Guess what? There's a promotion going at your work. You've been earmarked as a potential candidate for a move up the ladder and a pay rise. Your rise up the ranks also comes with some perks, respect (and jealousy) from fellow workmates, and an opportunity to set yourself up. There is a shortlist, actually there's been one for a while. The list is getting shorter and the good news is your name is still on it.
How do you react to this news? Do you keep doing as you are doing or do you work a little bit harder? There's no doubt your attitude to your work improves and you have more resolve against any setbacks? You've also got the fear that there are others also going for the promotion which spurs you along.
A couple of weeks later and you find out that you've just beaten off the challenge of your nearest competitor. However, there is someone ahead of you. Waaaay ahead of you. To make things worse, it's your office arch nemesis. The guy who always rubs you up the wrong way, the office tosser, the guy who always seems to get the breaks. At the moment, everything is breaking his way. You pretty much have to do everything perfect and he needs to make some serious blunders to even have a chance.
There is a consolation prize. Keep doing as you are doing and although you'll miss the big prize, you could get your own car park. Yes you'll have to still do a bit extra, but do the right things and the spot could be yours.
This is the predicament of the Manchester City player at the moment. The big prize is still up for grabs, but there is no let up from the obnoxious, annoying, tosser in the lead. Chelsea, by virtue of their loss last week, has fallen off the pace. City are 2nd, and are comfortably 2nd. But nowhere near first. Not even close.
As a team, City could comfortably go through the motions and have enough quality to hold second place, which would be a great achievement. Yes, there's all the big talk of fighting to the finish and putting pressure on until it's mathematically impossible. But until United actually drop some points, motivation to perform at their absolute maximum must be waning, ever so slightly. It's human nature. The FA Cup is the most realistic chance for City to end the season with honours, and the players should be highly motivated to win that competition. After all, a car park is well worth having.
What all this is meant to highlight is don't be surprised if City put in some lacklustre performances between now and the end of the season or until United drop some points.
Now Aston Villa is a team with motivation to perform at the moment. To continue the analogy, Villa are facing the sack unless they perform better (I promise, this is the last mention of the office promotion.) Currently sitting in 18th place, any result gets them out of the drop zone. Christian Benteke has shown good form this season, and with talk of player movement amongst the City strikers ranks, a blistering performance could yield huge dividends for him. Motivation indeed.
Villa also take respectable form into this game. A 2-1 loss to Arsenal last week was a battling performance. Villa's forward line threatened the Arsenal defence by taking them on through the middle and were rewarded with a classic counter-attacking goal. The Villa defence was not up to scratch however, as the Arse got behind them and penetrated on many occasions (see what I did there?)
From this game we can surmise that the Villans have a decent forward line, a respectable midfield and a questionable defence.
There is no need to discuss which players will start, what formations will be used nor what tactics will be employed. If City play with the correct attitude, they have the quality to win. Quite simply, player for player, City have the better squad, the better team and the better form. An early goal could lead to a cricket score as the more Villa chase the game, the more exposed a dodgy defence becomes. If City are not on their game, and thinking of FA Cup glory, and the fact that United just aren't losing and 2nd place is in the bag, then we might have a contest on our hands. Playing for survival in the Premier League is the ultimate motivation to play hard and to not lose. This mindset makes any opponent dangerous. Crack them early, and their resolve should dissolve. However, give them a sniff and watch them play like lions.
ODDS.
Aston Villa 7.00 Draw 4.15 Man City 1.44
mancityfans.net poster Judy the hippie is on fire with her score predictions at the moment. You can get 6.50 on a 0-2 win to City. Go with the hot hand.
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