“We have no right to win matches, to win leagues, to win cup competitions consistently.” Absolutely spot on Zee – this is the point that a lot of Man U supporters find hard to grasp, and ultimately shows them up as complete plastics.

Given the quality of your squad and size of the club it’s only a matter of time before you’re back up there challenging for the title. Whether that’s going to be this year or not is hard to tell. You’re already off the pace, but the quality of the top 6 this year might prove to be to your advantage if everyone’s taking points off each other. From a neutral’s perspective I hope they pick up just to make the battle for the top 4 more interesting.

I’m very much in the “couldn’t give a toss camp”. I love the World Cup and will always support my team, but the farcical bidding process has really ruined the idea of the 18/22 tournaments for me. Until FIFA receive their much needed enema I won’t be supporting their tournaments.

Seriously? If you’re going to be pedantic why not be precious about the use of ‘United’ too?

The FFP was created by UEFA (not your cartel) to prevent irresponsible financial management and ensure clubs don’t spend more than they earn.. Hopefully stopping situations like Portsmouth’s from happening again.14 PL clubs ratified the FFP rules (excluding Man CIty) so I’m not sure where your ‘big club’ conspiracy theory comes from.

My point was that despite a lull in performance (in the CL) United still managed to post a record profit. Fortunately for United they’re not as reliant on CL money as other teams because of their incredible commercial revenue stream and match day income. That’s not to say a dip in form wouldn’t affect that revenue, just that their massive supporter base would keep their profits comparatively high.

The incoming FFP rules are also going to be to Manchester’s benefit, at least more so than the likes of CIty/Chelsea. So the only disastrous situation I can see for United is if they were to miss out on a CL place – definitely possible considering the standard of this years competition, but not that likely. I just can’t see them in a situation where they would be forced to sell players/stop debt repayments.

Fair points Ian, but do you think they would have realistically been challenging the likes of Bayern, Barca and Real this year anyway, even with a stellar transfer market?

They’ve been knocked out in the group stages and the round of 16 in the past 2 years (hardly amazing feats) but still managed to make a record profit for the 12/13 season. Given their group it would be a pretty big shock if they didn’t at least equal last years progression.

Absolutely with Towser on this one – my heart bleeds for those ‘fans’ that have had such a tough time of it in the first month of the season. I mean seriously, get some perspective. So you were outplayed by a quality team – boohoo. Man Utd’s start has been average by their standards, but hardly a disaster by any means. This is still the team that romped to the title last year and a mediocre transfer window isn’t going to change that.

Your pot shots at Moyes are ridiculous, and frankly embarrassing. He did a remarkable job at Everton, building a fantastic squad on a nothing budget and managing to keep them up there with the big boys for most of his tenure. Try doing what the majority of football fans do and have some patience with your team and manager or go ahead and jump ship with the other plastics.

I’m sure it would. But it’s that kind of lovely rhetoric that FIFA will no doubt push out over the next decade while ignoring the social/cultural issues that make Qatar’s bid a joke.

Is this a joke? The Middle East deserves a World Cup because a bunch of billionaires have poured money into there own personal play things?

Ignoring the farce that was the bidding process and the current embarrassment in regards to scheduling, the most shameful aspect of the whole affair is that FIFA has given the World Cup to a country with such an abhorrent view on certain human rights. But who cares right, because this isn’t a tournament for the people, it’s just a game of pocket lining and Qatar obviously had the skills to win.

Some spot on predictions there Dan.

Always look forward to getting up early to watch the CL on SBS and this years competition just seems to have so many quality teams. Obviously there are the favourites in Bayern, Barca and Real but there also sides in Dortmund, PSG, Athletico, along with the Italian/Portuguese/English teams that could easily cause upsets/take the title themselves. And that’s without mentioning a swathe of other great teams. There just seems to be more and more depth to the competition.

“…I mean who really cares about a team that plays half way across the world?”. This is what I have an issue with Legro. That kind of mentality either stems from ignorance or the kind of parochialism that will only serve to alienate certain parts of the footballing community.

I wasn’t accusing you personally of being vitriolic.

Agree with you Jukes. There’s so much to be said for the A-League and so much it offers supporters which can’t be offered by European football. However, the vitriol bandied about by some of the ‘A-League or nothing’ fans does nothing to bring others to the game here.

Hate to dive into this argument time after time, but there are plenty of people who care deeply about teams on the other side of the world. Supporters that were following their teams long before the A-League’s inception.

Top 5.. as in national team? In the world?

Unless we were to have a tremendous surge in talent or the Australian sporting landscape dramatically changed in favour of football this would almost certainly never happen. Realistically we should be aiming to cement a place in the top 20 (if rankings are your thing) and more importantly to challenge beyond the group stages in the World Cup. Anything more would be amazing for a country our size with a talent pool weakened by four competitive codes.

Might as well ask to join UEFA – just as unrealistic as CONMEBOL.

Interesting article Daniel. Obviously the exchange between Archie and Neymar is nothing more than banter, still, I like the idea of Archie winding up the petulant sod.

As for your main question “Why watch the A-League when I can watch European football?”.. The A-League is likely never going to compete skill/player wise with the top European leagues in the same way that European football will never be able to offer a live match day experience/realistic viewing times to Australian fans. For these reasons the two shouldn’t be competing.

Fair questions.

