Opposition View: Manchester City, with David Mooney from Blue Moon Podcast

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Now are you're liais. You are listening to the We are West End podcast.

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You are listening to the We are West End podcast. Opposition View with me, Will Pugh PERSON. First one for a couple of weeks. I'm very sorry about that. We've explained a previous podcast, why I haven't been able to deliver it, but I'm delighted to say that David Mooney from the Blue Moon ORG podcastjoins us ahead of another game against Manchester City on the final day of the season and yet another occasion when actually lots and lots of West Ham ORG fans, and don't get all shouty with me if you're not one of those, lots and lots of West Ham ORG fans don't particularly want to win. It seems to have baffled a minority of pundits and even beloved Tottenham's manager and Shposter Coglu PERSON the other night that actually teams of certain football teamsreally, really don't like others and that when their own seasons are over, their allegiances switch and they care more about their rivals losing rather their own team winning. I don't really understandwhy that's so lost on a couple of people. But it appears that it is, Dave, it's great to have you with us

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on the We are Westdale ORG podcast. Great win over Tottenham on Chew on Chish of people. But it appears that it is. Dave, it's great to have you with us on the We are Westdale podcast. Great win over Tottenham on Tuesday. Half the stadium,

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despite being a way game, was cheering for City ORG. You managed to get over the line to leave yourself in the driving seat.

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I tell you what, it didn't, when Sun ran clean through on 87 minutes, it didn't feel like a lot of the stadium was on our side at that point, but, you know.

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No, quite, quite. But obviously, just a sort of a bit of context. If anyone doesn't know, I don't know where they've been, but obviously you're in the driving seat now, win against West Ham ORG. On the final day, we'll secure a record fourthPremier League ORG title for your beloved city, I suppose, and of course, in the same breath, denying Arsenal ORG. I must admit, I was guilty of just sort of not really engaging with any conversations with people who were seriously suggesting Arsenal ORG were in the title race. I was like, well, you know what they're like, they'll just do what they did last season. They'll fall away and City were clearly and objectively better will go on to win it. Liverpool were two weeks, particularly with the injuries. So the fact it is actuallygoing down to the last game of the season is a surprise to me. But before we get into the nuts and bolts of all that, what do you make of all of this recently where, you know, Tottenham ORG fans cheering or some Tottenham fans cheering for Men's City, most West Ham ORG, I know, more than happy to roll over on the last game of the season because we've got nothing to play for. I know you're rarely in that situation anymore with your club, but what have you made of all of that?

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And particularly some of the, you know, criticism and fury that it's been met with by some pundits

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and Angiosposter Cogli PERSON.

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Yeah, I get it entirely because, you know, I grew up in an era where United won the title every other season anyway. And it was like a good season for Citi was taking some points off United ORG and them not winning the title. That's how, like, that's how I grew up. So the idea that, like, I think the thing with Postercoggle PERSON,I found his press conference after the game a little bit. If I was a Spurs ORG fan, I'd have been a bit annoyed by that. Partly because, like, I get it from his point of view. From his point of view, he wants the staff and everybody inside the club to be buying into winning that game.

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I don't think anybody who watched it would go that Tottenham ORG would try not to win the game because I actually think over the course of 90 minutes, Tottenham ORG probably marginally the better sides. I mean, Cities ORG, when you look at the expected goal, Cities is better, but I think largely because Harlan PERSON's chance that he scored was something like 0.93 XG for that one chance.So there is, I think on balance of play, I think Tottenham ORG were well in the game. And I actually think, like, Posterclawful PERSON, who should focus on that for what he's done afterwards, because for the fans, it's understandably a very, very weird night. It happened a few years ago with Citi and Everton ORG. City went to Goodison with, I think, two games left. And an Everton win would put Liverpool ORG in the driving seat for the title,and they didn't want to do that. And then Ross Barclay PERSON scored and opened the scoring.

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And the mood in the ground was just very odd, because they didn't really know whether they should celebrate it.

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But Everton ORG clearly still wanted to win the game, and still were trying to win the game. And I think there has to be a differentiation between what fans want and what fans engage with and how fans are and what managers and players want.

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And like it's fully, it's fully fine, I think, for Poster Coglu PERSON to say, like, there were staff in this place that wanted us to lose and that isn't on.

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Absolutely fine.

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As soon as that crosses over into saying, I don't understand why the fans would want us to not win this game. All of a sudden, I think it's like, it's like, come on, you need to, you need to surely you understand what football rivalries are. Most of us,

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like, oh, you need counselling. And it's like, come on, mate.

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What you're using such inflammatory language for us? Like, get

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on board with the people who support your club

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and pay money to go and watch them. That's what they care about. It's why I'm beyond the realms of normalcy, is it? I'm incredibly fortunate as a city fan to have enjoyed the football and the success that I've enjoyed over the last 10, 12 years or so. But most football fans don't get that. Most football fans go through their entire life without seeing their team win anything. So, of course, we all become really petty and small-minded. And, like, you want-

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Take what you can.

