THERE were echoes of Sir Alex Ferguson when Pep Guardiola said in his program notes: “Being a Premier League champion is something we should never, ever take for granted.”
It was to Sir Alex’s constant frustration that people thought everything had become easy for him.
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Just sending a team that had won the year before to go out and do it again. That no work was needed to repeat the feat.
If City want an example of what happens if a club takes it for granted, United can provide it. Because they took it for granted after Sir Alex left.
They thought winning the title would take care of itself while they focused on freeing the shackles of the club’s commercial arm.
A club that was kept in check under Sir Alex completely lost its edge as the fruits of its success began to be reaped in terms of financial gains. The eye literally came out of the ball.
Just ask David Moyes, who was given the impossible task of shadowing Sir Alex and taken advantage of when asked to appear at things Ferguson wouldn’t accept.
— Sir Alex had to do all this? was his constant refrain. Well, no, but no one had the courage to tell him that.
Things will not go wrong while Pep is in charge at the Etihad, just as they were not allowed to do so under Sir Alex at Old Trafford. But it’s what comes next that remains the concern.
Especially if football director Txiki Begiristain followed Guardiola out the door.
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Because I don’t think City have won six titles in seven years under this fabulous coach without fighting.
On three of these occasions it reached the last day. There has been much more than just big spending.
If it was just a question of money, why have United backed out despite a £1.5bn splurge over the last decade and a bit?
They have just finished in the lowest position in the Premier League, eighth. Why? Because they took everything for granted 11 years ago and never recovered.
“We won’t make a Liverpool,” was the refrain a director addressed to me after just a year without the title. Now there are 11 and counting.
Guardiola knew City would never be able to take their foot off the gas this campaign.
There is every chance City will go on to win the Wembley double with an FA Cup victory over United on Saturday.
To do that after the effort of winning a Treble the previous season, to have that motivation, to avoid resting on all your laurels takes a lot of hard work, not just physically but mentally.
No price can be placed on what happens between the ears.
Man Utd trophies since Ferguson’s departure
FA Cup – 2016
League Cup – 2017, 2023
Community Shield – 2013, 2016
Europa League – 2017
There is a great characteristic present in both coaches who made the city of Manchester the center of the modern football world.
Watch clips of Ferguson and Guardiola when their team scores.
They react like a child in their first game.
It’s because, deep down, they’re both football fans, but more importantly, they’re both winners – and they never take things for granted.
So City fans, ‘Watch, drink’.
Because no matter how good you are now, things can change.
As they are increasingly beginning to fear in the future you may “never see anything like it again”.
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