I was born there, but grew up over here. I’m a 4th generation supporter and my family have generally been from the East End until very recently. Been a fan since I was about 7.

Went to a few SFC and Wanderers games last year and have actually bought a season ticket for the first time. As for watching, I don’t have fox but I do stream games when I’m at home.

Honestly, I have nothing against the A-League. In fact I enjoy watching it and have tried (semi-successfully) to get friends into it. My issue is with people (mostly on this site) that seem to take offense at the idea that there are other football fans in Australia that don’t follow the A-League as their number one league.

I did, and I agree that he certainly had moments of brilliance but he was also anonymous in so many games. Fact is he only started in 12 league games last year so you can hardly suggest he was the main force behind United’s title victory. If you want to highlight any midfielder it has to be Carrick.

Agreed, live football’s great. I’ve enjoyed the A-League games I’ve been to and even bought my first season ticket this year.

However, it’s nowhere near as enjoyable (personally) as watching my team on a dodgy stream at 2am. Honestly it’s always going to be down to where your heart lies as a fan.

Ryan Giggs hardly runs rings around anyone anymore. No comparison between him and ADP. Your comparing someone who’s essentially now a squad player to the spearhead of Sydney’s attack.

I’m sorry, but these articles just reek of hypocrisy. Criticizing those that criticize the A-League.. it’s just a redundant line of argument.

It seems as though many on this site have a thinly veiled hostility toward anything non-A league and love to group those football fans under the ‘euro snob’ banner.

At the end of the day people are either real football fans, or plastics. Does it matter if they prefer the A-League or the Premier League? No it doesn’t. Personally I prefer watching the European leagues because in my opinion the skill level is higher and more entertaining. It’s because my heart belongs to an English team and always will.

The beauty of football is it’s diversity and global scope – traits that most other sports could only dream to have. Focus on the aspects of the game you love and let others do the same instead of getting bogged down in parochialism.

How was joining Man Utd not smart? He took a once in a lifetime opportunity to manage one of the best clubs in the world. No offence to Everton, but how much more would he have realistically been able to do at the club, even with the fantastic team they’ve got?

As for being in Fergie’s shadow – how could he not? No manager in the world could have taken the role without being in the shadow of a man that’s been at the club for over 25 years and won so much.

Agreed.

If the fans on George St are anything to go by it’s definitely a game for the plastics. Much more interested in the North London derby tbh – at least it’s between two teams that have a realistic chance of finishing above each other.

While I agree with your overarching message in regards to the excessive hype and exaggeration stirred up by the media, Arsenal rarely does itself any favours.

1. The penalty was contentious. Watching Shearer’s analysis on MotD he highlights the fact that Koscielny clips Agbonlahor’s back foot with his knee before he touches the ball. Even if you don’t agree with that you can hardly blame the ref from that angle and distance – it’s not a howler by any means. On top of that Arsenal were completely at fault for the 3rd Villa goal with some atrocious positioning.

2. Arsenal came into this transfer market with a statement of intent. They had cash to splash and made it abundantly clear they were going to reinforce their squad. Despite this they’ve practically done nothing, so you can hardly blame the media for getting on their backs, especially when fans are crying out in frustration. Meanwhile their major rivals are bringing in some seriously impressive players, I mean the disparity between themselves and Tottenham is amazing.

3. I admire Arsene’s desire to bring in youth and to fight against the enormously inflated prices being touted for players. Morally he’s probably spot on, but morals don’t bring in players. He’s being naive if he thinks he can go alone against the tide and underbid for players (like Cabaye) and expect results. For that I have no sympathy. Now the club have got themselves in to a position in the latter stages on the transfer market where other clubs aren’t going to sell without receiving silly offers – and can you blame then?

Thanks for the reply Darby.

Interesting perspective in regards to international football and feelings of connection. Ultimately I think it comes down to who you are as a supporter. My love for the England national team has waned since the 2006 World Cup. It just feels like an ongoing soap opera of mediocrity and despair played out by the same players, with their same ego’s year after year. No change in style. Players seemingly picked by club not form.. It just gets tiresome really. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll always support the three lions, it’s just my loyalty now sits strongly with my club team and I think that’s a consensus shared by many English fans.

I know that my club, like many other teams throughout the 4 tiers, still have very strong ties to England. We have an English manager and owners. Our captain is English, more than half our starting line up are from the home countries and we have an academy that’s renowned for producing English internationals. I can’t imagine the same can be said for some of the other teams in the league that are increasingly more international than anything else. Perhaps it’s for this reason that it’s easier to lose interest in the national team – knowing that the club still has its roots in the English game.

I know it’s hard for some to look below the clouds at the other 14 teams in the league, but it isn’t half boring reading analysis on the same 6 teams over and over again. Without the rest of us you wouldn’t have a PL to play in.

Will Bale go or stay? Same for Rooney. Same for Suarez. I mean come on, they haven’t even left their respective clubs yet it’s all that some people can talk about. What about Southamptons record signing? Or the great game between Norwich and Everton? Why is all the focus on Wenger and not on an Aston Villa side that did a great job away from home. How about some analysis on Hull and Crystal Palace’s commendable performances this weekend?

As Towser says, there’s also 3 highly competive, entertaining leagues below that barely get a look in.

This pains me a bit to say, but write off Tottenham at your peril this year. While they might not quite make it to the summit they’ll certainly be far more of a threat than last year, especially if they hang on to Bale (which it looks like they will).