It’s hard to believe that this time last month I was sitting
down in front of my laptop preparing to write about the indifferent start to
the season that City had made. I used the terms/clichés, ‘new signings bedding
in’ and ‘no excuses for Pep this season’.
People were questioning our defence. People wondered if,
despite our Summer spending spree, Pep’s squad was big enough. People even
wondered whether Sergio would break Eric Brook’s top goal scorer record this
season.
There were plenty of questions, but it was too early for
many answers.
Then came September.
WAKE ME UP WHEN
SEPTEMBER ENDS
I love October. The crisp Autumn air signalling the end of
Summer. Hallowe’en fun and frolics with my children, with pumpkin picking and
trick or treating aplenty. But I especially love October this year because City
entered it on the back of an entirely unbeaten month. September was a 100% win
record for Pep: 7/7, sitting top of the class on goal difference at the time of
going to press. The first time we’ve won our opening two Champions League
games. What a time to be alive.
I felt reasonably confident going into the Liverpool game,
but I don’t think anybody could’ve predicted what followed. The Scousers will
moan that the Mane high boot/decapitation attempt on Ederson (in which intent is irrelevant) changed
the game and it did to the extent that it eliminated the threat from their star
player, but the capitulation that followed from Klopp’s side was nothing short
of astounding. No red card should see your side fold the way they did: what
more, Klopp had no response to it. He didn’t react or change his side to cope
effectively – a manager held in such as high regard as Klopp shouldn’t be as
embarrassed as he rightly was with such a score-line.
But the 5-0 result was nothing more that City deserved.
Sane’s incredible last minute effort capped off a stunning team performance
that set the tone for what was to follow in a truly spellbinding month for the
Blues. A 4-0 win at Feyenoord and a 6-0 win at previously unbeaten Watford. A
2-1 victory at West Brom in the Carabao Cup was followed by a 5-0 demolition of
Crystal Palace at the Etihad. A 2-0
triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League with the cherry on the
cake, a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge, home of the current Premier League
Champions, Chelsea.
25 goals scored and just one conceded. That should put to bed any
doubts anybody had over our defence. Let’s really take the time to give credit
where it’s due and heap praise – on everybody. From the back to the front, it’s
been a colossally enthralling month of truly bedazzling football. It’s been the
kind of football we expect from a Pep side, but don’t ever dream for a second
we’d be lucky to watch week in, week out. It’s what we thought could happen,
with a squad so gifted. A squad littered with pace, youth, energy, experience
and efficiency. The perfect blend with the potential for a seismic impact –
September was the month City arrived. For when questions have been asked,
players have delivered in abundance.
Ederson – stretchered off so dramatically in the Liverpool
game – has been a dream in goal. We don’t have to worry when the balls goes
near him, we trust in him, we know he can handle the situation. He brings an
almost eerie calm behind the defence: his decision making has been almost
flawless, his bravery is to be commended and his distribution – well, it ranks
up there with the best outfield players. He’s the goalkeeper you need to
reassure you: sensible, respected and mature. He gets on with his job with
gusto and is proving to be quite the acquisition.
Kyle Walker and Danilo – equally as impressive, adaptable,
pacy and solid as each other. ,Mendy was looking an unyielding character in
that left back position before his injury, with his first time crosses a
particular favourite of time. John Stones – what a month it’s been for him. He
started September with many still doubting his capabilities, but I think all
doubt can be laid to rest now. He’s developed into a figurehead at the back,
forging a formidable and unforgiving partnership with Otamendi. They’ve been
good for each other – and due to Kompany’s injury absence, have grown both
together and as individually solid defenders. Otamendi still worries me with
those sliding, lunging tackles, but thankfully he’s come out of most of them
well recently so I can forgive him! Stones? Well, he is potentially looking a
little reminiscent of a certain former Chelsea captain. Potential City captain
in the not-so-distant future? Maybe.
