39 responses so far

• 1 Jak // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:25 pm

  I don’t get it either. Makes absolutely no sense to me. I really would have loved to see him at United, but I can’t see it happening now. Even Chelsea would have been okay for now, but the Wastelands? Oy vey.

• 2 Kev // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:32 pm

  News-shocker!

  Crap website publishes controversal opinion to gain traffic!

  Like any manager, money… if you had’nt thought of that, you are fools.

• 3 Ogg // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:33 pm

  Lazy jounalism again!! Man City have more finanically backing than Rovers could ever. They have the ambition which is lacking at Blackburn. Hughes has taken Rovers as far as he can and it is good move for him! City were too lightweight under Eriksson and Dr. Thaksin recognised that and appointed a young ambitious manager to lead the club forword.

• 4 James // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:34 pm

  Its called furthering yourself. If you were a decent journalist Im sure you would accept a job at a major paper, say the Guardian. City are miles bigger than Blackburn, who in all honesty, are a Championship club. And as for the players leaving, as you said they are only rumours, how many have left so far? The same amount of decent articles you have written probably……

• 5 Danny Blue // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:35 pm

  You ignorant w*nker, he’s coming to City as it’s a club that’s completely underperforming in comparison to it’s size of fan base and it finally has someone who will invest in it. City will be challenging the top four in the next couple of years, but then of course you won’t be writing idiot articles like this then, you’ll be saying how you always knew that City were headed for great things.

• 6 Bry // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:36 pm

  Hmm…. seems like a huge wage hike, loads of money to spend on new players, a place in Europe and a huge, loyal fan base may have something to do with his decision

  You Numties

• 7 Alex Percival // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:39 pm

  The Spoiler - Very Keen on Sport - Very poor on Journalism

• 8 Tomaso // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:42 pm

  More crap from this scum loving piece of shit.

• 9 erhan yaman // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:47 pm

  some of the comments wrıtten were very funny. but ı agree wıth the comments, cıty are as we always say, a bıg club. lets hope hughs wıll take us ın the wrıte dırectıon.

  Good luck to all of us!!!

• 10 MCFC // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:47 pm

  I think a website/ Journalist that lists the WAG of the Day as one of it’s main sections says it all really, thank you for your concerns, now go back to naming tomorrows WAG of the Day. Regards MCFC.

• 11 RICK // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:50 pm

  What players have left ? City enjoyed much bigger crowds in Div 1 than Blackburn do in the Premiership.Given money there is great potential allied to the best academy pipeline of any English club.Mark is getting much better paid & those other jobs may not arise.Grasp the chance now and a team finishing 9th last time should be at least top 6 this time.Would you really stay at Blackburn !!

• 12 Grumpypants // Jun 4, 2008 at 1:57 pm

  What an absolute idiot you are.

  “Without wanting to ruffle too many Man City feathers, why would he go there?”

  The whole basis of your article is aiming a dig at City. Blackburn ARE a smaller club in terms of fanbase, ambition and wealth. Hughes had done a fantastic job there on a shoestring budget, now it’s time to prove what he can do with the millions that City are going to give him to bolster the squad.

  “On top of everything else, he’s just agreed to work for a maniac, who has already driven out one decent manager, not to mention the various decent players rumoured to be moving suggestively towards mass exodus.”

  If you had done some research, you would have noticed Thaksin’s comments regarding the dismissal of Sven. He’s basically stated that although it was a ruthless decision, he didn’t feel Sven was the man to take us further, therefore he and Garry Cook have employed a young, hungry manager to take us to the next step. We all knew that once Sven’s tactics had been sussed, there was no Plan B, therefore teams were able to break us down easily. In regards to the players, please tell me where you’ve seen ONE quote from any first team player regarding them leaving.

  “Why, Mark? Why? Why would you do that?”

  See above.

  I cannot believe how much garbage you have posted in one article, then again I suppose it’s what you can expect from a site who has links to WAG’s in the footer of the page.

• 13 Blend // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:04 pm

  This is great. We have a comedian.

  WAG of the week. Classic!

• 14 Sean // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:24 pm

  Players rumoured to be leaving, yes rumours, the essential tool of the weak journo.

  Why would Hughes leave Blackburn for City-even Blackburn fans if they were honest could answer that- bitter reds are still scratching their heads though. Larger crowds, more potential and a decent transfer budget are all reasons-as if the author doesn’t know!

