KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - MARCH 2021

MARCH OF THE INCREDIBLES

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

IT'S HEADING FOR A FINAL DAY DECIDER...

NOBODY DOES IT BETTER – MAKES ME FEEL SAD FOR THE REST

KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - APRIL 2019

 Finally, I have had the time to open my laptop and string a few sentences together about our little old City. Having two children means that, most of the time, everything is chaos. By the time they’re in bed at night I’m fit for nothing and my head is on nursery rhyme, jingle, electronic sounds from toys, overload. More often than not, finding the time to write these days is desperately rare (I’ve had to come to my Mum’s while she looks after my youngest so I can type this all up right now), but I’m determined to keep contributing and giving my thoughts and opinions on everything to do with the Blues , as long as Dave and Sue will have me.

FOREVER BLUE

Having stepped out of my comfort zone and gone from writing to contributing on the now-defunct City Watch Podcast (!), I’m now a regular panel member for Ian Cheeseman’s Forever Blue podcast. Podcasts are a funny thing: I was so nervous the first time I ever did one and always thought I’d make a laughing stock of myself. But it turns out people do sometimes actually agree with some of the things I say. Which is very surreal. You’re never going to please everybody all the time, but as long as you stay honest, most people will respect you for that, whether they agree with you or not.

It can be quite daunting though if your opinion is different to other panel members on the podcast. I remember last season when we did a podcast and discussed the Champions League draw. We were talking about which teams we didn’t want – and I was the only person to say Liverpool. I got mocked a bit by the panel, but I gave my reasons – and then look what happened. We drew them and they ended up knocking us out. It doesn’t always go like that, but a few people remembered that and I gained a bit of respect for it.

It’s really difficult putting yourself out there like that though. You’ve got to be able to grow a thicker sin, accept that everybody is entitled to their opinion and that different viewpoints aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Ian always told me, as long as you can back your opinion up, you will always have respect and credibility for that. I’ve been asked to do a couple of other City podcasts, but for now I just want to stick to contributing to Forever Blue. Ian is a good friend, he has shown me incredibly loyalty, and for that I’ll always be grateful. Plus I have next to no spare time right now, so I have to be selective about the things that I do when it comes to broadcasting and writing.

We also had Andy Morrison on the podcast recently: I’m planning a special article for King of the Kippax based on his interview, so that’s one to look out for. His story, on a human level, is both equally devastating as it is fascinating, and it was surreal to be able to ask him some questions after Ian had conducted the main interview. I’ve interviewed dozens of players, but that was very special.

I’ve also contributed on BBC Radio 5 Live quite a lot recently; I tend to be talking all things City on their breakfast show with Nicky Campbell and Rachel Burden. I’ve just recorded an interview too with The Anfield Wrap for their main paid subscription show. Yet I still don’t feel overly confident speaking on these platforms – I’ve still not decided if it’s something I’ll continue to pursue, writing is definitely my comfort zone, but I am enjoying it and it allows me to spend what little spare time I have talking about City – and what’s not to love about that?

IT’S A FUNNY OLD GAME

It’s always made me laugh how fickle football fans can be. I remember when Zinchenko was linked with a move to Wolves in the Summer. When he decided to stay, many Blues mocked him for it on social media.

‘What’s the point – he’ll never get game time now Mendy’s back. Where his ambition to play first team football?’

Some said he wasn’t ambitious enough. Some said he was greedy, happy to take a wage without getting enough game time. But a minority, myself included, were glad he decided to stay and saw a future for him at the club.

Fast forward to now and Zinchenko has just been voted City’s Player of the Month for February – no mean feat considering the form of Bernardo and Sterling, along with Aguero’s two hat tricks. But it’s thoroughly deserved for the Ukrainian: after the 6-0 drubbing of Chelsea, the 22 year old has been unplayable.

His attitude is commendable, he’s obviously a much liked squad member, his confidence has soared, but crucially, both his technical ability and physicality have much improved. It’s obvious to see that he’s been working on his strength: you only have to look to the Chelsea game at Wembley for proof of that, having dealt with the threat of Pedro and Willian quite comfortably. Game after game he’s been solid: he’s a dream left-back for Pep because his natural position is actually more of a winger/attacker, so his pace and trickery serves him well when turning defence into attack for City. There’s talk of a new deal being lined up for him – it’s no less than he deserves – and if/when Mendy ever gets fit again, the Frenchman has to know that he’s got one hell of a fight on his hands to gain his place back in the starting line up.

Gundogan is another player who has really impressed me recently. When Fernandinho got injured, a lot of people obviously panicked. After City failed to sign another defensive midfielder to be able to rotate in when Fernandinho is rested/injured, alarm bells were ringing. But Gundogan really has come into his own of late. We’re seeing the Borussia Dortmund Gundogan at last, the player City paid £20 million for, and that price is looking more and more like a bargain. The Champions League second leg against Schalke is the best I’ve seen him play for us so far. The way he was linking play, quashing their moves forward and some of his passes were phenomenal. He’s an intelligent footballer, one that perhaps (with no disrespect meant), only supporters of a certain ilk can truly appreciate. He’s relishing his game time and we can’t take him for granted.

Fernandinho has long been established as a key player in this side and his role and contribution cannot be underestimated. City have offered new deal to Gundogan and he is yet to sign – at the age of 28, he has a decision to make. Does he stay and fight with all his might for a place in the first team, knowing that a fit Fernandinho will always be favoured in that position? Knowing that if he plays elsewhere in midfield, his fight is just as tough being surrounded by superb midfielders? Or does he look for a new challenge, at a pinnacle point in his career, knowing that he could secure guaranteed game time and be a first team starter elsewhere? It’s a really tough decision for him to make and I understand the time he needs to take to do that, even if the foot-stamping fans don’t. I would love him to stay – and he may just be the answer to our defensive midfielder problem, without us having to make an extra signings. But it’s been a certain percentage of fans who have belittled his ability, mocked his contributions and sneered at him for a long period of his time at the club. It’s a shame it’s only now that fans are starting to wake up to his capabilities at City. It might just be too little, too late – and who could blame him for that?