Fernandinho is always an unsung hero, bridging the gap between
defence and midfield. When a player goes about his business almost unrecognised
and without much fuss, it usually means that he’s doing a pretty good job, and
that is exactly what Fernandinho is about. He’s just doing a really, really
good job. Head down, focused and consistent. Not as combustible as Nigel De
Jong, not as studious as Gareth Barry, but just as good as his job. Every team
needs a Fernandinho – we’re just lucky he chose us.
The midfielders. The creative types: the ones who really
weave their wands and work their magic to produce such trickery and flair.
Raheem Sterling: the one with the hefty price tag at such a young age. An
England youngster with the weight of expectation on his shoulders, he’s flying
at the heart of a confident team with encouragement all around him. Sterling is
working hard to prove those doubters wrong and knows he has to be part of a
winning squad to succeed. Leroy Sane – such remarkable energy and footwork.
Scoring magnificent goals and thriving amongst a team so excitable and
remarkable. David Silva being David Silva. His namesake Bernardo just as
mesmerising. Wonderful to see Gundogan back from injury and looking just as
electrifying as before. He holds a soft spot for me because he has so many
shades of Kinkladze. The dinks and vision take me back to the brightest light
in the 1990s during the darkest time – we’ve only just begun to see what he’s
capable of.
Kevin De Bruyne – I’m running out of adjectives. It’s been
that kind of a month. I don’t think I’ve ever said that. Incredulous to believe
a Chelsea reject could go back to Stamford Bridge and absolutely run the show –
just for the visiting team this time. He’s the kind of player you should
rightly weep about when you let him slip through your fingers – the conductor
at the heart of a City orchestra that has been playing the most enchanting of
symphonies. His vision is exemplary; he’s knitted together the attacks with
stupendous wonder. Out of everybody, at a push he’d been my pick for player of
the month.
Aguero and Jesus? Of course they can play together. They
compliment each other and the team spirit has even made Sergio pretty generous
when it comes to assisting instead of shooting – worth noting, particularly
with that record in his reach.
Have to also give a mention to Fabian Delph. He was mocked
in the Summer for not wanting a move to Stoke and for wanting to stay and fight
for his place at City.
‘Fight for his place? More like to earn a tidy wage by being
happy to be a benchwarmer,’ they mocked.
Well, he stayed and he has worked hard to fight for a place
in the team. Never mind *that* goal against Crystal Palace, but his performance
against Chelsea even left Mendy nervous in his hospital bed. Delph should be
commended for having the right attitude and for being willing to adapt to suit
the team’s needs. A consummate professional whose endeavours have been rewarded
– I love it when players prove people wrong.
I’ve mentioned team spirit there a couple of times, but the
last time I saw such a team spirit was probably the early days of the Mancini
era. The players are working for each other and it just works. It’s an utter delight to watch and it’s hard to keep our
feet on the ground – but we have to, because this is City and we never know
what’s around the corner. But the energy, the movement, the vision, the
attitude and persistence is what sets this team apart. They’ve got each other’s
backs. They know they’re all in it together. They are willing to fight for each
other and together. They support each other on social media and include the
fans, which also does make a big difference. We’re allowed an insight into
their interaction with each other and we see bonding and giving a shit. That
Trafford lot may be over our shoulders, but they’ve yet to play any of the big
sides and we’ve overcome our biggest test yet.
Chelsea was the complete performance – completed with the
most fitting of goal scorers.
Onto October: Stoke, Napoli, Burnley and Wolves at the
Etihad with West Brom away.
Note to self: it’s normally when you count your chickens,
that they don’t hatch.
DAM BUSTING
It’s safe to stay there was a lot of reaction to the news that came out of the Netherlands
following Sergio Aguero’s car crash. Waking up to read the news breaking on
Twitter about our star striker, who was poised to break the record set by Eric
Brooks going into the Chelsea game in a rich vein of form, was not an ideal
start to my Friday.
