Manchester City: Reason to be proud

The atmosphere was electric, even for the seasoned veteran to such events. As the crowds packed in, it became clear that if ever there was going to be a chance to see every seat filled, this would be the one. The tension was tangible, filling the air, threatening to ignite and erupt at the drop of a hat. This was the Etihad on Tuesday, April 26 2016. This was Manchester City’s biggest moment.

If all that sounds a bit dramatic, that’s because it was. City skipper Vincent Kompany, prior to the game, limited his interview time to appealing to Citizens to turn out in force and roar the boys to success. Create a sky blue Bernabeu and show the Madrid visitors and the watching world that we mean business, there would be no steamroller, Cristiano Ronaldo or not. The City faithful responded with ferocity and the Etihad rocked from start to finish. Who needs echo-friendly Maine Road?

OK, so, likely if you weren’t there you probably heard some of the typical media drivel that actually it was a fairly subdued, boring and uneventful affair. I read one local rag that described a “lukewarm applause” that greeted the final whistle, which made me wonder if perhaps the writer was on drugs, at the golf instead, or perhaps both. Honestly, this is about as surprising the revelation Ronaldo spent his non-play time watching videos of himself on YouTube.

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City are a small club they say, their supporters have no passion they quip, can’t even fill their own needlessly lavish stadium they purport. Nonsense. One expects this twaddle from BBC Five Live or BT Sport who compete at who can detract the most from City’s accomplishments. It’s truly disappointing mainstream media, looking at you The Times, is buying into it wholesale as well.

Regardless, the game was not in the slightest boring. Heck, we could have been watching the golf, minus the drugs of course, and it possibly wouldn’t have mattered. The atmosphere in the Etihad was explosive and, fortunately, so at times were City. No goals mind you, indeed precious few opportunities, but plenty of positive play, possession, moves, creativity, solid defending and fuel for the fans’ fire.

Regardless of what you read or hear elsewhere, this was a good game for Manchester City. Not as good as it could have been, certainly. They yet again exposed Real Madrid as being a team that is, if nothing else, beatable. Except they didn’t beat them. That may be disappointing but Citizens, ultimately, should be encouraged by the fact that City had plenty of dominance and didn’t appear out of their depth at all, even though they really should have been.

This is the Champions League semi-final and Real Madrid after all. We aren’t limping to a 0-0 against Bournemouth in some Mickey Mouse trophy. This Manchester City, without Pep Guardiola, is in the last four of the top clubs in the game. And they still aren’t out. You’d think that would be a cause of pride for City fans and well deserved plaudits from pundits alike, but alas we’ve come to expect the opposite.

I, for one, am proud of City. The team weren’t outclassed at all – Kevin De Bruyne was a menace up front, Vincent Kompany a fortress at the back and the ever impressive Fernando/Fernandinho combo were the driving force for both. The fans didn’t stop cheering, yelling, singing songs (even some new ones for the occasion) and giving Gareth Bale no peace the entire game. The flags, left on every seat prior to the game, were waved with ferocity to spell “CITY” as the boys came on the pitch. An epic stage, an epic game and an epic achievement.

Yes, I’m biased, but you know what? There’s enough unbridled negativity about Manchester City available wherever you look that some unbridled positivity is always welcome. The team deserves it and the fans deserve it. I was proud to sit among them as they held Real Madrid back from getting an away goal in the semi-finals of the Champions League at the Etihad, Tuesday April 26 2016. Now we look to the Bernabeu, with a stop off at Southampton, and who knows? Maybe the biggest moment is still yet to come.

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