Is it finally time for Manchester City to not only meet, but surpass our expectations of European success?
Be they lame excuses or reasonable explanations, there has been much debate about City since they became Premier League giants as to why they have flamed out so spectacularly in the Champions League.
Have they had tough draws ending up in a group with massive clubs that are almost as rich as themselves in some cases? Yes. Have they consistently drawn the team from Pot Three that everyone wants to avoid? Yep. Regardless, Man City were always too quick to crack under the pressure. Matches they had play well in, they played poorly in. Matches they were underdogs in, they didn’t compete.
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Europe is all that’s left unconquered for this club—but it’s far easier said than done. Many English clubs have come to appreciate that prickly fact in the past 15 years since Champions League football became such a global obsession.
Take Arsenal, for example. From 1998 through 2005, they won three Premier League titles—including the undefeated 2003-04 season—and finished second or third in the other five seasons of that span. That’s incredible. We rave, and properly so, about Man United’s domestic consistency of excellence, but that Arsenal run is so underrated. Yet their European endeavours during that stretch wre utterly disappointing in comparison: two quarter-finals, the Round of 16 twice, and dumped at the Group Stage on all other occasions. Clubs like Valencia, Porto, AS Monaco, and Bayer Leverkusen were making Champions League finals in that stretch, but never Arsene Wenger’s team.
But back to City — it’s been a great few years, despite some minor disappointments (like losing the FA Cup to Wigan, which sealed Roberto Mancini’s fate) but Manchester City has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and a League Cup in the past four seasons. And given that many think this year’s edition is the most skilled and cohesive Blues team ever, winning multiple pieces of silverware this season is possible.
Yes, they’re in a group with Bayern Munich. Do they have to beat them to make a statement? Well, no, but they may need points from them at the Etihad in late November if they give up points early to either Roma or CSKA Moscow, and they’ll have only themselves to blame if they do.
Manuel Pellegrini’s biggest problem may be giving enough Champions League time to 22 players when only half those players can start each match. Even an aging Frank Lampard, who will only be at City until early February, will merit consideration for each European encounter.
But City can’t play the underdog role anymore. They can’t be the “hey, happy to be here” English squad. They are domestic giants. Expectations could change, as they did in last year’s run when they lost Sergio Aguero for a key stretch. Pellegrini has prior Champions League success, unexpected at that, at Villarreal and Malaga a few years back.
The manager has the experience. His players have the experience. None of this will be new to them, and they should also be aware finishing second beyond Bayern Munch could be a recipe for a very difficult Round of 16 encounter with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona. There won’t be acceptable excuses for City blowing up anymore.
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