What a difference a few months can make. It
only seems like yesterday since ‘Pep Out’ was trending on Twitter, City were in
the bottom half of the table and Liverpool fans were positively giddy about the
prospect of retaining the trophy they’d waited 30 long years to win.
I think it’s safe to say that ship has sailed.
Then we had United fans posting pictures of the
Premier League table and claiming Joint Top™ was a thing.
It isn’t and they’re not. Ole’s reds left with
that sinking feeling yet again.
Now Pep is steering City’s juggernaut vessel
downwind with the finish line firmly in sight. Since mid December, it’s been virtually
nothing but plain sailing for City. Our phenomenal 28 game unbeaten run thwarted
only by United, the Incredibles are marching on towards a fifth Premier League
title and Pep’s third – but what other trophies will we secure along the way
and will we all be able to celebrate together in some capacity if circumstances
allow? Brighter days are coming; it’s just a matter of when, not if.
YOU’VE GOT THE LOVE
I remember when the world as we knew it stopped
turning during the first lockdown in March 2020. When everything came to a
standstill: the skies were stripped bare of planes, the streets desolate and
football was put on pause. When rumours started to swirl about the Premier
League returning, the game as we knew it came under massive scrutiny.
Was it money over safety? While we were social distancing and wearing
masks, players were able to tackle, line up in a wall and celebrate together
for goals. Was it right? So many questions were asked, but the show must go on
and football did return – and may I say, for the greater good too.
The most recent lockdown has been even more
difficult for so many people. We may not have had football during the initial
lockdown, but we had sunshine in abundance. The feeling that we were all doing
our bit and that it would only be for a limited amount of time meant that people
were almost generous in their enthusiasm to stay at home, wash their hands and
help out in exchange for their freedom in a few months. We all banged our pots
and pans, painted our rainbows and lived in hope for a prompt return to
normality.
By the time nine months had passed by and Boris
announced another lockdown, the rainbows had faded and most people’s enthusiasm
had long waned. With one of the coldest and wettest Winters for years, the days
were cold, dark, dismal and repetitive. Homeschooling was a firm part of every
parent’s juggling act. But this time, one thing was different. We had the
football. We had City – and boy did we need them.
I’m grateful for my children, for their
youthful ignorance has been my bliss and a welcome distraction. I’m grateful
for my partner for helping to keep me sane, rational and positive. I’m grateful
for my Mum, for being our single child support bubble and helping with the boys
when the juggle and the struggle has been too much.
But I’m grateful to for City. So, so grateful.
For when most of our basic rights and daily
hobbies are taken away from us, City have been the one constant that we’ve
still been able to enjoy. Through the snow, rain and freezing temperatures,
City have been there to offer us some normality and I think that has really
helped me through the past few months. I know that nothing can ever replace
going to matches and I’ve really felt that. For years, we have planned our
lives around the fixture list and to have something so consistent removed from
our lives was initially so difficult. I’ve missed the smells, the atmosphere,
the adrenaline and emotions. But most of all, I’ve missed the people.
It may sound precious with the amount of people
who have lost loved ones and key workers under incredible pressure, but I mean
it with the best of intentions and only in the context of providing us all with
something that is relatable, common and the most welcome of distractions. A
degree of normality in extraordinary times. Not only have City kept us company,
they’ve provided us with the most phenomenal winning run we’ve seen since,
well, City did it last time. 22 wins in a row and 28 games unbeaten – with
Ilkay Gundogan and Pep Guardiola winning the Premier League Player and Manager
of the Month award for January and February.
So many questions had been asked. How would we
cope without Kevin De Bruyne? Could we finally win at Anfield? Where does
Laporte fit in when Stones and Dias have forged such a formidable partnership?
Would Aguero ever play for us again? Possibly the biggest question people had
dared to ask was ‘is Pep done at City?’
Every question had been answered and then some.
THE EVOLUTION OF PEP
There have been a couple of questions that I’ve
been asked a lot recently when I’ve been invited onto the radio. The first one
being, ‘what has changed so much for City to turn their season around since mid
December?’ The second is always, ‘which era of Pep football have you enjoyed
the most?’
I’ll answer the first one. I really feel that
City’s lack of pre-season left them so ill-prepared for the season of the
2020/21 campaign. De Bruyne has always been vocal about this: how much he
struggled to find his feet and settle into the demands and rigours that the
Premier League ask from their competitors. I also voiced my own concerns over
the potential disruption and uncertainty about Pep’s future and whether that
could play a part in players or even the manager himself feeling unsettled.
Once Pep addressed the question marks over his
future and the players found their feet, fitness and rhythm in the season,
there was no looking back. Everything clicked into place: the momentum built,
the consistency was established and, just as important, the mentality and team
spirit was clear for all to see. This was a team flourishing; growing in
confidence and working hard for each other. A team thriving and striving for
success in every competition. It wasn’t so much as Pep was back – he’d never
gone anywhere. And let’s thank our lucky stars for that.
