Some amongst the frothing hoardes in this thread need to step back and get some perspective.
The first thing to note is that City are top, yes TOP of the PL. They're in first place!!! Quite the crisis, this!
The first team has so far played 16 competitive matches across three competitions this season. Of these, three have finished in defeat. All three were away from home.
The circumstances of those matches were:
v BARCELONA (A) 0-4 UCL: An away match in the Camp Nou against arguably the best club side in world football at this time. And City were giving them a game until the sending off of GK Bravo and having to defend against the best attacking trio in the world with ten players for the last 40 minutes. Despite the eventual scoreline, City can draw positives from the 11 v 11 period of the game. Nothing in this match should give rise to a 'press the panic button' mentality. At the outset, any impartial bookie would have expected a Barcelona win in this one.
v TOTTENHAM (A) 0-2 PL: If you accept that no team is likely to win the PL title undefeated in the current environment, which ties are most likely to produce a reverse? How about an away fixture against an in-form fellow title-contender? Yes, it would be great to have won at WHL. But Spuds are a team which will be challenging at the end of the season. A defeat there does not constitute a crisis. Meanwhile, City have also played away against another PL title contender (according to many pundits). The bunch at OT. And City won that one.
v MANCHESTER UNITED (A) 0-1 EFL Cup: Nine changes for City in this one. A second-string side pitted against the Rags' finest in a hostile derby atmosphere. City conceded once in this match, and if in allowing that goal Mr Bean ... sorry, Dean ... makes a blunder of that magnitude again this season I'll be amazed. Although his failure to award City a penalty and the booking of Iheanacho for falling over are right up there. This match was no vintage affair, but United didn't score a legitimate goal in 90 minutes against City's reserves. The result was decided by having Mr Bean in the middle.
Three matches have ended in draws. Celtic away (UCL) was played in a passionate derby cup-final atmosphere ... not easy. Draws against Everton and Southampton were slightly disappointing in view of them being home ties, but both are strong PL sides. Both are top half in the PL at this time and Everton will expect to challenge for a top four place.
And the other ten matches? CITY WON. And there were some tough fixtures in there. W10 - D3 - L3. There's no crisis to see here.
Did anyone genuinely expect Pep to come to a new club in an unfamiliar highly-competitive league and win everything straight off the bat? If so, you must be mad. City's transfer business in the Summer - signing the cream of world football's 18/19 year-olds is the giveaway: Pep's building for the future. The current team is in transition. The older guys are being phased out gradually. And yet with ten wins so far they're still doing just fine. None of the three defeats were a form-book 'upset'.
Chill out and enjoy the ride with Pep. Gabriel Jesus, Marlos Moreno, Leroy Sane, Oleksandr Zinchenko. Joining earlier youthful signings including Patrick Roberts, Enes Unal and Kelechi Iheanacho - now almost a first-team regular. And remember the prospects emerging from the academy: Maffeo, Garcia, Angelino, Adarabioyo, Diaz and so many more. There is so much to look forward to as this group increasingly play alongside "experienced" senior players such as Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and John Stones. They're young too. All coached by the best manager in the game and backed by the most professional owners in the sport. The ingredients are in place for a golden era.
There has NEVER BEEN a better time to be a City fan! Stop moaning, show a little patience and enjoy what the next few seasons bring. SMILE! :-)
