Why is it that Man Utd fans keep coming on to this thread displaying a complete lack of basic comprehension? The schooling standard in Surrey must be going way down hill.
The media write stories to reach the biggest audience they can. Manchester Unted have the most fans in the country, so therefore the press write stories about manchester united. Who was the best player in the premiership outside of the top 4 last season? Luca Modric. Who tries to sign the best player outside of the top 4 in the premiership EVERY YEAR at the end of the season? Alex Ferguson. There's your hyped transfer story of the summer, its hardly rocket science. Modric and Ferguson therefore have to say nothing and its still a story in the press. Anyway, Modders is staying with his friends in one of the best teams in the country, he has no reason to leave...COYS!
The kid in my year who said one year he wasn't sure if he wanted to support Newcastle or Blackburn because he "likes their kit has to be the greatest glory hunter of all time. The year he supported Liverpool and MUPLC within the space of three months was also a classic. Going back to the original topic, there's a bigger issue that we're one of the clubs that doesn't have any real bias for us in the media (apart from the apparent bias we receive from "the London-based media" that Leeds and Newcastle fans bang on about endlessly) On the other hand, other clubs have plenty of bias in their favour from the media: Manchester United: The Murdoch Empire, ITV Liverpool: Numerous pundits and commentators that played for them on MOTD, Sky, ITV, Eurosport Arsenal: The Mirror, various MOTD pundits Chelsea: The Guardian Spurs: Gary Lineker Newcastle: Alan Shearer, the general belief in the aforementioned London-based media that everyone loves them Man City: Lee Dixon, the media-stoked belief that it's their right to succeed based on the money they spend
Sorry for offending you with the Surrey comments, guys Glad the Modric rumours have been killed off to the extent that no paper will run a story on it. I get the feeling the Bale rumours will kick into full throttle soon, though
I'm half expecting VDV rumours to surface - a few weeks back one paper was linking him with Chelsea, after all...
Have read through almost this entire thread pretty much wide eyed... and I have to say that I agree with practically everything Big Johnny has said. It's all factual common sense, and I fail to see how any of you can form any basis of a remotely rational argument against anything he has said. The fact of the game is that it's all about about money and success. Chairmen and managers say what the fans want to hear, because a) it keeps fans quiet b) fans are fickle c) fans have short memories and d) they know that they wont take any action when they go back on their word because e) fans have short memories The vast majority of fans will keep buying shirts, going to to games and paying for Sky, whether promises about holding onto players are broken or not. If a bid comes in from Man Utd (or any other club) and Modric (for example) decides he wants to go (for whatever reason - but let's just say to play in the CL and earn more money for arguments sake), then the club will have to sell him, or risk having a disgruntled player in their midst. That's the game. You sell the player for as much as you can get and move on, with some money available to buy a new player, or players. Recognising these facts as the harsh but true realities of the game does not make one any less of a Spurs fan, just plain reaslitic. It is extremely naive to believe anything:- a) stated by a player b) stated by a manager c) printed in a newspaper (even quotes, which have a tendency to be paraphrased and twisted) Spurs will not challenge for the title next season. To suggest they will is a ludicrous notion. Again, not making me any 'less of a fan' - just realistic. Also, I should not be criticised for this view - as my beliefs have no bearing on the outcome of Spurs' season and so what does it matter what I think will happen? Spurs barely scraped fifth last time around, in a season where the four teams above them, and the one just behind them were unconvincing (at best) for most of the season. Next season, Utd, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and possibly Arsenal are likely to all perform better. Most players want to play at the highest level they can, and earn as much money as they can. That's pretty much human nature. The likes of Modric can say what they like while still at the club. When they leave for pastures new and all the Spurs fans cry into their beer, calling him a lying scum bag, will he give a damn? No - because he'll have a new loyal following, will be playing in the CL and earning loads more money. Spurs are not in the CL next season, and this weakens their position greatly not only in terms of holding onto players, but also attracting new ones. Fans get waaaaay too attached to players. Fact. Chairmen, managers, players and even stadia come and go. The only constants are the fans... and they all sling insults at each other on a forum about how loyal players, chairmen and managers may or may not be. Get real. Classic comedy value.
Couldn't disagree with you more, again Hopnut Saying the fans are fickle and later that fans will carry on going to games and buying shirts is a contradiction for a start. What are you basing "Utd, City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and possibly Arsenal are likely to all perform better" on? I'd agree that we're unlikely to put a title challenge together next year but you cannot rule anything out in football. We're yet to see how each team strengthens their squad and indeed how they will perform Who expected Hernandez and Odemwingie to do so well, or Torres and Dzeko to do so poorly? Player loyalty however does exist, it is rarer these days but their are plenty of examples out there, trouble is they don't get the same level of publicity.