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Yeah, you want your rivals to not have that enjoyment as well. That's how it works. So, I mean, I fully get, like, if Spurs had won on Tuesday night, like, Arsenal fans would obviously be singing that they won the title at White Hat Lane FAC or whatever it is that they'd be singing. So like that's the sort of thing we do. And I think that's, I don't ever think that should be lost.I think like we're always told, I mean, it's increasingly obvious that it's not true. But we're always told that the fans are the lifeblood of the game. And as ticket prices go up and as it becomes harder to get to games, and as they move kickoff times, left right and center to make, you know, away games really difficult for certain sets of fans, this is just another one of those things in that ladder that says,

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actually the people that are at the top of the game don't really get what it's like to be a fan anymore. No, and it's weird with Poster Coghular PERSON, because, look, it's easy to say now, and this isn't a case of sort of told you so, whatever, but I just felt you could just see what's going to happen. When he comes in, he steams in and it's all this, oh, breath of fresh air, oh, he's a genius, oh, you know, we'll be playing this way for as long as I'm here, mate, don't you worry about it? And then it's like, all right, fine.Like, okay, fair enough. But you could tell it at a shelf life and you just know that if they again next season, don't get in the Champions League ORG, where they previously have, right, you know that the fans will grow increasingly happy. He seems to already be growing a little bit grumpy, like the gloss on the old, like PR sheen that he's painted on himselfas he's come in seems to be wearing thin already. And you just think that one there is such an easy win. It's just like you don't have to be so inflammatory. I know it's part of his character, but you can just say, listen, mate, like everyone who gets paid a penny in salaryby Tottenham Hotspur Football Club ORG, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear it. That's not what you're here for. We're still got European, like, we could still get in the Champions League ORG, you know, if we win the game, if they had to beat City and Villa, who did obviously lose to Liverpool ORG,it would have still been on. I totally get that, and that's what we're going for. That's what I'm paid to do. But, look, the rivalry predates my arrival at this club. I'm not going to tell fans how to feel.

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Quite exactly. Yeah. I'd hope that everyone in the ground is cheering on Tottenham ORG because it's big for us.

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But, you know, I'm sure Arsenal ORG fans have been in the same position where they'd hate to see us win the title. And hopefully, you know, we'll be out to put them in that position over the next couple of years. It's such an easy one to swat away whilst maintaining your connection with the fans or whatever. It just seemed an odd hill to die on. But on that note, I don't know if I'm going to get.

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On that note, pos none in the away end. It's on Sunday.

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If it all goes well.

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Yeah, quite.

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I mean, like I've sort of, I've said this many a time and the listeners to this podcast will have heard this from me before that West Ham and Man City ORG have got this affinity anyway. I certainly feel it. Thanks in no small part to my very successful career with them on Pro Evolution Soccer 6 PRODUCT when I was a young kid.But, you know, I just, my stance on it all, it's such an easy one that you must have had to bat away plenty of times to criticize City ORG with is, oh, the money, are you owned by an oil rich state, it's unfair, distorts competition. Yep, all those things are true, fine. But what my stance on City ORG is, is that the fans is not their fault. No one voted.No Man City ORG fans voted. They're proper, proper fan. You get 25, 30,000 people in the fourth tier of English NORP football. Like, whenever you city win a title, they're the ones I'm happy for. I'm happy for those. I appreciate you.You'll have an element of tourists and new era fans and all that sort of stuff. But I'm happy for those people who are around my age and older who've spent their hard-earned time and money watching crap average football I have for most of my life. So, you know, I think weirdly these people who crow that football's about the fans soon forget about them when they reduce the Man City ORG argument to the money.

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Because it's like, well, it's not about the fans in, is he? It's not the fans fault. And it's funny because, so all of that is true. And that isn't to say that I don't think there shouldn't, that I, I've got my self twisted up in negatives here now, but there should definitely be conversations about club ownership and,

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and the sports washing element. Money distorts competition. We don't need to debate that.

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But at the same time, as you say, it's like, I don't, I'm not qualified to have those discussions anymore. I used to have them and I used to try and get involved with them. But actually, what it turns out is that I like City ORG winning things and that

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my position on it. And in terms of kind of any other fan base, had it been any other club that Sheikh Mansour and the Abu Dhabi United Group took over back in the day, the conversations would still be, still need to be had about sports washing and about the influence of, I mean, you'll find city fans who kind of get hung up on whether city estate owned or not, and I don't really care whether they are or not. It doesn't change whether city have the power

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that they have. Your owners have loads of money. It's kind of, it kind of doesn't really matter.

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But I understand that some people get hung up on that.

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And at the same time, like, that needs to be talked about in football.

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And if it was West Ham that had it, if it was Akrins and Stanley PERSON that had it and wherever

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things went and kind of whoever became the dominant force because of it, those

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conversations were still need to be had.

