For once, I’m not really sure
where to begin. As a writer, you become used to using superlatives and
adjectives to add to your story, as a fan I can’t quite believe I’m using them
to describe my football team.
For last month, I took great
pleasure in writing about City’s unbeaten run. How I couldn’t believe that we’d
made it to the end of September with our impeccable record intact. I now can’t
believe it’s been another full month and the run has continued. October has
been and gone and City are not only still unbeaten, but have already qualified
for the next round of the Champions League.
No, you’re not dreaming. This is
how the beautiful game is supposed to be played. This is Manchester City, circa
2017. This is City, under Pep Guardiola.
TOTAL FOOTBALL
I think the penny finally dropped
after we beat Napoli 4-2. To go there in the middle of a gruelling run of
games, in an intimidating atmosphere against a strong side and dominate the
best part of the match, sent out the strongest of messages. If you hadn’t been
taking us seriously so far, it’s time you did.
For the best part, pundits and
journalists have been starting to give us the praise that’s so rightly due. So
they should: City are playing the kind of football most teams can only dream
of. Pep Guardiola’s brand of football has arrived: it’s his squad and he now
has the players capable of delivering the football we’ve seen previously from
Pep at Barcelona and Bayern.
In my first article from this
season, I said that the time was now for Pep to prove himself. A lot of people
knew just how capable he was of delivering his style of football given the
right tools for the job – the tools are in place and the master craftsman is at
work, much to the bewilderment and delight of City fans.
It’s a privilege to watch and
it’s hard to believe that this is our football team. The team spirit is there
for all to see: the players want to work for each other, the work ethic is
commendable and the football is mesmerising. There’s no weak link – and players
who may have had question marks lingering over their heads are now thriving in
the form of their lives.
John Stones for example. Many
thought the £47.5 million price tag we paid for him was excessive, but the
price takes into account potential, and it’s that potential that he’s now
fulfilling. That price is now beginning to look like value for money. If he
carries on in this form, we could be looking at our captain for this season.
It’s a similar situation with
Raheem Sterling. The 22 year old has been slaughtered in the press and amongst
opposition fans, who criticised his £49 million price tag and were adamant he’d
never fulfil the potential he has shown.
‘All pace, no end product,’ they
mocked.
At the time of going to press (before the Arsenal game), Sterling has
scored seven goals so far this season. Level with Aguero and one behind Harry
Kane, he’s also racked up two assists. It’s about time people recognised that
Sterling is a key member of the City squad – he acknowledges rightfully that
Pep plays squad rotation and he has to be part of that, but his hard work is
paying off – that’s always the best way to prove people wrong and he’s doing it
so well.
It’s interesting too that the
goals are being more spread out across the team. Take the defence for example.
Conceded 10, but scored seven and assisted with eight goals. It’s further proof
if needed that Pep’s total football is coming to fruition and proving great
dividends across the field. It’s a collective effort, where attack is the best
form of defence and Ederson aims for as high a pass completion rate as Silva or
Stones. Sane and De Bruyne have both been nothing short of sensational. Picking
a Player of the Month is almost impossible, it’s that much of a collective
effort.
Quite a lot of opposition fans
have told me how lucky I am this past couple of weeks. Things can change in the
blink of an eye, and we know as Blues never to count our chickens or take
anything for granted. But this time it feels
different. It feels like we are watching and witnessing something really
special at the moment. This is a new defining golden era at the club.
The players we have are young,
exciting and are just as excited to be a part of the history they are making.
It’s passion, pace, tenacity, hard work and bloody good football all rolled
into one. It’s intelligent: the kind of football you can’t take your eyes off
for a second or you’ll miss a superb goal, an inch-perfect pass or a blistering
counter attack. It’s a special time and long may it continue.
On a side note, we’ve been linked
with Alexis Sanchez and – perhaps more unbelievably – Lionel Messi. But (and I can’t quite believe I’m saying this),
where would they fit in? Who would you drop at the moment to make room for
them? Messi is Messi, and he comes along, somebody will certainly have to make
way, but the strength in depth is that good
right now, that every player is just as important.
