Even if /when we win the CL I dont think we will ever embrace it...another pointless article in todays MEN
For the 3,000
Manchester City fans in the away end at
Old Trafford on Saturday, the sight of every single player and staff member walking over to celebrate with them at the full-time whistle will live long in the memory.
They've been taken for granted for too long. During
Manuel Pellegrini 's time in charge, travelling supporters were often ignored at full-time. It may seem trivial to some – but the relationship between the fans and team is hugely important and at City it had been deteriorating for some time.
Pep Guardiola identified it as a priority before he'd even arrived. Watching videos of City from afar as he prepared to take the reigns, he noticed the players and staff weren't making enough effort to thank fans for travelling across the country and supporting their players. It needed to change and it has done rapidly.
It's a welcome initiative. City's supporters were growing tired of being ignored and their disaffection was increasing. Guardiola could be seen instructing his players to walk over to the away end on Saturday and it meant everything to those who were already delirious with what they'd seen on the pitch.
The Catalan's next task is to get the club's supporters to embrace the Champions League. For too long, they've felt an indifference to the competition,
fuelled by their anger at UEFA's rough treatment of the club.
They boo the Champions League anthem before each game and are largely uninspired by the competition. Domestic success is far more important to the majority of them.
That was beginning to change towards the end of last season. City made it to the semi-finals for the first time and began to look more assured in the tournament.
Pep Guardiola has brought the club's players and supporters closer and now needs the Man City fans to embrace the Champions League.
Around 10,000 fans made the trip to Madrid for the second leg against Real and spread themselves across the City, enjoying the trappings Europe's elite club competition offers. They were beginning to feel more comfortable on the big stage and the there was a thirst for further improvement.
Tonight sees City start this season's group-stage campaign with a home game against Borussia Monchengladbach. Having dismantled Steaua Bucharest in the play-off round, the competition proper now gets underway. With City boasting a 100 per cent record under the guidance of Guardiola, there are high hopes they can at least match last season's semi-final place.
For City to have success in the Champions League – and it's a must it if they are to become superpower their owners crave – they need their fans to buy into the tournament.
Guardiola's brand of football is exciting them and optimism has returned to the stands. It's time for the City fans to start dreaming of winning the biggest prize of all.
