Last Thursday, Manchester City crashed out of the Europa League, despite beating Dynamo Kiev 1-0. Another chance was gone to end a 35 year trophy drought, and so I should have been despondent at the result. But while being disappointed, despondent I was not, strangely. But, all things considered, it wasn’t that strange really.
Over the 30 years or so I have supported City, I have seen City crash out of over 60 domestic cup competitions, and the odd European one. Every time it has hurt, like the metaphorical dagger through the heart, every time another chance to win something had disappeared once more, often in pitiful circumstances, but hey, there was always next year.
But somehow the Europa League felt different last week – different to how it had felt previously that season because afterall, like most fans, the chance to see your team in Europe is always to be cherished. But the reason for my change of heart lay in what I saw in the team in previous weeks, and finally getting a trip to Wembley.
There’s no doubt about it, the Europa League feels like a slog. A competition that never seems to end, even though the reality is that it is only slightly longer than the run of a Champions League finalist. My apathy also lay in the feeling that it is too hard to fight for trophies (or top 4 finishes!) on various fronts. I only go to matches to watch the action, but it’s begun to wear even me (and my bank card) out.
My mindset changed after we found our way past Reading. To me, finishing in the top four and the semi-final cup tie against Manchester United had taken on greater importance, and were the priorities as far as I was concerned. I’d put all my “winning a trophy is the most important thing” eggs into the FA Cup basket, as hard as that will be. If City has beaten Kiev, we would only have reached the quarter finals, and would have required an extra 5 games to take the trophy. I think there’s no doubt it would have continued to affect our league form, and possibly that semi-final too (we would have played three days before it). The evidence has been there for all to see – the team has at times looked jaded and dead on its feet.
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Now of course the counter-argument is that “moneybags” City shouldn’t be tired, and that other teams seem to manage. Setting aside the simple facts that we have to have the same size squad as everyone else (even the Sheikhs couldn’t sort that out), and that having a large pay packet doesn’t give you super-powers, whatever the rights and wrongs, the fact is that they are tired, and less games will help.
Some City fans have argued that the “top 4” teams of the last decade have seemed to cope ok with all these games. Mancini has received plenty of criticism from City fans and journalists for using tiredness as an excuse, which he did again after the Chelsea defeat. And it is true that this is something that Mancini and the squad will have to get used to, and deal with. Mancini will have to use his squad to full effect, but a spate of injuries, failed drug tests and compassionate leave have not helped his cause.
I’ve no idea if United, Arsenal, Chelsea and the like have struggled with the quantity of games, but Spurs’ Champions League run seems to have affected their league form (Harry is the Teflon man as always, no criticism from the media to stick on him), United have been below-par for much of the season (this may not be due to tiredness however), and Arsenal’s season has virtually fallen apart (but can still be saved). Fulham’s run to a European final hit their league form badly, and Rangers’ similar run to a final was at the expense of all the other competitions they were in with a chance of winning towards the “business end” of the season.
There are no games for two weeks now (though much of the squad will be jetting round the world, yippee), so only time will tell if City’s form picks up after the break. Of course I wanted to progress in the Europa League. I never want my team to lose, and I can never be remotely happy at any cup exit. But three days after playing with 10 men for an hour we tailed off against Chelsea and were deservedly beaten. We might well have lost anyway of course, but I can’t help feeling that come the end of the season, City’s aggregate loss to Kiev might just be a blessing in disguise.
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