The fact that 6 weeks into the season their generational midfield talisman is a forgotten man has got me thinking about this thread again. KdB's absence barely even registers.
Ironically, they might be helped by a long period of struggling and losing after Pep leaves. That would probably invite some jeopardy, fragility and colorful characters. So many of the things that they have done to construct this winning machine are the same reasons why so many feel this way about them. As much a people claim it, the winning cannot be ignored, but something still somehow feels off. City are like a hyper efficient, ruthless capitalist beast optimized to reduce all risk and unpredictability and tailored to win at all costs. Even at the cost of those things that would leave you with some "feeling". It feels like Amazon in the corporate world. This ethos has manifested is so many elements of the club:
Money: I don't think much needs to be said here. City spend a lot to win a lot.
Style of play: This has already been covered a lot as well. Dominance of the ball, primacy of control, other teams defending deep. It's a style that tries to reduce jeopardy to the maximum extent, often sucking the life out of games and, again, making the outcomes very predictable.
Squad Management and Versatility of players: It's obviously very helpful to have versatile players. At time's City's squad depth appears greater than it is because they have a lot of versatile players that can cover many positions without too much overall loss to the system. The flip side of this though is that no one feels essential. They are just cogs. It's harder to develop attachments when you know you won't really miss a player all that much.
Academy Factory: Again, being optimized for financialization, City is now heavily relying on their academy primarily as a tool to balance the books. You get some type of feeling or attachment when you see a boy grow into a man and integrate into the first team. Feels like you were part of the journey. But with a ruthless, optimized winning machine, this element can get lost, even if it is the smart thing to do financially. I fear for Rico Lewis' future.
Temperament of Players: Where are the players you can hate? The players that stir emotion or cause controversy? I think City is intentional in the profile of character of player they recruit. I know Zlatan has a strong hate for Pep, but some of what he says rings true. They are mostly "good boys" with even temperaments that will follow instructions. The occasional jerk like Joao Cancelo is quickly moved along when he starts to create waves. Gvardiol, Kovacic, Nunes, Doku...where are the jerks?!?
Media Presence: Pep learned from his early tangles with Mourinho and now is reluctant to get drawn into long media battles. He often gives the most anodyne answers and avoids controversy, even damning opponents with faint praise. He can be snarky and condescending, but it can be subtle and harder to pick up on. As a result, the "rivalries" are less spicy.
All of this can combine to create a devastatingly effective and consistent winning machine, but jeopardy, unpredictability and color of characters are what evoke the strongest emotions and engender the strongest attachments. Everyone can recognize Amazon for the corporate juggernaut that it is and will maybe even order a thing or two, but no one will be telling their kids of those glorious, memorable days scrolling down the screen gobbling up those Prime Day specials.
Maybe they are betting on winning so much that none of this will matter in the wash of history when the younger fans grow older.
Ironically, they might be helped by a long period of struggling and losing after Pep leaves. That would probably invite some jeopardy, fragility and colorful characters. So many of the things that they have done to construct this winning machine are the same reasons why so many feel this way about them. As much a people claim it, the winning cannot be ignored, but something still somehow feels off. City are like a hyper efficient, ruthless capitalist beast optimized to reduce all risk and unpredictability and tailored to win at all costs. Even at the cost of those things that would leave you with some "feeling". It feels like Amazon in the corporate world. This ethos has manifested is so many elements of the club:
Money: I don't think much needs to be said here. City spend a lot to win a lot.
Style of play: This has already been covered a lot as well. Dominance of the ball, primacy of control, other teams defending deep. It's a style that tries to reduce jeopardy to the maximum extent, often sucking the life out of games and, again, making the outcomes very predictable.
Squad Management and Versatility of players: It's obviously very helpful to have versatile players. At time's City's squad depth appears greater than it is because they have a lot of versatile players that can cover many positions without too much overall loss to the system. The flip side of this though is that no one feels essential. They are just cogs. It's harder to develop attachments when you know you won't really miss a player all that much.
Academy Factory: Again, being optimized for financialization, City is now heavily relying on their academy primarily as a tool to balance the books. You get some type of feeling or attachment when you see a boy grow into a man and integrate into the first team. Feels like you were part of the journey. But with a ruthless, optimized winning machine, this element can get lost, even if it is the smart thing to do financially. I fear for Rico Lewis' future.
Temperament of Players: Where are the players you can hate? The players that stir emotion or cause controversy? I think City is intentional in the profile of character of player they recruit. I know Zlatan has a strong hate for Pep, but some of what he says rings true. They are mostly "good boys" with even temperaments that will follow instructions. The occasional jerk like Joao Cancelo is quickly moved along when he starts to create waves. Gvardiol, Kovacic, Nunes, Doku...where are the jerks?!?
Media Presence: Pep learned from his early tangles with Mourinho and now is reluctant to get drawn into long media battles. He often gives the most anodyne answers and avoids controversy, even damning opponents with faint praise. He can be snarky and condescending, but it can be subtle and harder to pick up on. As a result, the "rivalries" are less spicy.
All of this can combine to create a devastatingly effective and consistent winning machine, but jeopardy, unpredictability and color of characters are what evoke the strongest emotions and engender the strongest attachments. Everyone can recognize Amazon for the corporate juggernaut that it is and will maybe even order a thing or two, but no one will be telling their kids of those glorious, memorable days scrolling down the screen gobbling up those Prime Day specials.
Maybe they are betting on winning so much that none of this will matter in the wash of history when the younger fans grow older.
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