Most successful season ever - depends on perspective

[budfox]

No matter what happens, I'll remember this season as the one where we should have won the Premiership at a canter and after 5 games we were huge odds-on to do so.

[zuricity]

Winning trophies is what the game is all about.

Yesterday after West Ham drew at rags Mark Noble I think, was asked, which was preferable, a cup final win or getting top 4. Immediately he replied cup final win. Stuart Pearce then backed it up by saying winning is what counts. Who remembers who won the cup in a given year and who finished fourth in the league? Exactly.

Ideally we want to win trophies long term and create a dynasty like the dippers in 70s/80s and rags in 90s/00s. But it is unsustainable. Look where they are now. Take the trophies when you can

It is sustainable. The rags have blown up because and only because of the greed of their owners.

During that twenty years that both the rags had of unrivalled success, they both had to rebuild their sides at least four times. In this day and age where managers don't stay as long and the money that's in the game now, rebuilding a side that many times will take some doing. Hell, we are slowly rebuilding ours this season and look how that's panned out.

I'd love us to dominate for a very long time, but I just don't see it. If in the next ten years we win a further four or even five PL titles I would be extremely happy. Throw in a few League and FA cups and maybe even a CL and we will have done remarkably well considering the competition we will face. Maintain this for more than twenty years? Bloody tough ask

and you are proving my point that it is sustainable as long as you invest some of the money success generates and don't abuse the process by thinking that such a cash cow can be used to finance other business, as the rags owners have done. Greed is their first priority, not the fans or the club.

[Dimples]

Most successful season ever? I assume this is some form of comedy.

I am serious.

To me if we can get 4th position or better in the PL, this will be our greatest season ever.
Because of the positioning/strategy success of our Club - Pep, CL progression, academy players coming through, global reach, football 'family', revenue, etc...

I would think this even if we had not won the LC and don't win any other trophy.
I am assuming this is how the owners/board view it as well.

I was wondering how other City football fans felt i.e. you guys.
How important is winning trophies short term compared to long term success.

BTW - the players attitude in the PL is appalling - they have let us down badly this season.

The board are so happy with this season that they have decided to bring in pep and get rid of the current inept cunt, hows that for perspective!

To even think this is our best ever season is beyond fuckign belief, fuckign mental , its actually our fuckign worse ever season up to now...the second WORST TEAM in the prem for taking points off...wait for it...not the top 4 teams...not the top 6 teams........BUT THE TOP FUCKIGN 10 TEAMS in the prem !!! Only fuckign Villa are worse than us...yet you think this is our greatest ever season!!!!

I take it if we get thumped by the Munchens and we are in the quarterfinals of the CL you will still think it's our greatest ever season!!!

You seriously need some fuckign treatment you do......fuckign nuts !!

Carl - you are re-enforcing my point.

One of the reasons the season is successful is because they are making that managerial change.
It should ensure players who don't put in a shift will be out the door pronto.
Leading to a better chance of winning trophies - in the long term.

To me success this season is not measured in trophies.
This season is a success (provided we get 4th or better in PL) because of the implementation/progress re sustained future success.

Its the positioning for future prolonged success that counts this season not beating MU this w/e.

[Sister of fu]

This team baffles me, it really does. On paper we should be challenging for the league year on year, we aint. We have been no where near good enough in the league for the past two season which I find shocking. Not a chance that this team is going to win 9 games on the bounce, never ever going to happen. Teams don't fear playing us and I feel some of our players are not up to competing with teams and putting in the hard graft.

We have turned into flat track bullies and we aint even that good at that. We struggled vs Norwich at home and then couldn't even have a shot on target at their place. They have the 2nd worst goals conceded record in the Premier. What a joke. Do we have a week mentality or can the players really not be arsed?? Are teams getting better or are we going backwards?There is so many questions that I don't know the answer too. But in reply to the OP, no its not, not even close. We are not good enough and should be ashamed of being so far behind Leicester City......fucking Leicester City (im still fuming from Saturday)

[nottsblue]

Winning trophies is what the game is all about.

Yesterday after West Ham drew at rags Mark Noble I think, was asked, which was preferable, a cup final win or getting top 4. Immediately he replied cup final win. Stuart Pearce then backed it up by saying winning is what counts. Who remembers who won the cup in a given year and who finished fourth in the league? Exactly.

Ideally we want to win trophies long term and create a dynasty like the dippers in 70s/80s and rags in 90s/00s. But it is unsustainable. Look where they are now. Take the trophies when you can

It is sustainable. The rags have blown up because and only because of the greed of their owners.

