I'm STILL not prepared to write off Manchester City from winning the Premier League title this year.
And yet Phil Foden claimed on Tuesday night that they are aiming for the top four this season.
What the hell are you talking about?
Where is the confidence of reigning champions?
Had City beaten Brentford, they would have moved six points clear of Arsenal, who are tipped as Liverpool's biggest threat.
And with 17 games to go, there is only one team, one squad and one manager on the planet capable of putting together a near-perfect run worthy of a title, and that is Pep Guardiola and City.
Who in their right mind would bet on that when they've done it before?
But, and there is a big but, we are also in a situation where it has become a taboo to question the great man that is Pep, which in itself is very scary.
He needs to be called out when he is wrong and he has got many big decisions wrong this season, including Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Gtech.
City led 2-0 and were at cruising speed. Are you saying that taking off Foden and bringing on James McAtee was the best tactical situation to see out that match?
That's not a criticism of McAtee, but is he going to put his foot on the ball, run it into the corner or kick it into row Z when necessary?
Pep left the much more experienced Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish on the bench.
His decision-making was generally bizarre: why doesn't Ederson start regularly? Isn't he your number 1?
Kevin De Bruyne didn't get a kick and now he starts most weeks.
Why does it feel like there are more disgruntled players in the squad than ever before?
Has Pep's management changed due to the underperformance this season?
Why is Kyle Walker still at the club if he wants to leave?
Normally City get the transfers done and dusted before you've even heard of them. Now they hesitate.
Why didn't they go big with signings this summer? Because of the 130 violations of financial regulations they have been accused of?
Because the manager's future was undecided before he signed a two-year contract in November?
I feel like Pep is thinking too much about it, almost bluffing himself twice over, and the club is following suit.
As a result, City are no longer as difficult to beat or take away points as they used to be, nor do they look or feel like an efficient machine off the pitch.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal were dominant forces and then went off the boil – are we seeing this now with City and Pep?
Maybe it's as simple as losing the best player in the world in Rodri to a long-term injury, but I don't believe that.
But it's not just Pep. If you look at City as an organization this season, it has been sloppy.
Signing Erling Haaland until 2034 is a great thing, but as a team and as a club they have fallen asleep at the wheel.
And that's why we've heard more excuses from their camp in the last three or four months than we have in the last five years.
They have injuries, but so does everyone else. And look at that squad: world-class talent capable of beating most teams comfortably.
There is a lot of complaining. Maybe some players are not used to the battle, because they usually win everything with ease.
They are not accountable. They don't perform.
Also, don't try to imply that they have an “aging crew.” Last season no one mentioned their ages because they have a great team. This 'aging thing' is the biggest culprit.
Yes, there are tough games on the agenda – Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Liverpool, Spurs and Nottingham Forest on March 8 – but they are brilliant opportunities to get back on track.
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