26 August 2023 , 19:30
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It pains me to say this, given where my loyalties lie, but I can’t look beyond Manchester City for the Premier League title.
I think Pep Guardiola will make more history by being the manager of the first side to win four English top-flight titles in a row. And while that might raise the blood pressure of a few Manchester United fans who think I’ve committed sacrilege by making such a prediction, when you work in the media you have a duty to say it how you see it.
City are at a different level to the rest of the league – and in Guardiola they have one of the best football brains the game has ever seen. I also think that Arsenal will emerge as their biggest challengers, but in the final reckoning I don’t see how the reigning champions won’t lift the trophy once again.
I will always be grateful for what I achieved working for Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. But as someone always driven by an ambition to be the best footballer I could become, it must be something very special for someone with that mindset to be coached by Guardiola.
He takes players out of their comfort zone and challenges them to improve their greater understanding of the game.
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I have to admit that I have watched with open admiration the way John Stones has become such an accomplished footballer under Pep. Stones has bought into Pep’s methods and is now reaping the benefits to such an extent that he steps forward from centre-back to midfield in the blink of an eye.
I think that’s something I could have added to my own game. I played in midfield as a youth player and took great pride in being comfortable on the ball.
I am as sure as I can be that playing under the guidance of Guardiola would have made me a better player.
The Lionesses did the nation proud
England's Lionesses did the nation proud after reaching the World Cup final (Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)I have never seen a football team bring a nation together like England’s Lionesses.
I took my daughter to an outdoor screening of the World Cup Final last Sunday morning, and although it ended in heartbreak for Sarina Wiegman’s team, the sheer depth of goodwill they generated was a real eye-opener.
We have all heard the cliche about football being ‘the people’s game’. Here, finally, was a demographic that proved that to be true.
For me, this was what supporting the England national team should be all about. It was a carnival atmosphere from start to finish, and even though Spain deservedly prevailed in the end, I loved having one dad-and-daughter day out that neither Tia or I will ever forget.
Before the tournament started, my heart said England would emerge as world champions, but my head told me Spain were the team to beat. So it proved. The Spaniards just had too much for us in the final – and in Aitana Bonmati they had the outstanding talent and a player who deserved to take home the Golden Ball.
England’s women’s side will only get better for the experience. We should all hope that Gareth Southgate’s men can unite the country in exactly the same way.
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