Why have we been written off?

[feedmpenzaandhewillscore]

The form of both Kompany and Zabaleta will be crucial.

I'd throw Yaya and Nasri in there to, Nasri keeps the ball ticking over and there is no player in the premier league like Yaya when he's on form.

 

[Didsbury Dave]

You have to remember that most of the pundits don't watch City more than 2-3 times a year live and see the occasional set of highlights. They don't have anything like the same insight as to what's going on at the club as us fans, especially fans who know their football a bit. So when we under achieve like last season they don't really see the mitigating circumstances, the players out of form, the injuries, the bad luck, the decisions, as a whole. They haven't got the holistic view that enables some of us to see that sterling and Delph and De Bruyne strengthen us in exactly the right areas. Most of them don't see that Silva is the best player on the pitch in 75% of the games he plays.

For most of them it's all very binary, very simplistic, very cliched, parroted second hand, in the same way that of we are honest, most of of us see other clubs. 'United haven't got a midfield', 'arsenal are too tippy tappy', 'Liverpool haven't replaced Suarez' etc.

We underachieved last season and a lot are basing their opinions on that being our true level, which it wasn't. You hear it time and time again: "Chelsea were best by miles last season", which if you live your life by MOTD highlights probably looks true. But those of us who saw us dominate them twice know that we were and are a better unit and if we get things right this season, with the strengthening we have done, will win the league. We had the opposite when we won the league in 2012: they were all predicting a period of City domination, because they couldn't see the weaknesses underneath.

Once you accept that 80% of punters and journalists have 10% of the knowledge and insight of City that you have the penny drops.

 

[Vincents Tackle]

We're written off because we're not liked by the old 'Big 4' and at the first sign of poor form the media/pundits collectively get together to convince anyone and everyone who listens that we're just a team of mercenary's with no team spirit and that half the squad is old while the other half is crap. Then all the sheep (fans who can't form their own opinion) repeat the bullshit as if it's gospel.

Just make sure you keep some of these predictions safe for a rainy day in May so you can have some fun reminding people how silly they are.

 

[Credo]

Journalists grew up supporting Liverpool and Utd, so their articles reveal that.

Mourinho is popular with the media, makes headlines and has won trophies at all levels.

We had a poor pre season. RM season starts two weeks after us and yet played a full strength team bar one.

Arsenal finally beat Chelsea.

Defensive display against Stuttgart.

The frailties of last season still appear unaddressed.

We have signed two, one is injured.

Our key Argentines are missing for the opening game and Chelsea are next.

Kompany had a poor pre season.

We do not play a settled back four.

That's why we have been written off.

In reading this thread please avoid criticising those who endeavour to pin point why we are being written off. It does not mean the writer of the post has written us off.

 

[Phil1]

Journalists grew up supporting Liverpool and Utd, so their articles reveal that.

Mourinho is popular with the media, makes headlines and has won trophies at all levels.

We had a poor pre season. RM season starts two weeks after us and yet played a full strength team bar one.

Arsenal finally beat Chelsea.

Defensive display against Stuttgart.

The frailties of last season still appear unaddressed.

We have signed two, one is injured.

Our key Argentines are missing.

Kompany had a poor pre season.

We do not play a settled back four.

That's why we have been written off.

In reading this thread please avoid criticising those who endeavour to pin point why we are being written off. It does not mean the writer of the post has written us off.

Anyone who gets paid to give their opinions and uses any of the list above as reason for us finishing out of the top four doesn't deserve a penny, never mind a platform to express them in the first place.

If those are really the reasons we're being written off then there are a lot of people knocking around who are more stupid than I thought - not as stupid as the ones taken in by them though.

 

[Chippy_boy]

You have to remember that most of the pundits don't watch City more than 2-3 times a year live and see the occasional set of highlights. They don't have anything like the same insight as to what's going on at the club as us fans, especially fans who know their football a bit. So when we under achieve like last season they don't really see the mitigating circumstances, the players out of form, the injuries, the bad luck, the decisions, as a whole. They haven't got the holistic view that enables some of us to see that sterling and Delph and De Bruyne strengthen us in exactly the right areas. Most of them don't see that Silva is the best player on the pitch in 75% of the games he plays.

For most of them it's all very binary, very simplistic, very cliched, parroted second hand, in the same way that of we are honest, most of of us see other clubs. 'United haven't got a midfield', 'arsenal are too tippy tappy', 'Liverpool haven't replaced Suarez' etc.

We underachieved last season and a lot are basing their opinions on that being our true level, which it wasn't. You hear it time and time again: "Chelsea were best by miles last season", which if you live your life by MOTD highlights probably looks true. But those of us who saw us dominate them twice know that we were and are a better unit and if we get things right this season, with the strengthening we have done, will win the league. We had the opposite when we won the league in 2012: they were all predicting a period of City domination, because they couldn't see the weaknesses underneath.

Once you accept that 80% of punters and journalists have 10% of the knowledge and insight of City that you have the penny drops.

Agree with all of that mate, but I would also add that there's bias and personal agendas in there too. If you look at the BBC's poll of 30 TV's and Radio "experts", 22 have Chelsea winning it, 4 voted Arsenal, 2 United and 2 yes 2 voted City. And when asked for their top 4 predictions, overall we came fourth with the majority going Chelsea, Arsenal, United, City.

Now I am not suggesting that is impossible, but the weight of bias is too great imho to be down to simply being "uninformed". Many of these pundits are rags or chavs or tarquins or mates of rags or chavs or tarquins and not many (any?) of them are blues or mates of blues.

 

[Chippy_boy]

If those are really the reasons we're being written off then there are a lot of people knocking around who are more stupid than I thought.

Apart from Ruud Gullitt. He isn't more stupid than anyone thought.

 

[Phil1]

Apart from Ruud Gullitt. He isn't more stupid than anyone thought.

I haven't had the pleasure of hearing his predictions yet. I presume we're going to be fighting it out with Southampton for a Europa place and exiting all cups at an early stage?

 

[Didsbury Dave]

Agree with all of that mate, but I would also add that there's bias and personal agendas in there too. If you look at the BBC's poll of 30 TV's and Radio "experts", 22 have Chelsea winning it, 4 voted Arsenal, 2 United and 2 yes 2 voted City. And when asked for their top 4 predictions, overall we came fourth with the majority going Chelsea, Arsenal, United, City.

Now I am not suggesting that is impossible, but the weight of bias is too great imho to be down to simply being "uninformed". Many of these pundits are rags or chavs or tarquins or mates of rags or chavs or tarquins and not many (any?) of them are blues or mates of blues.

yes but the season before, and two before that, I'd say that most tipped us as existing champions. Too much is made of who people 'support' by fans who think that everyone else is as 'dyed in the wool' as they are.

 

[Innsbruckblue]

Why does anyone care if the pundits write us off? We've been written off every season as long as I can remember, yet won two of the last four titles.
Pundits = jobs for the boys
Pundits = tell the masses what they want to hear

Keep us under the radar, no pressure on the manager or players. It's not our club's style to blow our own trumpet, so why do we get upset when pundits don't?