Pep Guardiola's side may be Premier League title holders, but John Aldridge says they will never stand alongside rivals from Anfield and Old Trafford
Manchester City are “a small club that has basically got lucky”, says John Aldridge, with the Premier League champions never going to enjoy the same global standing as Liverpool and Manchester United.
The Blues had endured a humbling tumble into the third tier and a dogged battle back up the divisions prior to the arrival of sizeable investment at the Etihad Stadium.
Sheikh Mansour’s acquisition of the club in 2009 proved to be a turning point, with three title triumphs, three League Cup wins and an FA Cup success enjoyed during his reign.
City are defending their English top-flight crown, which was captured in record-breaking style last season, but find themselves playing catch-up on leaders Liverpool.
Reds legend Aldridge is hoping domestic supremacy will return to Anfield and has warned City they will always be in the shadow of local rivals regardless of what they have already achieved and plan to do so in the future.
“The reality is and will always be that expectations at Liverpool will always be very different when compared to Manchester City,” the former striker told the Irish Independent.
“This has to be an advantage for City and it's an issue that will always be there when one of the biggest names in the game goes up against a small team that has basically got lucky by finding a sugar daddy investor.
“Even though I appreciate City fans will be offended when we say they are still a small club, that is how everyone outside of their bubble still views them, despite their success in winning a few trophies in recent years.
“They will always be a small club compared to their neighbours Manchester United and compared to Liverpool, with the latter two having decades of success that have allowed them to become sporting giants on the world stage.
“Liverpool Football Club is one of the biggest names in our sport with a fanbase that stretches to all corners of the world and while that is a tribute to a glorious history, it is also an obstacle to ambitions.
“At City, they hope to win the league and are setting their own standards high in a bid to achieve their goals. Liverpool are dealing with so much more and, while you can try and ignore what is happening around you, it eventually gets to everyone.
“Kids in China are watching Liverpool matches at all hours biting finger nails. Bars in America are packed with fans in red shirts watching matches early in the morning and amid all of this hype, City are quietly going about their work without anyone taking too much notice of them.”
Aldridge wants to see Liverpool preserve and extend their four-point lead at the top of the table and added: “There is no room for mistakes as Manchester City are likely to win virtually every game, so Liverpool have to win at least 13 matches of the 15 they have left to give themselves a good chance of winning the league.
“Every Liverpool player over the last three decades has been asked whether they can win a league title and all of them have come up short, with the desperation to see that Premier League trophy presented to a red-shirted captain at Anfield never more acute.
“They will head into next Wednesday’s game against Leicester knowing nothing less than three points will do if they want to compete with City and that pressure will mount as the finishing line gets closer.
“Liverpool need to beat more than Manchester City if they are to win this season’s Premier League title, with the scars of the past 29 years leaving a mark on the club that will only be erased when wait for the trophy this club demands comes to an end.”
Wisest_boss
74
If we stop being bias we will see reason in what he said Man City is a big club as it stands now but the are not to be equalled to Liverpool in greatness Liverpool and Manchester United are legendary clubs City are only living on Arab money If that is taken out of the equation Man City will struggle like Everton
Vubbdeklu
67
with this kind of bitterness on a state of the art club Mancity, by corroded old clubs, trust me one will commit suiside. what you are failing to accept is that 29 years has passed from the tym Liverpool lifted the trophy and yet u busy reckoning yourselves among the successful teams, y? this is malicious, tell that Aldridge if he wants a job at Liverpool, or man u let him use other orthodox means... u can't calm down a child crying of hunger by telling him that hey stop cryimg, 30 years ago we used to eat, we had silos of food, we had our fridges full of ice cream, come on the child needs food now stop old stories. .. Liverpool fans needs trophies stop old promising. .. From the tym Zimbabwean goal keeper Bruce globbler left Liverpool in 199? he went with trophiee, please call him back
SaifRiaz
65
Sir! first of all we are not lucky. what we did was due to our hardwork. And if you say we are lucky then I have also something to say! 1) Utd were lucky to have Sir Alex. 2) Liverpool were lucky to have Sir Bobby Charlton, Gerrard etc. 3) Utd came 2nd last season coz they luckily had De Gea. If you count like this, many things will come out which will not be respectable for your team as well as for City also. So don't try to act oversmart. #city_4_life
ROhanmehta
60
hey , can u smell that something is burning..yeah I think many of people now becoming jealous of city... appreciate the football man... atleast..they are showing how the things workout
waebcdlt
54
Wen someone is saying Man City is a small team u hve to blive that point bcz city in last season they hve fisrt lineup and second lineup which is sem sem in both lineups so in champions league that season they face liverpool and they lose home and away and that liverpool was playing one 11 even they don’t hve supstut if they get one njry in that eleven so my frnd claiming Man City is nt small why are they in league 100 point and they can’t rich even champions league final accept city is a small team but it wil come the time we wil say say city big team
vucaeilp
49
there once was a time where both man u n Liverpool were small clubs also.. they had their time n made themselves into big clubs... so all this talk is for nothing. its football. one time your up a next your down.. Man u before Ferguson was terrible but he build the team up and mad history. so chill ppl