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But at the same time, as you say, like, would you, would you turn down the opportunity as any fan of any club to, to start winning everything that you've ever dreamed of? I've seen, I'm in the unique position. And it's the only way to do it now, isn't it?Let's be honest.

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Yeah, I mean, it was the only way to do it. I often,

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oh, Lester, it's like, that's a flash in the pan. To do it,

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like a sustained period, you can't, you can't get it away. Yeah. I often wonder if City are the last title winners back in uh the 60s who were able to kind of just buy a few good players in in the second division and kind of build a squad and then get up to it to the first division because you look at the the kind of the eras that followed and you talk about Liverpool in the 70s outspent everybody else

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United in the 90s outspent everybody else and like like burn outspent everybody else you look at I mean it's such a birdie thing to do to say this about United ORG but you look at how United originally got their their platform and there was there was very little between City ORG and

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United ORG in the early 90s city spent their their money badly, and United spent it well. And that was how the two ended up kind of where they were at the end of the 90s. And when...

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Because the Fergie PERSON effect helped.

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Yeah, when Ferguson came in and they spent the money that they did in the early days of his reign, they hadn't won anything for a long while. And I can't remember if they broke the British transfer record several times off. They came close to it. But they certainly had the most expensively assembled squad for the time. They won the title at the right time.And they won, you know, the prize money had never been better. And suddenly they had a platform to build on. And they used it, I mean, through gritted teeth from my side, really, really well throughout the 90s and North.

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And I accept that city's money gets them into the position where they are now. I also think at the same time, you can't underestimate the value of the work that people like Guardiola PERSON have done. Because when you look at Mancini, you look at Pellegrini PERSON, they both had access to the same amount of funds

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and the same resources that Gwardiola PERSON's had, and they've produced nothing of the sort like what Gwadiola PERSON has done. He is a freak for just what he gets the players to do and how they do it.

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I've never seen anything like it, and I don't think we ever will see anything like it in the years that follow. And what that's, what kind of, I think that distorts the argument as well. Because I also think when Guardiola leaves, I think City ORG are not as, as dominant as they have been.

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No, they're probably like a Liverpool, like a, you know, maybe even an Arsenal ORG.

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Just, they'll be in the midst, obviously.

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Yeah. People forget that before Guardiola arrived, City ORG didn't win, city had won the title in 2014. He arrived in 2016 and then they won it in 2018. So it was four years where somebody else had won the title. Did you cope?

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I know, exactly. It was awful. One of the worst times of my life. And, you know, it's one of those dreadful eras. But it, but it like, you poor lamb.

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You do talk about, I mean, I was talking to James for Blue Moon in the week.

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And I absolutely get kind of the difference between being on the inside and being on the outside. Because you look at City from the outside in those four years. And you're absolutely right. It's like, check your privilege, mate, because like your privileges that you're finishing in the top four every year. And you're seeing Champions League football year on year. But we were all moaning because Pellegrini's City ORG were actuallynot getting anywhere near winning the title and they'd spent a lot of money and like the

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objective. They were closer than Pellegrini's West End LOC were to be better. Well, exactly, yeah.

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But like the idea was that, you know, you've invested in this team. Why are you in fourth place? Hey, it's Kaylee Cuoco for Priceline ORG.

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Ready to go to your happy place for a happy price? Well, why didn't you say so? Just download the Priceline ORG app right now and save up to 60% on hotels. So whether it's Cousin Kevin's Kazoo concert in Kansas City, go Kevin PERSON,or Becky's Bachelorette Bash in Bermuda GPE. You never have to miss a trip ever again. So download the Priceline app today. Your savings are waiting.

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Go to your happy place for a happy price. Go to your happy price, price line. Head of Manchester United

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in 5th on goal difference alone. They're a laughing stock and we're ahead of them on goal difference and that's it. And you've in the summer you brought in Sterling PERSON and DeBreiner and like you've got Aguero PERSON, David Silver, Yagatore PERSON. These are players that should be doing better.And then Pep PERSON comes in and goes, you know what, lads, I got this, don't worry. Yeah, yeah.

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So, like, and you kind of look at it from the West Ham ORG point of view.

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From the outside, a lot of people will say, why is everybody upset with the way this season's gone? David Moyes has done a great job at West Ham ORG. He's one of European NORP trophies.

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I'm saying it on the inside as well. Yeah. But, yeah. He's one of European NORP trophies, you know, more points than ever. It's a top half finish, that sort of thing. And at the same time, I can also go, you know what?I understand because, you know, how many times have you won in 2024? How's the football been? That what does it mean to be a fan and how do you feel as a fan?

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Actually, if it's not going that well on the pitch, you can talk about Pellegrini's League and Cup double with City ORG, but actually two years later, they're really wimping out of this challenge. And the football isn't that great.

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So actually, I'm ready for a change. It's like, it's absolutely fine to look at those things with kind of like both viewpoints. And I think from the outside, that gets forgotten sometimes. I think you're totally right. It's just like I find that with literally everything in society,but every single thing has an element of one or more elements to it.

