Forever Blue: with Ian Cheeseman

The difference between friendlies and competitive games was never better illustrated that by comparing Manchester City’s penalty shootout defeat against Arsenal in the Community Shield and their 3-0 win at Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, on the opening day of the Premier League.

At Wembley, Pep Guardiola’s team didn’t have any aggression in their play.

I’m not talking about tough tackling, I’m talking about the determination to win every tackle and win the ball back, as quickly as possible, whenever they lose possession. It was back at Turf Moor and it made all the difference.

I know some people, including Guardiola, see the Community Shield as a chance to win a “title” as the City manager describes it, and I’m sure the club would have loved to have the trophy I knew as the Charity Shield, when I grew up, in their huge trophy cabinet alongside the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League trophies.

At Burnley, City looked like it mattered more, just as it had appeared to have mattered more to Arsenal at Wembley. There’s more to City, of course, than just a will to win, but it does make a difference. City’s most vociferous fans had boycotted the trip to the capital and the very noticeable lack of support from the fans who replaced them may have made a difference too.

The singing fans were back last Friday and it didn’t take the Blues long to put more doubts into the Burnley players’ minds with Erling Haaland, last season’s record breaking top scorer, opening his account. His second goal was the sort of finish few others could have managed. It augurs well for the season to come.

The recurrence of Kevin De Bruyne’s hamstring injury, which will probably rule him out for weeks, was a major blow to the Blues, but such is Pep Guardiola’s wizardry, it appears that whenever key players leave, like Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez or get injured like the wonderful De Bruyne, he has a way of getting his team to be equally effective.

At Burnley young Rico Lewis, another academy product, shone brightly. Phil Foden had replaced Jack Grealish, key defender Ruben Dias and John Stones were absent, presumably through injury, and yet City purred as only they can, right now. Every player that comes in seems highly focussed, there never seems to be any suggestion that the squad is anything but completely united, if you pardon the expression.

How does Pep Guardiola achieve this? He respects players and when they become unsettled, for whatever reason, he never stands in their way, even allowing Zinchenko and Jesus to help Arsenal become their biggest title rivals last season. Those who step out of line, like Joao Cancelo, are quickly dealt with. He never criticises any of his players in public and he treats them all with respect; a word that seems to be valued less and less in modern society.

By the time you read this, as you relax with your paper on Thursday, City will have played in the SuperCup Final in Greece against Sevilla, who they beat comfortably, home and away, in last season’s Champions League. I expect City to be fully focussed and to beat the Spaniards. Pep Guardiola will want to add the SuperCup to his personal haul of trophies. I’ll be out in Greece so make sure you check out my Forever Blue YouTube channel to get a flavour of what it’s like out there. I know one thing for sure, it’s bound to be hot, on and off the field. Isn’t it Great to be a Blue.