I knew that Aguero was in Amsterdam at a concert because I
follow him on Instagram, so I’d seen the ‘stories’ that he’d been posting on
there. But as soon as I found the photos of the smashed-up taxi he’d been in, I
realised surely he’d done more damage than initially suggested. It looked
really bad. So imagine my surprise that City fans and ‘pundits’ alike was
reacting in anger to the situation.
‘What the hell was he thinking?’ ‘Why the hell is he in
Amsterdam when we’re 48 hours away from the biggest game of the season so far?’
‘What is he playing at?’
Are these people actual rational human beings?! Do they
realise that he could’ve been involved in a similar incident coming out of the
CFA in Manchester? Or driving out of his home back in the UK? Do these
imbeciles actually stop for a minute to consider that players are allowed to do
whatever they want, within reason, in their spare time? I work part time and my
boss would never for a second tell me what to do in my spare time. He wouldn’t
be remotely interested. Granted I’m not playing for a high profile Premier League
side and have sponsorship deals coming out of my ears, but let’s cut the guy
some slack please.
The initial reaction of a sane person would be one of
concern and shock. Thankfully, that seemed to be the response from the majority
of the fans I came across. The minority let the side down. Then there was
Richard Keys, who incredulously had the guile to compare it to the Rooney ‘way
over the drink drive limit and over for a booty call behind his pregnant wife’s
back’ incident. It beggars belief. We are very lucky that Sergio escaped with
nothing more than a broken rib. Just be grateful for that. Be grateful that his
time out is minimal – and that he’s still with us to tell the tale.
MENDY IS THE MAN
More injury woes came in the form of our brand spanking new
left back, Ben Mendy. With what initially looked nothing more than a slight
knock, everybody’s worst fears were confirmed when a scan revealed a ruptured
ACL. He’s since had an operation, but the recovery time means we may not see
him on the pitch again this season, but if we do, he should be back in time for
the main title push in April.
It was a big blow to a player who’s proved to be a firm
fans’ favourite so far since joining from Monaco. His antics on social media
have left everybody entertained and waiting for what’s next to come. He’s the
founder of the #sharkteam hashtag, the name he’s bestowed on this new-look Pep
side, with fans taking to website in droves to buy inflatable sharks to take to
the Stoke game. There are even rumours that the club may have jumped onto the
bandwagon and ordered a mass shipment of inflatable Jaws-lookalikes to
capitalise on Mendy Mania.
Whether he’s filming Bernardo Silva in the canteen and
mocking him, or bringing down Duncan Castles a peg or two on Twitter, one thing
you can rely on Mendy for is dedication and optimism. He filmed himself going
down to theatre for his op with a big smile on his face and he posted several
videos from his hospital bed of him and his friends watching the Chelsea game
and cheering us on. ‘Come on City’ was the cry, with his Gucci hat with the
painted-on worker bee to represent Manchester. He sent his teammates a video
before that game with words of encouragement and it was touching to see Delph
post-match dedicating the win to the ‘big man in the hospital bed.’
Mendy is the man of the moment – and long may that continue.
#sharkteam
TYPICAL CITY
It may seem a bit harsh to take a pop at the club after such
a fantastic month, but City being City, they do make it very easy for us. I’m
not sure whose bright idea it was to think of conducting a behind-the-scenes
tour at the City Academy with Chappy as the host and actually contemplate for a
second that they could get away with charging £200 a pop for it. Is that how
much Chappy is charging these days? I know plenty that’d do it for free – and
be more popular.
Similarly, who in their right mind thought they could
introduce a ‘Women At The Game’ event for the Champions League tie against
Shakhtar Donetsk?
‘Meet together. Watch together. Cheer together,’ An
inspiring tagline if ever I heard one.
35% of the average football crowd in 2017 is female. That
number has been steadily rising for a good couple of decades. You can’t patronise
a core element of your support with what can only be described as belittling
bullshit. We have been meeting together, watching together and cheering
together for a number of years if you haven’t already noticed. We don’t need an
entirely ill-advised manufactured event to socialise at football.