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Every single argument, I know social media just polarises everything.

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And you're either moise in, you're moise out, you're even labour or conservative, you're either this or that, you know, you can be moise out right now and still

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think he's a club legend. That's how it works. Well, that's, that's what James, that's James's

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stance, yeah. But I just, I just find that, and it's almost like you're almost looked at

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a bit weird if you don't take a boldly stunt, like really strong stance on anything. weird if you don't take a boldly stunt, like really strong stance on anything. Like with the city situation, I just look at it as in, well, you've got, like, it's, it's undeniable that the financial injection had an input on your success. There is also undeniable, and I think this is undeniable, that there isn't an element of it, the lack of organic growth. And when you mention United ORG there, I get it to their big spenders.It feels more, what they did feels and felt more organic than what City and Chelsea ORG did, right? Chelsea first, then City ORG. That's why football fans have got a particular problem. Not me particularly, because again, I understand.

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But there is an element of like it lacks organic, which is why people are more inclined to go, it's a bit more manufactured than perhaps a United ORG or. I totally understand that. And I, because I remember what it felt like as a city fan, as a mid-table Premier League side, watching Chelsea ORG get the takeover and kind of how they built up and

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everything so I totally get that and again I the only pushback I would I would go to is like

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you look previously at United ORG they the money that they initially spent was what by floating

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on the stock exchange so it was it was it was the same sort of overspending. It was just that in an era where overspending was spending 10 million on three players instead of spending 100 million on ones.

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It's like the scale.

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The scale is changed.

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Well, that's it the scale has changed. I mean, even if you to like inflation or whatever,

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like if the city spending in that era would have been more than the United ORG's was at that time. But it's again, I don't think it's, I don't think it's a direct comparison with inflation as the measure because the football landscape was different is basically what it is.

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And I, because the other side of this as well is, is you look at what the Premier League ORG is.

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I mean, the Premier League didn't exist when United ORG did this. The Premier League is basically, as I said before, about City ORG being not the cause of the problem, but the symptom of it. It's just like the next stage in capitalism in how it's big time.

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Big time.

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And you think of what the Premier League ORG is. It's like you would never have had, you know, pre-Premier League, you would never have had teams like Nottingham Forest ORG, for instance, who have been able to come in and bring the type of players that they've brought in and then still be in a relegation fight because the teams around them are also bringing

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in those sorts of players and the quality of players.

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I mean, the idea that you could, you could be a lower mid-table Premier League ORG side and seriously look at a

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player from, you know, Lazio or Juventus ORG or, like, really go out and sign those sorts of players and be an attractive prospect for them. Like, like 30 years ago, that wasn't the case.

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Whereas now, like, pretty much, you could, you could say as a West Ham ORG fan, you know, like Lucas Packatar PERSON as, as a player that you've brought in, absolutely fantastic.

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It starts for Brazil. Yeah. Crazy. Emerson. Wonderful player. Yeah. These are, these are, these are,

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these are, these are, these are, these are, these most money and to, you know, the team that would

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probably win the title. Whereas now, the Premier League ORG is, we, there's this kind of paradox that the Premier League ORG exists in because it is the most competitive in that sense. But at the same time, it's never been more dominated by one side. And it doesn't, like,

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I can totally understand why two plus two does not equal four in this, in this situation. Because as we're, as we're kind of talking about now, if City win the game on Sunday, they've won four titles in a row, and it's never been done in English NORP football before. If they win four titles in a row,it's actually what it'd be six in seven seasons that they've won. So it's such a huge domination, and I can totally understand why fans of other clubs would go, I just wish somebody else had won it.

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And again, the paradox of all of this is that you'll find people say, like, let's say the unthinkable happens, and City Lose at the weekend, and Arsenal ORG win and Arsenal win the title. And Declan Rice PERSON gets it's for you guys.

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You think of that, if that happens, you'll have people talk about how

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exciting this season has been who are the same breath, if City win it, and if City win and Arsenal ORG win and the table stays as it is, they will talk about how boring this season's been. And actually, what they mean is the final outcome is boring because I didn't want City ORG to win the title. Whereas actually the process of getting to the final outcome has still been the same either way.

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It's just one result that's different. So it is interesting to see how everything is talked about.

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And I mean, you look at people wanted a title race that has twists and turns. And I think you've had that this season because at various different points through the season, it's been in City's hands, it's been in Liverpool ORG's hands, it's been in Arsenal ORG's hands. I think the problem is, most people didn't really want it in City's hands come the final weekend, and that's kind of, that's where we've

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I also think most people had a feeling it would be. I think even though, I know what you,

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are you are right, but I think most people are still sitting there going, well, Liverpool ORG have got too many injuries.

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Their young players won't be able to take them over the line.

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Arsenal ORG,

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same as last season.

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Like, they're good. They're just not city good. It feels like if Arsenal played city 20 times,

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like City win 13, Arsenal maybe win five.

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There's a couple of draws in there. Like, that's how people feel.