But good news on the new deal front has been the imperious Bernardo Silva signing a contract extension, taking his stay at City up to 2025. There’s no doubt he’s a front runner for Player of the Season – nobody puts in the work rate and miles like Bernardo does. He runs himself into the ground twice a week for us, his trickery dazzles and his first touch is the best I’ve ever seen from any player – and that’s no exaggeration. He’s been undroppable for Pep all season and has established himself as a firm fan favourite: he’s the type of player you just delight at being able to watch play for your football club. He has everything: charisma, bottle, flair, technique, scoring ability, fight and he will run for longer than Forrest Gump ever did. He’s quite possibly a representation of the kind of player we as fans would aspire to be if we could ever be lucky enough to grace the pitch at the Etihad – he has those attributes that endears himself so dearly to the City fans – with his own ABBA ‘Voulez Vous’ song to go with him. It takes some doing to become ‘top Silva’ when you’ve playing alongside David, but based on current form, few could argue that he’s well on his way to securing just as memorable as legacy as his Spanish teammate. Based on form so far this season, for me, it’ll be between him and Sterling for Player of the Season.

RAHEEM THE GREAT

I want to take a minute though to talk about Sterling, although he serves so much longer. I’m happy to admit that I was one of the doubters when he joined us from Liverpool. I wrongly judged him – possibly on reputation alone. I don’t think I’d been brainwashed by the media, although sadly, many have been, but I’d just seen a few things about him that had made me think ‘what a d**k’. I thought his price tag was massively inflated and largely based on potential. But when he signed for City, as is the case when any boy in blue, we get behind the player and support him regardless. Last season I thought Sterling was incredible – 18 goals and countless assists – with some of those goals crucial. Match-winning goals. The last minute goal at Bournemouth tore the roof off the place.

But this season, remarkably, he’s improved even further. Ever since that incident at Stamford Bridge with the Chelsea fan, it seems like a weight has been lifted off Sterling’s shoulders. He seems more confident, more assured, more humble, more determined. It’s a sad indictment of the world we live in that it takes something like that for the media to reassess their viewpoint on him. For years, there has been a huge smear campaign against Sterling, one that he has now rightly called the press out on. He alleged that the media’s vilification of him and other players is all down to the colour of their skin. Fair play and a standing ovation from me for the 24 year old to use his platform to say that and to make certain members of the press think about their actions and the consequences they can have.

Why does Sterling get booed by the opposition fans at every ground we visit? Why, doing the World Cup, was he the only player in the starting line up that got booed in the pub I was in, in the middle of Manchester? Because his faux reputation precedes him: people have been wrongly brainwashed by the media to believe that Sterling is a flashy, trashy, cocky footballer. The constant snake emojis used towards him – he’s a money-grabber. He only moved to City for the money. NO – he’s a young man with ambition and with the talent and skill to back that up. He took the winning penalty in the shoot-out at Wembley to win us the Carabao Cup – the place he was born. That took balls of steel. He nailed it. Many could and would falter under such pressure – he didn’t. He’s already won many trophies at City and contributed massively towards those, proving that he made the right decision for his career.

He continues to learn, to thrive, to excel, to grow and, most importantly, command respect. Respect is no less than he deserves. It takes watching him every week to really appreciate how important a player he has become at City. He’s a joy to watch. His hat-trick against Watford and his captaincy against Schalke only strengths how crucial a part he plays for us – and it’s about time other fans took notice of not only how talented a player he really is, but how genuine a man he has become. It’s tragic that it’s only since he’s called out the media, that his charity work has been highlighted. That other tales of good will gestures have been raised. Raheem is the finest example I could point to for my two young sons – he’s a superb role model, make no mistake of that – and there can be no greater karma and legacy against the naysayers than that. Safe to say now that I’m one of his biggest fans and I look forward to seeing him progress even further.

THE RUN-IN

When City had a pretty much disastrous December, many wrote them off in the race for the Premier League title. But Liverpool have since wobbled, and we have continued to keep our winning run going, so now (at the time of writing), and with Spurs tailing off predictably, we are neck and neck for the League. It’s almost too close to bear.

We’re now flying towards the business end of the season, where every aspect of both sides is constantly being scrutinised and analysed. The fixtures left are the main talking point, with City being painted as having the tougher run-in. I don’t think there’s really that much really in it. Playing a team threatened with relegation can be a much tougher ask than playing one of the so-called ‘bigger’ teams. We as City fans know the importance of trying to survive a relegation fight, and you’ll give blood, sweat and tears in order to try to maintain your place in the Premier League. You raise your game beyond anything you’ve known, so the role that these teams could play can never be underestimated. We’ve both got to play teams down there, so it’ll be intriguing to see if any of them can derail a title charge. I’m looking at Palace away, United away and even Burnley away as being our toughest tests. Cardiff and Newcastle away for them shouldn’t be easy, plus they’ve got Chelsea at home.

The Champions League quarter final draw has just been made and those games will play their part too. Ajax v Juventus, Porto v Liverpool, Spurs v City and Barca v United are how the final eight teams will shape up. I wanted Porto, Ajax or Spurs so I’m pretty made up with that. Spurs are never to be underestimated, but they’re arguably the less media-hyped English club of the three, if we would’ve drawn Liverpool/United, the run-up to the fixtures would’ve been unbearable. Ajax or Juventus in the semi final should we progress is also relatively kind, so could we actually be heading to Madrid in June? UEFA will want their poster boy Ronaldo to feature in the final, but it’s going to be one hell of a couple of months.

The only difference really between us and Liverpool’s fixtures is that we’re still in the FA Cup (at the time of writing, before the semi final). Having just got home from Swansea, I’m still not really sure how we still are in the Cup. A first half of chaos, going 2-0 down, to then somehow miraculously come back and win the game 3-2, with no extra time needed, I’m still in a bit of shock about how it all panned out. The amount of beers I drank that day didn’t help the memory, but I do remember the turning point being Pep bringing the subs on: Zinchenko, Sterling and Aguero made all the difference. The goals may have been dubious to say the least, but in a season where Liverpool have enjoyed more than their fair rub of the green with decisions to keep them in the title race, I’ll take that all day long. I almost felt sorry for Swansea: once upon a time that was us. They gave it a really good go and on another day would be heading to Wembley, but there’s no denying the quality in Bernardo’s goal that started the comeback, even if the penalty and final Aguero goal had question marks over them.

