Phil Foden PFA Player of the Year and 4 City players in PFA Team of the Year

People who follow individual players more than clubs, or football generally, don't make much sense to me. I don't mean taking an interest in a player or coach, because you like them. I mean obsessing over them and spinning agendas as you say with Mahrez (who I was a big fan of to be honest, but still).

Ronaldo has the most extreme and insane of these 'celebrity worshipping fans'. Many of them seem far more interested in Ronaldo than football itself.
Yeah that's the ugly face of modern football, its not like footballers weren't always worshipped by some, we have had Maradona, Pele etc but these players were very well aware of the fact that they were footballers first and the fans and endorsement deals just came along with that but now we have PR teams turning players into brands instead of footballers.

I think it started with Ibrahimovic and his team coming up with all those stupid "Ibra doesn't use an umbrella when it rains, the rain uses an umbrella when Ibra steps out" basically mindless, childish memes.

More recently we have seen this with Bellingham, it might have worked for him (still early days) but unfortunately the results aren't always favourable, A certain footballer called Anthony comes to mind, a footballer, who at this point might as well be a caricature character in a Monty Python skit.
 
Yeah that's the ugly face of modern football, its not like footballers weren't always worshipped by some, we have had Maradona, Pele etc but these players were very well aware of the fact that they were footballers first and the fans and endorsement deals just came along with that but now we have PR teams turning players into brands instead of footballers.

I think it started with Ibrahimovic and his team coming up with all those stupid "Ibra doesn't use an umbrella when it rains, the rain uses an umbrella when Ibra steps out" basically mindless, childish memes.

More recently we have seen this with Bellingham, it might have worked for him (still early days) but unfortunately the results aren't always favourable, A certain footballer Anthony comes to mind, a player who might as well be a caricature character in a Monty Python skit.
Yeah I totally agree. As you say back in the days of Pele and Maradona they were aware they were footballers first.

Footballers now seem like they wanna be celebrities as much as they wanna play football. I really don't like the likes of Ronaldo and Ibra for this reason. And as for Bellingham, - he's obviously a good player but the hype around him is just repulsive, severe PR and every aspect of his life seems micromanaged.

Antony is too poor a player to even benefit from his attempts at PR as you suggest.

Like you say it's the face of modern football. It's just the way it is. I suppose it was inevitable in a world with the internet, social media, far more games on TV, and less distinction between sportspeople and movie stars, musicians etc. Maybe we are old guys stuck in the past. But I do think it's a bad thing about modern football and ruins some players' attitudes.
 
Yeah I totally agree. As you say back in the days of Pele and Maradona they were aware they were footballers first.

Footballers now seem like they wanna be celebrities as much as they wanna play football. I really don't like the likes of Ronaldo and Ibra for this reason. And as for Bellingham, - he's obviously a good player but the hype around him is just repulsive, severe PR and every aspect of his life seems micromanaged.

Antony is too poor a player to even benefit from his attempts at PR as you suggest.

Like you say it's the face of modern football. It's just the way it is. I suppose it was inevitable in a world with the internet, social media, far more games on TV, and less distinction between sportspeople and movie stars, musicians etc. Maybe we are old guys stuck in the past. But I do think it's a bad thing about modern football and ruins some players' attitudes.
The PR massaging by the Rag Diaspora and the RDAHMeedya will last until the next match and/or where he finds himself at a loose end!
 
And guess what the mirror is reporting it but the BBC ain’t. What they reported is the city ladies. Not fucking fit for purpose.
Not a word in the Telegraph or The Times about it either.
It really does hurt them so bad! :-)
 
People who follow individual players more than clubs, or football generally, don't make much sense to me. I don't mean taking an interest in a player or coach, because you like them. I mean obsessing over them and spinning agendas as you say with Mahrez (who I was a big fan of to be honest, but still).

Ronaldo has the most extreme and insane of these 'celebrity worshipping fans'. Many of them seem far more interested in Ronaldo than football itself.
I know one of them. TBF, he’s Portuguese but also then supports whichever team he played for, buying the kit as well.

Strange stuff, but each to their own.
 
I know one of them. TBF, he’s Portuguese but also then supports whichever team he played for, buying the kit as well.

Strange stuff, but each to their own.
It's bizarre and not something I would ever do. It is really hollow and empty when they follow him from team to team, not something I will ever do.

I don't mean people who just take an interest in countrymen. As I stated above, I mean the ones who actually declare their allegiance to a new club every time their idol moves to that club. I find it actually very weird. To the extent they're now taking a major interest in the Saudi Pro League.

When Ronaldo left Juventus I seen a few of his fans say they could finally stop watching that 'joke of a league' now. I found it absolutely pitiful that they were watching a celebrated league just because of this guy, and would immediately cease doing so when he left (it's probably been a more exciting league since he left, ironically)>

But it is a different world now.

Anyway - off topic so apologies.
 
Should be Rodri. He’s been the best player in the league (probably in Europe… probably in the world) in each of the last three seasons and he’s not won it once.

But still nice that it’s Foden.

I’m also pleased for Palmer getting Young Player, makes our Academy look great having both winners.
 
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Odegaard shits all over Palmer mate.

Absolutely unbelievable footballer.
The game against Arsenal at the Etihad epitomises why it should be Rodri.

Odegard, Rice, de Bruyne and Foden were all wank in that game. Don’t think Odegard has played well against us once. Seen him live a few times now and been nothing but unimpressed.

Rodri was head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch from both teams. He’s the king of this league and has been since the start of the 2021-22 season, and it’s about time he was given the accolade!
 

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