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The big irony with all of that as well is that, like, if you ask city fans, I think city fans think this season, the side isn't as good as previous years. I can't, I can only kind of speak for myself, and I can't speak for, for what the base of the whole feels.

Speaker 71478.12s - 1495.96s

But I think that sort of sucks the fun out of it a bit for other fans because they're like, I can get it. You're still not that good and you're still going to win it. But then at the same time, City of, in the last six weeks, they've gone, I can get it, yeah. You're still not that good and you're still going to win it. But then at the same time, City of, in the last six weeks, they've gone, oh, right, okay, we actually need to get our backsides in gear and do this.And they've been a completely different side. It's almost like they need that end of season pressure to be good.

Speaker 01495.96s - 1496.48s

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 81496.48s - 1499.18s

And, like, I mean, they went through a run earlier in the season.

Speaker 01499.24s - 1505.44s

I think it was four wins in 11 games where they just kept drawing and losing games.

Speaker 81505.98s - 1509.98s

And that's the worst run of the season for any of the top three sides.

Speaker 01510.08s - 1521.44s

Liverpool and Arsenal ORG didn't go on a run that bad at any point. And what that says is that as soon as they'd lost to Villa PERSON after that, they kind of went, oh, crap, if we don't, if we don't buckle up, we're not going to be in this.

Speaker 51521.44s - 1522.68s

We might not actually win this again.

Speaker 71522.68s - 1526.28s

And so they buckled up and all of a sudden the pressure was on and they've been on

Speaker 51526.28s - 1527.72s

an unbeaten run since the middle of December.

Speaker 71527.98s - 1530.26s

And then everybody looks at it and goes, you can't compete with City ORG.

Speaker 51530.34s - 1532.76s

They've been on and unbeaten run since the middle of December.

Speaker 71532.88s - 1536.16s

It's like, well, you could compete with them before December. It's just that they hadn't bothered.

Speaker 41536.4s - 1539.46s

They hadn't bothered thinking that they might want to try and win it this year.

Speaker 51539.56s - 1596.8s

I don't know. So I understand it's really kind of, it's conflicting on all sides. It's not as much. I just find, right, you're about to win a fourth Premier League ORG title. And I think the reason that, let's be honest, right, and lots of people. And I totally, I read your piece on Football 365 earlier on, anyone listening, worth going to read it.Because it's really good from Dave just about, you know, people and pundits and other non-man NORP city fans telling city fans how to think or feel and how they should be behaving. Really worth of read. But the one thing I will say, Dave, is that it is undeniable that the fact you're about to win a fourth Premier League title in a row and the fact even when you won the treble last year that a sizable amount of football fans other than city i totally get why you're like totally a dreamland whatever but a sizable number of football fans just shrug and go and that is a direct result of the money like i think

Speaker 71596.8s - 1603.48s

they're shruggedable achievements because of the somewhat the perceived way that it well not

Speaker 01603.48s - 1608.98s

but like the the element of your success that is just manufactured sort of out of money.

Speaker 51609.22s - 1611.62s

I'm not so much necessarily bad or that you've got a choice,

Speaker 71611.76s - 1629.4s

but you must at least understand that's how and why other fans feel. Yeah, I understand how that looks. Again, what I always ask people who say that is, the amount of money that city spent is obviously there and part of the context of what city have achieved. Of what's

Speaker 51629.4s - 1630.26s

these days.

Speaker 71630.68s - 1639.68s

Yeah, and it's and I get that. But at the same time, it's like with the Premier League ORG charges which like, you know, I have no idea how it's going to go and I don't know

Speaker 81639.68s - 1641.86s

kind of what the outcome of that

Speaker 71641.86s - 1654.08s

will be. And I fully understand. Because if it was Liverpool ORG that had been charged with this, and Liverpool had been dominant over the last few years, I would absolutely be 100% all over, you know, charges FC sort of thing.

Speaker 01654.46s - 1675.24s

So I get it from the other side. But like all of that doesn't add up to John Stone PERSON's playing in the way that he did in the Champions League ORG final. And, you know, he's stepping out from centreback and becoming a roving free roll midfield, midfield number eight. Like, like, that is, there is, there is the element of money that is, I understand

Speaker 71675.24s - 1681.34s

why people get, why people don't like that and it kind of, it feels the way it feels for them.

Speaker 51681.88s - 1685.58s

But at the same time, yeah, it makes people, it make it hard. Yeah, you can't, what people then don't see is the good stuff feels for them. But at the same time, it makes it hard.

