built around Sheikh Monsour and our love for oil.

[AllRoverAsia]

 

 

 

Just now, Dreams of 1995 said:

It's not nice to see it done in the way it has, on the back of oil money.

The truth is if their sheikh got bored of Man City and bought Leyton Orient in 6 years time we'll be discussing Leyton Orient at the top of the Premier League. Their success isn't built around Pep, David Silva or Aguero it's built around Sheikh Monsour and our love for oil.

Thanks, saved me the effort.

[AllRoverAsia]

23 hours ago, JHRover said:

Guardiola is a big part of the dominance of City. Their entire operation has been assembled to work around him and with him as the icing on the cake. He is clearly in another league in terms of managerial ability with very few able to get close. Klopp has given him a run for his money at Dortmund and Liverpool but fallen short on both occasions. Mourinho can rival him for trophies and achievements but in the last 3-4 years has fallen out with everyone around him and picked a couple of poor jobs.

As long as Guardiola remains City will remain dominant. The trouble for them is that he has no connection to Manchester and is only there for the project and vast salary he'll be on. As he showed at Barcelona he'll get tired and move on before too long. I don't believe he'll do a Ferguson and be there for many years. I reckon he'll walk after next season if they win the league again and don't win the Champions League. Then he'll have a break before picking another project.

For City whatever comes next will be a comedown.

If Klopp was at Citeh they would win everything

If the cardigan guy was at the Scousers they would win nowt

[SBlue]

23 hours ago, bazza said:

I don't mind City doing well up to now. I can remember them always being in the shadow of United. I remember them being in the second tier several times and even in the third tier. Always the true Manchester club with mainly local supporters.

Another few seasons of this, though, and they'll be right up my nose.

It’s all gone Ligue 1 and PSG

Its happening before our very eyes.

They will win 3 leagues in an row next year.

3 in a row!

Maybe 3 doubles or more!

And it won’t stop - as long as there’s an oil well churning and slaves not earning.

 

“Yeah but Liverpool fans are annoying”... or something.

 

 

Pep really gets on my tits too.

Yeah he’s great but he’s all about self promotion and I’m sure he’s got a messiah complex. 

He had the greatest player of all time in Messi with a perfect supporting cast, one of the most domestically dominant sides ever in Bayern, and unlimited dodgy blood money now at City.

He just had to make a show of “coaching” after the game to make it about him. 

Wasn’t so inspirational when Phil Brown played up to the cameras that time was it?

 

 

And Phil Brown didn’t wear shit grandma cardies.

Edited May 22, 2019 by S8 & Blue

[Stuart]

Just now, S8 & Blue said:

It’s all gone Ligue 1 and PSG

Its happening before our very eyes.

They will win 3 leagues in an row next year.

3 in a row!

Maybe 3 doubles or more!

And it won’t stop - as long as there’s an oil well churning and slaves not earning.

“Yeah but Liverpool fans are annoying”... or something.

Cant stand Pep either. Yeah he’s great but he’s all about self promotion and I’m sure he’s got a messiah complex. 

He had the greatest player of all time in Messi with a perfect supporting cast, one of the most domestically dominant sides ever in Bayern, and unlimited dodgy blood money now at City. He just had to make a show of “coaching” after the game to make it about him. 

Wasn’t so inspirational when Phil Brown played up to the cameras that time was it?

And Phil Brown didn’t wear shit grandma cardies.

They won’t win it next year.

[Mattyblue]

I’m partial to a cardigan

[SBlue]

Just now, Stuart said:

They won’t win it next year.

God I hope so.

It will get very boring, very quickly.

[DeeCee]

3 hours ago, Dreams of 1995 said:

It's not nice to see it done in the way it has, on the back of oil money.

The truth is if their sheikh got bored of Man City and bought Leyton Orient in 6 years time we'll be discussing Leyton Orient at the top of the Premier League. Their success isn't built around Pep, David Silva or Aguero it's built around Sheikh Monsour and our love for oil.

Somewhere in the middle?