It's Hopnut. Cynical perhaps - but cynicism born out of observing the behaviour modern players. As I said, it's human nature to want to better yourself, and achieve as much as you can. Some of us are more ambitious than others of course, and perhaps Modric will prove to be another Shearer or Le Tiss - and be content to never play consistently at the top level of club football. Modric told the Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List: "If an offer comes which is good for Tottenham and for me also, then a transfer is possible" He added "I'm happy at White Hart Lane - my status is great, the fans like me and I do have everything I need. But then again, when you experience playing in the Champions League, you want to keep playing in this tournament." Now, I hope Modric stays as much as any Spurs fan and I think losing him would be as damaging as losing Alonso was for Liverpool. If he is still at Spurs come the start of the season then great. But if he isn't then someone else will have to take his place. Getting all jumpy because 'SAF is using the media to tap up players' is just plain hypocritical - whether it's true or not. If Redknapp were whiter than white in terms of his transfers dealings then I think Spurs fans could complain about the antics of other managers. Otherwise, just accept the game - and it's politics -for what it is.
It's not hypocritical to criticise Ferguson's tactics at all, even if you perceive some parallels in Redknapp's behaviour. I don't endorse tapping up, whoever does it. Losing Alonso didn't damage Liverpool. Failing to replace him with a player that was in any way similar, yet sticking to the same tactics that they used when he was there damaged them. Lucas is a good defensive midfielder, a decent attacking midfielder and an appalling playmaker. They put him in the latter role and then slaughtered him for failing to perform. The most hypocritical suggestion in this thread is the one claiming that views shouldn't be criticised as they don't affect the club, in a whole comment based around criticising the views of fans.
Who are you? The new king of sweeping generalisations!! I take it you do not include yourself as a fan then, as you obviously think you are not fickle with a short memory. 'Spurs will not challenge for the title next season. To suggest they will is a ludicrous notion.' Be careful, as such forthright opinions can come back and bite you. Welcome to not606 I can see much fun coming from your lack of awareness of how to announce yourself on a forum.
Jese are you lot on crack or something? You come across as deluded as the Mickeys and Citeh fans. Fergie has no control what so ever over anything but the team he manages. However if by some bizzare quirk of fete Modric ends up at United, it will say more about the man himself than Fergie & United. Oh and the Surrey gags! please please come out with something original, with some actual substance. ..and good luck btw for next season, I actually like your lot, just expected more sense from the fans.
Fair point. You may not endorse it - but if the manager of your club is less than scrupulous in the market place, then is it not a little rich to bemoan your luck when players are unsettled by underhand tactics employed by other managers? Sh!t happens. Oh now you're being pedantic. OK, true. Obviously losing any player is only damaging if you fail to find an equivalent replacement or change in tactics to offset the loss. My point (of which I am sure you were fully aware) was that Alonso left a big hole in the Liverpool side, as Modric would in the current Spurs side. Now you're being silly. I was suggesting that to state that someone is a less of a fan, simply because they do not see next season being as successful a season as another fan may, is a little absurd. I never suggested that criticism in general was wrong. There is a difference between telling someone their view is flawed, or that you disgree with it, and telling them they are wrong to hold the view, or that it affects who they are in some way i.e. Disagree by all means, but don't tell someone that holding a less than optimistic view makes them less of a fan.
You assume wrong. What makes you think that? I have been knwon to be fickle when it comes to football and also have a chronic memory. And also I have been known to be fickle from time to time. Indeed they can. We'll see. My money says they wont challenge for the title though. Sorry, I'm not sure I follow what you are getting at? I thought forums were for expressing your opinion? Did I do something wrong? Apologies if so.
No it isn't. I never said they were fickle in every aspect of their behaviour. Excellent question. I thought all four were poor last season, by their own standards and I just think it more likely that they will improve than continue to decline. My belief is simply that Utd, Chelsea and City will improve following likely investment in players, and an ability to attract better players than Spurs who are no longer in the CL. I suggested that perhaps Arsenal may not do so, because Wenger has a propensity to not invest as heavily as other managers in the top four and I believe that, coupled with perhaps losing two of his best players in Nasri and Fabregas, may prove to upset the Gunners' season. In terms of Liverpool, I just thought they showed real signs in the second half of last season, of being a challenger for a top four spot next season, having turned a corner under Dalglish. No rocket science. I never said they all definitely would, just that they were likely to. This was on the widely held premise that they all unperformed this season just gone.
I think that Spurf's referring to the confrontational aspects of your comment. "Get real. Classic comedy value"? Really? To be honest, I think that you're a non-Spurs fan trying to subtly WUM. I apologise if I'm wrong, but you seem more than a little familiar.
Apology accepted. I am a Spurs fan. Sorry if I was being too confrontational. This thread made me laugh (along with winding me up). Ironically, it was just how confrontational everyone was getting about this sh!t that made me laugh the most.
