mancityblues.com

So, we were beaten by Manchester United and it stings like merry hell but we've just got to take our medicine and get on with it, we dropped three points yesterday.

So we might miss out on fourth spot but how many of us would have taken fifth place six months ago? I'm going to guess that most of us would, in fact towards the end of Hughes' reign the thought of Europe was a bit like Angelina Jolie, we fancied having a go but had no realistic chance of getting there. Now the side is performing much better and barring a disaster we'll be in the Europa League at the very least.

It's also obvious but worth repeating that if we do miss out on fourth I'd say the capitulation at WHL was far more damaging than yesterday.

We're eighteen months into the most exciting period in City's history and we're doing something that we were universally accused of not doing by every media pundit and TV head on a stick at the outset; we are building a team, a squad and in some respects even a club.

Remember all the 'you can't buy team spirit' jibes? Results like yesterday can though, that's all about developing as a unit. Have you ever seen a United player leave the pitch after a defeat not looking like he'd just lost a close family member? They hate to lose, it's their strongest weapon. Yes they might play badly but they keep on going, concentrating and trying to create chances. They are the gold standard but their attitude to City has changed dramatically on and off the pitch this season and we have forced them to take us seriously, what a wonderful compliment they pay us after only eighteen months.

For years the Derby has been more about us throwing a spanner in their works than it has been about our own progression, in 18 months we've become 'their' Derby not Liverpool or Leeds or Arsenal and pretty soon it will be us pushing them for the title or the cup final. Welcome to the 1960's.

The big difference though is that unlike in the past where after a period of parity between the clubs we fell away and United dominated it will be City that move on whilst the reds fade; it wont be immediate but the blue writing is certainly on the wall. Of course we don't know how dramatic the change will be but we can be certain that City will continue to improve whereas without major investment United will stagnate.

The gap that is closing all the time will soon open up and there will be clear blue water between us but this time we'll be out in front whilst the bad ship MUFC catches crabs. Dylan Thomas (he was Welsh so he was probably a United fan) saw into the future when he wrote the following..

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

...he even managed to get a gay reference in, nothing to do with sexuality of course but how clever of him to predict the proliferation of Green And Yellow just before the onset of the death throes?

One last thought and forgive its crude nature but our long wait can be compared to being desperate for a piss, at first it's annoying then it becomes quite uncomfortable before it gets more and more painful until there's nothing else you can think about......and then, that final joyful release.

Relief is nigh, and guess who'll we'll be pissing on?

~IAN GUILDFORD~