What our opponents' fans are saying about us 17/18

[Mr Pink]

I'm not sure it's completely jealousy as much as the social and media climate, and who equal 'fans' nowadays. As you say, Bellamy was an exception, not the rule. What does that say about the state of the football media and their parroting of the same lines?

"It boils down to us punching above our weight and competing with the Clubs that vastly outspend us. That's what really sticks"

I don't think most people see it like that. I really think that the media has brainwashed people into thinking spending money is what football is about. And the very fact that we dont/cant spend money is seen as the sign of a small-time club. And the fact we argue against that is seen as subject of ridicule, particularly without winning anything of note to back it up.

It's the same reason Arsenal fans are having such a huge meltdown, they see money not being spent and it drives them nuts. And why Liverpool are considered title contenders just be dropping 75m on a player even tho they'll probably win nothing again.

See how absolutely no one is digging City out for buying the league, everyone just sits there, saying how wonderful they are. Even though they're funded by a corrupt regime from a country with terrible human rights records who are sticking two fingers up at FFP by very obviously subverting the rules of football. The Chelsea it's OK to like, for some reason.

Why aren't the voices about the mass loans louder, that sees both City and Chelsea hoover up the youth of football and loan them all out, killing careers and top-loading clubs? No one cares, instead the cream of Chelsea's youth team, most of whom will never play for the club, are lauded for their success for England as if they're in any way Chelsea's.

So yeah, I think it's money, mainly. Football, objectively, is fucking shit nowadays. It really is - the support, the coverage, the fans, the pundits. It's seemingly invented just to rile me up. I'm only in it for Spurs.

Yeah the media narrative and the fact that a massive section of all fans support the bigger Clubs (not to mention the media), namely United, and Liverpool to a lesser extent - but that why the media bend over backwards to paint anything noteworthy they do as a success story.

But this backs up what I'm saying really. A lot of fans, including media and pundits alike, involved with the bigger Clubs never want to acknowledge the true disparity and advantages that exist. It's never really recognised the way it should be imo.

Leicester winning the league deserved more recognition than they received.

But it's all about satisfying the masses, and the masses support the biggest and most successful Clubs, which brings us back to money again.

But I still think that some are envious the way we're doing things even though they'll never openly acknowledge it.

 

[SpursDave88]

Yeah the media narrative and the fact that a massive section of all fans support the bigger Clubs (not to mention the media), namely United, and Liverpool to a lesser extent - but that why the media bend over backwards to paint anything noteworthy they do as a success story.

But this backs up what I'm saying really. A lot of fans, including media and pundits alike, involved with the bigger Clubs never want to acknowledge the true disparity and advantages that exist. It's never really recognised the way it should be imo.

Leicester winning the league deserved more recognition than they received.

But it's all about satisfying the masses, and the masses support the biggest and most successful Clubs, which brings us back to money again.

But I still think that some are envious the way we're doing things even though they'll never openly acknowledge it.

They will be envious if we win a big trophy. By the way, is the transfer thread open?

 

[smallsnc]

The only thing I'll say is that part of the reason people aren't digging City out is that their spending isn't dramatically different to that of many of their rivals.

I think the other thing is that many people marvel at the football City has played this year so I think the focus has been much more about their team / performances than how the club is run. With us, you almost can't separate our success on the field and our success in running the club because we are having success without the big budget.

 

[Shadydan]

They will be envious if we win a big trophy. By the way, is the transfer thread open?

They'll just move the goalposts and change the narrative of their arguments. The trophy thing is constantly bought up because it's the only stick they can beat us with, like somehow Winning the Carabao is more meaningful then the progress we've made on our budget and being league challengers 2x in a row.

There are a lot of envious glances coming our way at the moment and it's magnified by how quickly we've emerged as a threat, they look at our progression and it hurts that we've managed to gone from mediocre to a team who are capable of mixing with the big boys in 3 seasons and due to the fact that we're threatening to be a major player, it's only natural. Wear the shoe on the other foot for a minute, if we saw a rival team progressing as quick as we were who were a legitimate threat to a CL place and a trophy I'd be pretty envious as well.

 

[yiddopaul]

The only thing I'll say is that part of the reason people aren't digging City out is that their spending isn't dramatically different to that of many of their rivals.

Utd have been spending just as much of not more than City since Fergie left, Chelsea too have historically spent huge sums on players and Liverpool spent 30 plus million on Salah, 70 on Keita and 75 on Virgil Van Djik.

It was also no different with Utd under Fergie, they always dramatically outspent their rivals and picked off the best players of the clubs around them.

Essentially football has been this way most of the time. I agree it sucks.

