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

Ah it's always lovely when a millionaire complains about fans not forking out a days pay for a night out at the football.
 
It intrigues me that support for the negative booing on these threads is so vehement yet the opposition to positive initiatives like the drum can be equally vehement. Maybe it's the negative psyche of our fan Base.

Either way, things have changed and it's about time some of our fans moved on with the club.
 
Just thought i'd add my 2 cents into the debate. I've said on several occasions I only make it down to the odd game because of where I live, so please be sure I am not slagging any of our support here as that would be completely stupid and wrong of me.

I just think what Guardiola's said has been taken far too personal by some. I don't think he's necessarily meaning that everyone should be able to fork out unlimited sums to watch the football and turn down work at the last minute for a re-arranged game. He'll know fine well the pricing is too expensive, especially having just arrived from Bayern. I also don't think he was on about last night in particular as again he'll have known it was a rearranged fixture which would have caused chaos for a lot of fans.

To me, it was more of a plea to those who can go but choose to watch it at home or in the pub instead. Apathy breeds apathy and there'll be plenty of fans who don't go to these games because they know the attendance won't be that great and atmosphere won't be as enjoyable as a full house would be. Start selling out or getting close and it would encourage more to be there, imo.

A few years ago I went down for the Napoli game which was our first champions league game in the current format. I couldn't believe my luck that I managed to get a ticket in the first place, especially at £25.00, and was very surprised to see the game was a few thousand off selling out for such an occasion. Sadly it's been a common theme since then, with full houses only seeming applicable to last 16 games or 'glamour ties'.

He's got the team playing what's arguably the best football we've ever played, and this was a mere plea to the fans that sometimes the team will need our fans to get us over the line. Atmosphere and f full stands don't automatically guarantee success but on certain situations they can help us.

To sum up, I wouldn't take it so personal. Jees, there's guys on this thread talking about chucking their season ticket next season on the back of Pep's comments. I don't think he has an issue with anyone who can't afford to go to every single home game, but it's just a plea for as many as possible to turn out. If you're one who can afford it and considers each game, he's encouraging you to say yes and go.

No offence meant to anyone in this post. I'm no 'superfan' myself and just putting across my interpretation of what he means.
 
Palerider said:
Peps absolutely right. Booing the anthem creates a negative atmosphere from the start. You cannot state 'I hate UEFA' and then play in one of their competitions. Where's the credibility in that? As for the attendance, we simply do not have the fan base to cope with multiple competitions.
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Although I'm happy to knock the booing on the head this notion that it creates a bad atmosphere is nonsense. Our apathetic performances in the past have done that. It lasts 30 seconds or so the booing and is normally followed by loud cheers. Last night, even though numbers wise poor, was the best atmosphere in the CL for ages. Certainly the second half anyway.
You can definitely dislike an organisation and play in their competition because we deserve to play in it. A corrupt entity might run and benefit from the CL but they don't deserve fuck all respect. Hopefully things will change for the better with the new president and we can move on.
 
I have no problems with his comments. He should have also added something about people pissing off early every game, spending more time drinking in the back than watching the game and not bothering to show up for all but the biggest prem games whilst he was at it.

However I do think he got his timing wrong. Personally I thought it was a good effort from those who went at 24 hours notice and we'll done to those. I couldn't go last night as to go to a night match for me takes some planning work wise. 24 hrs isn't enough time to sort it. Also many fans travel hundreds of miles.

The club also hasn't helped with its over the top pricing last season. This season is better but it just shows that once people make the decision not to go then it's hard to get them back even at £15. If pep wants the ground full then the club could always make this happen. They may have to take a financial hit but in today's cash rich world of football they could do so if they wanted to.

The booing I totally agree with. It's tedious now.
 
Part of the Pep Effect is not just changing/refining the style of play for CIty but to create a footballing culture to build upon, to be perennial threats in Europe as well as the Premiership - that includes everything from the ancillary staff, academy and fans

It's why he's a revolutionary in the footballing sense
 
Why Always Ste said:
A multitude of separate issues rolled into one issue - attendance.

I went Tuesday night.
I'm in the cup scheme.
Match was called off just as we got into the city square.

Managed to get a tram into Mcr, Bury line was closed so forked out £30 for a taxi home.

