Soccer prediction Pep and City must shift their focus to Europe
So, almost certainly, the title race is over for Manchester City. Only the most incredible of the most incredible crashes - some perverse combination between those of Keegan`s Newcastle, of jockey Devon Lock and golfer Greg Norman - can stop Liverpool already. Well, maybe the intervention of proven Leicester miracle workers.
Jurgen Klop`s boys can now go to Qatar for the World Club Championships and play 8 games in 19 days in their absurd program not only with a comfortable lead at the top of the table, but also with the confidence that the champions have a hole in theyour armor.
Of course, that was said of City last season, after the team admitted to Newcastle in the fourth of January in the championship. The answer: wins the remaining 14 rounds and defends the title. The loss to the Manchester United derby on Saturday, however, means that the Nationals have already missed as many points as they did last season and will have to win their remaining 22 games to equal their achievement of May - 98 points. Even if that happens, given how he plays and wins Liverpool, it may not be enough.
Joseph Guardiola knows this. He directly admitted defeat in the race - this was evident not only in his direct statements that it would be nearly impossible to catch up with the Reds, but also indirectly in his comments a few weeks ago about how unhealthy a society that only values winners is.
He is right, of course, but it is still strange to hear this from the mouth of a football coach, especially as determined as he is to succeed. Usually, such things are heard by managers whose flames or cash flow for transfers go out - Arsene Wenger and Brian Clough become increasingly concerned about the state of football as their successes run out of trophies.
Not that anyone is suggesting that Guardiola, 48, is coming to an end
City are 3rd in Premier League with 2 points averaged per game and the highest number of goals scored and will have spring battles in the elimination stages of the Champions League - the most coveted tournament in the last fewseason if not from the fans of the team, at least from the management, the coaching staff and the players. This is not a crisis in any sense, but things like that are always relative, and under the fluffy mattress of glittering football the princess begins to feel the prickling of the pea.
This emerges as only the third of Guardiola`s 11 seasons on the bench without winning a championship. Although he has always been in ultra-rich clubs, achieving him in three different leagues analyzed by
picksmachine makes him uniquely consistent. Even if he never wins anything again, he`ll deserve a spot around the top of the pantheon. However, some recurring flaws are beginning to emerge.
There are external factors over which he has limited control. City pays too much for the lack of replacement of his departed Vincent Company last summer - an unnecessary risk that was punished with a severe injury to Emeric Laporte. The conundrum is also how, although 150 million pounds have been spent on left backs in the last three years, there is still no convincing holder of the post.
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