It can be strange for those of us who remember Manchester City in the pre-money years to think that their new generation of followers might never fully understand why Joe Royle used to talk about a debilitating condition, unique to the club, called “Cityitis”. Suffice to say, though, that it could be particularly virulent at times and Royle, in keeping with many managers, never did go through with his promise to find the antidote.
“Poor old Joe,” Colin Shindler reflected in his book Manchester City Ruined My Life. “He never understood that Cityitis is not a bacterial infection that can be cured by the antibiotics of running a club in a professional manner. Cityitis is a vitamin deficiency we are born with. We can take supplements to build our immune system but they are not strong enough to deal with diseases like Thakin Shinawatra or signing Jamie Pollock from Bolton Wanderers.”
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Riyad Mahrez, such an elegant destroyer of defences last season, has scored three league goals, all penalties.
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