FA Cup thread 2013/14

[fakeyank]

City is a once distinguished now despicable club that has been hijacked by arabs who stole a fortune based on some archaic notion they have a God given right to gather the resources of a nation into their own hands. They have tried to use the proceeds of their immoral activities to buy some sort of respectability in the UK, via ownership of what was once a football club. Because the FA is staffed by weak, greedy and incompetent cowards these arabs have achieved their goals, technically speaking, though surely nobody is really fooled?

Even with the obscene amounts of money they have ploughed into the attempted purchase of titles and trophies they have come up laughably short, beaten by a mediocre Man Utd last season and headed by an Arsenal in transition this year, not to mention a series of humiliations in the Champions League. It really is comedy stuff, like a heavyweight constantly being knocked out by a featherweight - you'd laugh your arse off if that happened but because there so much money in the equation people barely mention just how poorly they have performed comparatively.

Now they have ploughed hundreds of millions more into their efforts and by trail and error have eventually managed to staff almost every place in the squad with high fee/ high salary mercenaries to the extent they are virtually immune from the effects of injuries, suspensions and general fatigue.

If this is achievement of any kind then why not find the next boy scout selling lemonade, whip out your wallet and set up a bigger stand and put the kid out of business then gloat about it? See how it feels to be al-manchester city. Of course some people admire them for this, hard to know why but they do.

Unfortunately we cant do much about this

[Özil's Panoramic View]

City is a once distinguished now despicable club that has been hijacked by arabs who stole a fortune based on some archaic notion they have a God given right to gather the resources of a nation into their own hands. They have tried to use the proceeds of their immoral activities to buy some sort of respectability in the UK, via ownership of what was once a football club. Because the FA is staffed by weak, greedy and incompetent cowards these arabs have achieved their goals, technically speaking, though surely nobody is really fooled?

Even with the obscene amounts of money they have ploughed into the attempted purchase of titles and trophies they have come up laughably short, beaten by a mediocre Man Utd last season and headed by an Arsenal in transition this year, not to mention a series of humiliations in the Champions League. It really is comedy stuff, like a heavyweight constantly being knocked out by a featherweight - you'd laugh your arse off if that happened but because there so much money in the equation people barely mention just how poorly they have performed comparatively.

Now they have ploughed hundreds of millions more into their efforts and by trail and error have eventually managed to staff almost every place in the squad with high fee/ high salary mercenaries to the extent they are virtually immune from the effects of injuries, suspensions and general fatigue.

If this is achievement of any kind then why not find the next boy scout selling lemonade, whip out your wallet and set up a bigger stand and put the kid out of business then gloat about it? See how it feels to be al-manchester city. Of course some people admire them for this, hard to know why but they do.

Well said.

[hobson's choice]

As for Arsenal, as much as we have all hated it, they run the club as a proper business. There is absolutely no comparison between the two in terms of business practices and the spirit of the game in general. The arabs are trying to buy what we already have, but they'll find their money can't buy everything.

The question I always ask people like you. Is how can clubs, like what City used to be, get to our level without some sort off "money ain't a thing" Billionaire coming in and spending big.

It's all well and good to criticize City, Chelsea, PSG, and Monaco. But what's the other option. Small to mid level clubs, simply can't get to title winning levels the old fashion ways anymore, it's not possible.

Southampton are one off the Clubs doing it the "right" way, but best believe their best players at the moment, won't be there in a couple years. They'll be at Liverpool, Chelsea, City, Us, United, etc. Why, because they are gonna get paid more, and have a chance at the title, bigger endorsements, and so on.

The fact is we can sit here and bitch about City, Chelsea, and the likes, but what else are they supposed to do. The problem is not City. Chelsea etc. Is this system we have where only a certain few will ever have a chance at success.

[LDG]

The question I always ask people like you. Is how can clubs, like what City used to be, get to our level without some sort off "money ain't a thing" Billionaire coming in and spending big.

It's all well and good to criticize City, Chelsea, PSG, and Monaco. But what's the other option. Small to mid level clubs, simply can't get to title winning levels the old fashion ways anymore, it's not possible.

Southampton are one off the Clubs doing it the "right" way, but best believe their best players at the moment, won't be there in a couple years. They'll be at Liverpool, Chelsea, City, Us, United, etc. Why, because they are gonna get paid more, and have a chance at the title, bigger endorsements, and so on.

The fact is we can sit here and bitch about City, Chelsea, and the likes, but what else are they supposed to do. The problem is not City. Chelsea etc. Is this system we have where only a certain few will ever have a chance at success.

Get out

Even gooners are buying into it.

Ther reason we are where we are, is that the people that run our club (like them or loathe them) have made very astute decisions over a long period of time. We breed it. We make it essential that we do things properly, cleverly and with a touch of class.

Any other club in the world could have signed arsene wenger as manager before we did.

Other clubs have not made clever decisions. Just looks at Spurs.

The playing field has never been level, simply because more fans have chosesn to support certian clubs rather than others, but in terms of the top tier or professional football, any club with a good business leader, cultered thinkers, PROPER knowledge of the game throughout their hiarachy cohld have done the same as us.

But you constantly see sides who think that signing Harry Redknapp or Mark Hughes is a good way to run a club. These people are just stupid. It has nothing to do with money at all!

[McNamara That Ghost...]

The question I always ask people like you. Is how can clubs, like what City used to be, get to our level without some sort off "money ain't a thing" Billionaire coming in and spending big.

It's all well and good to criticize City, Chelsea, PSG, and Monaco. But what's the other option. Small to mid level clubs, simply can't get to title winning levels the old fashion ways anymore, it's not possible.

Southampton are one off the Clubs doing it the "right" way, but best believe their best players at the moment, won't be there in a couple years. They'll be at Liverpool, Chelsea, City, Us, United, etc. Why, because they are gonna get paid more, and have a chance at the title, bigger endorsements, and so on.

The fact is we can sit here and bitch about City, Chelsea, and the likes, but what else are they supposed to do. The problem is not City. Chelsea etc. Is this system we have where only a certain few will ever have a chance at success.

What you say might be true (I don't think lamenting of there being no other way is why the owners spend this money personally) however talking about how it's the only way to compete sounds a bit misguided in somehow protecting them when clubs a la Man City and Chelsea do become the institution. Then what? Is it any easier for other clubs to compete with them than it was competing with the other clubs beforehand? I'd say not.

What you say above - it's the only way, really means the death of good management and planning. It's probably also why those lower clubs you mention take on any owner, regardless of what they may eventually want or do with the club (see Cardiff and Hull) start chasing a dream and end up in a far worse state than they were before but it will be justified because they manage to attain some short term success (in this case promotion) and the fans are supposed to be grateful forevermore of those short few seasons of success.

[Özim]

Get out

Even gooners are buying into it.

Ther reason we are where we are, is that the people that run our club (like them or loathe them) have made very astute decisions over a long period of time. We breed it. We make it essential that we do things properly, cleverly and with a touch of class.

Yes there's that and the fact the Champions League has become a cash cow for the big clubs to get richer and richer, they set the rules and thus increase the gap between themselves and the rest of the clubs, that's how it's been working.

People still make this claim it's fair and a level playing field when it's a well known fact the top clubs basically mould competitions for their financial gain.

[Letters]

Unfortunately we cant do much about this

So why do you moan your tits off and call Wenger every name under the sun when we finish below them?

[Letters]

People still make this claim it's fair and a level playing field

Do they? Who claims that?

[Özim]

Do they? Who claims that?

Some of the people complaining about oil money.

[LDG]

Some of the people complaining about oil money.

Who?

Nobody. That's who.