Speaker 81685.76s - 1685.88s

Yeah,

Speaker 51685.96s - 1750.24s

you can't, what people then don't see is the good stuff that's happening. It's the good stuff that people like Guadiola PERSON have come in and done with it. And it's like, yeah, yeah,they've got the money and they've got the platform. And I think you have to acknowledge that. As city fans have to acknowledge that. I think other fans have to acknowledge the work that has been done to achieve the things. And it's kind of like a 50-50. Let's shake hands somewhere in the middle.West Ham and City ORG relationship sort of thing. You know what I mean? No, quite, quite, quite. Listen, let's talk about the game then on Sunday at the Etty had FAC. Last game of the season. West Ham ORG, and I couldn't, I couldn't, like, deliver this with any more gumption.We couldn't have less to play for if we try. We've come ninth, whatever happens. Doesn't matter how many we lose or win by, we're coming ninth. The players couldn't be more on the beach. The managers on its way out. The players aren't playing for a manager or anything.The new manager that comes in is going to read absolutely zero into this game of football. Like, there's, I would imagine this is two at two no half time.

Speaker 61757.08s - 1761.98s

It just feels like one of those days. You know when you're going on holiday, right? And your annual leaves booked in and it's like lunchtime on the Friday before you go on holiday.

Speaker 51762.6s - 1765.32s

Nothing's getting done, is it? Yeah. You're just like, whatever.

Speaker 61765.86s - 1767.1s

Do not email me.

Speaker 51767.78s - 1767.88s

Nothing.

Speaker 61767.94s - 1769s

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 51769.18s - 1772.4s

Out of office has already been written, just waiting to press the button.

Speaker 61772.6s - 1774.4s

Like, you've just got to get through the hours.

Speaker 51774.82s - 1794.76s

I imagine that's the hour every single one of the West End LOC players is thinking. What do you do you sort of make of the game then? How do you think it's going to go? How do you think it's going to play out? Pressure, obviously, on you more. But it feels like you couldn't really ask for a better team to play at home.

Speaker 71795.14s - 1797.8s

Like none of our fans are going to be proper going for it either.

Speaker 51798.68s - 1801.46s

It couldn't be nicer, surely. Yeah.

Speaker 71801.66s - 1824.1s

And the only thing I would caution with that is, I mean, there was a little bit of a narrative around the villa game a few years ago because of Stephen Gerard and Liverpool ORG and that sort of thing. And obviously, when you think back to the QPR game in 2012, they, at the kickoff, they were fighting for survival. So they had something to play for. But the thing that, the thing that

Speaker 51824.1s - 1826.12s

kind of makes me a little bit...

Speaker 71826.12s - 1835.6s

Where the anxiety comes from is, you're right, the pressure's on City ORG. City should win this, I don't know, nine times out of ten, 99 times out of 100.

Speaker 01835.72s - 1840.52s

I don't know what the... Probably more than. With the situations of the teams.

Speaker 71841.96s - 1904.44s

But I think the players are nervous and I understand that because there's, you know, there's something on the line that's never been achieved before. There's, as much as we've just talked for a while about City ORG and the money, as much money as City have had and as other clubs have had, no team has ever done four in a row and that is a chance to be there and make history. And that comes with the added weight of pressure.You think back to the Fulham game last weekend, it finished as a 4-0 romp. But at the start of the game, it was a little bit nervy and a little bit tetchy, and they had to settle into it. And there was a couple of times players,like the passing game didn't quite get going and they passed it out of play. And it was only really with Nathan Ake PERSON going off injured that Guadillo PERSON was able to reshuffle and kind of build a setup that was a bit more stable that he stuck with for Spurs ORG. And then they were again very nervy against Spurs ORG.They actually spent eight minutes in the tunnel ahead of the Fulham ORG game just waiting to get out on the pitch. So it was almost like, you know that feeling of when you've got a be somewhere. You've got a train to catch or something.

Speaker 01904.68s - 1907.86s

But it's like the train's in half an hour and it's a 10 minute walk to the station.

Speaker 81908.24s - 1910.1s

And you're kind of like, well, I've got nothing to do.

Speaker 01910.12s - 1911.04s

I'll just leave now.

Speaker 61911.62s - 1926.82s

It's kind of like how that's kind of like how they were in the tunnel. It's like we've got nothing else to say. We just want to kick off, but like kick off to 10 minutes away. So we're going to stand in the tunnel and just wait for it. So that combined with the edginess of the performance against Spurs ORG tells me that I do think they are a little bit nervous.

Speaker 71928.58s - 1932.96s

I think they've just got to settle into the game quickly. And if they do, I think they'll be fine.

Speaker 81933.76s - 1937.62s

They were clearly nervous against Villa in 2022.

Speaker 71938.62s - 1964.6s

And Villa raced into that two-goal lead. And even after Zincenko came on and Sterling PERSON came on and they shuffled the setup. And, you know, after Gundwin scored and then Roder PERSON equalized and kind of got things going again, I still didn't feel like when they went three-two up, I still didn't feel like they'd settled. I think they were very much kind of get us to the end of this game because this has not been a normal performance from us.

