I agree with this. I’ve said it before on here at the time but it bears repeating. The day the charges were announced was a deliberate attempt to destabilise the entire organisation, and end HHSM’s time at City. No less than that was the intention. From announcing the charges to the media before the club itself, to the duplicitous manner in which 5 main charges were bundles into 115, purely for media headline purposes.
That press conference was of absolutely crucial importance. Not just to this season, but (without wanting to sound hyperbolic) to the entire future of this club as we know and love it. The narrative was choreographed, and set in stone. In my opinion with the prior approval, and involvement, of certain hand-picked media outlets:
City were filthy cheats. The manager and most key players were either complicit in the ‘cheating’, or were to be so disgusted by it that they would leave as soon as humanly possible.
Amd then Pep came out, puffed out his chest, and read them the riot act. Voiced, professionally and inarguably, a selection of home truths, and undeniable facts. Came out swinging, and left the watching world (and who knows?, maybe even a few waivering players/employees), in no doubt that not only was HE not going anywhere, but that the club and the players were in no doubt of our innocence.
It was exactly what we as fans, and City as an organisation so desperately needed. It lifted my spirits as much as any win has. It was a truly beautiful moment. It must, it just simply MUST, have brought the entire club together at the exact moment we needed it.
They (the media and their paymasters in the red shirted old money clubs) came to that press conference to finally bury City, and begin writing the obituary of the club. They had finally found a way to hound the Muslims out of their white man’s game, and put the impudent, working class, upstarts back in their box. In their place.
I know this sounds over the top, but I’ve believed in my heart ever since, that Pep saved City that day. I shall never, ever, forget how he made me feel in that moment.
Superbia in Proelio.