Manchester City: Down but not out

Manchester City were on the wrong side of a 3-1 drubbing at home to title rivals Leicester. What does this mean going forward?

It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced quite so humbling a weekend as a fan of Manchester City, and, in a year in which we’ve been blessed (?) with hilariously error prone players like Eliaquim Mangala, Nicolas Otamendi and Wilfried Bony, that’s actually quite a damning statement to make.

The Sky Blues were taught a footballing lesson by their title rivals, now title leaders and favorites Leicester City in front of a record attendance at the Etihad. I needn’t go through the full gory details, we already covered that quite comprehensively in the match day report and, honestly, if you’re anything like me you’d probably rather forget the whole thing even happened and focus on more fun stuff. Like having your teeth surgically removed.

No, instead, I want us to take a minute to examine where exactly that leaves City and, perhaps, make a case that it’s not quite as catastrophic going forward as many may say. You see, the knee-jerk reaction is that of woe and desperation. Manchester City losing such a vital game is only part of a wider slump that could, potentially, contribute to a finish outside the top four. Such reactions are, never mind factually inaccurate (City were unbeaten in their previous 7 games in the league), but are giving the players too much credit of simply not being good enough, rather than being good enough but just not caring.

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Unfortunately, the latter is the sad reality of the game. Manchester City are objectively a better team than Leicester. It’s not a money thing, we have statistics that can point to a majority of the players on City being superior to their counterparts in the Foxes. That’s not a dig on Leicester who clearly deserve to be where they are today, but rather an indictment on a Manchester City that seemed lethargic, sloppy and looked for everything like they didn’t want the win as much.

For the Citizen, this presents a dilemma. Have some friends who support other teams? Just don’t answer your phone. Live in a city other than Manchester? Well you may as well emigrate. Still it’s not the end of the line, and the fans need to rally behind the team now more than ever. City may be six points adrift from the top, but the top isn’t Chelsea, it’s Leicester. They are, at the end of the day, overachievers. That bubble can still yet burst, momentum and hunger or otherwise.

Meanwhile, Manchester City can only but improve from such a dispirited performance. The first start? Skipper Vincent Kompany is set to return this week and will, undoubtedly, make a massive impact. We’ve discussed many of the fascinating facts that separate City with Kompany and without, but suffice it to say he provides as big a boost to the team as you can imagine. He’s our best defender, which isn’t saying much for 2015/2016’s back four, but he has been our best for years. He’s the captain and they all know it. He brings with him solidity, reliability and should re-energize a lethargic team at just about the right time.

Citizens can also take solace from the continued dominance of Sergio Aguero. See how even when we get trounced he still manages to get in there? He’s hungry and getting hotter by the week. Many have suggested he’s still the best striker in the league and I concur. He just needs the service. Feed him and he’ll score. Having Kevin De Bruyne back from injury would go a long way to helping that. Though the Belgian will still be out for a few months, should City be able to hold on without losing too much significant ground then he’ll be available for the stretch.

Sure, announcing Pep Guardiola as the new manager for the end of the season (despite having extended Pellegrini’s contract only in August last) was an own goal. After all, delegitimising Pellegrini only harms his, and City’s, chances of competing this year. Even so, it also provides a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel that one of, if not the, most competent managers in the game is headed to the Etihad at the end of the season.

Next: Manchester City 1 - Leicester 3 Match Report

So, OK. You can take the paper bag off your head now. Maybe wait a few more days before replacing it with a City cap though. A big win against Spurs would represent a turnaround in fortunes for the club and doubtless assist them as they march forward toward four major trophies. An ugly loss is still a loss, it’s three lost points that our title rivals have picked up instead. Even with Pep looming on the horizon, there’s still time to turn it around this year. But make no mistake, time is running out.