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@Alex I also like everything you say. There are journalists (and in general, the popular voice) who have spoken in recent years of PSG and Manchester City as an illegal team without realizing that they have always been just as illegal. In Spain, 35% of the inhabitants are fans of Real Madrid (and they reach 50% if they are added to the fans of small teams that have Real Madrid as their other team). And here is something that happens. Most of the fans of Second Division teams (or many of the First Division) like Málaga, Córdoba, Valladolid, Elche, Getafe are really Real Madrid fans. The same thing happens with Barcelona. A total of 25% of the population is a Barcelona fan, and they reach 35% if fans of secondary teams are added. So this is like the Scottish League. Celtir-Rangers (Barcelona-Real Madrid). And everything is organized so that they always win. Never anyone else. In the last 20 years, Barcelona and Real Madrid have always been first and second in the League. Except for the years, now with Simeone, in which Atleti have been involved. The distribution of economic rights was rubbish until 4-5 years ago, because the distribution was as follows... 150 million for Real Madrid, 150 million for Barcelona and 300 million to be distributed among the 18 remaining teams (Atleti took 40 million and was the 3rd with the most). For a few years, it turns out that they talk about English teams and PSG as illegal teams for their money... Today, the front pages in newspapers in Spain were something like "Money beat football". And it turns out that the story is curious, because Real Madrid has always been one of the 2 richest teams in the world since records exist (and today it is the 2nd, only 30 million behind Manchester City). Real Madrid is the team that spends the most money to pay its players. And that for not getting into more complex issues, such as that in 2001, UEFA prohibited Real Madrid from playing in the Champions League due to its high debts with the Spanish State (Treasury). And only a week later, an ILLEGAL reclassification of land was achieved that Real Madrid sold to the government for a price 6 times more than its value and went from being the most indebted team in the world to the richest in the world thanks to a so-called crime town. And since then... He signed Figo, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Owen... They won again in Europe, etc. Real Madrid and Barcelona have a different tax system than the rest of the clubs in Spain (they pay less taxes) and they have been sentenced by the TAD for years to pay more money (and they don't). Barcelona, last year, exceeded the salary limit of Spain, and the League cheated so that it could register Lewandowski, Kounde and Christensen (yes, with the rule in hand, they could not play). The problem is always the same. When my team wins and is the best, I don't care. Uncritical. I don't care if he's doing bad things in the offices. When another wins, and they remove me from my site, I feel bad and criticize him. It makes my blood boil. Oh well. It is something we have to accept. The press (and I am a journalist) will always be conditioned and will rarely tell the truth.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/17/manchester-citys-inexorable-hard-power-crushes-real-madrid?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other I must confess to having zero time for Liew and consider him to be an abysmal journalist. He sums up much of The Guardian’s smug, upper middle class prejudice, masked as a concern for fighting the good fight. But even by his standards this is a bitter, hypocritically myopic pile of steaming horse shit. Chelsea’s years of oligarch money and the more recent disregard for financial fair play? Nah. Real Madrid. Poor fucking Real Madrid effectively being bankrolled by the heads of state for decades? Nah. Barcelona, the other half if the cartel, with their bribery, PEDs and reckless spending? Nah. Man Utd and their huge debts and several £100m spent on shite? The institutional corruption from Italy’s traditional big 3? Etc. But hang on, Man City aren’t playing fair. Just ignore the local academy kids who are integral to the side as well. Fucking do one, you picked last in the schoolyard, dweeby cunt

Looking back just over 19 months ago we were the butt of everyone's jokes. We were helpless to do anything but watch as the club was on course for certain relegation & would still have been down now. The way this club has been turned around in those 19 months is brilliant. Nobody could have dreamed we be were we are now. I think tonight it'll be a duel effort as the team lift the crowd at SJP the crowd will carry the team. If we achieve Champions League we will be linked with all the top class players rather than scratching around in the bargain basement. One more big push tonight will edge us closer to that we'll deserved CL spot. Deserved for the club, manager, players & the fans. Howay The Lads

The image he wants to portray. The reality.

Aston Villa, fucking great team. Never said a bad word about them, me.

I just want to take a moment to congratulate all those that voted for me to start this match thread. You held your nerve, and you've all been rewarded. For those of you that didn't vote for me, NEVER doubt me again you little CUNTS.