According to Tim Sherwood, he "absolutely loves Liverpool" who "unlike Spurs, have spent very little on players, yet look how much they've improved"! (oh, and according to TS, Liverpool is the home of football)

*edit* He also said that Liverpool are the only team in the Prem – once they get a better goalie – that are capable of matching City.

 

[Bobbins]

I'm not sure it's completely jealousy as much as the social and media climate, and who equal 'fans' nowadays. As you say, Bellamy was an exception, not the rule. What does that say about the state of the football media and their parroting of the same lines?

"It boils down to us punching above our weight and competing with the Clubs that vastly outspend us. That's what really sticks"

I don't think most people see it like that. I really think that the media has brainwashed people into thinking spending money is what football is about. And the very fact that we dont/cant spend money is seen as the sign of a small-time club. And the fact we argue against that is seen as subject of ridicule, particularly without winning anything of note to back it up.

It's the same reason Arsenal fans are having such a huge meltdown, they see money not being spent and it drives them nuts. And why Liverpool are considered title contenders just be dropping 75m on a player even tho they'll probably win nothing again.

See how absolutely no one is digging City out for buying the league, everyone just sits there, saying how wonderful they are. Even though they're funded by a corrupt regime from a country with terrible human rights records who are sticking two fingers up at FFP by very obviously subverting the rules of football. The Chelsea it's OK to like, for some reason.

Why aren't the voices about the mass loans louder, that sees both City and Chelsea hoover up the youth of football and loan them all out, killing careers and top-loading clubs? No one cares, instead the cream of Chelsea's youth team, most of whom will never play for the club, are lauded for their success for England as if they're in any way Chelsea's.

So yeah, I think it's money, mainly. Football, objectively, is fucking shit nowadays. It really is - the support, the coverage, the fans, the pundits. It's seemingly invented just to rile me up. I'm only in it for Spurs.

Great post.

The entire sport is, at the top level, essentially pure poison. It’s a toxic mess of hate, jealousy, greed, bitterness and corruption, like some kind of science fiction hell-sport you see in the films where you think “sport could never get this bad in reality”. The whole game is driven by greed above all else, and the advent of social media has led to a skewing of opinion to now make every moronic knuckle-dragger feel the need to shout his abuse all over the net as though the act of posting it gives it some kind of credibility.

As you say, the only thing I’m in it for these days is Spurs.

 

[Cornpattbuck]

They'll just move the goalposts and change the narrative of their arguments. The trophy thing is constantly bought up because it's the only stick they can beat us with, like somehow Winning the Carabao is more meaningful then the progress we've made on our budget and being league challengers 2x in a row.

There are a lot of envious glances coming our way at the moment and it's magnified by how quickly we've emerged as a threat, they look at our progression and it hurts that we've managed to gone from mediocre to a team who are capable of mixing with the big boys in 3 seasons and due to the fact that we're threatening to be a major player, it's only natural. Wear the shoe on the other foot for a minute, if we saw a rival team progressing as quick as we were who were a legitimate threat to a CL place and a trophy I'd be pretty envious as well.

Most United fans I know have been endlessly disparaging about the Europa League and The Constantly Rebranding Cup over the years. They win them and suddenly they've "done the double" with more "major trophies" in the bag. Hey ho...

 

[guiltyparty]

The only thing I'll say is that part of the reason people aren't digging City out is that their spending isn't dramatically different to that of many of their rivals.

Utd have been spending just as much of not more than City since Fergie left, Chelsea too have historically spent huge sums on players and Liverpool spent 30 plus million on Salah, 70 on Keita and 75 on Virgil Van Djik.

It was also no different with Utd under Fergie, they always dramatically outspent their rivals and picked off the best players of the clubs around them.

Essentially football has been this way most of the time. I agree it sucks.

Utd and Liverpool make their money from years of success and a global fan base based on that footballing success. Chelsea and City are entirely different in my eyes as they were literally nothing clubs that were pulled up by money from other means, not from football. Chelsea at least had a modicum of success before Abramovich turned up, you can't say that about City.

Also there's huge and there's huge. City spent more than £130m on full backs in one window. You don't even see Utd, one of the biggest clubs in the world, doing that. The Van Dijk buy clearly means Coutinho is off, whereas City don't need to sell anyone, ever.

You don't see Utd setting up footballing franchises around the world to circumnavigate financial investigations. I don't think this is the same, this is different. This is new school and it's terrifying. But hey, Pep has a nice smile and wears cool cardigans, so hey, party time.

 

[guiltyparty]

Most United fans I know have been endlessly disparaging about the Europa League and The Constantly Rebranding Cup over the years. They win them and suddenly they've "done the double" with more major trophies in the bag. Hey ho...

Everyone's a twat until it's you, and then it's OK.

