Pep must learn his City history lesson
CITY had won the league, supporters were buzzing about being top dogs in Manchester once again, and their coach was promising they would “terrify Europe”.
The ghostly echoes of 1968 still bounce around the corridors at City, and now it falls to Pep Guardiola to exorcise the spectres.
As a philosopher once said: “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”
Guardiola, as a student of the game, should be aware of the gaffes and calamities which have always followed City’s triumphs, and ensure to avoid them this time.
City have won the league five times in their history, the latest being Guardiola’s record-smashing heroes.
But the other four times, in true Blue style, they have gone from walking on sunshine to finding it was a summer illusion, with a huge stride forward being followed by a backwards step or two.
Joe Mercer’s 1968 winners did not exactly flop the following season – they won the FA Cup and followed that with the club’s only European success in the 1970 Cup Winners’ Cup.
But with rivals United in disarray after their 1968 European Cup triumph, the Blues never truly drove home their advantage.
Blues assistant Malcolm Allison said his team would “terrify Europe to death” as they entered the European Cup for the first time in 1968, but they crashed out in the first round to Turkish underdogs Fenerbahce. They redeemed themselves by winning the FA Cup – still a huge deal in 1969 – but could only finish 13th in the league.
Guardiola need not worry about such a crash in the league, but he needs to keep his foot on United’s throat, having got them where he wants them.
He can also be sure that the Blues won’t repeat the bizarre aftermath of their first league title triumph, in 1936, which was truly a turning point in the history of Manchester football … but, in favour of the Reds.
City won the league that year and United were relegated, but what would now be seen as a double delight by Blues, only served to galvanise the Reds while City floundered.
The following season, they were relegated, in spectacularly typical fashion.
An ageing team was not replenished, apart from splashing out £2,200 on Southport teenager Billy Wardle, who flopped – while United outdid them with the £3,000 signing of Jack Rowley, who would become a Red legend.
City needed a point at Huddersfield on the last day but lost, as one shot, which appeared to hit the back stanchion inside the net, being ruled to have hit the bar!
It could only happen to City that they needed one of Grimsby, Portsmouth, Birmingham or Stoke to fail to win – and they were all victorious!
City were top scorers in a division which saw 16 points separate top from bottom, but went down – with United going the other way, and arguably starting a period of dominance that has lasted until the last five years, with an occasional blip.
Sheikh Mansour’s investment changed all that, and again it seemed the balance of power in Manchester had shifted back to the Blues when they won the league in 2012.
But the fire and single-mindedness which had driven Mancini was already turning him into an unloved and isolated figure, and he was at odds with the board when his push for them to sign Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez, Robin van Persie and Daniele De Rossi had seen them bring in Scott Sinclair, Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell instead.
That failure to bolster a champion team with real quality cost Mancini – and Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano need to ensure that they land their prime targets this summer to avoid a repeat.
Manuel Pellegrini also had a difficult second season, finishing second and landing no silverware.
Guardiola has instilled a camaraderie and a positivity about this City squad which should prevent the mistakes of the past from being repeated – as long as the club secures the transfer targets they need.