With Watford, Brighton and Wolves all left in the FA Cup, it was Brighton who were paired to face us. But here’s the dilemma I have – and I’ll be really honest. I love going to Wembley. I’ve been 11 times now watching City, I still can’t believe I’m writing that, 11 times, and they’ll be people who have been more because I’ve had to miss a couple. But it’s now getting to the point where I’m having to potentially choose which games I can go to because I can’t afford it all. It’s not just the ticket with Wembley – it’s the travel cost, the food and drink. When we went down for the Carabao Cup final, we did it there and back in a day and only got home at 1am. I know people who got back later. But my boyfriend, Adam, has to be up for work at 3am and he couldn’t book the day off because he had run out of holidays. Doing it there and back in a day, especially with Vincent, is such a big ask, but cost and holiday-wise, we didn’t have any other options.

Now we’re playing Brighton, and I know you can never take anything for granted, the potential of being in the FA Cup Final is looking realistic. We’ve reached the Champions League Quarter Final. So we may need money for two more finals there. I know people say not to count chickens, but these are things financially that we need to consider, coupled with the cost of everyday life anyway (rent, bills, food, my children), it’s getting to the stage where we have to make decisions and we may not be able to afford both the semi final and the final too. Why they play the FA Cup semi finals at Wembley anyway is beyond me, but it doesn’t really help me out when I’m trying to find the funds to be able to afford everything and being stretched to the limit like every other blue. The price you pay for success!

The media are starting to make a bit more of a noise about the fact that the ‘quadruple’ is still on for us, funny that they’re realistically the only people talking about it. City fans know better than that – I don’t think any one of us is thinking that we will do it. But, it’s almost April. We have won the Community Shield (yes I know, doesn’t count) and the Carabao Cup. We’re in the FA Cup Semi Final, the Champions League quarter final and well and truly in the hunt for the Premier League title. Is it a good or a bad thing when it comes to Liverpool that we are still spinning so many plates? Just looking at our fixtures in April makes me feel tired. Eight (possibly nine if Cardiff gets re-arranged for that month too) huge games in three different competitions and the pressure is well and truly on to win them all. People talk about player fatigue, but what about us fans? It’s knackering just trying to keep up with it all!

This is do or die: it’s crunch time. Last season when we romped the League, we came up against a really big week in April – and lost all three games. We all remember it, but we wish we didn’t. At that point, Liverpool knocked us out of the Champions League and United, well, they just delayed us winning the League until they got beat by West Brom at home. No real damage done in that respect! Hopefully the players have taken that experience on board and can now look back on it as character building. If we have a week like that in April this time round, with how close the League is and Liverpool not really showing too many signs of relenting, it could be a different story.

But the big plus for City is that we’ve been here before and done it – three times in seven years. We have the experience of coming from behind to win the League, twice. When it comes to the crunch, it’s a test of who wants it more, who is stronger, both physically and mentally, who is more motivated for it. Anything could happen between now and May to affect both teams involved – a surprise suspension or a shock injury could have a detrimental effect on either side. There are so many contributing factors, so many twists and turns to come.

I would love to win it all; I don’t think you’ll find a football fan who wouldn’t want to see their team lift every trophy and enjoy all the successes it brings with it. For me, the Premier League is the one to win. It’s the toughest, with the most games to play over a longer period. The FA Cup has always held a special place in my heart - even that awful day when Wigan beat us to win it hasn’t taken away my love for the competition. I’ve never really taken to the Champions League, which probably sounds ridiculous, but for some reason I’ve struggled with it, no more helped with UEFA and their ridiculous Financial Fair Play fiascos. But for many teams, it’s considered essential to win it to really be held in high esteem and be regarded as amongst the elite in European football. I don’t believe we’ll have a greater chance of winning it than this season – but will something have to be sacrificed elsewhere in order to do that? Can we really sustain the momentum and winning streak to power through until May? I’ve got butterflies just thinking about it. But nobody does it better than Manchester City, do they? The drama of the Carabao Cup final shoot-out, the recent comebacks at Schalke and Swansea and recovering ground in the League to still be challenging for the title shows just how special this team is and what we’re capable of. It could be a very different story that I’m telling come next month, but for now let’s just enjoy the what ifs. Makes me feel sad for the rest…

IT COULD HAVE BEEN ALL SONGS IN THE STREETS...IT WAS NEARLY COMPLETE... IT WAS NEARLY SO SWEET...

THE BEST SUMMER OF OUR LIVES

KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - AUGUST 2018

The Summer of 2018 is the one we will remember for the rest of our lives.

It’s the one where we had continuously scorching hot sunshine. The one where we had barbecues every single day and didn’t get bored. A Summer where I took my children to a different beach every weekend in the UK: from the seaside in Cornwall to the shores of mid Wales, beaches that looked more like the Caribbean or the Mediterranean than our own country. Heat so ferocious it fuelled fires that burned for days on the Moors and Winter Hill.

It’s been the Summer that you longingly hope for year upon year but doesn’t come to fruition. For this year, those balmy nights and hazy days, tropical temperatures graced the shores of Great Britain, the Jorginho deal was ‘close’ every day – and England reached the semi finals of the World Cup. Did I actually just type that? Yes you heard it right. England were part of the final four in the biggest tournament in world football. Football may not have come home, but it united a nation bathed in sunshine and for that we should all be grateful.

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

I was looking forward to the World Cup this Summer just to provide me with my football fix before pre-season with City started. I hadn’t been heavily invested in international football for many years. I love watching the World Cup and the Euros when they roll around; mainly to use it as an excuse to scout upcoming talent that I’d love to see playing for City – but the tide has turned that much at the Etihad that most of the really impressive players on show already played in sky blue.

The last time I was really patriotic, and I mean jumping around like a maniac in an England shirt with a flag, was 2002. It’s been a while since I’ve really cared about the national team, although it goes without saying that I keep an eye out to see how City players fare for their respective countries. I guess all those years of hurt really did take their toll on me and I just lost interest in England. How neglectful/glory fan of me!

But going into Russia 2018, the mood seemed different with England. There was little to no expectation from anybody towards the Young Lions. It’s a different generation; a squad that carries no baggage is a squad with a different mentality, with a psychological edge. Free from the shackles that have tied others down for years, able to perform with a new found energy and confidence. It’s been a joy to see, a delight for all and a surprise for the nation.

