Good post mate and happy to answer it as best I can.
I think there are a lot of people in the press who don’t like our business model, similar to Leipzig in Germany, our owners, such as the likes Delaney, Harris etc and I think that is reflected in their writing. In some minds that could constitute an ‘agenda’, very much depends on your definition, but to me its not the overarching agenda what is typically inferred on here.
Consequently I think we do probably get worse press (I say probably as I rarely read news on other clubs as a comparison and am very sensitised to City content) and so I can understand some reaction to content. It will surprise you but some stuff bothers me, including the fawning for Liverpool and United at times, Delaney, Harris etc and I must add I think the negative coverage was ramped up post the FFP allegations, so my position has shifted a bit.
I think its worth noting I am no fan of the majority of the press overall. In fact I despise a lot of them. Where I suppose I differ, to many on here, is I think the media will sell anyone down the river, not just City. For example I would argue pretty much every United manager post Fergie has had no end of stick, including Solksjaer, this season and I would argue they tried to do a hatchet job on Mason Greenwood after the England incident. In a wider context it could be Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and all the others individuals who had their phones hacked. Some sections of the press are just waiting to destroy people.
With regards some the other accusations I think a lot of its nonsense. Were at a point on here where even the likes of Micah Richards is being accused
of selling out, where most neutral observers laugh at how pro-City he is. Same has happened with Hinchcliffe, Quinn etc. I think even the guys on the Blue Moon podcast got a bit of stick for a while, not to mention the M(u)EN and Sam Lee etc. I think sometimes you have to accept someones else’s opinion, which may be in complete contrast to your own, but is not necessarily part of a sinister agenda.
Just to touch on a couple of your specific points:
I think complaining about the press referencing our squad being ‘bigger’ to me is an example of fans being overly sensitive. Yes we know squad sizes are the same but the reference to a big squad is a comment relation to the quality, cost, experience of those within it. In fact City fans reference our ‘big squad’ all the time in reference to how we need to rotate, how it should help us over the course of the season when injuries kick in. Its really nothing to be offended about.
Like I said there is a lot of stuff fans can quite rightly whinge about, no arguments, but it becomes a bit too much when refs are blocking passing lanes, all refs biased and match fixing, pigmol biased against us, cup draws national and european fixed, sky, bbc, BT, all pundits, pretty much every media outlet and reporter biased against us etc.