A big shout too goes to Fabian
Delph. As I mentioned last month, he could’ve gone in the Summer, but he
didn’t. He stayed and fought for his place: Mendy’s injury meant we needed an
adequate replacement and left back and Delph has proved adaptable enough to
fill in better than anybody could’ve possibly hoped for. He has put in some
stellar performances of late and looked more than comfortable in the Champions
League, earning him the nickname, Delphino. The praise is more than due and
another middle finger to his haters and doubters.
Don’t you just love it when City
keep proving people wrong. Long may it continue.
NEVER FELT MORE LIKE SINGING THE BLUES
I think one of my favourite
moments from October is when the score from the Huddersfield-United game echoed
around the South Stand during the Burnley game.
‘No wayyyyyyy, Huddersfield are
winning 2-0? You’ve got to be joking right? As if!’
It was true. We ended up beating
Burnley in a comfortable 3-0 win and they got beat by Huddersfield 2-1. Now,
I’m usually not that fan who watches
everything United does to compare and contrast, but I do like having a moment
in the sun when it comes round.
Why? Because my high school days
were riddled with the torment of supporting City in the constant shadow of
United. I was constantly ribbed, bullied and teased by Peter Reid’s/Brian
Horton’s/Alan Ball’s/Asa Hartford’s/Frank Clark’s/Steve Coppell’s/Joe Royle’s
failure at City. When I walked into the form room after they beat us 5-0 (that Kanchelskis hat trick), the lads
were baying for blood. None of them had gone to a game at Old Trafford of
course, but as I walked in with my City coat on, the chant went up. GGMU. It
lasted all day, but the ridicule lasted until I left high school in June 1998.
It was depressing. But it’s
something that will live with me forever. The image of that banner in the Stretford End and the sheer arrogance that their
fans possessed during that time and still on the whole do. Most of them think
they have a God given right to win trophies based on their past. Heaven forbid
little City become actual contenders in the long run. How dare City play better
football than us – go on, admit that it’s happening.
Just imagine paying to watch the
football they play. Can we call it football? Mind numbing and monotonous.
Unimaginative and uninspiring. We all know that Jose loves to play up to the
anti-football card, but it’s become even more apparent when he’s playing it in
the same league as Pep’s magnificent football. Boring, boring Jose.
Of course, they are our main
threat in the title race this season. Rumours continue to swirl about Conte’s
relationship with Roman Abramovich at Chelsea, Wenger and Arsenal are typically
destined for 4th spot, Liverpool have disappointed under Klopp but
The Harry Kane Team™ do continue to impress under Poch. But it’s Jose and
United who look to be our main competition for the trophy: it’s an interesting
battle given the huge gulf in class both on and off the pitch.
It may seem petty, it may seem
small time. But we really shouldn’t forget about The Banner™. I know I won’t.
RECORD BREAKING SERG
It was only a matter of time
before Sergio Aguero broke Eric Brook’s goal-scoring record. He reached 178
goals for City in style during that 4-2
thriller against Napoli. It’s the most incredible achievement and we’ll
hopefully see plenty more where that came from him in the months and seasons to
come.
It’s a huge cliché, but when it
comes to goals from Aguero, there’s one that stands up head and shoulders above
the rest. That will go down in history forever, the one goal that we still
can’t watch back without tearing up. 93:20. The goal that won us the League.
Around me in the East Stand,
everybody had pretty much given up hope. It was a mixture of anger and, well,
just people crying. Sobbing. It was Typical City™ to be in the driving seat and
mess it up at home to a team battling for survival. But I had hope and was
screaming like an absolute idiot.
‘Come on City!’ I cried. ‘We can
still do this. Come on, let’s have some faith!’
