It wasn’t that long ago that Manchester City were seemingly cruising to their first ever Premier League trophy. Now, by the time they play away at Arsenal on Sunday they could potentially be 8 points behind leaders and bitter rivals Manchester United. What’s gone wrong with City? Can they still catch United? And is it a disaster if they don’t?
This season Man City fans have been in dream land, watching a proverbial paradise of football. Long suffering fans finally getting one over on their once insurmountably dominant city rivals. They have everything you could want, not least a wealth of exceptional talent within their squad. A team blessed with internationals, genuinely world class players, and more held back in reserve.
Pair this with a bottomless pit of a chairmen who can improve the squad through another world class star with just a click of his fingers, and a successful Italian coach with genuine Serie A pedigree. Phenomenal. And for a lot of this campaign that’s exactly what City were.
City seemed to be finding life at the top of the league far too easy and the best that the Prem had to offer had nothing to worry them. A combined total of 11 goals scored in away wins at United and Tottenham were proof of this. The Citizens new found spending power had meant that this dominance had been coming for a while, but this did nothing to dampen the mood of their supporters. Compare this to the City side who drew 3-3 at home to Sunderland this weekend. Almost unrecognisable.
Sure, the personnel remains largely unchanged, but the way they’re playing is anything but familiar. Even a team with City’s resources can’t get by without their key players. And some of City’s have been sorely lacking form.
Sergio Agüero, not terrorising defences as he did when he arrived on our shores in the summer, may be missing his usual winter break which could have reinvigorated him. David Silva, a shoe in for PFA Player of the Year at Christmas, now missing the spark that ignited many a game previously. Maybe the rigours of our game are catching up with the Spaniard?
Of course City have just as many problems that they have created themselves. Trouble appears to be brewing from within. Mario Balotelli is seemingly becoming less influential on the pitch and more troublesome off with each passing week.
Repeated stories of fall outs with manager Roberto Mancini become harder and harder to ignore. Eden Džeko, hankering for a move away, is not getting as much time on the pitch as he would like. How many international calibre players settle long for playing second fiddle?
And what of last season’s hero, one Mr Tevez? Banished for being unruly and difficult. City are the only club in the world who could afford to leave out their £30m-rated striker for being disruptive. Now he is called back into the fold as the team are struggling without him.
Surely this is a message to any other potentially disruptive City players. ‘Do what you like, we’ll realise we can’t cope without you and we’ll take you back’. If Mario Balotelli is now out in the cold as some are reporting he is then he would be forgiven for thinking that he won’t be there for very long.
For all their millions there is one thing that City’s playing staff are lacking, Premier League winning experience. Where City are faltering the likes of Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are thriving. It’s crunch time, but Sir Alex and co have been there enough times for it to not faze them. Can you buy experience like that? Potentially. But it’s irrelevant whether you can or not because City haven’t.
Despite the wealth of options at Roberto Mancini’s disposal only four of his players have the experience of being in a Premier League winning squad; Kolo Touré and Gaël Clichy, Owen Hargreaves and Carlos Tevez.
Touré and Clichy's one and only league title came over 7 years ago, and Hargreaves & Tevez haven’t had enough time on the pitch for one reason or another to really have an impact. Manchester United don’t win titles by chance, they win them because they know how. Something City are desperately trying to learn.
It’s not all doom and gloom for City yet though. They still have a home game against United to use as a way to claw back some points. And as we have seen already this (and every other) season the Premier League is an unpredictable beast. Points will be dropped by both teams between now and May.
So, even if City have to settle for runners-up this season, is that so bad? City’s owners and fans wanted one thing from this season, progress, and that’s what they’ve got. A significant title challenge and 2nd place would be a big step up from scraping 4th last season. The season spent by the club in what is these days League One, is worlds away now.
And if it turns out that City aren’t good enough to win the league this season then I’m sure it’s nothing that £200m or so wouldn’t sort out for next.