Speaker 01965.58s - 1980.58s

That sort of thing worries me. It's the final day and there is no more room for mistakes here. If this was like 10th game of the season and it was to go top of the league, they would knock

Speaker 71980.58s - 1999.44s

it out of the park quite comfortably because that's what they do. Weird things happen on the final day. So I'm always low to kind of say, oh, it should be a out of the park quite comfortably because that's what they do. Weird things happen on the final day. So I'm always low to kind of say, oh, it should be a walk in the park. I mean, of course, the irony is the last time you came to us on the final day and we needed to win the title. It was just a comfortable 2-0 and everything was nicely done and dusted.

Speaker 01999.74s - 2005.04s

I would absolutely snap your hand off for that again. Just a nice, comfortable performance where everything goes right.

Speaker 82006.16s - 2009.08s

There is hopefully no need for any drama.

Speaker 52010.44s - 2010.88s

No.

Speaker 72012s - 2015.96s

I don't mean David Moyse PERSON's got much of an appetite for any drama.

Speaker 52016.12s - 2016.94s

We're all the players.

Speaker 72017.34s - 2020.74s

I think this is get over the line nice and fit for the summer.

Speaker 52020.74s - 2021.66s

Don't get injured.

Speaker 72022.72s - 2022.88s

Yeah.

Speaker 52023s - 2025.2s

And with the Euros EVENT on the horizon as well, yeah.

Speaker 72026.1s - 2026.62s

Big time.

Speaker 52026.88s - 2031.1s

Yeah, I seriously, I mean, it couldn't be, if you were wanting an opponent,

Speaker 72031.78s - 2032.56s

it couldn't be better.

Speaker 52032.68s - 2035.6s

People try and paint it as, oh, you know, yeah, you've got that freedom.

Speaker 72036.56s - 2039.42s

So, like, they're all human beings.

Speaker 52039.62s - 2041.3s

I've got, if it's a Euro's coming up.

Speaker 72041.5s - 2043.92s

Yeah, I don't expect them to win or do anything.

Speaker 52044.24s - 2046.58s

My experience of City in that position as well is, is the freedom thing is actually, it is a euro's coming up. Yeah, I don't expect them to win or do anything. My experience of city in that position as well is,

Speaker 72046.58s - 2047.94s

is the freedom thing is actually,

Speaker 52048.12s - 2062.98s

it is a thing. I think they did when they, when they were safe back in the day, and they'd hit 40 points. I did think that they played with a bit more freedom. But at the same time,it's like they play with more freedom at nil-nil, and then they concede a goal and it's 1-0, and you're like, oh, okay, well, fine.

Speaker 82064.12s - 2076.24s

Yeah. We're not going to try too hard. They had a season, 2005, 6, we had a season where we had a real chance of getting into Europe LOC. And we were mid-table. We were something like three, four points.

Speaker 52076.24s - 2078.62s

And we beat you in the FA Cup EVENT quarterfinals?

Speaker 72078.76s - 2082.54s

Yeah, as I round about that time. It might, oh, might have been the season before.

Speaker 52082.9s - 2083.94s

We got to the final.

Speaker 82084s - 2084.38s

They ran about that type.

Speaker 52084.48s - 2092.6s

Yeah. Yeah. And we lost that type. Yeah. And we lost that. In fact, it was that season because we lost that Cup quarter final.

Speaker 02097.6s - 2098.72s

And then of the final 10 Premier League games, lost nine.

Speaker 72100.08s - 2109.46s

And one, one. And Ashton Villa ORG with a poor, unfortunate saps that lost the city and that running, with a goal that was offside as well, so it shouldn't be in the camera.

Speaker 52112.98s - 2113.06s

But all that illustrates is that city was safe.

Speaker 82114.08s - 2114.24s

They had nothing to play for.

Speaker 72116.68s - 2125.28s

Well, they had European NORP positions to play for. And as soon as that slipped away from them, they were playing with a bit of freedom and the performances were all right. And then suddenly they conceded a goal and they'd lose. And it was just like,

Speaker 82125.32s - 2127.84s

I think they finished something like

Speaker 72127.84s - 2131.36s

five points clear of the relegation zone that year and it was just kind of like

Speaker 52131.36s - 2135.88s

it doesn't, didn't really illustrate how good the first two-thirds of the season had been, but, you know, quite.

Speaker 82136.68s - 2138.38s

Listen, Dave, it's been absolutely brilliant

Speaker 52138.38s - 2140.42s

having you on the We are West Ham ORG podcast

Speaker 82140.42s - 2141.32s

head of Sunday's game.

Speaker 52141.4s - 2144.02s

I don't often find myself saying to the opposition

Speaker 82144.02s - 2147.44s

view guests, good luck and actually meaner.

Speaker 52148.48s - 2153.76s

But I find myself in that position in this time. Just a quick fire one before we go,

Speaker 02154.22s - 2160.06s

assuming or ghost a plan and you do win the title on Sunday. How, and we're seeing Clop

Speaker 72160.06s - 2163.54s

on his way out, how long, I know it's the prenu or question you probably ask you all the time,

Speaker 02163.54s - 2165.38s

how long do you think Guardio PERSON just got left at the helm?

Speaker 52165.88s - 2167.02s

It's hard this one.