During that twenty years that both the rags had of unrivalled success, they both had to rebuild their sides at least four times. In this day and age where managers don't stay as long and the money that's in the game now, rebuilding a side that many times will take some doing. Hell, we are slowly rebuilding ours this season and look how that's panned out.

I'd love us to dominate for a very long time, but I just don't see it. If in the next ten years we win a further four or even five PL titles I would be extremely happy. Throw in a few League and FA cups and maybe even a CL and we will have done remarkably well considering the competition we will face. Maintain this for more than twenty years? Bloody tough ask

and you are proving my point that it is sustainable as long as you invest some of the money success generates and don't abuse the process by thinking that such a cash cow can be used to finance other business, as the rags owners have done. Greed is their first priority, not the fans or the club.

Ok then. Take the two horse race in Spain. Different country I know but same principle. Real have won one la Liga in 8 years! They have money to burn and are not afraid to splash it on whatever they think will benefit their club. At present, Barcelona are ruling the roost. But the time will come when they have to rebuild the side around someone other than Messi. And they may not be as successful thus allowing Madrid to take advantage and have another successful run like they have done before. Prior to Venables somehow winning it for Barca in 1985, they had only won la Liga once in 25 years! Since then they have won it 14 times.

I understand what you are saying about sustainability and if managed correctly that it could happen. I just think historically it has proven very difficult to achieve. Times change in football, much more quickly these days as well. Often a teams dominance is based on a select few players who make the difference between winners and clappers. Replacing those players is not always easy. Rush, Dalglish at the dippers to name just two. Vieira and Henry and Adams at Arsenal. Keane, van Nistelrooy Ferdinand at the rags. Chelsea will struggle to replace Terry and haven't as yet found a replacement for Lampard or Drogba. Will we find a replacement for Kompany or Yaya or Silva or Aguero so easily. Maybe, maybe not, but to do it four or more times I think is close to impossible.

[zuricity]

Winning trophies is what the game is all about.

Yesterday after West Ham drew at rags Mark Noble I think, was asked, which was preferable, a cup final win or getting top 4. Immediately he replied cup final win. Stuart Pearce then backed it up by saying winning is what counts. Who remembers who won the cup in a given year and who finished fourth in the league? Exactly.

Ideally we want to win trophies long term and create a dynasty like the dippers in 70s/80s and rags in 90s/00s. But it is unsustainable. Look where they are now. Take the trophies when you can

It is sustainable. The rags have blown up because and only because of the greed of their owners.

During that twenty years that both the rags had of unrivalled success, they both had to rebuild their sides at least four times. In this day and age where managers don't stay as long and the money that's in the game now, rebuilding a side that many times will take some doing. Hell, we are slowly rebuilding ours this season and look how that's panned out.

I'd love us to dominate for a very long time, but I just don't see it. If in the next ten years we win a further four or even five PL titles I would be extremely happy. Throw in a few League and FA cups and maybe even a CL and we will have done remarkably well considering the competition we will face. Maintain this for more than twenty years? Bloody tough ask

and you are proving my point that it is sustainable as long as you invest some of the money success generates and don't abuse the process by thinking that such a cash cow can be used to finance other business, as the rags owners have done. Greed is their first priority, not the fans or the club.

Ok then. Take the two horse race in Spain. Different country I know but same principle. Real have won one la Liga in 8 years! They have money to burn and are not afraid to splash it on whatever they think will benefit their club. At present, Barcelona are ruling the roost. But the time will come when they have to rebuild the side around someone other than Messi. And they may not be as successful thus allowing Madrid to take advantage and have another successful run like they have done before. Prior to Venables somehow winning it for Barca in 1985, they had only won la Liga once in 25 years! Since then they have won it 14 times.

I understand what you are saying about sustainability and if managed correctly that it could happen. I just think historically it has proven very difficult to achieve. Times change in football, much more quickly these days as well. Often a teams dominance is based on a select few players who make the difference between winners and clappers. Replacing those players is not always easy. Rush, Dalglish at the dippers to name just two. Vieira and Henry and Adams at Arsenal. Keane, van Nistelrooy Ferdinand at the rags. Chelsea will struggle to replace Terry and haven't as yet found a replacement for Lampard or Drogba. Will we find a replacement for Kompany or Yaya or Silva or Aguero so easily. Maybe, maybe not, but to do it four or more times I think is close to impossible.

Deary me !

How long is 'sustainable' for you ?

We had 34 years of sustainability and won nowt ?

I don't think for one minute that our owner looks towards 5, 10, years dominance , rather dominance

At the moment we have gone backwards under the spafia and Pellegrini .

[nottsblue]

I reckon twenty years is a good enough number. More if possible, fifteen say if things don't go to plan.