• 15 Harry Skintyres // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:30 pm

  is it cos you is a rag nob?

• 16 Josh Burt // Jun 4, 2008 at 2:40 pm

  Comments appreciated, but you all seem to be focusing on why he would go to Man City over Blackburn - the budget would be the obvious answer. But the bigger question is how will this effect his standing as a possible future Man United manager (as touted)? Or is that too unbearable a thought for now?

• 17 Pete // Jun 4, 2008 at 3:12 pm

  Crikey, today’s commenters are a vitriolic lot…..

  Some seem to yell ‘money!!!’ without really thinking about it, because in the long term, Hughes would earn more money in a spell at United than a short spell at City (and it will be a short spell, because the chairman seems, well, hard to please?).

  Doing this might jeopardise the bigger jump he could make if he bides his time.

  For me, this article’s making a perfectly fair point.

• 18 George Costanza // Jun 4, 2008 at 3:34 pm

  I agree with Pete. Obviously Massives are a big club, and Sparky will have more money to play with, but he’s working for a nutter and it may cost him the ultimate prize. Massives fans you are far too sensitive!

• 19 ofortuna // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:11 pm

  the author of this article is thick. Hughes will have double the salary, double the crowds, and quadruple the budget and so long as he doesn’t get to Christmas and start pimping himself to other clubs he will not be sacked. Simple, even if beyond the wit of this prick author.

• 20 LeslieHughes // Jun 4, 2008 at 4:45 pm

  You gimp. ‘Already got rid of one decent manager’. Really? You didn’t see too many City games since Xmas then? Just because he beat Utd twice it doesn’t make him a good manager. Or should all teams and managers be judged simply on how well they do over ‘those’ 2 games throughout the whole season? Also, ‘mass exodus’? Don’t believe everything you read in the Daily Mail!

• 21 ofortuna // Jun 4, 2008 at 11:01 pm

  Are best players are staying put, full stop. Thaksin is fierce for success, so is Hughes, and money is not an issue.

• 22 ofortuna // Jun 4, 2008 at 11:04 pm

  Correction, that menu to read “OUR” best players not ” are”. Amazing how a nob journo can get you so annoyed ones grammar goes to pot!

• 23 Arsenal101 // Jun 5, 2008 at 3:30 am

  Here we go again. “We’re a big club; we have millions upon millions of fans”. So you have a lot of people willing to pay good money to watch your boys get stuffed 8-1 by an even more mediocre team. The reality is that Man City are not THAT big, and not THAT good. And I say that as an Arsenal fan that dislikes United just as much as you do.

  And to the idiot that thinks Blackburn are a championship side, I think you’ll find Man City have spent just as much, if not more, time in the Championship than Blackburn. And also, I’m pretty sure that for the last 3 seasons they finished above Man City…..so I don’t think you can justifiably call them a Championship Side, unless of course you’re referring to their Premier League victory back in the dark ages. ( But at least they won it eh? ;) )

  If Hughes really wanted to go to a big club, he would have gone to Chelsea. He just saw pound signs and shot off. So will Bentley, as he wants a move to a “Big Club”.

  Can’t wait for your boys to start challenging the top four soon, will be nice to add 8 or so more goals to our for column!

• 24 ofortuna // Jun 5, 2008 at 7:10 am

  arsenal101: ooooooh aren’t you the bitter one. Yesterday wenger said arsenal are going to win every trophy they enter this coming season! So perhaps you should be more concerned that he has lost the plot than squealing like a girl about city. The only thing the arse will win this season is a pretty passing competition. Spurs may finish above you this time, your definately losing your grip on top four status.
  As for how big a club is that depends on the measure used: but if it is shirt sales, bums on seats, away fans, transfer budget, or the worth of the club then I think you will find we dwarf Blackburn. As such I applaud their top ten finish this last few years. Or do measure a big club by how gay the manager is? What is the measure?

• 25 Arsenal101 // Jun 5, 2008 at 7:38 am

  Not at all ofortuna. Granted, once you taste success you want more and more of it, that’s only natural. But bitter? No. Losing our grip on the top four? Unlikely. We were not the best team last year, in fact most Arsenal fans (and probably most other fans too) believe that we have been off our game for a while. Yet despite this we finished third, 4 points behind the deserved champions….you know the ones….across the road from you…the good team in Manchester.

  Say what you want about Wenger. Our team is developing and if he has lost his grip on reality it’s probably because he has been sitting too close to Thaskin. Ronaldinho at City? If he does come then we can firmly establish that that particular player has in fact lost his grip on reality.

