Not so ‘typical City’

For the first time in my lifetime the tag ‘typical City’ may finally be being etched from underneath the skin of the Manchester City fabric.

Following their 1-0 victory at Ewood Park last Monday night, and their comfortable 2-1 victory at Eastlands this week, City find themselves seven points clear of Spurs, and now Liverpool, for that lucrative Champions League spot, with only five matches remaining.

After such a magnificent win over their cross-town Manchester rivals in the FA Cup Semi-Final, many a Blue would have been forgiven to think that it would be just like City to go and slip up against either Blackburn or West Ham, if not both.

And with Spurs seemingly handing the advantage to City with a disappointing run towards the end of the season, it would have been almost too good to be true for the men from Eastlands to take advantage of this slip and move comfortably into the Champions League qualification places.

However, it would appear that times are a-changing for the blue side of Manchester, as they ground-out what could turn out to be two of the most important league victories in recent memory.

As if the victory against the Unite wasn’t special enough, the wins against Blackburn and West Ham may not only get them a place in the Champions League for next season, but more importantly, open the door into the elite table of European, from which they may never return.

There is still plenty of time for City to prove this school of thought wrong, but it would appear that Mancini may finally bring some stability, and silverware, to a club that has had around 21 different managers since they last lifted a trophy back in 1974.

The ‘typical City’ hoodoo, which has cursed the club for over 25 five years, was one of the things that Gary Cook wanted to eradicate into the anodes of history when he first took-up his position at the club.

Spending well over £300 million in transfer fees does certainly help their cause but plenty of clubs have spent money, including Liverpool and Tottenham, but City are the ones who have come to the fore this season, in both the league and cup.

All would appear rosy at Eastlands but there are those who think Mancini should have done even better with the players he has at his disposal and considering the money he and his predecessor Mark Hughes has spent. There’s also growing concern for the type of football he likes to adopt.

Whilst Mancini is being successful, achieving the clubs aims, and perhaps winning a trophy or two, it seems difficult to imagine the owners disposing of his services.

Although I suspect the owners are happy with the manager’s exploits thus far, if they don’t improve next season and be up there challenging for the title, one suspects changes will be in the offing.

However, this change is about more than just money. It’s about changing the whole mentality, status and history of the club. It’s about projecting a new football voice into an already crowded vacuum.

There is still a long way to go to but it would appear that City have finally come of age. The spine of the team is strong with the likes of Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Nigel de Jong and Carlos Tevez. Add to that the creativity and unpredictability of Adam Johnson, David Silva and the mercurial Mario Balotelli, the future looks very bright.

I don’t suppose City will ever be totally rid of ‘typical City’ tag, in one form or another. But come the end of the season if City have managed to win the FA Cup and earned a Champions League place, it will not only mark the beginning of a new dawn for City but they will have lay to rest a 35 year yearning for success.

Peter Mannion