Manchester City have had a fantastic, record breaking year but approach the New Year with their Premier League title slipping through their fingers.
As we start a New Year, we ask what would Manchester City fans wish for in 2020?
This has been a strange couple of years as a City fan, from the best performances we have ever seen to the steady realisation that we will most likely not retain the Premier League title for a third successive year. We may just have to content ourselves with 2019 being the year we concluded an unprecedented clean sweep of domestic trophies.
It is against this backdrop, that a combination of injuries to key players, peculiar VAR decisions, a drop in intensity and a drop in standards – have all occurred, undoing our ability to perform consistently at the highest level.
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It is not bad player purchases per se which have undone us as much as a general lack of recruitment. Deciding not to replace players like Vincent Kompany has looked increasingly poor with each passing week.
So this has been a year of the highest of highs and then some indifference – an odd mix, which may well even be the new “typical City”!
The question is as fans what do we hope and wish for in 2020?
Defending as a Unit
In our best moments City pivoted and moved, with players linked by clear lines, forming patterns on the pitch which ensured no one was ever truly isolated. We moved en masse, willing and keen – full of desire to recover the lost ball and turn defence into attack.
This season the games have not gone like that. It is almost as though the players have started to believe they were fallible rather than invincible. Instead we have witnessed players defending deep, but often isolated from colleagues with a lack of cover and movement.
Our first wish – our first resolution for next year is to defend better. Defend as a unit – as a whole team. For make no mistake, it is arrogant to believe we will fare any better in the Cup competitions based on current form.
KDB to be Injury Free
One of the highlights of 2019/20 has been the return of Kevin De Bruyne to what resembles his best form. He has looked committed and his innate sonar abilities, which guides his precision passing has looked to be back after a period of absence.
Whether he has quite returned to levels he reached pre injury are debatable, but nevertheless we have the best player in the Premier League in our midst. What we require as fans is quite simple – to have the pleasure of watching Kevin unlocking defences without further interruption.
I hope to have the chance to see Kevin playing week in week out until May 2020, adding to both his goal and assist totals.
Foden to Get His Chance
The little Stockport Iniesta has waited patiently long enough. It is no longer about winning the title – simply assuring a top three finish is enough. In these circumstances, there needs to be room in the Guardiola team for young Phil Foden.
An extended run in the team now will strengthen his fitness and conditioning. It will give him a real chance to break into the England team, and most importantly – will provide some needed impetus to our City midfield.
At times we have looked pedestrian and the fleet footed trickery of Foden would enliven our performances. Sure he will make mistakes but what a glorious chance he will have.
So, those are my 3 New Year’s Resolutions for City, what are yours?