Damn right I phoned up this morning and requested a refund for my ticket, as I work shifts and I turn down enough work as it is to go to Matches.
I worked tonight, finished at 4am.
I ain't rushing around after the match finishes at 9:30pm to then do a full shift which I had previously agreed to do.

Does Pep live in the real fucking world?
He earns more per day than I probably earn in a year.
I dont have chauffeur driven cars, apartments in the centre, and if I want to watch live football I certainly don't get fucking paid for it.

Fuck it. This is my last season as a St holder.
It's being cancelled in May, Soriano can go fuck himself and you're more than welcome to all the Chinese tourist half n half scarf wearing cunts.

I'm sick of being told how I should spend my hard earned by rich cunts and it's just too much of an inconvenience both time wise and financially in watching live football now.

Punished for being a skint football fan.

This is a rich man's game now, with the spectators at the top level of the game now being tourists (or the club forcing out the regulars to replace em with tourists)
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Talk about being precious and melodramatic...
 
So, what are we saying? Has UEFA changed their stance on City? Does racism still happen in matches & are clubs treated accordingly? Are European match officials still inept? Is UEFA going to treat City in exactly the same way as the Old Guard? UEFA is now headed by someone who is seen as being sympathetic to the Eastern bloc countries.

Nothing has changed, so why sell out our principles? I go to Champions League matches & will show UEFA the contempt they deserve.......then I get behind the team!
 
Its a real tough one. On the one hand, Uefa has a long way to go before it can be trusted. Maybe the new guy can make a difference and maybe not, so I can understand those that still want to protest by booing. I posted my reservations last year when we reached the semi finals that it didn't feel right to me and thought we should stop. Now Pep has asked us to stop, I do think we should take that as a serious request. In terms of attendance, as a season ticket holder who doesn't often go to ECL games because of the distance, I can't be critical of those that choose not to go for financial, work or distance reasons. I do think the more successful we are the fuller the ground will get although I don't expect that we will sell out apart from the top games in the latter part of the competition. I hope Pep stays for more than three years and who knows, the way the fans respond to the ECL may be one of the factors that persuade him to stay longer, or leave at the end of his contract. An honest dialogue between the club and supporters around this would help I think.
 
tailspin747 said:
I see this going one of two ways:
Fans start turning up for CL games or the club make it a mandatory purchase for ST holders.

I work away during the week most of the time so this wouldn't suit me but I can see the club going for this option.
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I for one will relinquish my season card if this happens but personally can't see it...
 
Thankfully we now have a manager strong enough to give the fans some stick for not playing their part. We have a world class manager, world class team, owner and the fans now need to catch up.

The apathy is just not good enough any more. If you're really a passionate blues fan you need to demonstrate it and TURN UP and back the team.
 
He's spot on, but last night wasn't the time to make the point in hindsight. I do think we need to start selling out CL games, and fans apathy towards the competition needs to change.

Like it or not we're going to be in this competition for years to come and it's time we embraced it. This is why the investment has come in, for big European nights when clubs across the continent sit up and take notice.
 
Got to stop the booing now it makes us look like a bunch of slapped arse dipper fans, we need the happy go luck attitude we had in the bad old days back, sing some funny ironic songs. Booings just so negative, if you believe some people on here the fa have got it in for us as well so shall we boo every fucking game.

What would all the booers do if in 2 years pep said I'm fuckin off cos the fans just don't appreciate the CL?
 
Dunno how true.
Overheard an old boy in my local yesterday,said he phoned City to try and get tickets yesterday morning and was told that they were not allowed to sell any due to some UEFA ruling,is that right?
Fuckin stupid if it is.
 
Would be good to see it full for CL,not sure it ever will be though.

I read somewhere on here a couple of years ago that of the 36,000 seasoncard holders that came from Maine Rd less than 12,000 were now attending games.Think the support base mentality has changed and until we get a load more plastics following us like united and Liverpool(10/20 years work) we are always going to struggle to fill unless its a big game
 
Even pep is taking the piss about empty seats. If he starts calling us citeh and saying we're all from Stockport I think we will know what some of us have always suspected - he is in fact a rag, and the only reason he's not their manager is that they decided they didn't want him anyway :-(
 
Although I agree that last night wasn't the night to make the point - He should have thanked those that did make it. I have to say that it's funny how the stayaways can suddenly make and afford it when we're playing the likes of Barca, Real Madrid & PSG.
 
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