http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foot ... 89024.html
When Manchester City and Chelsea run out at Eastlands at lunch-time today it would be easy to lump the two clubs together; the meeting of the nouveaux riches in the Premier League's chequebook battle.
But that would be doing Chelsea a disservice. For all the money spent on getting them where they are today, they have something I fear City are losing. Manchester United have it too and so do Arsenal – the big three all still possess a true sense of identity.
There is more to a club than 11 good players, a clued-up manager and a state-of-the-art stadium. Players need to have an affinity with the club they are representing. You need to know the background – what being a Manchester City player is all about. It's important to keep some sort of Manchester feeling. When the Adams era ended at Arsenal, that ethos was handed on to the likes of Patrick Vieira (it does not have to be someone born and bred at the club). He passed it on to others, ensuring that there was always that core at the club. It is something that Arsène Wenger has been very conscious of ever since he arrived at the club as an outsider himself.
That could prove a problem for City. Do they recognise the importance of retaining, or even rebuilding, this core? Some players, like Carlos Tevez, appear to. It won't necessarily make them successful, but look where Chelsea, United and Arsenal finish up most years. I am not talking about kissing your badge in front of your fans when you score as if you are trying to prove a point. That means nothing.
When I joined Arsenal, the north London players were the life blood of the club and they passed on the traditions and that all-important identity to someone like me, an outsider from Manchester. If you care about something, really care, then you will go that step further. It is a special thing to have and can become a massive strength. The newcomers become indoctrinated in the ways of the club and that is something that has become diluted at many teams, particularly City with a new ground, new owners, new players and new manager.
For all the massive changes at both, United and Chelsea have managed to retain a real sense of identity, certainly when it comes to the players on the pitch. They still have that solid base who have come through the ranks, or been at the club long enough to understand what it means to pull on the red or blue shirt. There's Terry and Lampard at Stamford Bridge; at Old Trafford take Scholes and Giggs for a start. And it is not just the players, the backroom staff play a leading role in nurturing the connection with a club. Pat Rice has a massive responsibility at Arsenal, a club that has lost much of its home-grown talent. It is an area that clubs can disregard too easily, but it matters. It really matters.
City have let players like Stephen Ireland, who have come through the ranks, go too easily. Their list of senior pros now – Kolo Touré, Gareth Barry, Tevez, Vieira and Co – have not been at Eastlands long. Micah Richards and Shaun Wright-Phillips have served their time, but neither stands out as an obvious leader in the dressing room, certainly not in the same vein as a Terry or a Neville.
If a team loses its identity, it can never, ever get it back. Manchester City have a huge history. I have written before of growing up in the city and the impact of great names like Colin Bell and Franny Lee. Of course the game has changed hugely, and for the good in so many ways, but clubs must not let go of their past.
As for City's progress on the pitch, there have been times this season when they have played with real freedom and been good to watch – they certainly have players who can score goals. But they don't seem to have found their natural game yet. They were very, very good against Liverpool but the defeat at Sunderland was a more revealing result as it's that kind of game that gives a title bid momentum. That was the sort of game where a United or a Chelsea would scratch out a win despite not playing well. City are not doing that.
Everything is covered over by the result – win, and all seems well, no matter what the performance. To have that strength of character to win whatever the performance is a huge element to have in a dressing room, and often that strength of character emerges from players who have a true stake in the club.
Didn't take long to become just another cosy media lovey with absolutely nothing good to say about City, did it? He's so out of touch he doesn't even know why Ireland was shown the door. "City fan", indeed.
