This includes myself. I'll be there in the North Stand.
If all goes to plan, we'll most likely win the Premier League at home to West Ham on May 19th. That means a lap of honour, an afternoon of celebration, and yet another trophy lift. Four titles in a row, cemented as the greatest club side in English football history. However, if things don't go to plan against Fulham and/or Tottenham, we could be heading into that final game with our destiny no longer in our own hands. And even if we do take maximum points from our next two matches, we could still unexpectedly trip up against the Hammers.
With that in mind, if we finish the season 2nd, with Arsenal champions, I'm not expecting there to be a pitch invasion or a happy atmosphere. But I really hope there isn't a repeat of Manuel Pellegrini's farewell in 2016, when he said goodbye to about 3,000 people because we'd dropped crucial points in that Arsenal game and everyone had stormed out. It'll be tempting and understandable to leave if we mess it up, but what a show of solidarity it would be if we all stayed behind and thanked the lads not just for their efforts this season but for 22/23 as well.
We all agreed over the summer of 2023 that even being in the title race this season would be a tough ask given how much effort was expended to win the treble. Somehow -- even to Pep's surprise -- we're still very much in the title race and stand a good chance of winning the PL & FA Cup double. It's clearly taken proper effort and dedication for the lads to pick themselves back up and keep chasing and keep going. Not forgetting, of course, that we've already won the Super Cup and Club World Cup. Two more trophies to put in a formerly barren cabinet.
The thing about title races that a lot of us forget is a simple truth: you win some, you lose some. If Arsenal lift the title from here, they'll be worthy winners. But will an Arsenal victory mean that Pep and the boys aren't worthy of our gratitude? This is the greatest City side of all time. It's never been this good and there's a high chance that it will never be this good again. How would you feel looking back on this era knowing you didn't clap the lads off the one time they didn't quite get it over the line? It's a question that's sat with me for a few days now.
Back in 1998 when we were relegated to the third tier at Stoke -- the lowest this club has ever gone and statistically the worst team we've ever had -- the entire away end applauded Joe Royle and the players off the pitch. In my opinion, that reception set the tone for the next few years. Sir Joe knew we were backing him, the players knew we expected better but that we'd support them through the tough times, and we were back in the Premier League two years later after back-to-back promotions with a lot of the same players.
Obviously football costs a lot more nowadays in 2024 than it did in 1998, so gratitude understandably doesn't come as easily. So I definitely won't judge anyone who decides to leave the Etihad if we fuck it up against Moyes' boys. But staying behind even if we finish 2nd will be about the connection between us and the players and Pep. Any lap of honour won't just be about the season just gone, it'll be about everything the likes of De Bruyne, Pep, Dias, whoever, have given us over the last few years. These are the best days we've ever known and the lads should know we feel that way.
If all goes to plan, we'll most likely win the Premier League at home to West Ham on May 19th. That means a lap of honour, an afternoon of celebration, and yet another trophy lift. Four titles in a row, cemented as the greatest club side in English football history. However, if things don't go to plan against Fulham and/or Tottenham, we could be heading into that final game with our destiny no longer in our own hands. And even if we do take maximum points from our next two matches, we could still unexpectedly trip up against the Hammers.
With that in mind, if we finish the season 2nd, with Arsenal champions, I'm not expecting there to be a pitch invasion or a happy atmosphere. But I really hope there isn't a repeat of Manuel Pellegrini's farewell in 2016, when he said goodbye to about 3,000 people because we'd dropped crucial points in that Arsenal game and everyone had stormed out. It'll be tempting and understandable to leave if we mess it up, but what a show of solidarity it would be if we all stayed behind and thanked the lads not just for their efforts this season but for 22/23 as well.
We all agreed over the summer of 2023 that even being in the title race this season would be a tough ask given how much effort was expended to win the treble. Somehow -- even to Pep's surprise -- we're still very much in the title race and stand a good chance of winning the PL & FA Cup double. It's clearly taken proper effort and dedication for the lads to pick themselves back up and keep chasing and keep going. Not forgetting, of course, that we've already won the Super Cup and Club World Cup. Two more trophies to put in a formerly barren cabinet.
The thing about title races that a lot of us forget is a simple truth: you win some, you lose some. If Arsenal lift the title from here, they'll be worthy winners. But will an Arsenal victory mean that Pep and the boys aren't worthy of our gratitude? This is the greatest City side of all time. It's never been this good and there's a high chance that it will never be this good again. How would you feel looking back on this era knowing you didn't clap the lads off the one time they didn't quite get it over the line? It's a question that's sat with me for a few days now.
Back in 1998 when we were relegated to the third tier at Stoke -- the lowest this club has ever gone and statistically the worst team we've ever had -- the entire away end applauded Joe Royle and the players off the pitch. In my opinion, that reception set the tone for the next few years. Sir Joe knew we were backing him, the players knew we expected better but that we'd support them through the tough times, and we were back in the Premier League two years later after back-to-back promotions with a lot of the same players.
Obviously football costs a lot more nowadays in 2024 than it did in 1998, so gratitude understandably doesn't come as easily. So I definitely won't judge anyone who decides to leave the Etihad if we fuck it up against Moyes' boys. But staying behind even if we finish 2nd will be about the connection between us and the players and Pep. Any lap of honour won't just be about the season just gone, it'll be about everything the likes of De Bruyne, Pep, Dias, whoever, have given us over the last few years. These are the best days we've ever known and the lads should know we feel that way.