Throughout the countries, it’s been a relatively mixed bag from the City players there. Germany – Joachim Low made the stupendous mistake of leaving Young Player of the Year Leroy Sane out of his squad – tumbling out at the group stage. Why you would leave such a talent behind is beyond comprehension, particularly as it was his pace, drive and energy that they so severely lacked. Argentina – Sergio Aguero scoring twice but frustratingly benched twice – again, he can only do his job when he’s on the pitch, something Jorge Campaoli failed to acknowledge, allowing his rift with Aguero to affect his team’s performance. Nicolas Otamendi didn’t have his best few games, with a couple of typically hot-headed moments, leaving last season’s form largely in the dressing room at the Etihad (let’s hope he finds it there on his return).

Bernardo Silva had some moments of brilliance for Portugal and has done his case with Pep no harm, as did David Silva for Spain. Both put in displays we’re used to seeing from them week in, week out, but ultimately exited at the quarter finals. Ederson didn’t get to play but Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus both featured for Brazil: the latter displaying his usual hustle and energy upfront but failing to score any goals. Then there was Belgium, with Vincent Kompany rested for a couple of games after his recent injury, but brought into the side and played well. Kevin De Bruyne – the GOAT –played an absolute blinder and scored similar too –but ultimately their efforts weren’t enough to see Belgium progress into the final after getting beat by France in the semis.

But England. Oh, England.

SEND US VICTORIOUS

They didn’t quite do that. But boy did they give it a really good go. I didn’t expect to be gushing over both England and City this year. What a football year 2018 has been.

‘Not in my lifetime’ is a phrase branded about quite frivolously – and tongue in cheek because of Fergie – by some, but City winning two trophies, breaking a load of records and England getting to the semi finals of the World Cup whilst being managed by a player who missed THE penalty in the Euro 1996 semi final shoot-out sounds like a fable mocked up in your local boozer late on a Friday night. These things don’t happen, ever.

I’m a big fan of the documentary ‘One Night in Turin’, which charts England’s journey through Italia ’90. The late Sir Bobby Robson, so hideously mocked by the press at the time, took his team of England players off to the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Nothing was expected of them: they’d been chewed up and spat out by the red tops, with rising star Paul Gascoigne becoming the tabloid’s next target for his late-night boozy antics and jack-the-lad juvenile, jovial behaviour.

But what happened to them was nothing short of sensational. They reached the semi finals that year – knocked out on penalties to West Germany, Chris Waddle blazing his penalty over the crossbar. But they united the country, gave England hope when fans and critics had wrote them off before a ball was kicked. They came home heroes – and rightly so.

This almost mirrors what has happened to England 28 years later. Many of the players in the current national squad weren’t even born when Italia ’90 was played out. When they left the country to head to Russia, there was no great fanfare, no bustling crowds sending them on their way. Many people didn’t know what to make as Gareth Southgate as manager; he’d picked a young squad – The Young Lions. There weren’t too many survivors from a previous era of hurt and upset. People wrote them off: ‘too young’, ‘not enough experience’, ‘won’t get out of the group with that lot’.

But what people failed to stop and think about was that the England squad had winners in it. Raheem Sterling, John Stones, Kyle Walker and Fabian Delph all went to Moscow after that incredible season at City. Their confidence was sky high and they were playing some of the best football of their lives. The youth in the England squad also brought vitality, a fresh outlook, a new attitude, free from many of the shackles that have burdened and tied down so many in the past after the heroics of 1966.

Tunisia and Panama – nothing to be afraid of, with Belgium always destined to be the hardest game in the group. But nobody could’ve possibly predicted the 6-1 annihilation of Panama and this is where the excitement started for many. A Harry Kane hat trick and two goals from John Stones, a rampant England side recording their biggest win ever in the World Cup finals, the result set the country alight with a real buzz in the air. Maybe, just maybe, this time could be different. A kinder route to the final after the Belgium defeat did nothing to prevent the giddiness, a nation growing in cautious confidence, could this be the dawn of a new era? Could it be?

A quarter final against Sweden, the IKEA Vikings, and a solid 2-0 win sending England to their first semi finals for 28 years. We all now believed. Gareth Southgate and his squad had given us new hope and many people the best moments of their Summer. We’d watched the Panama win with our family during a barbecue on a scorching hot Sunday. We watched the Sweden win in a packed bar in Manchester, with everybody spilling out into Peter Street to celebrate with reckless abandon afterwards. Thankfully no stomping on ambulances here, just many chants of ‘football’s coming home’ with people dancing, jumping around and hugging each other in the blazing hot sunshine. It was a very surreal moment. Everybody so joyous, so happy, so together in their celebrations – what a pleasure and a privilege to be a part of, something so unexpected and truly wonderful.

Then came the semi final. A night where the country stood still. Roads were silent, with friends and family gathered around the nearest television screen to witness history in the making. The furthest England had progressed in a World Cup since 1990 – potentially 90 minutes away from a World Cup final.

The old football cliché ‘a tale of two halves’ is prevalent here. England sent into dreamland within the first five minutes with a Kieran Trippier free kick sailing into the top right of the net. The Three Lions coping well with anything Croatia had to offer and attacked with gusto. Sterling tormenting their defence time and time again; creating opportunities but failing to find that important second goal. But the second half England lacked that impetus and looked out of ideas and sluggish. Croatia capitalised on sloppy defending and, after extra time, we were out of the World Cup again.

That really hurt. I didn’t expect to be so emotionally invested in our national side, it had been so long. Like many, I allowed myself to be swept along in the hysteria, a feeling that felt so good, adding spontaneous delight and delirium to everybody’s Summer. I truly believed that we could do it. We were 22 minutes away from the World Cup Final. It felt like a real kick in the stomach. It was such a golden opportunity for a new generation to make their mark; so many big guns had disappointed and fallen flat on the big stage, whereas England had soared. The comedown was real. I hadn’t felt that disappointed over football for a long, long time. It was a bit of a reality check. I almost feel like, with getting that close, we will never get so close again. Next time, the expectation and pressure will be back. World Cup semi finalists – surely we can repeat that? I’m not so sure. The boys are young, but finishing in the final four means the weight of the world next time round.