  And no we don’t measure how big a club is by how gay their manager is. We’re no homophobic like you. Most people will measure how big a club is by how they are viewed by their peers, domestically and internationally. As such many would probably not view Man City as a “Big Club”.

  But hey, keep selling them shirts, and putting them bums on seats, and you never know, maybe one day you’ll perform like a big club on the field once more.

• 26 Avram Magic // Jun 5, 2008 at 8:10 am

  “Already got rid of one decent manager’. Really? You didn’t see too many City games since Xmas then? Just because he beat Utd twice it doesn’t make him a good manager.”

  I think the reason he was called a decent manager is:
  Six league titles in three countries
  19 major honours
  Taking Benfica to the Champions League final

  Not to mention
  England pre-Sven: Out of Euro 2000 at group stage, struggling to qualify for World Cup
  England under Sven: Three straight tournament quarters
  England after Sven: Fail to qualify for Euro 2008

  Could be wrong of course…

• 27 Jason Bourne // Jun 5, 2008 at 8:40 am

  ofortuna, I think you mean “one’s” grammar goes to pot.

• 28 Tramp // Jun 5, 2008 at 9:39 am

  Breaking News: Man City fans rush to defend their club against ‘crap’ journalist and his difference of opinion as they fail to see the big picture our man at The Spoiler leads us towards.

  You want to talk money? Hughes could of gone to Chelsea one of, if not the, richest club in England. Or he could hold out at Blackburn and be considered the ‘messiah’ for even longer, then hopefully make the move to Man Utd.

  So lets weigh it up:
  Chelsea and Blackburn both have a mad chairmen who you would not particularly desire as a boss.
  They both have money and plenty of it. Chelseas level of expectation is far greater then that of City, maybe Hughes didn’t feel himself capable of it instead he could take the ‘easy’ Man City job full of money and less expectation. Fan base wise its obvious City have a dedicated fanbase in comparison with Blackburn and the aristocratic lot down at Chelsea.

  Lets face it Hughes has made a odd choice however much you Man City fans believe your club to be the next big thing.

  P.S. Ofortuna please get off Citys dick and open your mind you idiot fanboy.

• 29 ofortuna // Jun 5, 2008 at 3:46 pm

  Jason bourne: Indeed you are correct.

  Arsenal101: you make some fair points but most city fans dont actually wonder about thinking we are a top four type big club, but rightly or wrongly and by any measure I can think of including yours we are bigger than Blackburn, though they have outperformed us for many years; well done to them, if points for pounds spent were given they along with everton would probably top the table and maybe football is going the wrong way. I do applaud Blackburn and mean it.

  Tramp or trump whatever your name was: you seem to have made the argument for Hughes to have taken the city job! Given that hughes has the benefit of ALL the facts it does really boil down to wether you think Hughes’s judgement is good or bad, but I reckon his might be more sought after than yours. I also think if the knob author of this article were to debate his silly points with Hughes the author would very quickly be exposed as a prick. A bitter prick at that. Maybe you should climb down of this useless nobody of a journos dick and see reality yourself.

• 30 Tramp // Jun 5, 2008 at 6:42 pm

  I never said i agree with the article just that people are failing to see past the assumptions they instantly jump to. I state what i feel but see yours as more ‘City love’ as it were.

  Also i made a few errors in my rush to post my last comment :
  Chelsea and Blackburn both have a mad chairmen (Should read Chelseas and BLACKBURN)

  I also retract my rash remark at the end.

  I’m just sticking up for the journalist when everyone else jumps on him like vultures. He tocuhes the tip of the iceberg with some of the issues he rises but when frustrated people fail to see past that.

  But seriously if the journalism is so crap, there are plenty of other blogs/articles around, feel free to use them instead.

  Also pretending not to look at my username as if
  it means something- great low blow you planted there …

• 31 Tramp // Jun 5, 2008 at 6:43 pm

  O THIS IS ANNOYING- focus now focus

  Should read ‘CHELSEA AND MAN CITY’

• 32 Arsenal101 // Jun 5, 2008 at 11:55 pm

  Is it not the journalists job to present an engaging piece? Granted the true definition for a great journo should be one that present a fair and balanced viewpoint, leaving the reader with enough information for him/her to go on, read further articles and then formulate his/her own opinion. But sometimes that just f’ing borning! If I want that i’ll read a a-level history book.