We'd be the same if we ever had their success. Just look at the amount of Spurs fans who already look down their nose at lots of cup we never win

 

[guiltyparty]

Yeah the media narrative and the fact that a massive section of all fans support the bigger Clubs (not to mention the media), namely United, and Liverpool to a lesser extent - but that why the media bend over backwards to paint anything noteworthy they do as a success story.

But this backs up what I'm saying really. A lot of fans, including media and pundits alike, involved with the bigger Clubs never want to acknowledge the true disparity and advantages that exist. It's never really recognised the way it should be imo.

Leicester winning the league deserved more recognition than they received.

But it's all about satisfying the masses, and the masses support the biggest and most successful Clubs, which brings us back to money again.

But I still think that some are envious the way we're doing things even though they'll never openly acknowledge it.

But I'm not sure it's envy, I think it's enforced denial, and a denial that the media not only allows to happen, but promotes. It's what used to be known as The Gravy Train. All of these pundits are absolutely shitting it that this massive pay day could come to an end. You see that panel of ball sacs on Soccer Saturday, every week, can't believe their luck, another afternoon sat around giving terrible opinions about a game they barely seem to be enthused by anymore. No one rock the boat, or this could all be over.

It was fine when it was Leicester, as it was SO outlandish, what a story! They're making a film about it aren't they? Spurs winning the league? What does that really do for anyone? We don't have a big enough fan base for it to be clickworthy, and we don't have ex-non leaguers so it's not 'rags to riches' like either - we spend 30m on players, after all, on several occasions.

It's a hard sell, we're a pretty well off club, bigger than most, just not the other five bigger clubs with the huge, click-ready fanbases, which is why everyone reverts to us having loads of English players, as that's the only positive narrative non-Spurs fans care about.

Even slightly more edgy, less mainstream sites like F365, who I generally like, have written pieces recently bigging up City, saying to focus on anything but their amazing form is just haters. Everyone's playing their part. They had an article the other day headlined 'Who will win the league first - Arsenal, Man Utd or Liverpool?'

It won't change. You're just winding yourself up if you think it will, and I include myself in that.

 

[yiddopaul]

The narrative keeps changing. Before it was 'players will leave if we don't secure CL', now we're there fairly regularly it's 'players will leave if we don't win a cup'. If we win the FA Cup, it'll be, 'well, it's not the CL or the title is it'

Seems the only way we'll 'earn' respect is if we're bought by an oil barren. Clearly, hard work and good sound coaching is not what modern football's about. And all so called pundits and people in the game should hang their heads in shame.

 

[guiltyparty]

The narrative keeps changing. Before it was 'players will leave if we don't secure CL', now we're there fairly regularly it's 'players will leave if we don't win a cup'. If we win the FA Cup, it'll be, 'well, it's not the CL or the title is it'

Seems the only way we'll 'earn' respect is if we're bought by an oil barren. Clearly, hard work and good sound coaching is not what modern football's about. And all so called pundits and people in the game should hang their heads in shame.

If we won the league, it'd still be 'but can they keep the players' or 'they'll never do that again'.

 

[Lilbaz]

That's great work by Glaston actually, he's got the Americans/Chinese/Londoneres all riled up.

Amazing that so many have bitten.

In his own way he's far better than ken m.

 

[Insomnia]

If we won the league, it'd still be 'but can they keep the players' or 'they'll never do that again'.

I'd love to find out if this is what would happen

 

[djee]

Perhaps the advent of social media has made it more acute and obvious, but football supporting has become so incredibly toxic that it is almost too unpleasant to enjoy. The enmity that often exists between fans of other clubs has far surpassed the realm of 'banter' and verges on blind hatred; it is pathetic. A willing media fuels this loathing and relies on polarising and antagonising fan bases to ensure they are constantly engaged and fired up. Pressure is ratcheted up after each result or incident - a side battle for moral supremacy is also fought with rival fans encouraged to believe they are superior to others.

The end product - extremely myopic, biased, frustrated, angry, bitter, self-entitled fans. This is what keeps thousands of talentless pseudo-journalists/pundits and betting companies in business.

As others have mentioned - I love Spurs but really have little love left for the sport in general.

 

[Gb160]

Perhaps the advent of social media has made it more acute and obvious, but football supporting has become so incredibly toxic that it is almost too unpleasant to enjoy. The enmity that often exists between fans of other clubs has far surpassed the realm of 'banter' and verges on blind hatred; it is pathetic. A willing media fuels this loathing and relies on polarising and antagonising fan bases to ensure they are constantly engaged and fired up. Pressure is ratcheted up after each result or incident - a side battle for moral supremacy is also fought with rival fans encouraged to believe they are superior to others.