But really, the boys do come home with full credit to them, with most of their reputations enhanced. Stones rediscovered that form he had before his injury at City, with many citing him as the next Bobby Moore, putting in some outstanding performances and scoring twice. Walker proving to be just as valuable and Sterling – well, if anything, this World Cup has just shown me how many people don’t truly understand football. So many people were quick to jump on social media to lambast Sterling for ‘missing so many chances’, without stopping to think about the fact that he created them in the first place. His pace and energy put the fear of God into the opposition, opened up space for others to run into. He is an attacking midfielder – he did his job with aplomb – the only game we lost was when he didn’t start, and every time he was subbed we looked worse off for it.

With One Night in Turin. the boys came home to crowds of thousands and an open top bus. I don’t believe that reception is really warranted this time round. Yes, they’ve done remarkably well and come so far, but there is still much work to be done. At the time of writing this, England still have to play Belgium in the play-off game for third place (what a nonsense game, surely nobody cares about who finished third after missing out on the final?), then the boys will be granted some much needed time off before coming back to City and preparing for the 2018/19 season defending the Premier League trophy. And breathe.

Don’t be sad it’s over, be glad it’s happened. Some of those celebratory moments made my Summer what it was. My first World Cup with my two beautiful sons and my partner. It will never be forgotten. Very precious memories.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

It’s hard to put into words just quite what last season was like for us City fans. It was so much more than we could’ve all possibly hoped for, could’ve dreamed of. We left the opposition trailing in our wake, a gap so embarrassingly dominant it was almost like playing in our own League. There’s no arrogance; just a startling honesty that the standard of the football that we played was at least 19 points better than the closest team to us. Even now the dust has firmly settled, it’s hard to process the level of control we had and the standard of football we played – breathtaking, mesmeric and captivating fantasy football.

So, where do you go from smashing dozens of records and winning two trophies? Where do we go after such a record-breaking season? You move to defend your titles, win more and somehow still improve further.

Signings-wise: at the time of writing, Jorginho (a name quite frankly that I am sick to the back teeth of hearing) looks to be heading to Chelsea because he would prefer to live in London than Manchester – his loss. But City have made their record signing with former Leicester man Riyad Mahrez signing for £60 million (that unveiling at the Etihad though with Moonchester and Moonbeam – talk about cringe). We were linked with him of course in January, but the midfielder has now made the move and, to be quite honest, yes, a fantastic player, but I’m scratching my head at where exactly Pep will play him. He already has the Bernardo/Sterling dilemma on the right and Sane has been flying on the left, which is Mahrez’s preferred position – not a bad headache to have, and I am excited to see what he’ll offer in a team he’ll no doubt thrive in when he gets the chance.

Angus Gunn leaving did disappoint me. I’ve seen the young goalkeeper progress so much since I used to work for the club and covered the EDS back when they played at Platt Lane and I really thought we’d move to keep them and have him as our reserve. But £10 million plus add-ons is a lot of money to turn down and I’ve no doubt he will go on to be England’s number one in the future when he thrives at Southampton. Zinchenko has also been linked with leaving, but for now he’s still at City. Pablo Maffeo has gone to VFB Stuttgart and I’ve probably missed others out, but for now that’s the main movement in the transfer window. Not a great deal, but we didn’t need to drastically strength. Most of the improvements were made last Summer, although a back up for Fernandinho would make me sleep better at night.

After our entirely PR-driven pre-season tour of the US (sorry, I just don’t pay any attention whatsoever to pre-season games, they serve no purpose apart from selling shirts and spreading the word in foreign countries for the club), it’s the Community Shield against (at the time of writing, managerless) Chelsea on the first weekend of August and then Arsenal at the Emirates for our opening game of the 2018/19 season. Talk about a baptism of fire. It’ll be an interesting start that’s for sure, with many players returning late after featuring in the World Cup, although at least Otamendi and Aguero will have had an extra long rest (sorry boys!).

There’s no reason we can’t go out there and defend our title with the same excitement as we provided last season. The main difference was the gulf in class between us and our rivals – and that difference as mentioned was 19 points. I am yet to see any evidence of any teams around us strengthening and improving to the tune of a 19 point difference. Don’t get me wrong  - I don’t think it will be as much as a walk in the park as it was last season by all means. But people realised that other squads needed to be added to in order to try and bridge the gap and I’m not sure that has really happened at all. I just worry about making a good start – hopefully all our players come back refreshed enough, ready to push on and achieve more dreams in blue.

SEA’S THE DAY

I usually spend the Summer more or less wishing the time away, but this time was different. As soon as the season finished, Adam and I were preparing to take Vincent and Noel Sergio down to Cornwall for 10 days for their annual holiday there. We absolutely love it down there: the week we go in May has been blessed with incredible weather now for the past two years of going and the place we stay, in Portreath, is beautiful. We’re lucky to be able to go out of season at the moment because the boys haven’t started school yet, so there were no crowds and quite often we find ourselves the only people on certain beaches.

The whole 10 days were spent bathed in magnificent unbroken sunshine, on a different glorious beach every day, with Vincent building sandcastles and Noel legging it into the sea and eating sand pies. Porthcurno, Marazion, Porthgwidden, Portminster, Portmeor, Kynance, Towan, Watergate, Fistral, Perranporth, Hayle and Gwithian. All ridiculously stunning, with golden sands and turquoise waters. Every evening we drank beer and Aperol spritz watching the breathtaking sunset over the sea in the hot tub. It was like a dream – and best of all, we didn’t even need our passport. Yes you need to be lucky to get the weather, but boy did we. It was quite possibly my favourite holiday and set the tone for our wonderful Summer.

So we’ve spent the Summer (sorry if you follow me on Instagram and are bored of seeing my seaside photos!) having as many days out as possible to enjoy the delightful sunshine we’ve been living under. I wasn’t here in 1976 and I’ve heard so much about it, so it’s been a joy to experience days and days of prolonged sunshine in our country and, along with the football, it’s really provided that feel good factor for most of us. We’ve discovered more of our beautiful UK coast, with trips to Barmouth and Abersoch in Wales, and many more days out at zoos and parks. We wanted to squeeze the zest and juice out of the weather and I definitely feel like we’ve done that – I’ve not had this good a tan since I last went on holiday to the Caribbean!

So as those long, hazy days roll by and the season approaches, I’ll be sad to wave goodbye to the heatwave that has gripped us so tightly recently. But normal service will resume in a matter of weeks – football may not be coming home, but City are coming back – and we all know what that means. More thrills, less spills, more of that incredulously unbelievable Pep Guardiola football we were so lucky to watch last season.

