Man City must listen to fan warnings as they chase Treble rewards

Manchester City as a football club are basking in the success that winning the Treble has brought them.

The distinction of the three trophies in a single season, but particularly the fame that comes with winning the Champions League, has seen them attract more fans than ever before. The demand for tickets and sales from merchandise keep going up, and it was noticeable on their pre-season tour how they have grown globally even in the four years since they were last in the Far East.

Selling more than 31,500 tickets for a Community Shield game that tens of thousands of season ticket holders deliberately boycotted was a striking sign of how big the club has become, an impressive achievement that again likely wouldn't have been possible a few years ago before last season's astonishing success. The stands at Wembley were full, albeit quiet; one lone fan in vain tried to get Rhythm is a Dancer going and there was another attempt at Fleetwood Mac but otherwise there were no songs belted out.

That isn't to criticise those fans who went, many of them for the first time, and who have every right to attend any other games they can in the future as supporters of the club. City should not be a closed shop for new faces, forever reserving tickets only for those who were at York away or can explain the Welcome to Manchester billboard.

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However, the lack of atmosphere was in stark contrast to the noise for the FA Cup final the last time the Blues were at Wembley and can't have helped the team to get over the line against Arsenal. Change is welcomed, yet football is also fickle and short-natured and achievements are quickly forgotten after a few