Manchester City Team Talk/Gossip/Rumours Thread 2024/25

You're wrong, it's wasn't to have a dig.

I was genuinely wondering why there was no traffic about the win.

You've answered my question.

And congrats by the way. You're too good for that league.

Most of it is down to the perception of cheating and breaking financial fair play rules (up to 2018 - which is 5 years ago) which has yet to proven.

Nothing said about how well-run the club is. A pretty low net spend in the transfer window (think it was fourth lowest at minus £8.3m). Compare that to Newcastle £161m, Man United £203m and Newcastle £480m. They also have a lower wage bill than Man United and Chelsea.

Very little discussion about what they do on the pitch and how well they gel together.

I wish the FFP issue was sorted though.

You want an example of what im talking about look at my post in the general premier league thread about yesterdays game been a sell out and it being much more difficult to get tickets for city this season. You get 3/4 people that have abs no clue jumping in on me when i give them my experience. These people who have likely never tried to buy a ticket for city clearly know better than me who has tried several times to buy tickets for games only for it to be sold out. Its mental. Id have a conversation with anyone about city anyday in person or via pm or actually even on boards if there was anyway it could be proper.

While they have improved under Ten Haag, I just cant see us **** it up. We would have to have a very bad day. 3-0.

I hear what ye are saying and agree to a certain extent but its a Derby and a Final form can go out the window. Utd will be fired up to stop us doing the treble.

Reading the match thread the biterness is unreal, all the usual thropes trown out about city dominating the league is unheard of when both Utd and Liverpoll have had equivelent if not better runs. Same thing about the apparent seats avaialable at every city game. the old 115 was thrown out also

I always wonder what they will move onto if/when City are found not guilty, probably say we bribed the committe or something.

Thanks for the congratulations.

I think you have the strategy wrong, they dont buy players to keep them out of other clubs. Of course its to improve players and to improve the clubs they are going to, the players improve to a point where they move up the ranks of the various clubs and may make it at city or may be sold on for a profit. Thats the strategy, its not to keep the players away from other clubs. The multi club strategy is very clever model whether you agree with it or not. Most the clubs in the model have been very successful as a result so they are absolutely benefiting from having these players. The players are benefiting from it and City are benefiting from it.

I am biased clearly but to have the vision and then execute it is quite impressive imo.

Also City are not Saudi so a bit harsh to say they have tainted our legacy!

"Strange no players want to leave" navas, sane, sterling, cancelo, multiple strong stories about Ake, Laporte, Gundogan, Stones Sliva and Marhez all wanting moves for various reasons primarily first team garuntees. Not knowing the facts does not allow you make up your own. "Probably on double"... yeah yeah. More shiiite. Having a fully fit squad is usually a sign of good medical management - or is this some other form of cheating?

Completely artificial? Why? Because of invested funding rather than organic growth? Boo hoo. Parp that royalist tune somewhere else - it's so old money. After the initial investment, City have grown organically. Would I have like if we had developed out of a sweet shop with only local players who all played for no wages and fed the community in their spare time? No - because I am not a deluded fantasist faltulating half baked opinions on a team forum I don't support simply because I am lonely and bitter.

If City doped the numbers they should pay the price - I don't think relegation should even be out of the question. But accusations and guilt are two different things. Amazing that you already know the verdict before the case has been fully completed. Or maybe that is just another boorish assumption.

First time in years we have had a fully fit squad too. Some of the delusional posts from rival fans are outrageous! Played the biggest games of last season with one fit defender as we plugged holes left right and centre!

No No not only financial cheats but clearly doping too, we borrowed the inhalers from liverpool…hahaha

Ya, but ye can plug holes with a caliber of player most clubs could only dream of. And you certainly couldn't have done that pre Abu Dhabi ownership.

Stones converted to a roving midfielder this season. Very successfully. Brilliantly even. But if it doesn't work, there's loads of options on the bench to slot in. Most clubs don't have that sort of luxury to even go trying that out.

Can you remember City pre Abu Dhabi? Ye bounced up and down between PL and Championship. Couldn't land most of your transfer targets. Managerial revolving door.

Manchester City have always been a big club. Not hugely successful but could still hold its head high. Loyal fans. Fervent fans. A club that has its roots deep in the soul of the city. Proud of it's heritage.

