The Manchester United Thread Part XII

Original post by StretfordEnd

No idea what PRSOM stands for :colondollar:

Otherwise, agreed. I'm still not sold on Moyes but I'll still turn up at the match and chant 'Every single one of us will stand by David Moyes' for 90 minutes. Why? Because the club have made their position clear; he's on a long term contract, he's just been given 40 million to throw at a player in January and everything points towards more in the summer.

Even if the club hadn't made their position clear, what's the alternative? Who would be guaranteed to come in, and would we be starting from square 1 again?

And most pragmatically of all, getting on the team/moyes' back achieves nothing. I back my team because I believe that's what a fan does; they need support now more than ever. Is it coincidence that during our poorest run of form we played better away than at home? I don't think so; the away fans have been magnificent and the home fans have been ambivalent and indifferent.

There's the argument of 'oh I paid for my ticket/shirt/whatever, so I should be able to voice my displeasure'. Tell you what - those people can talk with their feet if they don't like it. Go and support someone else, because the real fans don't want these toxic arseoles around their club.

And I normally stray away from cringy, elitist terms like 'real fans', but the fact is if you're less enthusiastic about this team because we're not the best in the country anymore then you're just not a real fan in my book.

Being a United fan is a crucial part of who I am; it doesn't define me but it's much a part of me as the fact that I've got a beard or a brother and a sister. It's what I identify myself as what I will always identify as regardless of how crap United become - it's ideological almost.

I can't really explain it better than that; but I shouldn't need to because every footy fan should understand what I'm banging on about and feel exactly the same about their own team.

Haha it stands for 'Please Rate Some Other Member' since I can't rep your post atm :tongue:

Yeah exactly like I said, support the club even if you dislike the manager. As Nathan said we're stuck with him for another season or more so we might as well stop complaining that Moyes is our manager (im not going to lie I complained about it when I got really angry about the Stoke result but we cant do anything about it, Manchester United will stand by their man). Old Trafford has been a graveyard when we fall behind rather than cheer on the team although against Cardiff, the volumes were raised. When its quiet at OT, the players feel no support and get nervous. Completely agree with the United fan identity, regardless of how **** we become or never win the premier league in the next 10 years il always be a proud Man Utd fan, I'm so happy we had our run at the top of English football for the past 20 odd years and it may be time to take a back seat and watch another team dominate but like always Manchester United will come back, never rule us out.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 382

Looks like our record of scoring in 66 straight home games isn't going to be matched by City

Reply 383

Kenan and Kel

OP

After that draw, 82 points might still win the league.

Let's do this.

Reply 384

NathanW18

I don't agree with going into the stadium and getting on our own players backs during matches. That helps nobody. During the game, it'd be great if the fans sang and tried to help the players along. Saying that, I see no reason why we shouldn't show displeasure after games. That being in the stadium, in the pub, forums, etc. Just because you're a fan doesn't mean you should never criticise anything the club does. We're in 7th place and very likely out of the race to be in the CL next season and it's only the beginning of February. I see no reason to praise Moyes or any of the players.

The top reds can act elitist all they want, but the fans that are called plastics are making this club extremely successful off the pitch.

Reply 385

Eboracum

Original post by NathanW18

The top reds can act elitist all they want, but the fans that are called plastics are making this club extremely successful off the pitch.

That's the key for me. I'm so sick of the romantic drivel the previous poster commented on. The reality is, it's a modern business capitalist world. Footballs a business, it's about shares and sponsorship. I'm sick of this romantic crap. You should be allowed to change football team once it doesn't work for you, in the same way that you can change your wife, or job or politics. People need to get real. One fan one ticket.

I'm struggling Nathan. I just can't take much more of Moyes. I hate it. I wish he'd just leave. This season is making me more miserable than ever. I couldn't give a **** what the Stretford End think about 'proper fans'. I'd rather listen to 100M fans in Asia than 15k in the Stretford End. Wish United had picked Mourinho. I won't be going to games until it gets better that's for sure. Not value for money at the moment. Nothing wrong with that. Love Mourinho. Wish I was a Chelsea fan at the moment. I get jealous so easily.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 386

DaveSmith99

Original post by Eboracum

That's the key for me. I'm so sick of the romantic drivel the previous poster commented on. The reality is, it's a modern business capitalist world. Footballs a business, it's about shares and sponsorship. I'm sick of this romantic crap. You should be allowed to change football team once it doesn't work for you, in the same way that you can change your wife, or job or politics. People need to get real. One fan one ticket.

