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When on May 13, 2012, the legendary Bosnian forward Edin Dzeko scored the equalizing goal against "Queens Park Rangers" in the second minute of added time, hope flashed for "Manchester City" fans to finally win the first Premier League title in ages. To achieve this, they needed a victory against "QPR," who were trailing behind "Bolton Wanderers" by two points. The massive points deficit from the leading "Manchester United" club could have been erased, if only the 38th round had not been victorious for the sky blue Manchester. It can be guessed that one reason was that the "QPR" defense knew - whether they got points or not, it no longer mattered to them, as they remained in 17th place, and their agony continued for another season with the likes of Bobby Zamora and Joey Barton leading them. However, in the 90+4th minute, another goal was scored into Paddy Kenny's goal, perhaps the most important in recent Premier League history. City was a solid mechanism Even the "City" strategist Roberto Mancini emerges onto the pitch, and the team, surrounded by trophies and cheering fans, take a photo next to the championship stand. There are reasons why "City" ultimately proved to be the best in the 2011/12 season. First of all, the club had top-class players such as Kompany, goal scorer Sergio Aguero, problem-solving and anger-forgetting Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Yaya Toure, and more. Second, except for part of the season that was warmed by the South American sun and the already impractical Tevez for City, the players' minds were on football, not whining in the media and arguing with the FA. Third, City was a balanced mechanism, a team that was essentially balanced, had no weak spots, but had quite a deep bench. Perhaps the exception could be considered the position of center back, where alongside the Belgian was usually played by the slow and more circus-troupe-acting than title-challenging defenders Joleon Lescott and Kolo Toure. Fourth, then the only worthy title contender - United - was not a club with weak spots, but a club filled with mediocrity. Wayne Rooney scored 27 goals in the league, but this is probably not only the end of the list of Devil leaders but also of the list of players who had a good 2011/12 season in general, perhaps adding in Antonio 'cross is always the answer' Valencia, the typical British talent who managed to avoid fate and keep his place in the starting lineup (even if due to foreign injuries), Phil Jones who saved the red Manchester season returning the retired redhead prince from retirement. Elsewhere - the goalkeeper who was still struggling to adapt in the league at the time, Rio Ferdinand who had started to know the football pitch better than the back of his hand through Twitter, and the ball wizard Ashley Young. "Manchester United" reacted and strengthened their squad with world-class players. They signed the top scorer of the last Premier League season, getting rid of the chronic injuries that plagued him and scoring 30 goals. ("Man United" wins the 2012/13 Premier League season) "Manchester City's" response was appropriate, as the club was supplemented by such world-class players as Javi Garcia and Scott Sinclair, as well as the new English talent, the traumatology superstar Jack Rodwell, and the 31-year-old Maicon who has become their cornerstone. The only positive acquisition - the young Matija Nastasic, perhaps unable to immediately become a partner comparable to Kompany, but being able to choose whether to let go of Lescott from the start is better than letting go of Joleon Lescott from the start and praying during the match to the football or any other gods not to make a mistake with his hand in the penalty area in the last minutes of the match. Nastasic managed to create competition for the favorite of the "Everton" fans, and eventually take him out of the starting lineup. The "Man City" of the 2012/13 season was not essentially stronger than the championship season At least 40 million pounds were paid for all of these players and Stevan Savic, who cost six million, was sacked. No world-class players arrive at the world-class club being formed. However, this does not happen due to fading wealthy investors' enthusiasm (which would be logical and a seen option, Anzhi fans, anyone?), but because of the fading desire of Mancini to strengthen and improve his team. This is almost a phenomenon and the first sign that the club is not progressing. Not a single important player, indeed, did anything - only Mario Balotelli, who ultimately took on an episodic role but bothered the coach, the kung fu practitioners, but for some time showed nothing on the field Nigel de Jong, and Adam Johnson sitting at the end of the bench. However, the fact that the "Man City" of the 2012/13 season was no stronger than the championship season is somewhat surprising. Are Champions League trophies next? It is worth noting that the Arab investors, who spent hundreds of millions to strengthen the team, pay more than a hundred million pounds in salaries per year, suddenly sell Adam Johnson and replace him with Scott Sinclair. A profitable but poor decision. The arrival from "Swansea" is an individually inferior football player, but the owners calculate a profit of six million euros by selling a technical and hard-working player and replacing him with a lazy egotist, who is now looking but is struggling to find a place in the team on the other side of the rankings. Such maneuvers can be made by "Southampton," by selling Lallana and buying Tadic, and watching to see if the team will benefit from the cat's bag, but when owners who have suddenly started doing something like this become widespread, it becomes not suspicious but simply pitiful. The club, which spent 40 million on mediocrity, spent 10 million per year on Carlos Tevez or Emmanuel Adebayor, suddenly begins to play a financially well-managed, carefully calculating club, which will only spend when needed and only as much as needed. ("Man City" players dominating the 2012/13 Premier League season) The "City" finds the golden mean - mediocrity for multimillion sums Do you want to be a club known for its successful infrastructure or for players who have become world-class players after being nurtured? Spending hundreds or at least tens of millions every year on stars does not help. Do you want to quickly win titles, assemble a strong team that would not lose in fame to Florentino Perez's "Los Galacticos" in the royal Madrid? Spending triple-digit millions on players is worthwhile in such a case, but, apparently, the players should also be of the highest class, not mediocrity. City finds the golden mean - mediocrity for multimillion sums: in the summer of 2013, no conclusions were drawn and the new coach Manuel Pellegrini started his shopping by paying 30 million for Fernandinho, later adding another 15 for Jesus Navas, and replacing the cheaply sold Carlos Tevez with such world-class forwards as Stevan Jovetic or Alvaro Negredo, who together cost another forty million. The icing on the cake was the arrival of veteran Martin Demichelis. Having signed a contract as a free agent with Madrid's "Atletico," he moved to England for 5 million after a couple of months. The Chilean wanted a world-class defender (a la Mats Hummels), but if the Argentine who was well-known to the coach seemed able to replace a world-class player, why not acquire him? In any case, the engineer Pellegrini and his team win the title. They win it not only because they are a particularly strong team, but because they could not stumble due to more favorable circumstances. The red Manchester fails to find itself after Ferguson's departure, and after bolstering the central defender position with the hot Marouane Fellaini over the summer. The "Chelsea" offense consists of such superstars as Demba Ba, Fernando Torres, who have become the most famous football flop, and Samuel Eto'o, who returns from Dagestan where he was earning three hundred thousand a week, resurrecting his career in high-level football after a break. The most serious contenders had been the "Liverpool" club, which had been fighting for the Europa League for some time, with the canibal biting their way to the forefront, who also managed to lead the team up the table despite being disqualified for part of the season—literally and figuratively. The "Liverpool" - a team that paid 15 million for Joe Allen, 10 for Iago Aspas or Fabio Borini, and while preparing for the Champions League last summer, ended up going back to where they had recently become accustomed to - below the top four. And yet, the blue Manchester wins the title simply because essentially, the "Chelsea" club could defeat the Liverpool team and turn the title race upside down.
Speaking of the top clubs, it can be said that the past season was like the Paralympic Games. True, one can attribute a plus to Pellegrini; in that season, his team did very well: 102 goals are the second best result in the Premier League after "Chelsea" scored 103 in the 2009/10 season. It is important to note that the victory-makers here were not Fernandinho and Jovetic, but the same players who arrived during Mancini's time or even Mark Hughes - Kompany, Yaya Toure (defensive midfielder - the team's top scorer!), Pablo Zabaleta, Dzeko, and Aguero.
