Football Dynasty-Chapter 303: The Missing Manchester City

Pirlo then raised questions about the tactics of playmaking and deep-lying organization, and Richard was more than happy to dive into the discussion.

Lampard, Nakata, and the other midfielders leaned in with interest. Neil Lennon, especially, was deeply engaged, his eyes fixed as he absorbed every word.

As everyone knew, the 1990s marked a high point for the classic playmaker. Yet in the years that followed, the role saw a steep decline—and even decades later, it has nearly vanished from modern European football.

Today’s playmakers have evolved into players who make incisive runs into the penalty area and support attacking breakthroughs, no longer shouldering the full responsibility of orchestrating the offense.

This transformation largely stems from the increasing pace of the game. Players have become faster, and there’s now a stronger emphasis on defensive tactics in midfield and at the back, along with the rise of the "destroyer" role.

On the other hand, the advantages of deep-lying playmakers are still clear: first, they create space that allows elite passers to operate with less pressure; second, having a more advanced playmaker draws the attention of defenders, helping to mask the team’s true attacking intentions; and finally, they provide much-needed control in midfield.

Richard, who had long understood how the midfielder’s role would evolve, shared his insights with the players. He hoped to broaden their tactical perspective and help them recognize midfield as the true battleground of modern football.

As the first half of the Super Bowl came to a close, the two teams remained neck and neck. During halftime, the stadium buzzed with anticipation for one of the most explosive halftime shows in the event’s history.

The Super Bowl halftime show is a legendary stage where top-tier artists perform, many of whom are multi-time Grammy winners and cultural icons in American music. However, Richard and his group weren’t particularly excited about this year’s headliner—even though just four years earlier, Guinness World Records had named Diana Ross the most successful female singer in history.

Richard couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. He should’ve attended the Super Bowl three years ago.

The 1993 halftime show featured none other than the King of Pop himself—Michael Jackson. That performance still holds the record for the highest television ratings in U.S. history.

After the halftime show, the group took a brief moment to stretch and relax. As the second half kicked off, the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers remained locked in a fierce contest.

Having gained a better grasp of American football from the first half, the players now watched the rest of the game with heightened focus.

They saw the Steelers’ defense repeatedly use power runs to push back the Cowboys’ offense, effectively forming a wall of steel across their own half. However, disaster struck for Pittsburgh when their star quarterback, Neil O’Donnell, had one of his passes intercepted by a Cowboys cornerback—leading to a swift touchdown for Dallas and gasps of disbelief from everyone in the VIP box.

Even though they weren’t avid rugby fans, the players couldn’t help but feel the thrill sparked by the sudden surge of passion on the field.

An attacking pass was intercepted, and the defensive unit raced down the field to strike decisively.

It was a familiar scenario—even in football—where a critical mistake by the team’s organizational core could leave no room for recovery.

Richard turned to the players with a smile. "Before the game, I looked up some stats. The Steelers’ quarterback, O’Donnell, has one of the lowest interception rates in the NFL this season. But today, his passing accuracy is clearly off. See? Statistics don’t mean much, especially when trying to predict outcomes."

The Japanese were early pioneers in tracking a wide range of football data, often listing detailed statistics in their football magazines. While data has its place, it certainly can’t capture the full truth of a match—because football isn’t a pure science.

As the second half intensified, it became clear that any mistake could be decisive.

Richard appreciated this match; it was the kind of game that could be cited in tactical textbooks.

When the intense battle concluded, the Dallas Cowboys edged past the Pittsburgh Steelers with a final score of 17–16.

Looking at the post-match statistics, O’Donnell had more pass attempts, completions, and total passing yards than the Cowboys’ Aikman. Yet Aikman maintained a higher completion rate. More importantly, O’Donnell’s three costly interceptions directly influenced the game’s outcome. Cowboys’ cornerback Larry Brown capitalized on two of those mistakes, returning them for a combined 14 points and earning the game’s MVP honors.

With the Super Bowl wrapped up, Richard and the team left the Superdome in high spirits. They took a bit of time to stroll around the city before heading to the airport the next day for their return flight to Manchester.

The team landed early Monday morning. Most players managed six to seven hours of solid rest during the flight. After a brief nap at home, they boarded the team bus and traveled to Riverside Stadium—Middlesbrough’s new ground—for an evening match.

Fevre and Schlumberger had specifically instructed their assistant physiotherapists to travel with the squad to help the players relax their muscles and ease any lingering tension.

Richard paced quietly across the pitch. Although the trip had likely left some physical fatigue, the players’ spirits were clearly lifted. Their chatter was lighthearted, and their laughter frequent.

There’s a subtle link between body and spirit—one that Richard understood well. Even when physically well-rested, a player with low morale might still feel unprepared to fight.

