Match reaction - Man City

[Letters]

From a top 2 title contender, to a top 4 trophy hunter, to a top 6 club with culture when all around is vulgar - what's that going to be, Moral Champions? If you can't see a decline then you are refusing to look. Maybe you are saying the decline hasn't happened fast enough to be classed as a decline? Okay then, it's a slow decline. Man Utd have won a title, lost a legend, suffered farce and regained the top 4 while we have been trudging towards our top 6 status.

Some say our titles winning teams played the best football ever seen, comparable with the great Brazilian sides of the past. That's where we were. Now we're assured a top 6 spot? Sounds a bit like a decline to me.

We dropped from a top 2 side to a top 4 side but that happened years ago. I'm not sure that Wenger or anyone else could have done anything about that, there isn't a distinct top 2 any more.
That wasn't so much about our decline as other teams raising their level. When the billionaire fuelled teams barged in it broke the duopoly with us and Utd there were suddenly more teams able to compete.
We became a top 4 side and have pretty much remained one ever since, there has been no decline, neither has there been any progress. It's been stagnation. Groundhog Day.
Last year we finished 5th by a couple of points, top 4 is going to be tricky this year. Now Spurs and possibly Liverpool have got their acts together it does seem to have become more of a top 6 but, again, that's more about those teams getting better rather than us getting worse.

The main decline has been in the entertainment value. Back in the day we were a joy to watch whatever the result, now it's a bore which is partly why I can't be arsed with it.
In terms of our actual level there really hasn't been that much difference in the last 10 years. If there has been a decline it's been glacial and it's hard to predict whether there will be serious decline or we'll continue to bimble around at about this level. Suspect the latter with our resources.