My feeling is that it's not about them but it's about us. Ninety per cent of all oppo fans are gonna be working class, even in this rip off age. I love the chant and hope we sing it at Barnsley as we do in Chelsea. The timing of the chant was probably due to us getting fu**ed over - just as we do in life.
It's ironic really. Yes we know the reasons it is sung which I'm not going to argue with, but one thing they have given us, is the opportunity for fans to go to games in the current climate. With a different government, I have absolutely no doubt that this game (and the season in general) would be played with severe restrictions in capacity and the dreaded mask mandates, or else behind closed doors where nobody would be able to sing about anyone.
Just take a look at the neighbours. Wales is only down the road, and that was their response to omicron. Shut the place down, including outdoor stadiums, where we know transmission levels are minute. Stadiums in France Holland and Germany are virtually empty, Scotland shut and cancelled everything they could, and Ireland is currently under an oppressive 8pm curfew. Complete and total hysteria. Instead, we have full stadiums and fans watching our games as normal, even in mid-winter.
Now onto the game. It was what we expected it to be, but we're not supposed to care very much about this competition, as there's no cash in it and we would rather focus on the league. So we shouldn't lose our heads over a 0-0 scoreline at half time. It's not ideal, but we're still well capable of going down there next week and getting the job done. And then there won't be any calls for root and branch reform again, as there has been after this. For all their strength in depth, when City got a 0-0 draw, out they went. We have another chance to put it right and render this game irrelevant.
Personally, if I was offered a 0-0 in this, in exchange for winning the next two league games, then I would take it every time.
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