As always, I’ve no idea what to really expect with City. But I do know it won’t be boring. The pressure and expectation will be there and we’ve got to know how to cope with everybody wanting to beat us again. Déjà vu, c’est la vie.

But I’m really excited for it all, are you?

WE NEVER WIN AT HOME & WE NEVER WIN AT ANFIELD...

YOU CAN’T WIN THEM ALL – BUT YOU CAN DEFINITELY TRY

KING OF THE KIPPAX COLUMN - MARCH 2018

Well the Watford game feels like so long ago now, but the first game of 2018 saw Pep keen to prove a point. After the draw at Selhurst Park, Pep went full strength – and the 3-1 win set City on their way again. Burnley next in the FA Cup, and despite the early goal, a superstar innings from Sergio Aguero saw the Blues sail through to face Cardiff with a 4-1 victory.

Another Cup game, this time against Bristol City, and Pep rotated but still managed to secure a slender 2-1 advantage to take to the return leg at Ashton Gate. Then came Liverpool.

I am never confident about going to Anfield. I don’t think I’ve met any City fan that is. But this season, I just felt that if we ever had a chance to get the win there, it was now. It’s been the season for breaking many records, so why not? They play open, probing football, which suits us to a tee, so why couldn’t we go there and get the win?

Much like water is wet and grass is green, the 4-3 defeat brought to an end our unbeaten run and chance of being ‘invincible’ this season. Did anybody actually really believe that would happen though? It was a crazy 10 minute period in the second half that saw City fall apart and Liverpool capitalise on uncharacteristic errors. I’m trying to brush over it and not be too harsh because, of course, at the time of going to press, we are still 12 points clear after a phenomenal season.

Newcastle next and the 3-1 win was convincing enough to put us back to winning ways, with a hat trick from Aguero. The returning leg of the Carabao Cup Semi Final saw City secure a place in the final against Arsenal with a 3-2 triumph, and a 2-0 win against a filthy Cardiff City side just days later sent us into the fifth round of the FA Cup to face our old foes Wigan at the DW Stadium.

So overall another fantastic month for City and it’s easy to underestimate just how difficult January can be. These games are coming thick and fast – the price you pay for cup run success. But it’s almost time for the Champions League knock-out games against Basel, and a very tough couple of weeks for the Blues with Arsenal in the Cup Final, in the League and Chelsea in the League all coming in the space of a week towards the end of February/early March.

It’s hard to believe that yet again we’re all talking about how a disgustingly reckless tackle has escaped without the punishment it deserved. Cardiff City’s Joe Bennett’s tackle on Leroy Sane was that brutal, the German’s leg practically bent as he went in studs up. The referee, Lee Mason, deemed the tackle only worthy of a yellow card. We now live in a football world where a tackle that horrific, which he seen Sane sidelined with ankle ligament damage, receives the same punishment as taking your shirt off does. How is that fair? It’s not. Something desperately needs to be done; it’s been a familiar sight so far this season and it’s continuing without many batting an eyelid.

But it’s been fantastic to see Aguero back in a run of form – despite the persistent whispers surrounding his potential departure this summer – and I’m gutted to see Sane sidelined for what looks like (at the time of going to press) the foreseeable future. Kevin De Bruyne has been up to his usual sublime tricks – that free kick against Cardiff City being a cracking example. Behave Kev! Good to see Bernardo Silva too putting in some exemplary performances of late too and really showing there are two Silvas at the club who can be just as magical. Excited to welcome Laporte on board and see what he has to offer – young and full of potential.

There have been a few question marks hanging over John Stones and his recent run of form; after coming back from his injury he’s made quite a few big, sloppy errors that have cost us goals. It’s so frustrating to see, because before he was out he was in a stupendous run of form and looked solid at the back next to Otamendi. I don’t like singling players out and I’m sure he’ll find his way back to that form, it’s just been slightly concerning to watch of late.

MAN LIKE DAVID

When everybody saw the team sheet for the Spurs game and realised David Silva was missing due to ‘personal reasons’, the rumour mill went into overdrive. Some of the rumours bordered on ludicrous, some were much more sinister.

In his own time, Silva came out himself and addressed the rumours. He thanked the club, his team mates and Pep for their understanding in the matter, and the fans for their well wishes. He then went on to explain that his son, Mateo, was born prematurely, and is fighting a daily battle to survive.

When I read this, I was gobsmacked. How he could even get on a plane to England in the first instance id beyond me. But to fly over and put in the kind of performance he did vs. Watford is nothing short of phenomenal. He must be in utter turmoil: people often think football is a matter of life and death, but a good dose of perspective can tell us otherwise. Football must be the absolute last thing on his mind. Being with his son and partner every precious moment and minute would absolutely be his priority.

I admire the way the club and Pep have handled Silva’s situation – but it doesn’t surprise me. When I worked at the club, I suffered a miscarriage. The club couldn’t have been more supportive. I don’t think they were to know just quite the extent it affected me – for years afterwards – but as an employer they were extremely sympathetic and sensitive to my situation and for that, I’ll always be grateful. It’s good to hear that stance is consistent throughout the club – from top to bottom.

He’s missed games to be with his family – and rightfully so. The club will always be here no matter what, that goes without saying. But amongst Silva’s trauma, he’s still managed to remain a consummate professional. He’s been travelling between Manchester and Spain to support both his team and his family and not once has he delivered a sub-standard performance during that time. It’s utterly remarkable. We all knew we were lucky to have a player of his calibre and trickery at OUR club, but through all his heartache to remain so dedicated to his work too, well, makes his really worth his weight in gold.

The vast majority of blues during his silence remained respectful to his privacy and need for time. The handful who speculated that he had cancer? Well, it beggars belief doesn’t it. Mindless idiots.

CITY WATCH PODCAST

It’s been another eventful month for the City Watch Podcast. I’ve actually missed the past couple due to being struck down with this horrendous flu that’s been doing the rounds – try cleaning shitty nappies and entertaining two under three year olds while suffering from that! It’s been a really rough couple of weeks, but I’m finally coming out of the other side now thankfully.