As for the eras? It’s a difficult one. Much
like the luxurious headache Pep has to endure when selecting his starting XI
with such an array of talent at his disposal, we have really been spoilt during
the past few seasons with the football that we’ve lucky enough to watch. So
much so, that it’s testing at the best of times now when it comes to watching
other games on the television. The standard that City have set is so superior
to the rest, it’s often a tedious affair trying to sit through neutral matches.
But it’s always only been their own standard
that City have been chasing. City have set the bar so high for everybody. The
eras of Pep at City have been conveniently defined by the club themselves
through the catchy slogans they label the seasons to help the club shop sell
leisurewear. The first season was more of a transition season, so we won’t talk
about that. The second season, 2017/18, was the Centurions season. The era of
free flowing, fantasy football, the likes of which the Premier League had never
seen before. The League was won with a 100 points tally – 19 points ahead of
our nearest rivals, United.
The third campaign, 2018/19, was the
Fourmidables. The season that we won the domestic treble and fought a colossal
battle with Liverpool for the title – toe to toe – winning it on the final day
with a 4-1 victory against Brighton. I think that season is the most stressed
I’ve ever felt following City – well, since the individual games vs QPR 2011/12
and Gillingham at Wembley 1999. The fourth was 2019/20 – a far from normal season
as we knew it and nonetheless, slightly disappointing given our recent
standards.
But this time round, 2020/21, should be
recognized as the season of the Incredibles. A term that Pep used repeatedly after
the 5-2 Southampton win because of the Laporte penalty decision and the
incredulous Foden penalty/non penalty saga, but incredible fits well with City
this season for many different reasons. The reason that impresses me the most
is what I like to call The Evolution of Pep.
Too many times last season, we were coming up
against teams and walking away post-match declaring that Pep’s style had been
‘found out’. A high line, a low block; hit us on the counter, grab a goal, then
sit and defend the lead. Frustrate us. Was it his achille’s heel? How do we solve
the problem? Teams know that by playing too open, they run the risk of us going
full throttle and scoring three, four, five against them. An open game for us
can be like carving a knife through butter.
But Pep has learnt and adapted. This season,
we’ve seen a much more cautious side to his style of play. I think a certain
amount of it has been down to game management: so many games to play and trying
to not expend more energy than necessary. But definitely against United at Old
Trafford and Liverpool at home in the League, we witnessed a manager who was
displaying restraint. A man would had given due diligence to being undone on
the counter by these teams before and who knew the value of one point over
three.
He could’ve rolled the dice and gone for it. I’ll
admit that I was screaming for him to do it. But he knew that, by doing that,
we risked conceding on the break. At the time, I was a bit sceptical. But,
looking back, I realise that it was a clever decision to make. We’ve seen a few
games this season, the Sheffield United games are first that come to mind,
where it’s been methodical and at a much slower and steadier pace than season’s
past. The key has been not to use many subs, not to overly exert yourself. Grab
a goal, keep possession, see the game out. There have been games this season
that we would’ve, or did, lose last season, had we not have evolved and learnt
from past mistakes. It’s a sign of a top drawer manager: one who has won most
things on offer in football but is still learning, adapting and experimenting. But
we’ve seen real guts too. Determination, endeavour, courage, passion and fight.
Some games really have just been about getting over the line. Some have been a
real battle. In a season packed full of matches, I can forgive them for that.
It shows again a different side – no guts, no glory.
The rotation this season has been clever too.
For the best part, we’ve been lucky to have an almost fully fit squad. Many
people talk about the value of our bench – this takes me back to the days of
Garry Cook and that napkin. Although I worked with Garry for a few
seasons, I never saw the napkin, but I know that the idea was to have two
players of real quality in each position across the pitch. To be able to swap
Stones for Laporte, Zinchenko for Cancelo, Rodri for Fernandinho and Kevin De
Bruyne for Gundogan is an extraordinary opulence. It’s even more impressive in
that it doesn’t affect the outcome of games. Each player knows their role when
it comes to the bigger picture. It’s a team effort – you only have to see that
when the players celebrate goals and at the final whistle. They’re working for
each other, striving for their targets and it’s exciting to see.
So many players have stepped it up too.
Gundogan, who I have championed since his arrival at the club, was so
influential during De Bruyne’s absence and really came into his own. Bernardo
is back to his brilliant self – his work rate is nothing short of exceptional.
Mahrez – often the scapegoat for so many people – he has been more consistent
of late and produced some dazzling goals. I’m also enjoying him being more
selfless too. He has one of the best touches and techniques I’ve seen from a
footballer; it’s always only been about consistency when it comes to Mahrez.
Cancelo has been a revelation: he’s been our joker in the pack and has played
more of a midfield playmaker role than a full back. Credit has to go to
Zinchenko too. This season he’s been more assured: he’s matured and been more
consistent and assertive. The positives are plentiful.
I could heap praise on each and every player,
such has been the nature of the football we have been enjoying. I’ll save it
for a future article. But I will say this – we cannot underestimate the
importance of how improved our defence has been. The signing of Ruben Dias has
proved pivotal to that: he’s a naturally confident leader. He marshalls,
orders, bellows, instructs and leads with aggression and authority. Alongside a
resurgent John Stones, a solid and consistent partnership has flourished and
it’s been one of the true joys of the season. The confidence that comes with
having a dependable defence has helped to shape our team, mindset and driven us
forward throughout our record-breaking winning run. It’s a team effort – but I
do believe it will be the amount of clean sheets we have kept and the vast
improvement of our back line that has had the biggest say in potentially
bringing the title back to the blue half of Manchester this season.
