Pep: 'The players deserve a full stadium, we need our fans!'

[manctheknife]

Another thing folk dont think about is it hurts us from the opening kickoff.

1. The refs surely dont like being booed at(they are, after all, UEFA's reps). So they are a little more pissy than we should have them by kick off.

2. What do potential transfer targets think of it? Would you rather go and be cheered, or booed at? Doesn't matter about the why's, this is what is happening.

3. Collectively it put our fans in a negative mind set before a ball is kicked.


It's definitely time to move on. Platini is gone. We're here at the table whether they like it or not. Now that we are here, what will annoy them most is if we kick off our shoes and make ourselves very comfortable.

What you saying here?...we should offer the refs a posy of flowers and and a gift voucher for Wingss on the pitch, with a muffin basket for the linesmen, in case we offend them?

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

We clearly won the lottery when Sheikh Mansour bought us.

Thing is, a bit like if one of your friends wins the big one, and they then start inviting you with them on all these luxury holidays, you can't afford to keep up with them unless they pay for you.

The lottery winner, regardless of being a mate, might be totally oblivious to your own Circumstances, and treats them like they have money too.

Furthermore, the lottery winner might start to begrudge always have to put their own hand in their pocket and just thinks, "fuck it, I've got new rich friends, anyhow, they can come with me."

Lost count of the amount of people who can't distinguish between the average Man City fan and a member of the Abu Dhabi ruling family.

 

[Metalartin]

Yeah there's far too much drama about this. I really don't think his comments warranted a meltdown and all this fighting over it. We've only just got over the Joe Hart row... what is it with us City fans recently, is it this hot weather?

 

[Neville Kneville]

I didn't know franny had repeated it but the thing is you can't force a fanbase in any direction it'll happen organically,i don't think he timed his comments on the right day after the cancellation and UEFA not letting us sell new tickets,we will be excited by the CL as we get further in it and the football is great as it is,it's not wrong to question him,we are not dippers,as far as the new guy goes time will tell

It's not a fanbase imo it's just a percentage. If not for the rain we would have got 40k plus last night, with some regulars who can't afford to go, some who can't go due to circumstances & a whole bunch who just can't be arsed.

If all the booers didn't go & the can't be arseds turned up, imo we 'd be full as we get a lot of non regulars who come.

We are making excuses imo for people not bothering due to watching shite football in europe in the past. It's not a 'fanbase' thing. I was one of the only people booing (or singing) amongst 100s I could see last night.

 

[blueparrot]

They do, most notably when reading what new crackpot scheme UEFA have come up with.

I'm happy to fuck the booing off, happy to get behind the team 100% and I'm more than happy with the direction the club is going. I don't think it's right to call fans out though just because Pep has said what he's said. I'm sure it'll sort itself out eventually.

Think most people agree with that, you'll always get those on both sides of a debate that resort to insults. They usually make the most noise but aren't that numerous, like you say think it will sort itself out by itself.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I am pretty sure that Pep will have been told to make those comments by the club's top brass. Not because of last night's attendance and booing, but because of the past games. The same goes for atmosphere...he was commenting on that before the game, so that certainly wasn't based on last night. He's playing his part as the club's public face.

No problem for me.

I agree. Hence Francis Lee backing him up.

It's the club saying this not just Pep.

 

[Pam]

I think Pep's made a fundamental mistake here given the circumstances of this particular game. I think he'd lined himself up to say after Tuesday's match that we should fill the ground in the future, and should have stopped himself given we managed to rustle up 30000 at 24 hours notice. He shouldn't be implied to be having a go at people who do turn up, particularly those that did turn up on Tuesday, and the timing of his words are poor as a result. It's a shame that Dodge and others have interpreted this as a dig at them - it shouldn't be imho, but for the level of football we are now playing, we should be hoping for 50k + every time we play at home, and its up to the club to encourage fans that otherwise wouldn't go to attend. How did Spurs get 80k last night? Can't just be the Wembley thing can it?

Anyway, chances are that the Celtic and Barca games will be sold out and if we progress, the knockouts should sell well. So the problem has gone for now (or at least until we're a few short in sales in the League Cup)

TEN THOUSAND UNSOLD TICKETS.

Anyway, we need to buy into the CL now and stop being small time about it.

 

[Phil1]

Well you if you don't see it you're probably already in it. ;)

That's good to know. I wonder if we can get wristbands made up or a secret handshake sorted?

Joking apart, I don't know if you're including me in that or not, I rarely pay attention to usernames, just read posts and sometimes agree, sometimes disagree. I certainly don't go along with any set crowd and I'm happy to change my mind on a multitude of subjects if I hear a convincing enough argument. On this one I'm not overly bothered about the booing, I've been doing it but as I've mentioned it's been mostly in a pantomime way for last 12 months. Seeing as UEFA have appointed a new president it's as good a time as ever to knock it on the head.

I still don't think last night was a great time for Pep to make his comments. It's given an already rancid media plenty of ammunition to use it against us and frankly I'm not a fan of our loyal support being put down on a weekly basis.

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I've got a bit of sympathy for Guardiola on this one but I fear he's been put up to it by the club. If City want the ground full on Champions League nights the should accept the socio-economic circumstances of our core support for what they are and heavily reduce the prices of tickets for the premier league.

The simple fact is that if you want to attend the majority of the home games in the same part of the ground with your mates then you have to buy a season ticket. Once you've shelled out for that purchasing tickets for the Champions League is a luxury many can't justify.

Looking back at the attendances in the Mercer / Allison era many City fans used to sack of run off the mill home games in the league but turn out in huge numbers for midweek European games and cup games. Our support has always had to pick and choose it's games and the pattern now is the same as it's always been, just reversed in favour of the league games because of the necessity of having a season ticket.

Bang on.

Mourinho did the same at Chelsea, trying to goad the fans into improving the atmosphere.

It's bullshit psychology.

Mourinho was even at it the other week by saying how he needed to feel the famous backing of their fans at Old Toilet.

 

[aguero93:20]

It's not a fanbase imo it's just a percentage. If not for the rain we would have got 40k plus last night,

The rain is the only reason any supporters were at the ground to watch the match last night :)