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Mike_CFC wrote:

>>


Is ANY Premiership club really a "fans' club" any more though, Mike?

Strikes me that "fans" have for years now been regarded simply as nothing more than "customers" by most clubs. I'd even go as far as to say that as far as football's moneymen are concerned, fans are just a "necessary evil".

Because the only things that seem to count these days to the people who run the the clubs (and the game) are satellite TV deals, advertising, corporate sponsorship, brand marketing, image etc. etc.

In other words generating as much filthy lucre as possible - which means milking the customers (sorry - errr ... fans) for every last penny they can screw out of them.

Yes, clubs need to generate a healthy profit to remain viable and competitive - but that's always been the case. It's nothing new.

Nowadays though it's all about greed and "brand football", pure and simple. And when you have a situation like the one we seem to have now when there are more ManUre fans in the Home Counties than in Manchester, and more Chelsea fans in Hong Kong than in West London, something's seriously fucked up.

Personally I find it hard to take seriously as a true fan anyone claiming to "support" any club apart from their home-town club (by which I mean a club from the town or city where they were born and / or grew up in and / or live). To me, these folk are just bandwagon-jumpers.

- Eric

If Mancini doesn't get the job I will be amazed. An Italian journalist on Sky Sports a week or so ago said the only stumbling block would be that Mancini wouldn't work with ten Cate. The next day he was gone!

Although apparently Rijkaard also had the same concerns having worked with ten Cate before.

My money is still on Mancini

Well Eric,i was born in Chelsea Westminister hospital(formerly known as St Stephens),and i used to live off North End Road Market(a stone throw away from The Bridge),and have supported The Blues since 1984.

I now live near Heathrow Airport.Does that mean that i should now support Staines Town or Brentford?

But i do agree with you regarding the 'bandwagon jumpers' and tourist fans.Flat_Eric wrote:

> Mike_CFC wrote:
>
> of Chelsea Football Club as a 'fans' club.>>>
>
>
> Is ANY Premiership club really a "fans' club" any more though,
> Mike?
>
> Strikes me that "fans" have for years now been regarded simply
> as nothing more than "customers" by most clubs. I'd even go as
> far as to say that as far as football's moneymen are concerned,
> fans are just a "necessary evil".
>
> Because the only things that seem to count these days to the
> people who run the the clubs (and the game) are satellite TV
> deals, advertising, corporate sponsorship, brand marketing,
> image etc. etc.
>
> In other words generating as much filthy lucre as possible -
> which means milking the customers (sorry - errr ... fans) for
> every last penny they can screw out of them.
>
> Yes, clubs need to generate a healthy profit to remain viable
> and competitive - but that's always been the case. It's nothing
> new.
>
> Nowadays though it's all about greed and "brand football", pure
> and simple. And when you have a situation like the one we seem
> to have now when there are more ManUre fans in the Home
> Counties than in Manchester, and more Chelsea fans in Hong Kong
> than in West London, something's seriously fucked up.
>
> Personally I find it hard to take seriously as a true fan
> anyone claiming to "support" any club apart from their
> home-town club (by which I mean a club from the town or city
> where they were born and / or grew up in and / or live). To me,
> these folk are just bandwagon-jumpers.
>
> - Eric
>
>

It is very frustrating, Mike.

I can fully understand that it's not an appointment that can be rushed into (Grant being a prime example!!!)... on the other hand, the longer it takes to make the appointment, the greater the risk of losing key players (though I'd be happy to see the back of Cashley) and missing out on bringing in new players to strengthen the squad where it still needs tweaking.

The longer it takes to announce the new manager, the more it seems RA is after someone like Scolari who won't decide until after Euro 2008

When Blackburn announced they had allowed Man City to talk to Hughes, I was really hoping for a similar announcement to say Chelsea had also made an approach. The silence in that regard means that Kenyon isn't being listened to, which means Arnesen might be (he wants Rijkaard).

With both Deschamps and Mancini "free agents" it's difficult to tell if they have been approached, but if they have, what could be dragging out any possible negotiations that stops a quick announcement being made? On that basis, are we to rule them out of the running too?

Ancelotti is a harder one to fathom out. AC Milan say Chelsea asked them for permission to speak to him and refused, Chelsea say they've not asked any club permission as yet. Ancelotti then denied meeting RA in Paris the other day (but never mentioned a reported possible meeting at around the time of the Champions League final, supposedly to sound out Ancelotti on who would be a good choice to replace Grant)

The problem with so many rumours flying about is that it makes it difficult to sort out those stories with a grain of truth from those that are just made up to fill column inches.

Mike_CFC wrote:

I now live near Heathrow Airport. Does that mean that i should now support Staines Town or Brentford?


Not at all Mike. Like I said:

>>

What I was referring to was people like these Surrey twats who claim to "support" the likes of ManUre and Liverpool purely because of these clubs' success and not through any genuine affinity.

When I was at school in Sheffield back in the '70s, a lot of us supported either Wednesday or United, but a good half twattishly professed to "support" either Liverpool or Leeds - the two most successful teams of the day.

In the late '70s, a few even switched allegiance to Forest - purely as a result of Forest having that purple patch in the '78-'80 period.

But that was '70s schoolboys, and because at that age you don't really know any better and there's all that peer pressure bollocks, it was excusable to a degree (but only to a degree).

Now though, since "brand football" arrived with the Premiership in the '90s, football "glory-hunting" is a much more widespread phenomenon, it's not just schoolkids any more.

- Eric

Very true Bob.I think we should get Tony Cascarino as our boss !laugh!

Remember the song?

"We don't need another hero"
"We've got Tony Cascarino"

Hi Mike, do you see Mourinho landing any of the Chelsea players as has been rumoured in the press?

abit like this years gold cup this seems to be a two horse race. at least mancini has played in the prem although 8 or so games for leicester may not count !laugh!

Lucifer Sam wrote:

> Hi Mike, do you see Mourinho landing any of the Chelsea players
> as has been rumoured in the press?


I'm sure Mike has his own ideas, but as a fellow Chelsea fan, this is what I think...

If given the chance Drogba would go.
Lampard may, if Chelsea don't give him the ?130,00 + a week he seems to be wanting.
Mourinho would possibly also like Essien, but Chelsea wouldn't sell him, and, according to some papers Ashley Cole (he's welcome to the cunt).
He'd be a fool not to want Carvalho. Chelsea would be even bigger fools to let Carvalho go. Given the chance of playing under Mourinho at a third club (and in a division whose pace is slower and would therefore suit him even better... not that he's slow, but he is now just 30) he would be another tempted to leave.



HOWEVER... Inter's president has already said that he doesn't want to see too many changes made to an already succesful side, and in obvious obeyance of those thoughts, Mourinho himself said he didn't think he'd be buying more than 2 or 3 players.

Inter already have 6 good centre backs in Ivan Cordoba (vice captain), Walter Samuel, Nicolas Burdisso and Marco Materazzi, so maybe Carvalho isn't on his list (no matter what the papers say), and if Mourinho wants them to play his favoured 4-3-3, is Drogba really necessary when you already have Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz, with Adriano as back up once he returns from Brazil?

If anything, Inter need a right back for the long term to replace the ageing Javier Zanetti (who is the club captain) and as back up to Maicon, and a strong central midfielder as a long term replacement for Patrick Vierra.

Sorry, I really shouldn't type when tired and no lights on... the sentance should read

"Inter already have 4 good centre backs in Ivan Cordoba (vice captain), Walter Samuel, Nicolas Burdisso and Marco Materazzi..."


Why can't we have an EDIT function?????