h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well, I don't think anyone saw that result coming. Proper toning. City have to be clear favourites for the title now, five points clear of united and with almost double the positive goal difference. I read somewhere that City have now scored more goals in the first nine games of this season than in the entire 2006/07 season.

For toning, read tonking. Damn the autocorrect on this thing. Even when I spell something right, it corrects it to something else as the thing I'm writing isn't in it's dictionary.

To be honest, if your name's at the top of it, I expect semi-gibberish anyway.

I'm more surprised that my kitchen worktop has scored at Ewood Park...

B

It does look like one of those results that are much more significant than the points won.

United have looked lightweight in central midfield for a while now. Perhaps today was them being eclipsed as the big dawgs of English football?

FB

I'm really torn on this.... I've never really forgiven Citeh for their behaviour over the Lescott transfer (although I don't think anyone involved except Lescott is still there, so maybe it's time to let that go). They don't seem a very graceful bunch, but their neither are Yernited.. a plague on both their houses...

But I'd think I'd take a big win for one over the other over a tight game.... at least there's someone to laugh at...

Given all the shit dealt out by the Scum fans in our office after they hammered us in the cup, and the abuse given to the sole Citeh fan all last week, I can't help but think tomorrow's going to be a brilliant day.

My boss is a united fan. Think I'll keep my head down tomorrow, not a day to be asking him for any favours! We also have a city fan on our team, who sits next to the boss. I'm sure she won't gloat at all...

I actually don't know on this one. Much as I hate united, the winner of the premier league is clearly more than ever becoming a 'whose wallet is bigger' contest which should really be something they should legislate against soon. Ferguson did at least achieve his success without oil wealth and took him several years.

And that's coming from a Liverpool fan.


Still, it would be nice if I could spend some time with my nearly-always crowing brother-in-law tomorrow

'nother City fan here...





Yeah, we've got money now, yeah we can buy pretty much whomever we want. So what? About bloody time.

" the winner of the premier league is clearly more than ever becoming a 'whose wallet is bigger' contest which should really be something they should legislate against soon"

I don't get the mindset which says it's fine for the Edwards' and the Walkers' of this world to buy success, but that it's suddenly despicable for Abramovich and Sheikh Whatsisface to do the same.

That reminds me of something Mourinho once said in response to people complaining about Chelsea spending loads of money.

It was along the lines of "Did Arsene Wenger not pay millions of pounds for his players? Was Henry a free transfer? Did he find Reyes wrapped up under the christmas tree?"

Point being, once you say its fine to spend millions of pounds signing players, why then say "Ah, but you shouldn't do it THAT MUCH"

Mr603's point about Jack Walker is good- Jack Walker bought the title. Brooks Mileson bought Gretna's success. When Gretna were a third division team, they were outbidding some SPL teams for players. Gretna got into the SPL, and into Europe, through that kind of financial doping, And yet the success of Blackburn is romanticised, and when Gretna qualified for Europe, a lot of the media coverage was of the "plucky little team achieve great success" ilk. Of course Gretna then went bust once he was too ill to keep bankrolling the club.

Because they were British millionaires buying titles. We can't have Russian, Arabic or American billionaires doing it, then its wrong.

Would someone like to point me to the moment where I said that it was OK for Walker to do it?

Don't put words in my mouth please. Or claim to know my mindset

It was your use of the phrase "now more than ever" that I think was incorrect when throughout the premier league era the teams who have won titles have had large amounts of money available. i don't think City doing it is any different to Walker, or as 60s pointed out, the massive fees Man Utd paid under Martin Edwards. (£35m for Ferdinand, £20+m for Rooney, c. £18m for v Nistelrooy. I wasn't saying you explicitly condoned Jack Walker, just that I don't think this is a new problem and that in the public perception, Jack Walker is not seen the same way as Sheikh Mansour or Roman Abramovich, even though his was really the blueprint for what the Sheikh has done.

Well I think there is a difference to be honest between now and then. There is a fairly major difference between being rich and having essentially limitless wealth. But I certainly don't think it should really be regarded as all that impressive back then either and I never said so.

But that is not what I meant anyway. The two truly successful teams who have dominated english football over the last 40 years or so did not do it through having a massively rich benefactor out of the blue. Both did it through having massively talented managers and of course a big fan base that certainly helped with funds. Money is an inescapable factor of course but I'm saddened by it becoming more or less the *only* thing. Ferguson has shown his mettle really in combating the wealth of Abrahmovic so successfully the last few years.

Easy to celebrate this but frankly I'm rather underwhelmed. Massive billionaire achieves soccer success shocker.

I'm rather surprised with myself that I'm somewhat on ManUre's side a little bit here.

I'm rather surprised with myself that I'm somewhat on ManUre's side a little bit here."

Feels slightly dirty when that happens, doesn't it?

ick

I have got such an irrational and all consuming hatred of United that even if they were playing a team of Evil people. Featuring in their line up Pol Pot, Stalin, Hitler, Ivan the Terrible and George Lucas I would still be cheering on the evil guys. (though I reserve the right to boo George Lucas throughout)

Honestly I don't think it owuld be possible for me to hate Citeh more unless they get so rich they are able to go back in time and always win during my formative years!

FB

"My boss is a united fan. Think I'll keep my head down tomorrow, not a day to be asking him for any favours! We also have a city fan on our team, who sits next to the boss. I'm sure she won't gloat at all..."

Better to ask him this week than after you beat them next weekend though

Sure, money always counted, but is that how we want football to be run ?

What will happen when the clubs are buying up every promising teenager in the country, under the new academy rules, and having squads of 60 players.

Will they ask for the right to have a second team in the league to give there "home-grown talent" a chance to play first team football ? Will big clubs adopt smaller teams so that for example Crewe become Liverpool Juniors ?