It would be abhorrently presumptive to state at the beginning of December that Manchester City will win the Premier League this season but unless things change it’s difficult to see past them. And should they lift the trophy come May then Pep Guardiola will immediately be installed in the pantheon of all-time great Premier League managers.
Stating the above can swiftly take us down a rabbit-hole of debate concerning the merits of his inclusion with some citing his ‘chequebook’ moniker and – by the season’s end, with the right wind – ‘only’ a singular English title. Others meanwhile will point out the incredible football he has orchestrated this term not to mention his previous accomplishments across Europe that has given him considerable stature.
Let’s stay above ground however – for now at least – and simply agree that if City are league champions next spring then in years to come when the great managers are reeled off most will start with Ferguson, Wenger, and Mourinho then within a couple of names Guardiola will inevitably be uttered.
Personally I believe this to be justified, but then again I would as I’m biased and Blue. But by the same token it is beholden to every City fan to remind others that this is not the first occasion when the club boasted an immensely driven foreign coach who presided over some extraordinary fare that resulted in silverware.
In years to come will Roberto Mancini make the short-list of touchline maestros? Or will his stupendous achievement in 2012 be eventually diminished by time?
I fear it will be the latter, which would be a great shame because if City’s present stars are stretching the possibilities of excellence then so too did the Italian’s side en route to securing the Blues’ first title for 44 years. This was not merely a dominant team – every season is won by one of those – this was a fluid, balls-out, attacking phenomenon that exhilarated even neutrals with its intricate, hi-tempo build-up play and occasional capacity to implode.
Usually, at this time of the week, I look back at a memorable Premier League encounter as part of Football Fancast’s PL25 series that celebrates the league’s landmark anniversary. So it’s entirely appropriate at a time when Pep’s Manchester City are rightfully being widely praised for remaining unbeaten we can recall a 5-1 win over Norwich that took place five years ago almost to the day. It was to be City’s fourteenth and last game unbeaten in an astonishing spell that saw them fly from the blocks, battering Spurs away 5-1, humiliating United away 6-1, and trouncing Swansea and Blackburn by four goal margins. By the time Norwich gratefully surrendered to the final whistle Mancini’s men had banged home 47 goals, were sitting pretty on top of the pile, and all by playing wonderfully adventurous, passing football.
Pep’s present all-conquering XI are also top and, 15 games into the season, they are yet to be vanquished. They just happen to have scored one goal fewer.
This was a time of the Poznan and singing ‘Mancini, ohhh, he came from Italy to manage Man City’ and when neither were in full effect Blues rubbed their eyes in disbelief at the high quality before them. At the back Vincent Kompany was imperious. In the middle Gareth Barry’s unassuming authority perfectly complimented Yaya Toure’s unstoppable marauding. Up front there was Sergio Aguero, and Edin Dzeko, and Mario Balotelli. When he wasn’t sulking on a golf course there was also Carlos Tevez.
With Samir Nasri and David Silva scheming and twinkling, they ripped into opponents with consistent relish while in the dug-out brooded and boiled the charismatic, fiery Mancini. Loved by the fans, less so by the players for his abrasive manner, the former Sampdoria midfielder masterminded an assault on English football in his second full season in Manchester and by the time Norwich came to town it really felt like nobody would – or could – stand up to it.
The Canaries approach was to position ten men behind the ball at every opportunity and even when Sergio Aguero managed to navigate the ball through a forest of players after half an hour that strategy remained. When Nasri concluded matters on fifty minutes the away side ventured forward with heavy reluctance knowing this would allow spaces for Toure to exploit. With 68 minutes gone the towering Ivorian didn’t disappoint, curling home a third to prevent any miraculous comeback.
To their credit Paul Lambert’s side did pull one back late on with Adam Johnson firing a fifth for City in added-on time. In between those two goals was a typically untypical moment from Mario Balotelli who saw his close-range shot balloon skywards and drop just under the bar. Standing beneath it the unpredictable striker nonchalantly shouldered it over the line celebrating with the absolute minimum of fuss.
Fourteen opponents down Roberto Mancini broke into a rare smile post-match when asked about his forward’s cheek. He turned serious however when it was put to him that City were champions elect. “It’s not important now to be top. It’s important at the end of the season”.
How right he was but surely even the ever-pragmatic Mancini couldn’t foresee how fine the margin would eventually be as Aguero’s 93rd minute strike placed his boss into the pantheon of all-time greats.