WE WILL FIGHT FOREVER MORE, BECAUSE OF…
Most City fans would’ve known that our
remarkable 21 game winning streak would come to an end sooner rather than
later. Many old school blues would’ve know that was bound to happen against
United. That’s just the way it goes as a City fan. But to lose the game 2-0 at
home in the manner that we did was disappointing to say the least.
I know I may come across as spoilt by saying
this, but there is nothing wrong in admitting how disappointed you are at a
particular result, despite what the League table says. There seemed to be a
real divide on social media after the game. Disappointment yes, but some seemed
to be happy because we still had a sizable lead at the top. But there was still
a decent amount of blues that were bitterly frustrated by not only the result,
but the manner of the defeat.
So many managers of the past have embraced City
and what the club represent: its values, traditions and its DNA. But the only
thing that Pep has never really seemed to grasp is the importance to fans of
winning a Derby game. It may be just another game in a frenetic season to him,
but to the fans it’s a Manchester Derby. The term ‘bragging rights’ is mostly
abhorred by people in football, but when it comes to a Derby game, it resonates
true. Like most blues, I took pelters for years off United fans who were only
too happy to revel in the glory of their successes and the misery inflicted on
us time and time again.
But it’s funny how the tables have turned. They
may not be yo-yoing through the divisions, but their fans seem only too
delighted to bask in the triumph that a Derby victory brings, even if that
means that City still ultimately win the title. Back then, I lived for anything
from a Derby – points from a Derby game meant a successful season in my eyes. I
think that banner that a lot to answer for.
After the defeat, I was conflicted post-match.
I did feel hurt – it had been a while since I’d felt what a loss felt like. But
it doesn’t have to be one or the other. You can still be hugely exasperated at
City losing another game to United under Pep and still be optimistic about the
rest of the season. It’s never been cut and dry supporting this club, it
wouldn’t be City if it was.
A BRIGHTER DAY
At the time of writing, City are currently
still in all four competitions. But this is a big week coming up – with both
the Champions League second leg against Borussia Moenchengladbach and the FA
Cup quarter final against Everton to play out. A lot has been made of the
club’s chances of winning the quadruple – but nearly all the talk has come from
the media. I don’t think I’ve heard a single fan really mention the possibility
– but you can be sure that, if it doesn’t happen, plenty of rival fans will be
goading us straight away.
‘Ahahahaha, there goes your quadruple!’
Trust me when I say this and I’ll say it louder
for the people at the back (who usually have selective hearing anyway and
believe only what they’re fed by the media); I will be delighted if the
Premier League is the only trophy that we win. To many, it may not be viewed as
progress, or demonstrate a severe lack of ambition on my part. But I love
winning the title and to win it after the first half that we had to the season
too, for me, would be a remarkable achievement.
I understand that expectations have changed and
we have to compete on all fronts. I’d love to win all the silverware. But it’s
not solely what I’m here for. It’s all part of the roller-coaster ride: I still
think we’d get grief even if we won the Champions League. People would stick
find some irrational stick to beat us with. I’m still waiting for Pep to
receive the plaudits he deserves for not only retaining the Premier League, but
for winning the domestic treble that season too back in 2018/19. I know, I’ll
be waiting a long time.
Rumours have been rife recently about the
prospect of 10,000 fans being allowed in for the last two games of the season.
It would be magnificent to see fans return and I’m assuming the club would have
to organize a ballot to decide which fans would be the chosen ones. I don’t
have a chance because I share a season ticket with my partner at the moment (due
to childcare and financial restraints – I’d always had a season ticket; but had
to give it up when my eldest was born. Since then, I cherry picked my games
until a couple of seasons ago, when we started to share one. Such is life).
But you can be sure of one thing – I’ll be the one leading the socially
distanced conga outside the stadium!
I think just the thought of that situation
would put so many smiles on people’s faces. Nothing has been won yet: as City
fans we know better than to get the open top bus out until it’s mathematically
certain. Even when we’re 3-0 up in a game, I find myself unconvinced until the
final whistle, which is ridiculous considering the football we have played this
season. I know that in an ideal world, we would love the Etihad stadium packed
to the rafters to cheer on the boys to victory in the blazing Manchester
sunshine (should the weather Gods comply). But these haven’t been normal
times for a time and I’d be happy to take anything if it meant being reunited
with familiar faces that I haven’t seen for so long and celebrating together –
even if masks and social distancing has to be in place. Ultimately, like everything
during the past 12 months, that will be decided by the government. Let’s see
what happens.
It really has been a season like no other and
there’s still so much to come from it yet. Rest assured, we will all be back
together in the not-too-distant future. We have so much to potentially look
forward to. So many reasons to be optimistic. We’re bound by our love of all
things blue – so let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope we can all be together
to celebrate soon too.
Emily Brobyn
@kippaxgirlemily