I am not in disagreement here. My original point was to dominate for a long period would be very difficult to achieve. You then said the only reason the rags are not dominating any longer is because of the greed of the owners. Let us not forget they have spent hundreds of millions over the past three or four years yet are still way off the pace. Maybe they are not dominating because another team, ie City, have not only come to the party but have smashed the party?

[bigblue]

Sure, we've made progress off the field. But our play on the field has been overwhelmingly lacking any effort, desire, or cutting edge. Most uninspired play since the Shiek took over (especially considering how talented our squad is). We got a trophy but almost everyone besides Dinho has underperformed or been injured.

So it may be a season the ends up being an important transition period a few years from now. Maybe once Sterling, KDB, and the Otter settle in we'll get a big boost. But for the time being, it's been pretty demotivating to watch.

From a fans perspective living in the present: not a successful season. But hopefully a lull between successes.

[zuricity]

Sure, we've made progress off the field. But our play on the field has been overwhelmingly lacking any effort, desire, or cutting edge. Most uninspired play since the Shiek took over (especially considering how talented our squad is). We got a trophy but almost everyone besides Dinho has underperformed or been injured.

So it may be a season the ends up being an important transition period a few years from now. Maybe once Sterling, KDB, and the Otter settle in we'll get a big boost. But for the time being, it's been pretty demotivating to watch.

From a fans perspective living in the present: not a successful season. But hopefully a lull between successes.

Out of those three i can only see Pep keeping KdB.

[Wonderwall]

I completely agree with the success of the brand, the image, the accounts, its a billion miles from where we have been.

I think its a success on the field too, we won a cup, this is US, CITY, we have won a cup!! I am over the moon, I loved my day out at Wembley, maybe when Pep comes we will be feared and the etihad will once again become a fortress, however, 3 pots in 3 years is brilliant. Cheers Pellers

[nottsblue]

I completely agree with the success of the brand, the image, the accounts, its a billion miles from where we have been.

I think its a success on the field too, we won a cup, this is US, CITY, we have won a cup!! I am over the moon, I loved my day out at Wembley, maybe when Pep comes we will be feared and the etihad will once again become a fortress, however, 3 pots in 3 years is brilliant. Cheers Pellers

Exactly. Pot winning is what it is all about. We just have to be careful the plans in place deliver us more of them. The off field success will help in that regard as well

[DoomMerchant]

No matter what happens, I'll remember this season as the one where we should have won the Premiership at a canter and after 5 games we were huge odds-on to do so.

exactly....Vinnie got injured, we switched off, the Count was an old cunt and the season's been literally fucked since the media anointed us Champs in waiting.

We've fucking ballsed this league campaign up so badly. And we'll get trounced out of Europe soon. I wouldn't be surprised if we find a way to lose 4-1 to these cunts tomorrow. Who the fuck knows what to expect from us. I couldn't guess.

cheers

[bigblue]

Out of those three i can only see Pep keeping KdB.

You're insane if you think Pep would sell Raheem. Absolutely raving mad

And the Otter is a much better fit for Peps style of play the the Mangeler

--

What's just as crazy is how well we started the first 5 games. Looked like we were going to storm the league and do so in style. Sterling - Silva - Aguero - Navas looked on a whole different level. Then a yuge drop off.

The only thing that really changed was Pellers trying to shoehorn Kev into a team and formation that was working. But he probably didn't really have much of a choice after such a high profile signing.

[Im_Spartacus]

Most successful season ever? I assume this is some form of comedy.

I am serious.

To me if we can get 4th position or better in the PL, this will be our greatest season ever.
Because of the positioning/strategy success of our Club - Pep, CL progression, academy players coming through, global reach, football 'family', revenue, etc...

I would think this even if we had not won the LC and don't win any other trophy.
I am assuming this is how the owners/board view it as well.

I was wondering how other City football fans felt i.e. you guys.
How important is winning trophies short term compared to long term success.

BTW - the players attitude in the PL is appalling - they have let us down badly this season.

The board are so happy with this season that they have decided to bring in pep and get rid of the current inept cunt, hows that for perspective!

To even think this is our best ever season is beyond fuckign belief, fuckign mental , its actually our fuckign worse ever season up to now...the second WORST TEAM in the prem for taking points off...wait for it...not the top 4 teams...not the top 6 teams........BUT THE TOP FUCKIGN 10 TEAMS in the prem !!! Only fuckign Villa are worse than us...yet you think this is our greatest ever season!!!!

I take it if we get thumped by the Munchens and we are in the quarterfinals of the CL you will still think it's our greatest ever season!!!

You seriously need some fuckign treatment you do......fuckign nuts !!

Carl - you are re-enforcing my point.

