City’s treble hopes and Manchester derby make things interesting but the unappealing aspects of elite football remainHas the FA Cup lost something? You know, something intangible. Something that made it more special all those years ago. What’s the word? It’s “Tada”, it’s “Abracadabra”, it’s “Piff Paff Puff” … it’s magic perhaps – yes that’s it. Remember when it was magic. Ricky Villa, Norman Whiteside, the Crazy Gang, the Cream Suits. Bert Millichip, velvet bags, Sutton United, Tim Buzaglo, Mickey Thomas, Ronnie Radford.How could we get it back? Did Des Lynam remember to cryogenically freeze the legendary Gerald Sinstadt before he retired? Could we reanimate him and get him on the Manchester United coach at 8am? Could we all give our...
Joyous title celebrations at the Etihad but what view will future generations take about the wealth that enabled this success?The fans were warned not to invade the pitch. There was a message on the big screen a few minutes before the end, a reminder on the public address system that entering the playing surface was strictly illegal and would not be tolerated. There was a line of stewards and police officers poised like sprinters by the touchline, ready to secure the turf as soon as the game ended.And then the game ended and within seconds the grass was engulfed by stampeding boots and pounding steps and one little girl doing cartwheels, which to be fair was very cute. “PLEASE LEAVE...
Pep Guardiola’s side have the perfection of a finely executed military campaign, the perfection of wealth and strengthIt was at around 70 minutes, shortly after Toni Kroos had followed Luka Modric off the pitch, that the edges of the night began to sharpen a little and this Champions League semi-final took on a perfect clarity. Manchester City were going to win and Real Madrid were going to lose and no tweak or tactic, no switch or substitution, was going to change that fact.Real seemed to realise it too. Perhaps they were only 2-0 down but they were also bruised and broken, scarred and scared, tired of running into dead ends filled with blue shirts. Vinícius Junior had long since stopped...
This was no choke but Manchester City simply have a better squad, all-time great manager and nation-state wealthIn the moment of full operatic collapse, the pain of a season of dashed and throttled glory reaching its narrative end point, the Emirates Stadium was treated to the sight of Roberto De Zerbi doing a knee slide.A slightly creaky one but with sufficient momentum to get a little purchase on the lime green early summer turf, fist pumping, head up sedately. Brighton had just gone 3-0 up in this game, playing a lovely, breezy, light kind of pass‑and-run football. And De Zerbi had marched and pranced and barked around his technical area all afternoon, chest puffed, like an alpha squirrel taking control...
Midfielder showed his class again with two goals at Everton and Pep Guardiola knows a new contract for his captain is a mustManchester City spend most of their time in the Premier League playing against low blocks where lines of four and five do their best to slow down the leaders in the desperate hope that they can keep them out. Because of this it is very important what happens in between the lines, the small gaps where midfielders are allowed to operate. Ilkay Gündogan is the master of finding the gaps and settling tight matches but how much longer he will be doing it in blue is unknown.Everton operated as one would expect considering their precarious league position and...