The end product - extremely myopic, biased, frustrated, angry, bitter, self-entitled fans. This is what keeps thousands of talentless pseudo-journalists/pundits and betting companies in business.

As others have mentioned - I love Spurs but really have little love left for the sport in general.

I agree with all of this, but I simply won't let it ruin my love of the sport...im not on facebook, steer well clear of football fans on twitter, and I read very little of what the media has to offer.

I go to see my local team play whenever I can as well, and that really brings home what I love about the sport...blood and thunder, lads playing because they want to, not because they're getting paid to, without all the razzmatazz bullshit that comes with the premier league.

 

['O Zio]

City? Really??!!

Before they were bought with oil money, they were just relegation candidates, always under the dark shadows of their neighbours worse than us under the scums!

When I was young, I once had a pull-over in my wardrobe I did not know where it came from. It had a huge man city logo on it. I was so ashame of even wanna wear it even as a Spurs fan. I wouldn't have mind if it was man United as they were so good then. But Man city? Come on man city??? Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday were even better! Fuck even I will wear it if it was Coventry for Darren Huckerby sake!

Aye, City were total no-marks when I was a kid. Second division journeymen who somehow always managed to get a result against us.

Altho to be fair so were Chelsea, back when the Leyland DAF Cup was something to shout about

In terms of history alone I'd agree with both of you, but in terms of being a worldwide presence and brand both City and Chelsea are ahead of us nowadays. I think there's a massive difference depending on whether you're talking purely within England/UK+Ireland or whether you're talking worldwide. Even in the UK though to be fair there's tonnes more Chelsea fans than there ever used to be and I would guess the same will be said of City when the next generation are old enough.

Rightly or wrongly, ultimately being successful and having world class famous players wins kids over more than having been a great team in the black-and-white era does at the end of the day.

 

[Cornpattbuck]

In terms of history alone I'd agree with both of you, but in terms of being a worldwide presence and brand both City and Chelsea are ahead of us nowadays. I think there's a massive difference depending on whether you're talking purely within England/UK+Ireland or whether you're talking worldwide. Even in the UK though to be fair there's tonnes more Chelsea fans than there ever used to be and I would guess the same will be said of City when the next generation are old enough.

Rightly or wrongly, ultimately being successful and having world class famous players wins kids over more than having been a great team in the black-and-white era does at the end of the day.

Agreed. Although City's empire should be seriously questioned. Saying that I suppose it was just the natural step forward from Watford's very odd set-up.

 

[guiltyparty]

In terms of history alone I'd agree with both of you, but in terms of being a worldwide presence and brand both City and Chelsea are ahead of us nowadays. I think there's a massive difference depending on whether you're talking purely within England/UK+Ireland or whether you're talking worldwide. Even in the UK though to be fair there's tonnes more Chelsea fans than there ever used to be and I would guess the same will be said of City when the next generation are old enough.

Rightly or wrongly, ultimately being successful and having world class famous players wins kids over more than having been a great team in the black-and-white era does at the end of the day.

Yeah of course they are, just look at those Twitter follower numbers!

They both became big during the social media age. That is literally the reason why, it’s a global game now. We only have twice the twitter followers of Leicester FFS.

We’ve been relevant for about five years to millennials, Gareth Bale invented Tottenham didn’t he?

 

['O Zio]

Yeah of course they are, just look at those Twitter follower numbers!

They both became big during the social media age. That is literally the reason why, it’s a global game now. We only have twice the twitter followers of Leicester FFS.

We’ve been relevant for about five years to millennials, Gareth Bale invented Tottenham didn’t he?

I'm not saying it's right, just that's the way it is. Football, in particular the Premier League, is a massive global business now and from that perspective both City and Chelsea are bigger than we are. I mean, even from a trophy perspective they are bigger than we are nowadays even if they have been helped by their ill-gotten gains.

Even in the UK both of them will eventually be more supported than we are if the current trend continues. The traditional ideal of supporting your local club, just like your dad and his dad before him etc. isn't necessarily how things work in reality. Like I said, ultimately kids are won over by success and glamorous signings etc. rather than who played the most entertaining football in the 50s and 60s. Why do you think there are so many middle-aged Liverpool fans all over the country? Because when those people were kids, Liverpool were the dominant team. Likewise why are there so many 20-30 year old Utd fans outside of Manchester? Again, because they were the dominant team while those people were kids. When I was a kid Chelsea hardly had any fans, nowadays you see them all over the place for the same reason. If City carry on as they have been and win major trophies and sign big stars etc. then a lot of the kids who are 5-6 years old now will end up being City fans.

I don't like it and I don't think it's right, but that's just how it works at the end of the day.