The Phelan Effect?

I just popped over the Atlantic to watch the game on NBC this afternoon and am now satisfyingly nursing my alcohol-free champagne on Concorde.

I fancied us to win today.

Several things stood out – lack of KC groaners, likely Man City complacency, overdue luck, #typicalcity, a line-up of battlers and a new assistant manager in Mike Phelan.

A club needs it’s backroom staff to be successful and Mike Phelan was the assistant manager to Alex Ferguson during one of Man Utd’s more successful periods.

It did feel in recent weeks almost like Bruce had run out of ideas.  Perhaps he had.  Bruce had achieved so much for this club but was faltering without an assistant.  Every successful leader needs a successful deputy – just look at Tony Blair and John Prescott…

Actually, maybe not the best example.  Just look at how Nick Clegg inspires greatness in David Cameron…

OK maybe I need a football analogy instead,  Like Phelan and Ferguson.

It was the type of backs-to-the-wall defensive performance today that the likes of Bruce and McShane excel at – and I was especially impressed with the attitude and work rate of Robbie Brady -just how many times was it his body blocking Man City balls?

Brady was my man of the match – Livermore and Dawson were very close by.

It was sad only to get 1 point, however there is no shame in drawing to that fantastic goal from the very under-rated Milner – and that shot from Aguero just before that hit the bar was something else.

But is it the appointment of Mike Phelan that gave us the extra organisation today?

Time will tell but the appointment of Phelan may prove to be another masterstroke from Steve Bruce.

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