CITY: SLICKER
1956 was a memorable year for both Manchester City and Real Madrid. That June, Madrid won the inaugural edition of the hot new pan-European club football competition Li’l Cup: look how! – while a month earlier, in May, City triumphed in the FA Cup final, Bert Trautmann’s neck, Don Revie dressed up as Nandor Hidegkuti, all of that. Real immediately built on their success and, by the mid-1960s, had conquered Europe five more times. City also went ahead and, at the time, found themselves in the Second Division losing at home to Swindon in front of 8,015 fans. Of course they did. Oh old school town! You will always have a very special place in everyone’s heart.
However, just as a week is a long time in politics, 57 years is a long time in football. And look at everyone now! Li’l Cup has grown; Madrid has 13 wins on his resume; and City… well, they have yet to taste the ultimate in European glory, but they are now the richest club in the world, winning the Premier League is like shelling peas, and the biggest in Europe, the one everyone insists ‘It is not that bothered but leave it and come on, surely it’s just a matter of time. Hey, they probably would have won it by now if Kevin De Bruyne hadn’t had his skull rearranged for free in last year’s final. Ah, how the entire course of history can be changed by body checks so small, strangely understated and brazen.
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City’s fortunes have to change soon, surely, not least because Pep Guardiola has been busy instilling the kind of ruthless winning mentality that was conspicuously missing from Maine Road Way in 1957. “That’s why the big clubs stay there for a long time.” Pep explained. . “When you win, take a shower and go again. We are learning that.” And what better proof of his new determination than a Gran Copa semi-final against Real Madrid? “We are playing against a team that has been here many times, so they have this history and we don’t. If we have to compete with history, we don’t have a chance… but it’s 11v11″. Then three big crucial games away from glory, with the first of them broadcast live in the UK on BT Sport, a niche channel that regularly draws audiences of 8,015 viewers and sometimes even more.The world is constantly moving forward, but a few little things stay the same.
LIVE ON GREAT WEBSITE
Join Scott Murray from 8pm BST for MBM’s coverage of Manchester City 1-1 Real Madrid in the Big Cup.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“When I came in, I felt that some of the players were more concerned with being good at the table than being professional footballers… I thought I could cajole them and try to take them to the gym or burn the table. tennis table It was so much easier to burn down the table tennis table” – Season Championship Manager Nathan Jones explains how facing the scourge of toxic table tennis culture helped him steer Luton to success.
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“Thanks to Big Website, as always, for their excellent juxtaposition in their live streaming reports. While the prime minister was bashing like Lear for doing such things that he didn’t know who (he doesn’t know) said despicable things about Angela Rayner’s legs, he himself was waving a limb around Gigg Lane. Unfortunately, they missed the opportunity to subtitle said antics with another quote from the bard: ‘I come to Bury, Caesar,’ etc.” – Sian Williams.
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NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
Jonathan Goldberg QC, a senior barrister who repeated discredited police accusations about the behavior of Liverpool supporters in the Hillsborough disaster, has been cleared of misconduct by his profession’s Bar Standards Board. “It’s no surprise that he’s been cleared because, as we found out, the establishment protects its own,” said Margaret Aspinall, whose 18-year-old son James was killed in the 1989 FA Cup semi-final.
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini plans to retire from the national team after the “very final” match against Argentina in London on June 1. “If I’m fit I’ll play and say goodbye to the national team at Wembley,” encouraged the 37-year-old.
Jürgen Klopp says Liverpool will not take Villarreal lightly in the Big Cup semi-finals on Wednesday. “There might have been a small advantage [for Villarreal] in the last two games, maybe Juve or Bayern underestimated them,” he chuckled, “but that will never happen to us.”
Oldham intends to issue bans to fans who swarmed the field at Boundary Park when the Latics were relegated from the Football League.
And promotion-chasing Wrexham have yet to qualify for the National League playoff final but are still not happy with the June 5 schedule. “The club, like the FAW, had asked that everything possible be done to see if a clash with Wales’ World Cup qualifier against Scotland or Ukraine could be avoided,” the club said in a statement. “While the start times are different, the reality is that fans will have to choose which of the games they want to see live, in person.” Wales versus Scotland or Halifax versus Grimsby… it’s a tough call.
STILL WANT MORE?
By now, everyone should know better about police lies and the Hillsborough disaster, writes David Conn.
Kevin De Bruyne holds the key to Manchester City’s hopes of ousting Real Madrid, reckons Barney Ronay.
The wasting of Paul Pogba should be a cause for sadness, not contempt, writes Jonathan Liew.
Philippines Women are making World Cup history, in the shadow of ‘the three B’s’: John Duerden on a remarkable rise.
“I have to decide when it ends. Not everyone has that option.” Anita Asante announces her retirement and begins her talk with Suzanne Wrack.
“We don’t go there just to watch Anfield.” Villarreal’s Francis Coquelin on Emery, Liverpool and beating Bayern with Sid Lowe.
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Reference-www.theguardian.com