The Positives

[madloaf]

We looked a lot more like our old selves today.

If we can keep up that level of performance we'll win the league.

Sadly it was 2016-17 old selves

 

[Bluemoonadam]

Be top of the league on Wednesday. Just shows how the doom can quickly lift.

And just like that the doom is back lol

 

[Tolmie scores]

Seen it all before. I've spent enough time among professional sportsmen to know that they'll dance to whatever tune their club plays while they're under contract

Pay them enough money and they'll kiss any badge you want. I'd do the same for the money today's divas are getting. Don't say that you wouldn't, it's the nature of the beast.

The majority of players will have a soft spot for all their former clubs. Most will support clubs from their home town or their family's clubs. Quite a few don't even like football and just go home like any other job.

Professional sport and playing for fun (amateur) naturally changes the mindset. its hard for people to enjoy their job when its ls really so cut throat and pressured as a pro footballer. They may look back on their job at the end of their career with pride but in the moment for most its a grind and full of trepidation. Eamon Dunphy (I know he's a bit of a prick) but his diary of a pro set from the 70's really depicts the worry pressure envy etc that most pro's experience (and that was 50 years ago!)

 

[Gremlin]

For all the doom merchants:
1) we are 1 point closer to Arsenal than we were a week ago
2) we still play them at our place
3) there are 14 games still to go

City fans, more than any others, should know it's not over until the fat lady sings.

 

[mancityscot]

For all the doom merchants:
1) we are 1 point closer to Arsenal than we were a week ago
2) we still play them at our place
3) there are 14 games still to go

City fans, more than any others, should know it's not over until the fat lady sings.

its not the game at home to arsenal that worries me. Its the away games against the likes of Palace, Southampton, Brighton...well actually just pretty much every away game from now til the end of the season.

 

[Zapcity]

Seen it all before. I've spent enough time among professional sportsmen to know that they'll dance to whatever tune their club plays while they're under contract

Pay them enough money and they'll kiss any badge you want. I'd do the same for the money today's divas are getting. Don't say that you wouldn't, it's the nature of the beast.

The majority of players will have a soft spot for all their former clubs. Most will support clubs from their home town or their family's clubs. Quite a few don't even like football and just go home like any other job.

A while back I read that Aymeric Laporte doesn't watch a lot of matches when he isn't playing . Apparently he isn't really that interested in the game and isn't really much of a football 'fan' (so I read!)
Have to say this did come to mind when I saw that miss of his in the second half on Saturday!!!

 

[bondsman]

For all the doom merchants:
1) we are 1 point closer to Arsenal than we were a week ago
2) we still play them at our place
3) there are 14 games still to go

City fans, more than any others, should know it's not over until the fat lady sings.

This. I actually think the Rags twats are more of an issue than Arsenal.

 

[Gremlin]

This. I actually think the Rags twats are more of an issue than Arsenal.

And we are 3 points ahead of them and don't play them any more so still in our hands.

 

[Axel Freed]

Elite / PL football is utter shite. Rotten, stinking, and riddled with greed to the core.

Football is dead. Has been since 1992.

I, and many others, have for years been hanging on to the names and histories of wonderful, local football clubs, believing that, as fans, we may actually still mean something to those clubs. Believing that we were still a valued part of our club.

But we're not. We're just replaceable customers, little puppets taking up seats that owners would much prefer to be filled by customers who spend more money every week, and are happy to throw money away on three or four replica kits and countless 'souvenirs' every season.

Football isn't fun any more. Multi millionaires diving around, feigning injury, moaning at match officials, and generally setting poor examples for increasingly gullible, celebrity influenced children and youths.

The passion has gone. The fire has gone. The atmosphere left years ago. Football is a very pale imitation of the game I grew up with.

Killed by TV, gambling and excessive greed.

Christ, that’s not the kind of post you wanna read on a rainy Monday morning in Manchester after a weekend of bad results for us :-(

But I pretty much agree with everything you say Lavinda. Having spent 30 yrs of my life watching City lose it would be daft of me to stop watching us now we’re having a decade of winning trophies willy nilly and so I’ll keep going but like you my love for the game is diminishing season by season.

Daft kick off times, sanitised atmospheres, rising ticket prices, VAR …. they all take a toll on the fun you should get from going to the match and when the fun meter drops to a certain level then you’re just going thru the motions like a relationship that’s dead in the water.

 

[Tolmie scores]

A while back I read that Aymeric Laporte doesn't watch a lot of matches when he isn't playing . Apparently he isn't really that interested in the game and isn't really much of a football 'fan' (so I read!)
Have to say this did come to mind when I saw that miss of his in the second half on Saturday!!!

From my limited playing experience and having some pals who have moved into the professional game - most start as kids loving the game - playing at decent levels and then 1% make it to pro level. Then the pressure builds - for most to keep earning they have to be ruthless and look out for number one, they all appreciate that they are just one contract 2 - 3 years or one injury from their career ending (at the lower level of pro game definitely) - so the fun quickly evaporates - most I know want to completely switch off, no one i knew who played at any level from old 4th division up seemed to actually 'enjoy' it. Until they finished playing of course - then it was endless tales of fun trips away, playing at this ground or that, playing against this player or that..but in the moment it's a job but in a hugely competitive industry. 3 x months of standards slipping off could mean everything the end of their career -might not get that contract from say Hull at the end of the season and you might not have many options after Hull or Crewe or Port Vale etc. I think Prem players feel the same. Not many want to drop down so Laporte probably realises to keep earning he has to soak up all the pressure, grind out performances under pressure just to keep afloat as he won't really want to drop down a level. Even less motivation then!