Quote Originally Posted by redgunamo View Post
Yes. "Business" being the keyword; we are a business that must turn a profit. We must answer to a board and justify our spending based on commercial returns.

Unlike Abu Dhabi for whom Manchester City is part of a nation-branding project where the "profit" is global influence. They will always be willing to pay a premium that a standard commercial company, like our Emirates (Dubai) and even the Kroenkes, would find it hard to explain. It's a sort of proxy war for soft power and influence between two emirates within the same country being fought out in the Premier League. They battle each other hard, but not too hard as that would damage the country itself.

In this context, not good enough simply means "Very good but not good enough to beat Manchester City". Otherwise we're the very best around.

We cannot beat them. We must just hope to be able to take advantage when they are ****, as you suggested. Like this season, in fact. As for the players, well; none of this explains why our centre forward cannot control a football or why our full backs seem to freeze whenever they are required to take a throw-in. But we have to at least try to look as if we're trying
Too often it doesn't look as though we are trying. Sometimes it doesn't even look as though we are trying to look as though we are trying.

But you are right- our role is to pounce when they are ****. That was last season- we failed. And now this season- and we are stalling.

Two great chances to win the league after two seasons where we almost looked good enough to beat them when they were good.

We seem to have mastered the art of doing not quite enough.