This is classic expectation management. It's as blatant as a mackem saying they weren't ready for promotion. Now, I tell you what I do shall I? I tell myself it's only football, it's only a game where overpaid athletes are paid to kick a bit of plastic around the pitch, a bit of fun in my spare time. There are much more important things in life, my job, my family, the future of the planet. And deep down, I know that's not true either.

Scouser in the office already banging on. 'We will win all of our remaining games so will Man Utd' FUCK OFF YOU GINGER CUNT

I think this means we’re coming third:

“Choking” and “bottled it” are fuckin bullshit phrases for what we might succumb to, I’m not having that nonsense for a second. We might fall at the last hurdle due to our squad being short on quality, eg Dan Burn at left back and the line being led by Chris Wood for half a season. If we fail it’s due to draws in September/Oct and the post World Cup dip. Arsenal are likely to finish 10 points ahead of their “Invincible” season too. So fuckin stop it, all of you 😡

Or just return the car to its rightful owner.

To not qualify at this stage with the fixtures we have left and the season we've had so far would be a massive disappointment. It would make a huge difference to the club in terms of finance and the standard of player we could attract. I'd have bitten your hand off for fifth back in August but as the situation has changed so have my hopes and expectations.

Though for a bit of perspective it's only 15 months since this.

HMHM’s imagination v reality…

The nerves are kicking in now but this is what it’s all about really. I’d take this over being lumbered in 14th every season with nowt to play for

No doubt a great season whatever happens now but its still going to be a nerve wracking 90 minutes tomorrow. Its natural to be concerend about what you may now lose rather than what you thought you might have a year ago. So....

I obviously know fuck all

Eddie Howe has balls steelier than his baby blue eyes. I’d have had the subs on after an hour

Wor lass is on her way home, she calls 'Can you pause it I want to watch it' WTF

Saudi bung. 6 - nil incoming And I for one salute our corrupt overlords

Could not have put it better myself. He’s a proper sad case. Add Barney Ronay to that. His parents named him Barnaby, so he was already uo against it, but he doesn’t do himself any favours. Well, I assume he doesn’t, I can never get past the meandering drivel in his first paragraphs. Still, what a cunt. Barnaby for fucks sake, he should be writing about fencing or soggy biscuit competitions.

Must have been the only way he could get a crowd in wedding season. Us or Bilbao I suppose.

Show him this.

good job we only need to win two then

Now is NOT the time to be harbouring negative thoughts, Brother Gloom.

Think that's the biggest load of drivel I've read from you Gloomy. You're not convincing anyone with that nonsense, including yourself. Also, to answer your (I assume rhetorical) question on how much it would really change things to get CL, the answer is MASSIVELY.

Are you female?

Was at the match tonight. What an atmosphere! Beat Leicester and we have our 2nd highest points total in our Premier League history

Up yours Renton. I'll have you banned.

I fucking love football!

WILL YOU ALL CALM THE FUCK DOWN? Yesssssss!!!!!!!

Dann BurnNistelroy?

Own goal. Pretty much the only way we’re scoring from a corner.

What you on about? The weather’s shit in Manchester [/The Fish]

There was a one a few weeks back about Ally McCoist who’d been saying nice things about them. Still having a soft spot for them.m etc. After some appreciative comments it quickly descended into him loving the Mags and how he was a traitor for having his testimonial against us

PUNCH THE FUCKIN RED CUNT

Still has a seedy underbelly if you know where to look

As you were, soldier.

Aye marra, 100%. You're so right.

I'm nervous, loads at stake and obviously they're a quality outfit but as I mentioned the other day, it's also a tough week for Brighton having to play arsenal away then come up here when we have so much to play for plus under the lights. I hope we enough to get past these then enough in the tank to put Leicester to bed making Chelsea irrelevant, however, football's a funny thing. I've a sneaky feeling one of the English old firm arseholes are going to slip up on Saturday, Liverpool home to villa, the mancs at Bournemouth. Brighton might not actually be the key game as much as it seems that way right now. Two home games on a night time before Chelsea, win the first and it's looking a lot more close for us, particularly if my hunch that one of the NW arseholes drop points on Saturday. I'm at work so will miss this so just hoping we win as we're prone to doing when I've been at graft.