For the Blue Moon Manchester City this season, their once invincible performance on the field has suddenly lost its former glory. The dynasty created by Pep Guardiola has suddenly collapsed, catching everyone off guard.
In the last 12 matches, Guardiola's team has achieved a dismal record of 1 win, 2 draws, and 9 losses. The Spanish coach has been caught on camera more than once with a blank stare and a helpless expression on the sidelines, his position as head coach hanging by a thread. If he were the coach of any other top club, he would have been fired without a doubt. However, the Manchester City hierarchy continues to support Guardiola unconditionally, extending his contract until 2027, and Guardiola himself has stated that he will not resign.
Halfway through the Premier League season, Manchester City has a record of 8 wins, 3 draws, and 6 losses, accumulating 27 points and ranking 7th in the league table. They have been surpassed by non-traditional BIG6 teams like Bournemouth and Aston Villa. According to statistics, teams ranked 7th before Christmas have never finished in the top 4 of the league. While Manchester City has a tradition of finishing strong, it remains to be seen if they can break this fate and secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League.
Rodri, Manchester City's main defensive midfielder, had an outstanding season last year, helping the team win the Premier League title. In the Ballon d'Or voting, the Spaniard narrowly edged out Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid to claim the award. Rodri has been sidelined due to injury this season, which may have affected the team's performance. When Rodri was first injured, fans were saying that the value of his Ballon d'Or was still rising. However, amidst a string of defeats, it seems to have nothing to do with the value of Rodri's Ballon d'Or!
The sudden collapse of the Manchester City dynasty is not without trace. Perhaps the direct cause is Rodri's Ballon d'Or! Kevin De Bruyne, hailed as the "world's best midfielder," and Erling Haaland, the Norwegian "demon," both had more impressive seasons than Rodri in previous years. That year, Manchester City even won the league and Champions League titles, yet neither of them won the Ballon d'Or, nor did they receive public support from the team. Even more tragically, Guardiola seemed to support Messi, who had long since left the mainstream of the top five leagues. Put yourself in the shoes of De Bruyne and Haaland, would you feel good? Definitely not!
Especially Haaland, it's really outrageous that he didn't win the World Footballer of the Year. He lost to someone not even in the top five leagues, and in such a situation, their coach Guardiola didn't even come out to strongly support him!
Last season, Rodri had an outstanding performance, but could he definitely surpass De Bruyne and Haaland? The answer is, not necessarily! Some might say that Haaland is the top scorer in the Premier League, and there is no comparison between the two! Well, Foden is the Premier League MVP, at least in the eyes of the Premier League judges, the performance of the Manchester City Prince is better than Rodri! Again, put yourself in Foden's shoes, would you feel good? Definitely not!
In this case, the three strongest attacking points within the Manchester City team are all feeling unhappy, and there will also be quite a few people who think that De Bruyne, Haaland, and Foden have not received the same strong support from the club and Guardiola as Rodri!
Therefore, Rodri's Ballon d'Or can be said to be the beginning of Manchester City's downfall in character, and it's not just a matter of character failure. It has already caused conflicts within the team, directly leading to a sharp decline in the players' sense of honor, and Guardiola's authority in the dressing room is also declining. Guardiola's emotional way of dealing with things is difficult to blame for gathering as a fire and scattering as stars! The hearts of the players have scattered, yet we still expect them to work hard and achieve results on the field, which is simply a pipe dream!