Sunday gives Saint a perfect chance to show us his virtues
HOW do you recover from a thunderous knock-out blow in a winnertakes-all showdown between two top heavyweights?
Manchester City, the strutting kings once from the main road, must do that against Newcastle after the heartache of Champions League defeat snatched from the jaws of glorious victory in Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium.
Where once we had Muhammad Ali’s rope-a-dope here Carlo Ancelotti’s rope trick throttled City.
Now a Pep talk like no other is required if City are to win the one remaining bauble available to them this season. To do that they MUST beat Newcastle come teatime on the Sabbath. No other result will suffice. A draw is no good. Three points are vital.
United hold City’s fading aspirations in their hands. They have to rip them out of our grasp or the unthinkable will occur. Man City will end the season with nothing!
This is what it has boiled down to at the end of an incredible season when the Magpies have produced their own miracle of survival.
While bitter rivals Liverpool can produce the clean sweep of all four trophies, a feat never previously achieved, City will be drained mentally and emotionally after surrendering a 5-3 aggregate lead in the dying embers of their Champions League existence.
Of course the battered Blues are way ahead of any side in England bar Liverpool. They are going for their fourth Premier League title in the last five seasons, which emphasises their domination of our domestic game but their current lead is a solitary point which eliminates any room for slip-ups.
The first to blink between City and Liverpool lose the crown. Can United cause that blink after failing to do so against the rampant Reds?
City have a big enough squad of quality to ring the changes against United, just as Liverpool did last Saturday, and still win but there is no doubt they will be mentally scarred and the Magpies have to be strong enough to attempt to take advantage. Normally I would give them no chance away at City even after their massive improvement and their opponents will remain firm favourites in the eyes of neutrals but hope now beats in the Geordie breast because of the host’s self-inflicted wounds. The blood-letting may turn City into raging lions, wounded, hurt and dangerous, or it may produce rare self doubt to be exploited.
How might it all spark Allan Saintmaximin (left), who cuts a decisive figure of talent mixed with frustration? He wishes to reside amongst the elite, but will he? I finished my Monday column by asking whether, as has been suggested from within St James’ Park, United can build their side around ASM.
It sparked one of the largest responses I’ve had from you, the fans, and now Tony Cascarino has jumped into the red-hot debate. Tony had a decent career at centreforward. He scored 61 goals in 84 games for Marseille and 44 in 109 for Nancy as well as playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea and Glasgow Celtic over here while piling up 88 international caps with the Republic of Ireland.
Well, like the Toon Army, he is no fence-sitter. Cascarino reckons Saint-maximin is not the elite player he wishes to be, pointing out he has also dried up – not a goal since January and only one assist since September. What’s more he has given the ball away more than any other Newcastle player, 502 times “often in dangerous positions” according to his judge and jury.
Cascarino likens ASM to Ismaila Sarr and Adama Traore “who are also exciting wide players capable of
There is no doubt Man City will be mentally scarred and the Magpies have to be strong enough to attempt to take advantage
moments of brilliance but who are not as productive as they should be”.
If the Saint wants the last word then putting on a performance at the home of Man City would be the ideal way to do it!
United fans may well want to nip along to the International Stadium on Saturday afternoon prior to City to pay homage to neighbours Gateshead, who have won the National North championship with a swagger and will return to non-league football’s elite playground next season.
Let the Toon join the Heed to celebrate the parade of the silver trophy by player-manager Mike Williamson and his men. Williamson was a committed central defender who served United well through 169 games, spending five of his six playing seasons in the Premier League.
Gateshead, as you probably realise, are my second club and I’m so chuffed for them. They only dropped out of the Vanarama National League because of the gross mismanagement of the previous owners before a fan consortium rode to the rescue and so deserve their moment of redemption.
The last game of a wonderful season is against Hereford United who surely dare not spoil a special day.