  If he wrote the perfect piece, balanced and delivered to a tee….then frankly we would have as much fun on here debating than old Abro seems to have at Chelsea games (seriously the guy could afford to smile a few more times, or employ someone to at least smile for him)!!!!

• 33 ofortuna // Jun 6, 2008 at 5:59 am

  tramp: you are right I do love city, and I do on occasion have a rant at cheap lazy journalism which fails to offer anything beyond what we can all do in a bar. Its not persuasive, humorous or presenting any researched or fresh viewpoint. Just poorly written bias which does no more than ask daft questions which like I said if he were to debate his views with the man himself he really would look silly quickly. I think your point about city being a option less daunting than Chelsea is a genuine factor in his career choice, perfect for him given the position offers a massive amount of real potential but actually without the same pressure from fans, he will limelight on a biggish scale but not the expectation, least not from the fans. I also get annoyed at journos using express their platform to express their utd love by making cheap pops at city. I actually saw ( on the net as I would never buy such crap) the mirror newspaper wrote that because Chelsea hadn’t fallen for Hughes plan…which was to talk city to flush out an offer from Chelsea…that Hughes “now faced the prospect of having to manage city” what crap, couldn’t believe he wrote having to as if Hughes is some plonker who is unaware hevdiesnt “have to manage” anyone. I also get angry at journos who write nasty assertions about any chairman be it city’s or others particularly as they are scared witless to write anything close to the bone about roman abramovich but have a real go at others for less. Spinless. And another thing! When any other team than utd do well its because of money(true) but for some reason this never levelled at utd.. who prior to roman have for a couple of decades been the biggest spenders by a massive margin and of those young players they had through their academy such as scholes journos ignore that they are highly paid. My point being that if a little club uncovers a gem they can afford to keep them but the journos talk as utds homegrown are playing for free! And it gets my back up, assuming other things in place the prem is a money competition which for years utd have been in a league of one. In fact this last two titles utd won are their first as a club that is not the richest. Arsenal have done extremely well with a comparitve much smaller budget yet the journos dont give much credit for that they talk of them as big four only but are there having spent less. In the last ten years fergie has spent over half a billion! Journos never mention it but Chelsea are always accused of having bought success which while true it is just as true of utd. Anyway you may now have an insight as to where Im coming from, with such a rich seam of material to slag the top clubs yet journos concentrate on cheap shots at the clubs below them. I guess you could fairly sum it up as touchy! But spanking a journo is always fun, after all they make a living panning anything they like.
  I note you have retracted your base insult which takes a gent.. Thanks..I retract mine.

• 34 ofortuna // Jun 6, 2008 at 6:03 am

  sorry that menu to read smaller clubs cannot afford to keep any great young talent they discover

• 35 ofortuna // Jun 6, 2008 at 6:14 am

  arsenal101:
  I take my base insults back from you as well. And hope you finish above utd.

• 36 Arsenal101 // Jun 6, 2008 at 6:42 am

  Ofortuna: You make a good point. Certain clubs are targeted for their off the field activities and the accused of buying the title. I agree that Chelsea have had it far more than Utd, but then maybe that is because Chelsea will sign a player, parade him around like a prize winning horse, then 9 times out of 10 go on to destroy his career because ye olde chairman see’s football players as cannon fodder.

  The one club that was criticized the most, if I remember correctly, was Blackburn. When they one the title it appeared the entire journalistic community was focused on the fact that they had paid for the title. When in fact most of their “big” money buys were well within the accepted ranges of the time and had occurred several seasons before they won it. Hell, I hear people (including myself ;)) still give Rovers fans a hard time over it!

  In short, I see your point; some teams seem to get away scot free with the media, whilst others are beaten to the point that the viewpoint becomes part of British culture.

• 37 Arsenal101 // Jun 6, 2008 at 6:43 am

  Ofortuna: Cheers mate. Your a gent. Same to you, on both the base insult and to finishing above Utd.

• 38 ofortuna // Jun 9, 2008 at 7:25 am

  cheers.

  Did you know that last time utd went two seasons without a trophy their average gate was just 23500 fans!! Of course they are now very well attended by tourists and glory hunters

• 39 Arsenal101 // Jun 9, 2008 at 10:09 am

  Apparently 90% of them live in either India or South East Asia, where in Singapore, Man UTD are known as the “pride of Singapore”.

  Something wrong with that.