Well now, here's the thing. Yesterday, for the umpteenth time, I watched the goals from 2011-12 straight through (I hope that there'll soon be the same thing on the OS for the season just passed) to try to answer exactly this question to my satisfaction. Now we were absolutely blowing teams away without a care in the world up until about Christmas. I loved it all, but it almost looks to me as it was a confidence thing: we're just flying along on a sort of magic carpet of confidence. When the going got tough, we folded a bit. Whatever you may think about Carlitos, it does look rather as if his return reboosted us. Obviously, in the return match against Chelsea, and then, spectacularly, against Norwich, where the goal difference which in the end turned out to be crucial was turned once again in our favour.
This season felt pretty different. In terms of technique and skill, this current team compares handsomely with that one, and then some. Two potentially highly gifted footballers are gone — Balotelli and Tevez — but they were both, in their way, people who rocked the boat. Two players who played a fairly major part in 2011-12 have been sidelined: Micah and Joleon. (Not sure for my part that Micah has no future at City). That's sad, but the world moves on. Of the five players acquired this year — Ferny, Beast, Navas, Demichelis and Jovetic — four have definitely proved their worth, the last hasn't had enough playing time, but there are signs that he'll come through. He's the one I'm expecting most of next season, in fact.
Mentally, I'm certain that we're a more balanced, composed, self-assured team than the 2011-12 one. Success breeds success. We've been there, we've done it. We're mentally tougher, too. Not a doubt about it. Going away to Everton and beating them when we absolutely had to do it. That is called delivering the goods when it matters. Under that pressure, would the 2011-12 team have performed as well? I have my doubts. And the Hull game — well, doesn't that say it all about mental toughness. Even coming back from 2-0 down against the dippers, looking like being overrun for a bit there, to 2-2, and having them shitting themselves. Not sure that that's something the 2011-12 team could have achieved.
So yes, this is the best there's been. Ever. That's my honest, sober opinion. Now the scary part. New manager, with a new style. Five new players bedding in. Serial injuries. Exactly how good can it get… ?