But before that we had our television debut at the Podcast. I’ve done bits and bobs of TV work in the past: I was asked to present a package on City once for North West Tonight a few years ago and it’s not exactly a medium I feel particularly comfortable with. Like most women, I am very paranoid about my looks. It stems back from being bullied at high school and needing a six hour operation on my jaw. So, despite my selfies, I am very insecure and feel much more comfortable behind a microphone or a keyboard.

So imagine our surprise when Liverpool Football Club TV got in touch with City Watch and Ian asking if they could come and film the Podcast and do a few interviews with us as a feature for LFCTV ahead of the big match? Ian, Jordan, Adam, Stuart and I headed to the XS Manchester Studios in Spinningfields in Manchester to conduct a ‘faux podcast’; basically we had to pretend to record our podcast while they filmed us. The two guys that came from LFCTV, Paul and Miles, were fantastic and we all had a really good laugh with them.

Despite feeling completely both out of my depth and my comfort zone, the final product was a delightful five minute package of the growing popularity of podcasts, along with a preview of the Liverpool-City game. If you missed it, the links to it are on both my Twitter and the @City_Watch Twitter account. What a great experience to be involved in though – and all of this, along with my contributions to the City Watch Podcast, have stemmed from writing for King of the Kippax again. I’m forever grateful to Dave and Sue for including my ramblings/rants/anecdotes and musings in their much-adored publication. I will always try and do them justice!

THE MANCHESTER/TRAFFORD POWER STRUGGLE

It feels like every month I’m talking about that lot next door. You know, the ones with the gobby Portuguese manager and the fans who mock us for having empty seats but can never be arsed to run up anymore because they’re stopped winning trophies? Oh, THAT lot. The ones who belittle us for the amount of money we spend on players despite playing £89m for Pogba (a former player of theirs – doh!), £90m for Lukaku and £450,000 a week for their latest acquisition, Alexis Sanchez.

But the hypocrisy that seems to run through the veins of everybody linked with that club is quite outstanding. Take Gary Neville for example. I (obviously) used to despise him when he played for United and when he became a pundit for Sky Sports I like others joked about cancelling my subscription. But he proved me wrong: he came across as a fair and balanced pundit, actually capable of giving praise to City and criticism to United when rightfully deserved.

But this season, it seems like the mask has slipped and true colours are shining through. For some reason, Gary seems to be sniping more towards City, with comments loaded with resent and jealousy. Perhaps he’s upset Pep chose City and they got lumbered with Mourinho? Perhaps he’s suffering from amnesia and fails to remember that United have long been the pioneers of spending big on players?

Or perhaps, like many United fans and other fans and pundits this season, he’s suffering from City Flu. In Gary’s case, symptoms include: harping on about how many trophies your club used to win, pointing fingers about spending money despite your club paying £450,000 a week to a new signing who was desperate to sign for your rivals and picking fault in a manager’s way of setting his team up to play, despite having been sacked from your one and only job as head team coach.

As if Martin Tyler’s commentary vs. Liverpool wasn’t bad enough; actually saying that Mane’s goal was ‘justice’ because of the red card he had received at the Etihad? The red card he had in fact rightfully been given due to his high boot ripping Ederson’s face apart. Neil Custis seems to be on a daily crusade to spread his anti-City nonsense to anybody stupid enough to listen, a la Duncan Castles and Matt Law from The Telegraph questioning the essence of Financial Fair Play because we want to pay Athletic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte’s buyout clause (at the time of writing this, we just have). Yet, no similar questions asked to Liverpool when they paid £75m for Virgil Van Dyke? People think we’re paranoid, but the anti-City media agenda has never been stronger and more apparent.

But back to United and their ways. They simply can’t handle the fact that City are the better team and have no idea how to cope and deal with it. As I mentioned last month, they were used to being showered in success and trophies; they don’t like being forced to watch such uninspiring, average football.

It isn’t me being arrogant, of course. We couldn’t be arrogant if we tried. It’s the current Manchester-Trafford power struggle. The Sanchez saga: Sanchez wanted City, City wanted Sanchez. United want what City want and offered an unjustifiable amount of money for him. City rightfully stuck to their guns and morals and let Sanchez go to a team that are used to throwing money at problems. A club whose supporters, pundits and manager have the guile, stupidity and hypocrisy to mock us for spending despite their recent transfer endeavours.

There’s one thing money can’t buy. Class. Integrity. Respect. The past is yours, the future is ours.

A WALK DOWN WEMBLEY WAY

Once upon a time, I remember watching Joe Royle’s Everton play United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley. It was 1995: I was a 13 year old girl watching City play, well, not quite the most attractive football I’ve ever seen us play (am I being too polite?!) Although I was understandably thrilled to see Everton beat that lot 1-0 and lift the Cup, I was also hit with a bit of the green eye.

‘I’ll never get to see my team play at Wembley,’ I lamented. ‘I’ll never get to experience what it’s like to go and watch City play in a Cup Final, let alone win it.’

Then, four years later, I found myself watching my team at Wembley for the Division Two Play-Off Final against Gillingham. A day so overwhelming , so full of emotion and so important in the club’s history, I find it quite difficult to put into words quite how I feel about that day (I’m welling up just thinking about it).

Although it technically wasn’t a Cup Final in the traditional sense, it was monumentally crucial to City and the future of the club.

Fast forward 19 years and it’s almost astonishing to believe that I’m now planning my 10^th trip to Wembley. Double figures. I’m not sure how I’ve gone from dreaming of a Wembley Cup Final to getting to visit the place 10 times – it’s unbelievable and we are so lucky to get to watch our team, play there so often (no Spurs no, that doesn’t count!).

What about all the memories we have made along the way?

That Manchester United Semi Final, which was on my birthday no less. Potentially the best birthday ever, one spent getting absolutely legless in the Green Man pub for the first time, following by more drinking on the roundabout and some very drunk tears at the final whistle. The FA Cup Final that subsequently followed against Stoke – the solitary goal from the big man Yaya Toure bringing the banner down after 35 years – and all the Jagerbombs that followed. All the celebrations in a drunken stupor, swinging off the bars on the Tube on the way back to our hotel singing ‘Oh Adam Johnson’ (!!!!) over and over again.

It was back down to Wembley just a few months later, in August, to face United again in the Community Shield – my first experience of defeat there. Say no more.

