Angus Kinnear

[brieverton]

"You could argue Man City no longer exist"

That's completely true. You see the like of Shaun Goater wheeled out to talk about Aguero as though it's the same club he played for. It ain't. Their entire identity now is Abu Dhabi. Simon Jordan (who does speak sense from time to time) called them manufactured which absolutely nails it. And because they are a manufactured entity they don't garner anywhere near the praise a team who authentically win things would get. Their "winning" is largely glossed over.

That may be the case but they're backed by a petrostate and you can't gloss that over.

Newcastle the same in terms they can no longer be dismissed.

You have the organic clubs to use that term, RS and Mancs. Arsenal to a lesser degree.

It doesn't mean we can't compete with any of them in a given season up to a point.

The rest of the clubs - Chelsea, Spurs, Villa - I don't see any reason why we can't compete with them and overtake them. Those clubs, with Newcastle as things stand currently, I would regard as fair game for us.

Man Utd too obviously but they are a global giant and you'd have to think that would count eventually. They must have still won 5 or 6 trophies since Ferguson left, that's some bad period when you consider we have one FA Cup to our name since last winning the title 38 years ago.

 

[windymiller]

I know all fans think their clubs are the best but I really struggle with Leeds fans genuinely thinking there's an argument for them being bigger. One comment from a Leeds fan on the Athletic gives this explanation

"One example would be shirt sales I suppose. Another thing for me when I go abroad - see loads of Leeds fans in terms of towels, tops, pubs etc - very few Everton. Another measure would/could be Sky viewers per game - my hunch is even at out different 'levels' right now we have a bigger audience than Everton"

Utterly delusional.

I live in Leeds, they are a rare breed. They sing "we are the champions, champions of Europe" non-stop, because they believe they were scammed out of a European cup in the Revie era. 50 years ago. My old next door neighbor had a Leeds crest tattooed on his calf, never went to the match, you could walk to Elland Road in 40 mins. I went to Elland Road more than he did but he got the new shirt every season to go with being permanently inked with a crest they no longer use. Second only to the Geordies in terms of self-delusion. The crazy thing is a one club city with a big population and satellite towns without professional clubs (Wakefield, Castleford, Pontefract, etc...) all around they should really have more success.

 

[Tim's tourettes]

He's not a patch on his Chinese cousin, Fu.

 

[Fralahna]

Leeds fan mate of mine used this as one of the many reasons Leeds fans hated him. He tried make this their badge. I say just keep him away from our badge design

 

[NeilMorepies]

What is the point of signing him if Moyes won’t even put on the bench when we have 3 right backs and 2 keepers on there?

 

[Tramps_mate]

"You could argue Man City no longer exist"

That's completely true. You see the like of Shaun Goater wheeled out to talk about Aguero as though it's the same club he played for. It ain't. Their entire identity now is Abu Dhabi. Simon Jordan (who does speak sense from time to time) called them manufactured which absolutely nails it. And because they are a manufactured entity they don't garner anywhere near the praise a team who authentically win things would get. Their "winning" is largely glossed over.

But if they had bought Everton and we had Pep and had won what they have won, you'd love it!!

 

[Billy Dean]

 

[hashbike]

I wonder if Nick Hammond joins as head of recruitment. Seems very highly rated

 

[Exeter_Gently]

Leeds fan mate of mine used this as one of the many reasons Leeds fans hated him. He tried make this their badge. I say just keep him away from our badge design

Absolutely shambolic that.

 

[Rita_Poon]

That may be the case but they're backed by a petrostate and you can't gloss that over.

Newcastle the same in terms they can no longer be dismissed.

You have the organic clubs to use that term, RS and Mancs. Arsenal to a lesser degree.

It doesn't mean we can't compete with any of them in a given season up to a point.

The rest of the clubs - Chelsea, Spurs, Villa - I don't see any reason why we can't compete with them and overtake them. Those clubs, with Newcastle as things stand currently, I would regard as fair game for us.

