Media Thread 2020/21

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bluedanza said:
A new footballing spring. That's poetry right there, well done that man.

But it sums up what I've been trying to tell many others. mostly non-City fans for while.

Liverpool's era lasted 15 years, United's 20. Notwithstanding, that we're likely to chalk up our fifth title in last 9 years, I think we're about to embark on a similar 20 year era where we could rack up another 15 titles.

Rationale. Post pandemic we are admittedly fortunate that our owners aren't subject to market forces in the same manner as others, nor we as reliant on matchday income. Our nearest rivals are having to compete financially with us and reinvest to match up against a squad which is as close to complete as it gets, with a style of play embedded through the club down to junior academy players.

United are a cash cow for their owners. The leveraged buy-out is an ever-tightening noose around their neck. Their owners core business is retail malls. In recent weeks comparable commercial property owners have written down book value of assets by, in one case, as much as 85%. Money is travelling one way back to the US from Old Trafford, itself a ground that looks beyond dated and requires tens of millions spending on it.

Liverpool have a business model that demands a return on investment. Moneyball approach has done well to identify a player such as Robertson but they can't game the system indefinitely and this approach has a limit i.e. having to sign the world's most expensive defender and goalkeeper. Major stadium work still required and anything they do is still going to look 20th Century compared to their neighbours plans.

Realistically, until United and Liverpool find new owners any challenge they pose will be fleeting based on players having a breakout season. United's owners will probably float the company entirely, as they've started the drip feed onto the stock market already. Liverpool's most likely suitor, which will be the irony of ironies, will come from the Middle East, probably Saudi, oil money, dodgy human rights, buying success etc..

Chelsea will have sporadic success but manager churn prevents any sustainability. Spurs are beyond skint and have gone cap in hand to the government. Their business plan has been decimated due to lockdown and an eye-wateringly expensive, high-spec stadium to pay for. If Arsenal sort out their boardroom squabbles and back their manager then, with their stadium development complete, they could be best placed to challenge out of all of them.

It's strange then that no journalist dares point out what is staring them in the face. Unfortunately, the furthest they'll attempt to look ahead is the often risible season predictions each August. Christ, they all thought Spurs were winning the league in November!

Onwards. The new footballing spring!
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The team I am waiting to come good and mount a real challenge to North West and London dominance is Leeds United. Easily the largest city in England to only have one team they have retained a vast fan base all through their wilderness years. If this team received real investment they would be up challenging the very best. Thankfully it will be a year or two before they challenge our dominance, but I would expect them to be winning trophies within the next five years.
 
domalino said:
I do wonder what the club will do to knock this media narrative on the head. In 2018, Klopp's Liverpool arrived and distracted people from the "City domination inevitable" moral panic, but this time they might not.

As fun as it would be for fans, I don't think the hierarchy want City to be seen as this country's PSG or Bayern winning by default with the most expensive squad and the most money spent every year. I don't think it's a coincidence that our gross transfer spend and the amount of transfer fees invested in the squad are so neck and neck with Chelsea and United, nor that our wage bill is right in the same ball park as United and Liverpool's. They've found ways to push spending without actually jumping miles ahead.

Pep's said multiple times in press conferences how much United have spent, and what our net spend was last summer, which are things he's been told or looked up specifically to use, it's not an accident. Pep can joke about it, but they do care.

If we do win a quadruple and follow it up with Haaland and Messi, there is going to have to be some move to counter the idea that the competition is dead.

More academy players coming through and being relied on would help - it not only reduces the numbers but also, it's impossible to deny you're doing the world a favour by bringing kids through. A big sale to hang our hat on perhaps.

A key part of what made Barcelona an attractive model to copy was that they achieved dominance and admiration equally. Domestically we can't do that, but I also don't think they want to be hated like United in the 90's by everyone who isn't a fan.

The rumoured move away from Etihad might be a good start, but it's not a great environment to go sponsor shopping.
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We could do a lot worse than seeing Foden, Raheem, Stonesy and Walker win the Euros this summer with England.

That would dampen the ire, as would most neutrals just being invested in someone like Messi coming to England, irrespective that it was to us?

I'd argue the tide would start to turn very quickly if Messi was to sign, as there is a commercial reality that he guarantees traffic for all outlets, so the negativity would be more confined to immediate top four rivals, rather than the MSM.

Haaland would just be a resignation that City have upped the ante for the next half decade at least.
 
tolmie's hairdoo said:
There certainly were. I have read the bombing of Dresden literally created a vacuum that incinerated thousands.
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I can't remember where I heard the story - may have been Jimmy Wagg - when the editor of the local paper in Dresden (where, if I remember correctly, Uwe Rosler had played before coming to us) phoned up the editor of the Evening News to see how they had reported on a game where Rosler had scored three or four.

"Der Bomber in goal blitz" was the reply.

Awkward.
 
Pablo ZZZ Peroni said:
Not sure if already posted but this is from Luke Edwards who was linked yesterday for gobbing off on Radio 5.
Bless.




View attachment 11666
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It might not be good for English football Luke.

However, it's fucking fabulous for Manchester City.

Now go fuck yourself, you bitter twat.
 
Spurs quarter 69 said:
The team I am waiting to come good and mount a real challenge to North West and London dominance is Leeds United. Easily the largest city in England to only have one team they have retained a vast fan base all through their wilderness years. If this team received real investment they would be up challenging the very best. Thankfully it will be a year or two before they challenge our dominance, but I would expect them to be winning trophies within the next five years.
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know what you're saying but Leeds are cunts....
 
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