One of the reasons the season is successful is because they are making that managerial change.
It should ensure players who don't put in a shift will be out the door pronto.
Leading to a better chance of winning trophies - in the long term.

To me success this season is not measured in trophies.
This season is a success (provided we get 4th or better in PL) because of the implementation/progress re sustained future success.

Its the positioning for future prolonged success that counts this season not beating MU this w/e.

'The Season' - as in a predefined period of time during which we play our football has been an unmitigated disaster from the premier league perspective. 'The Season' has absolutely no bearing on signing Pep, that deal was done many moons ago. 'The season' also has no bearing on having built a new stand.

I think you'd get much less criticism if you were to say, 'in the big scheme of things, whilst we've largely been fucking abject this season, there's a lot of things happened off the field recently that give cause for future optimism.'

Has it been our best ever season off the pitch? Maybe.......only time will tell, it probably doesn't beat 2008/9, but both the new stand and Pep have been many years in the planning.

[iwasthere2012]

I don't know how comparable this season is off-field, when looking at the importance to the club.
You could argue that the first title under Mancini was much more critical than even the double by Pellers.
But from a fans perspective, the football this season has been disappointing compared with both those seasons.
We had dips in form in both those seasons but rallied to get back to the scintillating football we had seen earlier each season.
This season we have no evidence to refer to, that would indicate the team are capable of rallying.
What's coming is coming regardless. I would suggest that better form on the field would only increase the speed at which it happens.
Current form is in danger of slowing the overall progress the OT seems to be referring to.
I can't wait for the season to be over and to start afresh.

[Tokyo Blue]

This team baffles me, it really does. On paper we should be challenging for the league year on year, we aint. We have been no where near good enough in the league for the past two season which I find shocking. Not a chance that this team is going to win 9 games on the bounce, never ever going to happen. Teams don't fear playing us and I feel some of our players are not up to competing with teams and putting in the hard graft.

We have turned into flat track bullies and we aint even that good at that. We struggled vs Norwich at home and then couldn't even have a shot on target at their place. They have the 2nd worst goals conceded record in the Premier. What a joke. Do we have a week mentality or can the players really not be arsed?? Are teams getting better or are we going backwards?There is so many questions that I don't know the answer too. But in reply to the OP, no its not, not even close. We are not good enough and should be ashamed of being so far behind Leicester City......fucking Leicester City (im still fuming from Saturday)

Sorry, but I am not having that. Their goalie made saves, one good one in particular from Aguero that was going across him. That was in the first half.

Didn't read your post past that, I'm afraid. It is bad enough having the media doing it, but when City fans start, it really is a bit silly.

[PeterParker]

Let's not turn into rags and act like they did with Van Louie and Moysey, two managers that won fuckall, while Pellers won three trophies and can still win two more (unlikely).

We are missing the point and I saw this the past days here on the forum. We are poiting fingers only at him, instead we should be looking at the players, the board and even Guardiola. The whole Pep saga imploded in our dressing room and fucked our season. The only moment they acted like proper players was the game with Scouse because it was a trophy on the table.

They lost all the concentration to focus on this season.

We can go on and on and blaiming Pellegrini who is indeed the number one responsible for this, BUT not the only one.

or


All of this is bollox and the reason we went to shit is KDB getting injured.

[bigblue]

All of this is bollox and the reason we went to shit is KDB getting injured.

He's a wonderful player, but as far as I remember, we originally went to shit when he finally arrived.

[DoomMerchant]

Let's not turn into rags and act like they did with Van Louie and Moysey, two managers that won fuckall, while Pellers won three trophies and can still win two more (unlikely).

We are missing the point and I saw this the past days here on the forum. We are poiting fingers only at him, instead we should be looking at the players, the board and even Guardiola. The whole Pep saga imploded in our dressing room and fucked our season. The only moment they acted like proper players was the game with Scouse because it was a trophy on the table.

They lost all the concentration to focus on this season.

We can go on and on and blaiming Pellegrini who is indeed the number one responsible for this, BUT not the only one.

or


All of this is bollox and the reason we went to shit is KDB getting injured.

KDB had been playing mostly like shit for a long while, and wasn't in amazing form after his first 6 weeks or so with us tbf, so i'd say the second thesis isn't easily proven.

cheers

[aaron bond]

All of this is bollox and the reason we went to shit is KDB getting injured.

He's a wonderful player, but as far as I remember, we originally went to shit when he finally arrived.

Yep - that's correct. KDB is a great player and I see him as the heir to Silva in the longer term. But our form turned after we tried to slot him into the side.

Our best performances this season have all been when we've played 2 wingers - in the first league games, Sevilla and Kiev away, and the League Cup final.

We've had a far better shape and attacked with lots of pace.

It's what we should be doing in the remaining games.