But we didn’t have to wait too long to go back again to play Chelsea in the FA Cup Semi Final. That meant more drinking at the Euston Tap, more cans on the roundabout and a 2-1 win, sending us through to the final – against Wigan.

How weird was that looking back? We had gone down for it with my good friend at the time, Mike, who was a huge Wigan fan. We had been mates for years – and teased each other over the ‘hand of Goat’ goal that helped City beat Wigan to the Play-Off Final back in 1999. To go from that to playing each other in the FA Cup Final, for us, was just baffling.

We stood on Wembley Way together just gobsmacked. It was a really surreal moment. All those years ago, joking to each other about Shaun Goater and Stuart Barlow and now, here we were, about to watch our teams face off in one of the biggest games of the year. Some blues even laughed seeing our rival shirts together and chanted ‘you’ll never be her husband’ (I was there with my fiancé at the time too, who was a blue). We even took Mike on the roundabout – he was the only Latic on there. We had such a laugh. But that was before the game.

Well, as for the match? Rumours afterwards were rife that Mancini had lost the dressing room and that was the players’ revolt. It was such a sickener though. When the heavens opened and that Ben Watson header went in just as we were all preparing for extra time – it was a gut wrenching moment. But I was genuinely happy for Mike. When we met him afterwards, he was crying his eyes out with happiness. We did Jagerbombs with him and had a great night. That was a horrific result though, there’s no mistaking that. Coming out of Wembley was awful. It still haunts me to this day (even though we’ve seen much worse!).

It was Sunderland next in the Capital One Cup Final in 2014. I had just split with my fiancé, who I had not only my season ticket with,  but lived with and had just found out I was expecting a baby with. It was a bit awkward at the time because we had a lot of mutual City mates, but this Wembley trip was very different because being pregnant of course meant that I couldn’t drink.

I drove down on the day with my brother. We went and met up with some friends near the roundabout and I saw said ex-fiance getting drunk on his own – what mixed memories these Wembley experiences are bringing back! But two absolutely incredible goals from both Samir Nasri and Yaya Toure meant my brother was spinning me in the air with delight and the League Cup was ours. I decided there was no better way to announce my pregnancy than at Wembley with a pre-written handmade sign, so at the final whistle that was unveiled and the news was met with much bittersweet happiness from my friends and family.

A couple of years later and we faced Liverpool in the Capital One Cup Final. What a difference that time had made personally – I was heading down to Wembley for the ninth time with my boyfriend, Adam, and my then 18 month old son, Vincent. It was quite possibly the proudest moment I’ve felt; walking down Wembley Way carrying my little boy, having been there just two years previously with him in my tummy. I’d gone from going to Wembley on the piss with my mates, to going there and experiencing a family day out.

We had the most fantastic day. Vincent couldn’t quite walk, so we booked a hotel next to Wembley and took him round in the buggy at first (we even ventured near one of the allocated drinking establishments, The Crystal, although the less said about that place, the better!), but then as kick-off approached, we ditched the wheels and carried him round. We bumped into so many of our friends too, who all got to be a part of Vincent’s first Wembley experience. The game? Well, it was all about Willy. The goalkeeper that everybody had baulked at starting ahead of Joe Hart turned out to be the penalty shoot-out hero. Winning on penalties with Yaya Toure blasting the final one home was a dramatic end to a very emotional day – and walking out with my family at the end under the blue arch with another trophy was everything I’d dreamed of and so much more.

The most recent trip to Wembley came last year, in the FA Cup Semi Final. By this time, we had welcomed a brother for Vincent, Noel Sergio. But we decided that Noel was definitely too young to take and Vincent was with his Dad that weekend, so we opted for a weekend on the booze. We stayed at the same hotel again and went down on the Saturday, which confused many Chelsea and Spurs fans as we walked down to our hotel in our shirts on the day of their game. We met up that night with some of our City friends and went for a night into the capital, for food and cocktails. Oh what a night. There were some very sore heads the next day as we headed to the Green Man.

Drinking the day of the game was a struggle, but we graced the Green Man and the roundabout with our presence and reminisced about the times we’d been there before. This time there was no final: Arsenal beat us 2-1 after extra time with the deciding goal coming from none other than that man, Sanchez. But the controversial decision by the linesman to disallow a goal for City that should’ve stood, with the linesman claiming the ball had gone out of play when in fact it hadn’t, left many City fans feeling robbed.

I remember spotting a couple of men back at our hotel wearing FA blazers, so I took the opportunity to voice my disapproval. They were both Brighton fans, so excited at the prospect of facing us in the League next season, and while one of them seemed to dismiss us and walk away, the other actually took the time to have a talk to us. He was sympathetic to our cause (although that doesn’t give us the Final place we deserved), and admitted that the decision was wrong. He said the FA were implementing the use of VAR next season (this current season) as a trial to see how and if it works. He said obviously had it been in place that day, the goal would’ve stood and we would’ve been through to the final. Too little, too late.

Many memories made and many more to come no doubt. What a time it is to be a blue and what a journey we’ve had throughout the years. This time round, we will be going to Wembley with Vincent again, as Noel is too fidgety to take just yet. He wouldn’t sit still. This time Vincent will be able to walk down Wembley Way himself and sing City songs he’s learned by going to the Etihad. But there will come a time when we will all go together as a family, and hopefully a time too when my boys will go together with their friends and, eventually, their own family too.

For me, these Wembley trips represent significant points in my life. They each come with their own unique stories, much like everybody’s journeys down there. As long as City keep performing the way they do on the pitch, these trips will continue to grace our lives and live long in the hearts and minds of us all. My Wembley record stands at: played nine, won six and lost three. I’m hoping that perfect 10 gives Pep his first trophy of many as City boss – would be nice to see my Vincent watch his namesake lifting silverware again in a stadium that holds so much sentimentality for us all.

Hope you all have a fantastic time down at Wembley or wherever you will be watching the game. February is a reasonably favourable month for us at the moment: a trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley followed by Leicester at home in the League. Basel in the Champions League followed by Wigan away in the FA Cup rounded up with the trip to Wembley to face Arsenal in the League Cup. It’s definitely not a bed of roses, but it does feel like the calm before the storm if you look at March’s fixtures…

One thing is for certain – they’ll be plenty to talk about next month.

Same place, same time?

Emily Brobyn

@kippaxgirlemily