Not now though. Abu Dhabi have bottle fed that club up to its current state. Completely manufactured. It's not a club anymore. It's a rich family's plaything. If you're happy with that, good luck to you.

United fan for over 40 years. If we're bought out by Qatar, I'll be distraught. It won't be "our" club anymore. Don't know how you can think City is "yours"

It is fairly well documented that City didn't cooperate with Uefa and that some of the charges were discounted due to being time barred.

I get that fans will be partisan to their own clubs but if you really believe all of the financial success of City has been above board, then I have a few magic beans you might be interested in.

Wouldn't be the first magic beans Pep has been involved with.

City were found Guilty of not Cooperating thats it. They didnt cooperate becasuse the investigation was bent. Anyone who actually took the time to read the CAS report and see the evidence UEFA had would have to come to the conclusion that CAS did - they had nothing.

No honest investigator would have charged City based on the evidence that was brought forward let alone find them guilty, remember the standard of evidence used by UEFA and thus at CAS was "comfortable satisfaction" a fairly low bar to cross and on all the charges that were examined City were found not guily  

"The standard of proof to be applied in UEFA disciplinary proceedings is the comfortable satisfaction of the competent disciplinary body." https://editorial.uefa.com/resources/0257-0ddf58550d23-3b558093983e-1000/disciplinary_regs.pdf page 20

On the topic of the Time barred charges as this is thrown around a lot. It was the same level of evidence as for the other charges. CAS refused to hear the charges as by UEFAs own rules they should not have been allowed to proceed. Anyone who wants to say City got off on a technicality and would have been found guilty if these charges had proceeded would have to first actually name the charges and then explain why they think the evidence for those charges was so compelling when the other evidence was so lacking.

Most people dont have the level of interest to read the actual CAS report so to give a taste of it ill explain one of the charges. keep in mind that UEFAs entire evidence for all the charges was 6 emails from a tranche fo 5.5million emails hacked from City. these emails can be read in the CAS report in section 210 page 58.

The charge was that City's owner funneled money through ADUG to pay the other sponsors fees over a few seasons. Section 210 onwards.

the evidence: 1 email where a city exec refers to "his highness" in an email discussing due funds to be paid, UEFA interpreted this to be Sheik Monsur but the Chairman of ADTA is also referred to as His Higness and City said it was to him the email refeered.

Thats it! thats all the evidence they had but they found City Guilty of that charge!!!!

And heres the Kicker, the icing on the cake: that email was sent two years before what UEFA alleged City was doing became illegal so even if UEFA were right there was no issue with it. But Uefa used their imagination and thought well we can find city guily for all the other years based on that.

THis is the level of dishonesty CIty were dealing with. Its been followed up for years with dishonest reporting of Journalists who etiher cant be bother to read a short report or dont care cause it does sell papers.

Dont believe me though, im just some guy on the internet please read the report.

CAS report at this link

https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_upload/CAS_Award_6785___internet__.pdf

In the words of The King…..It’s Now Or Never

How sh**e is that pre match entertainment.

Bad as it’s been Emerson hasn’t had a save to make. Pep to earn his pay now!

Arsenal fan here guys. Congratulations on a fantastic treble. Champions of Europe. 👏

The pair of ye must be delighted!

Mod Edit

Warning issued.

Good to hear from you again Xavi6, you (and Blueser) are missed around here.

It was a nervy first half but once the goal went in, there was a mettle about City that wasn't there in the past.

I have never been to the Etihad - must rectify that. But have been to Maine Road on a number of occasions through the years - 3 home games in the 1998/1999 season were particularly memorable.

The 2011 FA Cup final though - still my favourite. The relief after winning that....

Perhaps we can get the forum a bit more active, I love if every city Fan (and any other non troll fans) would pop in to say hi.

Also i would love to hear from newer City Fans we all had to jump on the bus sometime !!!

Tickets went on sale for alot of the games this season last Thursday and a lot of them sold out already.

I have a season ticket but with work commitments I am not going to get to as many games as I would normally. If any genuine city fans are looking for a ticket please PM me as more than happy to help out(and it works out cheaper than buying direct from the club).