To Richard, a player’s fighting spirit was determined more by their mindset than by their stamina. The body is the basic tool for delivering explosive energy, but as long as it isn’t severely depleted, mental strength is the true difference-maker.

By Christmas, Middlesbrough found themselves deep in relegation trouble, despite Ravanelli proving to be one of the league’s top goalscorers. To make matters worse, the club faced disciplinary action from the Football Association for postponing a fixture against Blackburn Rovers on short notice due to a BSE virus outbreak.

Meanwhile, Manchester City had stirred controversy back at Maine Road by arriving late to their customary pre-match press conference.

And of course, it was the media who stirred the pot.

The press, always eager to shadow high-profile teams, had been expecting midweek training access. But after City completed their League Cup quarter-final and FA Cup ties, their training ground fell completely silent. As the squad prepared for their Monday league game, reporters watching the deserted stadium began to speculate wildly. Some even theorized that a financial crisis had caused Manchester City to vanish without a trace.

They investigated deeply but were baffled by the disappearance of the entire coaching staff and first-team squad.

Even staking out players’ apartments yielded nothing. One free local paper ran with the sensational headline:"Manchester’s Supernatural Mystery: The Blues Vanish into Thin Air!"

But on match day, City calmly arrived at Riverside Stadium as though nothing had happened—catching everyone completely off guard.

They hadn’t returned to their training base at all. Instead, they flew directly to the away fixture.

As the match approached, the stadium was packed to capacity.

Richard settled into the old directors’ box, enjoying the comfort of Middlesbrough’s stadium. His mind, however, drifted toward his own team’s new stadium project.

Just then, Bryan Robson approached from above, momentarily blocking O’Neill’s view until he looked up and smiled.

"Congratulations! It looks like Manchester City might be staying in the top flight this season," Robson joked.

Richard chuckled and shook his hand.

Robson quipped, "Where’s Manchester City been lately?"

"Hm?"

"There’ve been reports that you all disappeared."

"Oh," O’Neill grinned. "I gave the players some time off. There are too many foreign players in the squad—not many are used to enduring a winter without a break."

"Didn’t the same thing happen last year when you were in the First Division?"

"Yeah, but just because you’ve experienced it once doesn’t mean you’ve mastered it. It’s like a reflex—when that point in the season arrives, mental fatigue sets in naturally."

"So managing a team now requires a psychology degree?" Robson teased.

"Of course. Didn’t Brazil bring a psychologist to the World Cup when they won it?"

Robson laughed. "You mean the one who said Pelé was childish and Garrincha was mentally unstable?"

Both men burst out laughing.

Their lively exchange was caught by the live broadcast. Robson, in his first season as a Premier League manager, was doing well. O’Neill’s debut campaign had been nothing short of spectacular—nearly replicating the feats of Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as newly promoted teams challenging for top league positions.

For head coaches, the Premier League is a world of its own—filled with friendships, rivalries, and mind games. Some managers thrive in the spotlight; others struggle to find their footing.

O’Neill had many friends in the coaching circle. One was Clark of Nottingham Forest, who handed him his first loss of the season—but the two still shared friendly conversations after games. Conversely, he also had his fair share of adversaries, including Harry Redknapp and Kevin Keegan. O’Neill’s public stance was always clear—he refused to be seen as just another face in the league, much less a secondary figure.

As the match kicked off, he settled into the dugout. His expectations weren’t lofty—he simply wanted his players to follow the tactical plan and remain disciplined. What he didn’t tell them was that the result wasn’t the top priority.

He had internalized that mindset but kept it to himself.

Given the recent travel, he instructed his players to avoid a fast tempo. Instead, he wanted controlled possession, a slightly withdrawn formation, and patience in creating chances.

Earlier in the season, Middlesbrough had fought hard for a draw at Riverside Stadium through gritty defense. But now, playing away from home, they appeared more relaxed and determined to entertain. A defensive display would feel embarrassing on their own turf—they clearly wanted to put on a show.

"Rather than playing passively, it’s better to entertain the fans—they already know their league fate," Richard commented after observing Middlesbrough’s attacking intent.

Middlesbrough, like City, had reached the later stages of both domestic cups—FA Cup and League Cup—suggesting they may have been shifting focus toward those competitions.

Still, Middlesbrough fought valiantly.

Okocha cut inside sharply and unleashed a shot that was parried by Middlesbrough goalkeeper Gary Walsh, but Henry reacted quickly and buried the rebound to open the scoring.

Twenty minutes later, Middlesbrough equalized with a well-taken header from a corner.

In the second half, Lennon delivered a brilliant through-ball to Henry, who slotted it into the near corner to restore the lead.

Then, in stoppage time, Ronaldo’s free-kick took a deflection off the wall, and Ferdinand rose highest in the box to head home the third goal—sealing the victory.

After a much-needed break, Manchester City returned to league action with a confident, well-deserved win over Middlesbrough.