Speaker 72167.42s - 2177.26s

His contract runs out at the end of next season. He doesn't really sign extensions until he's in his final year anyway.

Speaker 02177.56s - 2182.8s

The first extension he did, I think, was early. But after that, I think it was in his final year every time.

Speaker 72184.76s - 2187.84s

And I'm terrified that it ends at the end of next season

Speaker 02187.84s - 2192.6s

because it'll have done, I think that'll have been nine seasons that he's done.

Speaker 72193.26s - 2197.56s

And I've never seen football like it. And I'll never see football like it again. And it's ruined,

Speaker 02197.72s - 2206.34s

it's ruined football for me because, like, whatever comes after will just not be as good. And, like, I'll be sitting there going,just do, just do what he used to do.

Speaker 62206.5s - 2223.04s

Why are you not doing what he used to do? So I'm nervous that it will end the next season. There's still part of me that I have a little inkling. It's based on nothing. I have a little inkling that he'll sign an extension. But there is also the element of he's achieved everything he needs to achieve atCissy ORG.

Speaker 52223.68s - 2230.18s

If he wins the title this Sunday, then he is the standalone manager in English NORP football

Speaker 82230.18s - 2231.18s

for what he's achieved.

Speaker 72232.8s - 2249.14s

You can make the argument with Ferguson PERSON just on sheer numbers, but at the same time, it's like Ferguson never won four in a row. There was Champions League ORG. He's won every trophy that he can win with City ORG. There's a lot to be said sometimes for just bowing out when you're at the top of your game and leaving.

Speaker 82250.44s - 2255.82s

But there is the perennial question of the charges as well,

Speaker 72255.82s - 2261.18s

because there is, if he leaves before the charges are settled,

Speaker 82261.96s - 2265.7s

then I don't think he feels any sort of obligation to see it through.

Speaker 72265.86s - 2272.36s

I think if, if, if he, if he, if he come out and say he would leave, though, if you're

Speaker 52272.36s - 2272.78s

found guilty.

Speaker 72273.08s - 2291.34s

Only, only, yeah, he said, he said a few years ago that if they were found guilty at the court of arbitration for sport, then the club had lied to him. If they'd lied to him, then he'd leave. And then this time around, he's basically said, if they throw, put us wherever, if they throw us into league two, I'll be there.

Speaker 02292.08s - 2296.14s

I'll call Paul Dickoff and Mike Somerby and we'll play in league two.

Speaker 82296.92s - 2300.42s

So I kind of, like, he kind of has, if they get found guilty and thrown out of the

Speaker 02300.42s - 2306.32s

Premier League before he leaves, he's kind of got the obligation to see that through. So there's a little part of me that's going.

Speaker 52307.06s - 2311.8s

You know what? I want to see what, yeah. I want to see what he does in league too. Yeah, I want to see what he does.

Speaker 82311.8s - 2314.64s

But at the same time, I would much rather be found not guilty.

Speaker 52314.8s - 2318.64s

And he rides off into the sunset with all of his trophies, you know, glistening in the

Speaker 82318.64s - 2319.56s

sunlight.

Speaker 52320.48s - 2429.38s

Great. Listen, Dave, it's been absolutely brilliant. You're on David Mooney there from the Blue Moon ORG podcast. That is us for opposition views this season as well thank you so much to dave but all of our guests they really do bring something to the podcast are often your guys at home's favorite episodes um i don't tell that personally that you're bored of mine and james PERSON's voices but um you do you do like a bit of a bit of a summit different it's. It's probably one of my favourite parts of doing it as well, just getting to chat to other fans. And it sort of reminds you that, you know,whilst football is a little bit about all the money and transfer news and all that sort of thing, ultimately it's about real people paying real money and spending real time to go and watch their team that they love more than anything else in the world. I've had some brilliant ones this year.My favourite's obviously the European ones, Baylor-Lavikuzin and Freiburg FAC in particular, as well as all the ones in the beginning half of the season. I won at Olympi Arcos as well with Costas was great out in Athens GPE. I've loved all of it all season. I'm glad you guys have enjoyed them all too. Thank you very much for listening. That will be us for the opposition views. We've got threespecial guests coming up next week for like an end of season review, which I'm very much looking forward to details of that to follow shortly. And then me and James will have one more end of season review before our usual summer break. Thanks for listening, everyone. Thanks again to Dave West Ham B City last game of the season on Sunday. I don't care if West Hampton GPE win. In fact, I don't want West Hampton to win for the first time in a very long time.Viva Man City, Blue Moon ORG. Come on you, blue noses, whatever it is they say. Up there, all city, aren't we? Thanks for listening, everyone. West Ham ORG are massive up for hammers and we'll speak to you next week.Hi, this is Tony Cotty

Speaker 32429.38s - 2438.44s

and you're listening to the We Are West Ham WORK_OF_ART podcast. Now are you, I am, our Uriots NORP!

Speaker 22439.44s - s

No! We're surprised us.