Pragmatism Not Idealism

Redmond6 sent Vital Manchester City the following article:

There is a line in the Radiohead song 'Fitter, Happier' on their seminal 'Ok Computer' album that includes the line, pragmatism not idealism. I was reminded of this when reading the various match reports of our victory over Reading on Sunday. It was described in one newspaper as drab, a lot of our games this season have been described as thus but my argument is- who gives a f8*K!!

For too long we have suffered for our football club, of course I want to see free flowing attractive football but I also want to see City win and City win trophies and if that's how we are going to do it then so be it.

For too long, I always thought that City fans sounded like Spuds fans (albeit less obnoxiously), they would rather lose 3-2 in a thriller than win 1-0 grinding it out, not me. I wanna win with style but if it takes a grinding win to see off the evil empire, the dark side then I'm prepared to do it.

We went toe to toe with them at the swamp last season and lost 4-3, in the return game, we were comfortably drawing 0-0, and all I heard behind me in the east stand was 'get superman on', 'attack, attack' so Roberto took De Jong off and put Superman on, then looked on as Superman looked on as Paul Scholes, an asthmatic 35-year-old sprinted past him to head a divesting winner.

We lost one of the great Wembley cup finals to Spuds 3-2, the Leicester game is described as dreary but we won 1-0. Which would you rather take?

It would be great like when we were 16-years-old, if we said we wouldn't get married unless it was to pneumatic supermodel who would keep me in comfort as we jetted around the world. The reality is we love our girlfriend or wife but we have to work, - that's just part of growing up. So is playing football the effective way, its not always Brazil circa 1970 or Barcelona 08-11.

I've seen a lot of progress at City; we pass the ball a whole lot better than we used to, remember we got relegated under Alan Ball? I always thought this was mainly because he tried to get us to play possession football, and a lot of the players - Curle, Symons, Phelan couldn't cope with the concept of not hitting it long for the big lad up front to flick on.

This is not a defence of his reign, he couldn't motivate or change tactics but his original concept was correct- its how the Scum, Arse, Chelsea and Scousers have been doing for years, it may not always be effective, but there is sometimes too much pretty passing, (I'm looking at you Arsenal) and as much as he is delightful to watch, I wish Silva would sometimes get the ball, see the goalposts and just Tw&t it.

And while we're on it, can we all just keep our patience a little while longer? We are nearly there, we've been waiting 35 years, all the reactionary fans demanding heads after a home draw however miserable, have to realise that these things happen and fast progress the likes of which we have made sometimes throws the occasional curve ball and we`ve sacked loads of managers before now and that has hardly brought unrelenting success has it?

I wrote last week about my previous experiences of quarter finals, I told you we would win didn't I?

Don't ask me about the semi, it will be changing from minute to minute!

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