Finishing 3rd is no triumph for Guardiola

SUPERB footballer, but as a pundit I don’t often agree with Roy Keane.

He’s been saying that finishing in the top four in the Premier League is nothing to celebrate – and it is trophies that count.

The United legend has a point when it comes to the so-called big clubs, but for the majority winning qualification for the richest and greatest club competition in the world – the Champions League – is a brilliant achievement.

Having said that, for City to finish third or fourth represents a poor season. The club is arguably the richest in the land, has a worldclass manager with a winning reputation, expanded ground, a fastgrowing global fanbase, academy facilities second to none … in fact everything is going for the Blues.

But Pep Guardiola has had a rude awakening to life in the Prem. He’s had his positives in his first season here, but the big negatives were sending out Joe Hart on loan to Italy without having an adequate replacement lined up, together with an irritating issue over Sergio Aguero. What is there not to like about the Argentine who scores for fun?

There is a battle royal to get in the two slots behind Chelsea and Spurs, with City the 1/40 favourites at Betfred, Liverpool 4/11, Arsenal 9/4 with United 14/1.

City have a straightforward home game with Leicester tomorrow while Arsenal are at Stoke. The trickier games are Liverpool at West Ham on Sunday ahead of United’s visit to Tottenham.

Meanwhile, I have been to the bank ready to pay out to the thousands of our customers who backed Chelsea, Newcastle, Sheffield United and Portsmouth to all win their leagues, including Chelsea-supporting brothers from Winsford who are set to pick up £13,000 each. The Betfred odds pre-season on those four doing the business were 700/1 – and it was close run thing with Pompey only top of League Two for one day and Newcastle’s form dipping at the end.