Edin Dzeko’s goal put a bit of
fire back into people’s bellies, but the majority still feared the worst. Too
little, too late. No chance. This was still going to happen. We were still
going to win the League.
Looking back, it was all a bit of
a blur. I remember Balotelli receiving the ball in the midfield and passing it
to Aguero. I think I had two thoughts at that point. A) he’s blasting it over
or wide or B) this is it. The moment. Time stood still. It seemed like an age
between him receiving the ball and hitting it goal bound. But the net bulged.
That roar. That moment was adrenaline, ecstasy, relief, joy and what the hell
had just happened?! What had we just witnessed?
We witnessed history in the best
possible way. It’s still so hard to put into words and it will always stir
emotions I didn’t know were possible. It’s feelings I doubt I will ever
experience again. It’s so hard to explain – of course, the 47,000 who were
there that day will be only too familiar with that sentiment. But that goal from Aguero was the goal. Some might say it was his
career-defining goal.
That moment is the moment that everybody thinks about
when you hear his name (some part of that
is obviously down to Martin Tyler), but it’s impossible to put a price on
just how important that goal was, how much it meant to everybody at the club
and how much financially it was worth. There’s been 177 other goals, but none
can ever compare to that.
Some have mentioned the
possibility of a statue of a stand being named after the Argentine, and I think
it’d be a fantastic gesture and only too deserved. Colin Bell played his part
in the successes of the club, and many others have since, but none so much as
Aguero. He’s a huge part of City’s history and that should be recognised.
The Sergio Aguero Stand, has a
good ring to it, doesn’t it?
THE KOMPANY WE KEEP
For the first time ever, I’m
beginning to see a future for City without Vincent Kompany.
It pains me so much to say it
because I’m the biggest Komps fan – I even named my first born after him – but
with Stones and Otamendi playing so well at the back, it’s the first time I’ve
sat back and realised we don’t actually have to rely on Kompany anymore. The
injuries have taken their toll and he doesn’t seem to be as active as he once
was on social media about City. A lot of fans have been disappointed about his
club vs. country stance and there have been hints that Pep hasn’t been too
happy about it either.
I would love for him to get back
to full fitness and fight for his place in the starting line-up, healthy
competition is good. He’s even on the back of my home shirt this season. I’ve
never had a bad word to say about the Belgian and this is no way criticism, we
all know how unlucky he’s been throughout the past few years.
No matter what happens, he will
always be such a monumental part of the story. He deserves our respect – I just
hope if he does make a decision, he decides to stay at the club in some
capacity. Like Zabs, it’d be wrong seeing him go elsewhere.
DEJA BLUE
When I first started watching
City, Brian Horton was our manager. Tony Coton was in goal, Peter Beagrie was
on the wing and Uwe Rosler was upfront. Horton played open, attacking football,
with varying degrees of success. But he gave it a shot and the results produced
some thrillers – namely the 5-2 win over Spurs at Maine Road. He was
attack-heavy but the football was lively, but success was stunted by injuries
to key players.
I’ve always had great respect for
Horton. He had a good football philosophy. I interviewed him at his house and
he spoke so highly of City. He loved the club, still does. He tried to play
football and sign creative players with severely limited resources, when a
bitter power struggle was going on between Peter Swales and Francis Lee. He
played with width, with an aggressive and powerful striker upfront, and
creativity in midfield. He’s respected by the Blues who know their football –
and who agree his exit was absolutely premature.
So what does that have to do with
City circa 2017? I’m not comparing Horton to Pep, that would be silly. But
maybe, just maybe, way back then, we had a taste of how things could be when we
play football right. With the right resources, the right tactics, the right
players, we can play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. Open,
attacking and inventive football. The beautiful game.
Roy Keane recently said in an
interview that he fully expects City to mess it up because ‘it’s in our DNA’.
Can we really go the whole season
unbeaten?
Do you need me to answer that?
(I hate agreeing with Keane. I’m
off to wash the disgust off me!).
Emily Brobyn
@kippaxgirlemily
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