If Manchester City only take one lesson from last season’s loss of the Premier League crown it should be this: you have to be outstanding in more than just your own back yard to be champions.
City are undoubtedly an imperious force at the Etihad stadium and often put on displays that are not only mesmerising but also beautifully destructive and ruthlessly efficient.
Current champions and fierce rivals Manchester United found that out the hard way this season and it isn’t the first time that the Reds have been sent home empty-handed from Eastlands.
However, what really separates the men from the boys is how well a team can perform when the pressure is on in front of a hostile crowd.
For all the beauty on display when City showcase their mastery at home they looked distinctly average on their travels and it appears that they have not learned anything this time around.
Despite a relatively easy start to the season the Blues have struggled to find any kind of form and have yet to record a single victory on the road.
A 3-2 defeat away at Cardiff City and another at Aston Villa as well as an uninspiring 0-0 draw at Stoke have seen City pick up just one out of a possible nine points.
To put that into perspective only two teams have a worse record: bottom of the league Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
People can attach all the ‘favourites’ tags they like to the Citizens but unless they start winning away from home there will be a conspicuous gap in their trophy cabinet in May.
Interestingly, City’s faltering away form has followed a trend that has saw them remain undefeated away to top-four sides while stuttering against ‘lesser’ opposition.
The Blues managed to win at Old Trafford, The Emirates last season and took a point away from their visit to Stamford Bridge.
Contrarily, they suffered four defeats away from home against Tottenham, Everton, Sunderland and Southampton – none of who made the top four.
Defeats are not the only problem City face on away from home; the six draws racked up was the highest of any of the top four clubs.
Apart from Chelsea all of the draws were against middle or bottom half of the table clubs – they somehow even managed to draw 0-0 at woeful QPR.
The fact that City’s away form has continued to be poor despite a change in manager would seem to suggest that the fault lies with the capacity of the players to perform.
To an extent this is true. When City are not under any physical pressure they can play their natural free-flowing game and unlock defences.
The problem comes when players whose games rely heavily on technique come up against fired-up and physical opposition.
In these cases the likes of Samir Nasri, David Silva, and Sergio Aguero are nowhere to be found.
While City ostensibly have a solid core the absence of either Yaya Toure or captain Vincent Kompany would be calamitous.
Without their skipper against newly-promoted Cardiff earlier this season City slumped to a 3-2 defeat – uncharacteristically conceding two goals from corners.
While the fault may, in part, lie with the players there is no doubting that the introduction of Manuel Pellegrini this season has added further confusion to the chaos.
The Chilean manager has already been surprised by the competitive nature of the Premier League since arriving from Spain and is clearly struggling to adapt to a country where away fixtures are much tougher than the ones he faced in La Liga.
While the Spanish league is undoubtedly competitive, games against mid-table sides are played in front of very few fans which produces a muted atmosphere and does not put too much pressure on the big clubs encounter very little resistance as they stroll away with three points.
However, mid-table Premier League sides have bigger crowds and much better atmospheres and when the big boys come to town the volume is cranked up to 11.
Sir Alex Ferguson was the one manager who really understood the difficulty of away ties and it was why United won so many titles despite not necessarily having the best squad.
In many of these games it’s a case of winning ugly something which Sir Alex Ferguson’s United sides did so well.
United won titles by grinding out results against teams outside the top four and if their rivals beat them then the points were generally futile and consolatory as they watched the silverware flood into Old Trafford.
The ability to win when you’re not playing well and accumulate three points on a regular basis wins you league titles – not the occasional demolition of a team your own doorstep.
When City’s plan A invariably fails they look flat, bereft of ideas and generally confused by teams who do not willingly capitulate to their powers.
As City watched their neighbours stroll to glory last season they only had themselves to blame.
Manchester United only picked up three more points than City in home games last season.
However, the telling stat is that United claimed eight more points than City away from home resulting in the 11 point gap between the two sides.
With all eyes and pressure on David Moyes’ impossible job at United, Manchester City have an opportunity to develop some momentum and seize control of the title race.
However, unless Pellegrini learns quickly that there are no easy games in the Premier League the Blues will be left heartbroken as they miss out on the party once again.
Image courtesy of MCFC Official via YouTube , with thanks
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