Well it was fun while it lasted, the closest three-way race for the Premier League in history, a title challenge as exciting as anything you will see on Netflix. It’s not over yet but it certainly feels like it. With six games to play, there’s still many a slip… But deep down even their most ardent supporters find it hard to see Arsenal or Liverpool getting past the seemingly unstoppable Manchester City now.
It’s amazing what you can do when you’re owned by one of the richest countries on the planet
City have another stage in their haul of silverware in their sights on Saturday with an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley. Chelsea could be brilliant or rubbish or anywhere in between. City are likely to field a second-string side, having bigger fish to fry. But a second-string City is much better than most teams.
City are a beautiful team to watch. They could even rest Rodri, their best player, at the weekend and still dismantle Luton 5-1. How do they do it? A brilliant rotation policy, razor-eyed ruthlessness and some of world’s best players: it’s amazing what you can do when you’re owned by one of the richest countries on the planet and managed by the best coach.
Even so, the most devoted City fan should be getting slightly twitchy as an extremely large elephant is beginning to make its way into the room. City face more than 100 charges of breaching financial fair play rules over the nine-year period 2009-18, as well as several breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR), 2015-18. The charges relate to a variety of issues including sponsorship revenue, ‘operating costs’ and a few questions over Roberto Mancini’s pay packet. It’s over a year since the charges were laid and the saga has a long way to play out, while Forest and Everton have been hit hard with massive points penalties for their financial misdemeanours. It’s easy to feel sorry for them, but Everton certainly have been dreadfully run for years.
Meanwhile, a natural successor to Pep Guardiola has burst on to the European scene like a rocket. A couple of years ago, Xabi Alonso, the fluent, cerebral Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich midfielder, was managing Real Sociedad’s seconds. Near the end of 2022 he left for Bayer Leverkusen, perennial Bundesliga also-rans, then languishing at the foot of the table. Now led by Alonso, they have smashed the German title by the massive margin of 16 points, overwhelming poor Bayern who had won the title every year since about 1847.
It is a colossal achievement and Alonso is now in demand all over Europe – not least by Liverpool, who wanted him to succeed Jürgen Klopp. I think he would be a better fit at City when Guardiola decides to step aside. He is thoughtful, creative, highly popular and widely admired. And speaks excellent English.
Poignantly, the death of ‘Deadly’ Derek Underwood, England’s most successful spin bowler in Test history, was announced on the same day that Sunrisers Hyderabad battered a blizzard of sixes to reach 287-3 in the Indian Premier League, the highest ever T20 total. At first sight there is little in common between the remorseless accuracy and flight of Underwood’s brisk left-arm spin (or was it slow-medium pace? He just smiled if you asked him). But the levels of skill, strength and stamina are pretty similar if you want to smash a quick-fire century like Travis Head or take six wickets for 45 to win the Headingley Ashes Test as Underwood did in 1972. I know which I would rather watch, though it’s pretty certain that Underwood would have made a fortune in the IPL. He was born in Bromley, where David Bowie was growing up at the same time. With his pleasant looks, easy charm and irresistibility to the opposite sex, ‘Deadly’ was the David Bowie of cricket.
Manchester City are surely unstoppable
14
0
18.04.2024
Well it was fun while it lasted, the closest three-way race for the Premier League in history, a title challenge as exciting as anything you will see on Netflix. It’s not over yet but it certainly feels like it. With six games to play, there’s still many a slip… But deep down even their most ardent supporters find it hard to see Arsenal or Liverpool getting past the seemingly unstoppable Manchester City now.
It’s amazing what you can do when you’re owned by one of the richest countries on the planet
City have another stage in their haul of silverware in their sights on Saturday with an FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley. Chelsea could be brilliant or rubbish or anywhere in between. City are likely to field a second-string side, having bigger fish to fry. But a second-string City is much better than most teams.
City are a beautiful team to watch. They could even rest Rodri, their best player, at the weekend and........
© The Spectator
visit website
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Mohamad Elmasry
Maoz Inon
Belen Fernandez
Rachel Marsden
Patrick Gathara
Brahma Chellaney
Srecko Horvat
Petra Lesjak Tušek
Julie Bindel
Dr Ramzy Baroud
