DOMINIC FIFIELDon how a heated exchange between City players earned them a first FA Cup final in 30 years
MANCHESTER CITY’S victory against Manchester United in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final was inspired by a dressing-room row between the players at half-time. The City midfielder Nigel de Jong said that the players had confronted each other over a sluggish first-half performance, inspiring a vastly improved second-half display that secured the club’s first appearance in the FA Cup final for 30 years.
“I won’t give you the details but, obviously, everybody wants to win,” said De Jong. “And sometimes you come face to face with each other. It happened in the dressing room and it is just a small thing. But it keeps the fire alive. Everyone wants to win the main prizes and we showed a great spirit in the second half.
“The belief has always been there. Obviously we’ve had our ups and downs and that’s normal for a team that wants to progress. But in the second half we showed that belief. We came out of the dressing room and dominated United.”
City now have an opportunity to win their first major title since the 1976 League Cup and truly begin to transform the general perception of the club. Yet while De Jong said that the eye-catching victory over United would serve as a “statement” of intent in terms of City’s development, he also warned his team-mates that their season would be a failure if qualification for the Champions League was not achieved.
City could be in fifth place, behind Tottenham Hotspur, by the time they resume their Premier League campaign at Blackburn Rovers in a week’s time, with a critical fixture against Harry Redknapp’s team still to come at Eastlands.
“We put a statement out there for the other teams but for the club as well,” said De Jong. “It’s a big step forwards for us. Everyone has been talking about City spending all this money and seeking out prizes, and now we’re only one game away from winning our first silverware. For me, the guys are hungry but you’ve got to start somewhere in feeding that hunger. We did that against United.
“Now we must make a final, push to take this club forward and make it happen. United have so many prizes but City is a big club as well. And now you have two clubs in Manchester dominating two of the competitions.
“History is a big part of this club but we are trying to change that history. But we just have to maintain our focus now. Our main goal this season was a top-four finish. This result will give us a big boost in confidence for the last six games of the season.
“We have to take a Champions League place because, otherwise, winning the FA Cup would all be for nothing. We can’t just have one. We have to go for both. We can enjoy having reached the FA Cup final, but we have to focus on finishing in the top four too because we have important games to play.”
Yet, even given the reality that qualification for Europe’s elite competition is the principal target, there were acknowledgements of the urgent need to end City’s trophy drought. “It’s about winning that first one,” said the midfielder Gareth Barry.
“The first’s always the most difficult, but maybe more will follow. It’s a massive moment for the club to reach the final. That was the perfect team performance.”
Yaya Toure echoed those sentiments and dedicated the victory to his brother, Kolo, who is suspended pending a hearing into a failed drugs test.
“It’s been very hard for Kolo and has been for me and all our family,” said the midfielder. “I came to Manchester City to play with him and win something. I’ve won trophies with other clubs but I’ve always wanted to win something playing alongside him.”
Guardian Service