I'm struggling Nathan. I just can't take much more of Moyes. I hate it. I wish he'd just leave. This season is making me more miserable than ever. I couldn't give a **** what the Stretford End think about 'proper fans'. I'd rather listen to 100M fans in Asia than 15k in the Stretford End. Wish United had picked Mourinho. I won't be going to games until it gets better that's for sure. Not value for money at the moment. Nothing wrong with that. Love Mourinho. Wish I was a Chelsea fan at the moment. I get jealous so easily.

Reply 387

bj27

21

Original post by DaveSmith99

Can't lie thats funny.

Not gonna lie, but I'd rather have CleverAdam and Museter.

Reply 388

NathanW18

http://strettynews.com/a-new-unacceptable-low/

I agree with a good 90% of it.

Reply 389

Eboracum

Original post by bammy jastard 27

Can't lie thats funny.

Not gonna lie, but I'd rather have CleverAdam and Museter.

Cheers mate. :frown:

I'd be a force in Chelsea ranks.

Reply 390

StretfordEnd

15

Original post by NathanW18

X

Don't get me wrong, I'll criticise where it's due. I've probably been softer than I should be this season as a bit of a knee-jerk response to the drivel being spouted by hopeless mongs like Eboracum. Absolute soft arse.

In terms of the elitist fans; we have more of a reason to be elitist than ever. The received wisdom has always been to court the fans in Asia etc. who are going to be providing the club with the bulk of the merchandising income; the reason for that is that the assumption has traditionally been that match-day income is relatively secure. That illusion has been shattered; even under Ferguson for the past 3 years the amount of season tickets sold has been steadily dropping. Attendences this year (according to GMP) are lower than that's when we've still got what is comparatively a very good squad. The Glazers aren't idiots, and they spot a downward trend - and when you consider that a conservative estimate of matchday income is about £3,00,000 then it's not a trend they can ignore.

That's why club senior officials (at times Directors) hold regular meetings with fan representatives; and that's why in the past couple of seasons the club has listened to/implemented more and more of what the fans have had to say whether it's been subsided away ticket prices, the singing section, the arguments that were had between GMP and local newsagents/offies. Don't get me wrong, I don't think the club are doing this because it's a good thing - they're doing it because the feel it's necessary because they are starting to realise the matchday income isn't a guarantee and it's far harder to recapture than merchandising income in the long term.

Original post by Eboracum

X

If you're suck of the romantic drivel then you really are supporting the wrong team kid. 'You should be able to change teams', you can. Who's stopping you? Go right ahead and come crawling back when we hit the heights again - I pity you because nothing you ever experience as a football fan compare to the dizzying heights and tragic lows I've felt following this club. Pure romance.

Just further to my points above; you not going to games until it gets better is a pretty good indication of the fact that the club will take the voice of local (or regular) matchgoing fans more seriously than the casual fans.

At the end of the day, the club stature and infrastructure is already firmly, irreversibly established. If the club succeeds on the pitch, sponsorship income and merchandising income steadily rises as a result. You've seen it with Liverpool; they've had a torrid time but the ship having been steadied is seeing a big increase in their revenue because they have the international profile.

So, for the Glazers: 3 massive sources of income (sponsorship, merchandising, share price) are at a point where they can only really be increased by continued on pitch success; we're at the top of the curve - we can't throw money at marketing and so on because we've already done it all.

That leaves the Glazers with the priority of consolidating their other massive source of income, which is matchday income. This is the only regular income that isn't dictated by on field success - if your 'core' of matchgoing fans stay loyal then it's income you can rely on, so your maxim of 'one fan one ticket's is going to prove more true than you'd anticipate over the coming years.