The days of us being confined to the kitchen are long gone –
we are actually allowed out to attend the match in this wonderfully modern era
of equal rights. I mean, Emmeline Pankhurst didn’t waste her life campaigning
for women’s rights only for City to come along and entirely alienate the female
City population in one fell swoop. Is there any kind of quality control that
goes on at City in the marketing and events department before these ideas are
promoted? It’s just baffling and utter tripe.
A big issue at the moment that the club are also struggling
with is the queues that are gathering at the turnstiles before the game. I
touched on this last month and on why the security measures are necessary in
light of the heightened tensions and constant barbaric terrorist acts that seem
to be happening almost daily now across the globe. The huge queues that form
pre-match are a serious concern now and it’s time for the club to address them.
One way this has been attempted to be dealt with is by
offering fans ‘chip for a quid’ if they enter the ground early. Another
promotion was selling soft drinks for £1. Hang on a minute, somebody hold my
pint so I can rush down and benefit from such an alluring offer! No City no.
Half price beer maybe, but nobody is going to look upon those deals as an
incentive to leave the pub early.
Also, the club spend time promoting the events going on in
City Square before the match, so which one is it to be City? Do you want us in
the ground early eating our chips for a quid supping our coke, or do you want
us outside watching two fans interviewing former players? It’s contradictory –
you need to be clear on where you want the fans to be and when. If you want us
all inside the ground by a certain time, then take the entertainment inside.
It’s not going to work. People stay in the boozer sometimes
right until the last minute. It definitely won’t work for night matches: people
picking their kids up, getting home from work, rushing around. There is no way
that everybody can be at the ground 45-60 minutes before a night game because
people have lives. They have other commitments outside of football – football
fits in around all that, so you have to make it slightly easier for everybody
in that regard. Why not employ more security staff to do the checks outside the
ground? Or let people use more entrances instead of restricting people to just
one turnstile? There are ways around it, because it’s never been as bad as it
is right now to enter the ground before the game. Not only are fans queuing for
ages, it poses a huge security risk in itself, with people almost sitting
ducks.
It’d only take a bit of common sense to rectify the
situation – but then again that’d be too easy, wouldn’t it? #typicalcity
So what a month September was. My eldest, Vincent, turned three
so we took him to the Palace game as a treat/test to see how he’d get on.
Decked out in his new shirt, he was so excited on the journey there and I’ve
never felt more proud walking up to the Etihad than I did with my boy holding
my hand tightly, shouting ‘Come on City!’
He loved all the excitement outside and the atmosphere when
the team bus turned up. We thankfully arrived early enough not to queue, so he
had a hot dog inside and skipped to his seat in the South Stand. When the teams
came out onto the pitch, he looked around in bewildered awe. He’s been to a
couple of games before, but he’s at an age now where he’s older and more aware,
he could really take it in and join in with the songs.
We managed to get 10 minutes out of him before he was asking
for his Kindle to watch YouTube and I totally expected that. But he joined in
with all five goal celebrations and exited the Etihad pumping his fist shouting
Leroy. That’s more than enough for me. It was a very proud day for this City
Mama.
You’d think City being impeccable off the pitch would mean
the media would be fawning over us, of course that’s not to be. I had an
interesting engagement on Twitter with Ian Ladyman, Daily Mail’s Football
Editor, over an entirely unnecessarily negative Aguero tweet for which he
demonstrated no morals, remorse or integrity. Trying to constantly find the
negatives in positive situations is lazy and unsubstantiated journalism, with
non-existent sources cited to accompanied make-believe stories that excite our
opponents as much as that offend City fans.
The constant City bashing from most media outlets is proving
to be sadly predictable: price tags relentlessly brought up as valid arguments
for justification for current form and attempting to fantasize rifts with Pep
and players is lazy click bait at its best. It’s monotonous, boringly churlish
at a time where credit is rightly due regardless of any other factors.
But we’ll just let actions speak louder than any words – and
take great pride in that.
As always.
Emily Brobyn
@kippaxgirlemily
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