How Will Manchester City Respond to Newcastle Defeat
By David Crook
Manchester City have felt this season as though the gods have been angry and favour has fallen to others. Sometimes the footballing gods align and the clouds part and some kind of divine inspiration decides the outcome of important matches.
I am not suggesting everything is predetermined, but all City fans of a certain age probably knew within about ten minutes of the kick off last night exactly how this game was likely to finish. It is not just pessimism kicking in because we have seen this script before and we know how it may all end. In the uncomfortable warmth of May as unspeakable others get their hands on the Premier League Trophy. All football fans know that this year in particular will be insufferable.
I am not old enough to remember the great Manchester City team of the 1960’s and their title triumph so in my fifty years of supporting the blues I know of three title wins in the top division. Of course I celebrated those lower division title wins as we clawed our way back, like I had lost my mind but those were not the same. Three Premier League wins in fifty years of support should be a clear indication to anyone that I do not expect to win every season at all. Every winners medal is a bonus.
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Yet the Newcastle United defeat has left me with a strong sense of disappointment. I know the title race is not mathematically over, and of course I will urge on the blues with every last breath, but last night’s result has made retaining the title unlikely. The disappointment though is not because we did not deserve to lose because we did – Newcastle took their chances well. I am disappointed most because I thought with our team and with Guardiola in charge we were on the cusp of building a dynasty and doing the unthinkable: winning the league every year for three or four years.
Whilst there are more twists and turns to come in this title race, it is unlikely Liverpool will throw away three games. It is also unlikely based on our current form that we will win every game between now and the end of the season. Guardiola said every game was a cup final, but the sense of fallibility in our team creates doubt.
It is important we respond with a win on Sunday against Arsenal and start another run of wins. Whilst the title is out of our hands, cementing second spot is not. The remaining cup competitions may provide our focus until the end of the season but even in those we can not afford a single slack performance.
Finishing the season with a winners medal of any kind will be a triumph. Finishing with just runners up medals will be a disaster.