Man Utd too obviously but they are a global giant and you'd have to think that would count eventually. They must have still won 5 or 6 trophies since Ferguson left, that's some bad period when you consider we have one FA Cup to our name since last winning the title 38 years ago.

These deserve to be in the same category as newcastle and city. I don't overly dislike spurs but I don't like em. I like Emery and his project at Villa.

 

[Rita_Poon]

You think their fans care?

I mean some will, through clenched teeth they celebrate the trophies, im not naive to think we wouldnt do the same.

But you are right, this is certainly a new "Project City".

Take United, growing up they were seen as this monster of a club, younger me never understood it, they won nothing, they finished mid-table, but the media loved them, then SAF came in and they blew up at the exact time football blew up. Did United do it organically?

Anyway, im just rambling.

One name. murdoch. He'd been priming that business entity for some time, he controlled the gutter press, he could make or break politicians in his way, and his golden prize was 'the biggest club in the world', wanted the triumvirate of the top club, the league and the delivery via his broadcast business.
It comes to something when, the darkness that could have been inflicted had his rein of terror been allowed to take root, makes us feel better off for having rampant homophobes and journalist murderers involved in the game instead.

man utd had some history, they'd had their times in the limelight, great players and managers, they'd redeveloped old trafford, they'd flogged themselves to the essex jet set, they capitalised on football as a business at the time when the business of sport and home involvement through the sky box brought riches to the game never before dreamed of. In came the sponsors and the corporate side, and they were miles ahead in terms of money.

On a tangent, because of a point in the above, I wonder what mr ratcliffe has to say about a redeveloped old trafford and the capitulation of the Manchester arm of hs2. Carriageing first class champagne and oysters hoi polloi in from London, in 80 minutes near as direct to the ground would have been an interesting sell.

Now that's a ramble.

 

[Bedfordblue]

Absolutely shambolic that.

I sincerely hope that was the 49’s pushing and he was just doing as he’s told, that is horrific and if he was behind it in any way that alone should be enough to make him unsuitable for the role.

 

[nonstripdzebra]

I don't have an issue, I think the main reason he will be of interest is the experience and exposure in stadium transitions. Our new home is the leverage point for everything at the club, if he has been exposed to how to generate profit and our the pitfalls of such a move I welcome that expertise.

Listen Leeds does have I think a higher sense of its self than whats been actually demonstrated but the Radrizzani/49ers era has seen them market themselves effectively. The clubs brand is global, amazon tv, redbull, Bielsa even the recruitment being european high upside focused. I would say they have made themselves a bigger brand then the pitch results would merit.

My concern is more on where we stand with the DoF situation. The club wants to move on from Thelwell, fine, but I am concerned by the reports that they are looking to change the model. Moyes deserves a large say but I think the semblance of hope we have in the current squad is in large part that the recruitment wasn't completely rationalized by him or Dyche. I don't want Moyes being the primary decision maker in recruitment.

 

[MaximusEvertonius]

That may be the case but they're backed by a petrostate and you can't gloss that over.

Newcastle the same in terms they can no longer be dismissed.

You have the organic clubs to use that term, RS and Mancs. Arsenal to a lesser degree.

It doesn't mean we can't compete with any of them in a given season up to a point.

The rest of the clubs - Chelsea, Spurs, Villa - I don't see any reason why we can't compete with them and overtake them. Those clubs, with Newcastle as things stand currently, I would regard as fair game for us.

Man Utd too obviously but they are a global giant and you'd have to think that would count eventually. They must have still won 5 or 6 trophies since Ferguson left, that's some bad period when you consider we have one FA Cup to our name since last winning the title 38 years ago.

Agree with all that, especially about Chelsea. They’ve been nothing special this season. Seen them narrowly escape defeat countless times against bottom clubs. Couple of times today, Leicester has had their number and could easily have been ahead of The Chelsea Football and Hotel Company.

 

[Davideeyore]

They're all devastated at losing him I see.

About as sad to see him go as we were to see the back of Dyche.