It's true of all teams; Arsenal, City, Chelsea, United, Liverpool among others are all trying to sit at the top table and there isn't enough places for all those English clubs to feed at the trough and guarantee their income so keeping the matchgoing fans happy and the stadium full is going to become an increasingly important aspect.

So, when you say you'd rather listen to 100mn asian fans than the 15k in the stretford end, it's a shame that the powers-that-be at almost any top club you care to mention are going to disagree with you there, son.

Reply 391

Manchester United

Original post by Kenan and Kel

After that draw, 82 points might still win the league.

Let's do this.

This is where Cleverley, Young and Welbeck turn into Iniesta, Ronaldo and Messi.

Edit: Or in your case; Phil Jones, Phil Jones and Phil Jones. Am I right?

We can still win the league!

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 392

Original post by Manchester United

This is where Cleverley, Young and Welbeck turn into Iniesta, Ronaldo and Messi.

Edit: Or in your case; Phil Jones, Phil Jones and Phil Jones. Am I right?

We can still win the league!

Youngnaldo, Clevesta and Welbessi. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Those 3 are probably looking at the table and laughing after they gave all the other teams a headstart. I see Youngnaldo scoring 30-35 goals by the end of the season, Clevesta having more than 40 assists and Welbessi leading the PL goal scoring charts by a margin of 25 goals. I think we'll bag the champions league aswell, its impossible not to with those world class players and they could potentially lead England to World Cup glory in Brazil.

Spoiler

Reply 393

Original post by StretfordEnd

x

Fully agree with this poster again. Whats the point in changing teams if they arent successful? So you change and support Chelsea this season and then what if they fall apart and United reach the very top of football again (although imo it isnt happening with Moyes). Will you switch back again and then when the going gets tough again you stop supporting the club once again. It doesnt make sense to me imho. This is the sole reason why i have utmost respect for Arsenal fans (although sometimes they can be mugs) because they continually stick with Arsenal come what may and its funny because so many United fans wanna switch clubs after just one season of **** results whereas Arsenal have had 9 years of horror meltdowns and near misses. Although Eboracum is right in the aspect that younger generations of football fans may move away from supporting United if we have a sustained period of failure although i highly doubt the Glazer would allow that.

Reply 394

Kenan and Kel

OP

Original post by Manchester United

This is where Cleverley, Young and Welbeck turn into Iniesta, Ronaldo and Messi.

Edit: Or in your case; Phil Jones, Phil Jones and Phil Jones. Am I right?

We can still win the league!

Young has already started the transition! If all of our players turned into the likes of Phil Jones, life would be good right now. No, it'd be ****ing great.

Reply 395

little_tom

Original post by NathanW18

I'm failing to see what people are expecting. Fletcher is better than him, but he's better than all of our other options. I expect whoever is playing there to keep possession and give it to the creative players. That's what Cleverley does. Fletcher adds more value, because he has better long passing ability and he is a bit more adventurous with his passing.

In my mind, Cleverley shouldn't be playing in a 2 man midfield and expected to create. He should be the runner in a 3 man midfield. Someone ahead of him needs to do the creating. Ask any of our other midfielders (except Fletcher) to do his job and they do it worse.

This loss had nothing to do with Cleverley. Rooney ****ed our two best chances and failed to create anything. Mata also failed to create anything, apart from our goal. All of our crosses failed from Young and Evra. Then Van Persie went off the field and since Rooney was playing in midfield, we had Hernandez and Welbeck upfront. I have no idea why Fletcher wasn't subbed in and Rooney played upfront.

You need to stop defending Cleverley (in general). Its painfully obvious that he's not a CM or a DM. He's not good defensively or going forward. He offers nothing to your team and doesn't specialize in anything. What does he actually do?

Reply 396

Manchester United

Original post by little_tom

You need to stop defending Cleverley (in general). Its painfully obvious that he's not a CM or a DM. He's not good defensively or going forward. He offers nothing to your team and doesn't specialize in anything. What does he actually do?

I think you're being harsh.

He gives hope to all the **** players around the world by showing it doesn't matter how good you are, one day you can play for Manchester United.

Reply 397

Manchester United