Manchester City had reached the decisive stretch of the season, and Richard knew there was no room for complacency. With a commanding lead in the Premier League, expectations were sky-high.
"We need to win the league—at the very least," he told himself before convening a eting with the coaching staff and the club’s senior managent.
During the discussion, Richard laid out his priorities for the run-in. The imdiate focus was on securing the League Cup and, above all, the Premier League title. The Champions League remained a target, of course, but he was pragmatic. With Real Madrid looming as likely finalists, he admitted his doubts. Madrid had a reputation for raising their ga in Europe, often performing better on the continental stage than in La Liga. Competing with them was never straightforward.
That realism shaped his strategy. He demanded full concentration on dostic success, making sure no slip-ups could jeopardize the Premier League campaign. The club had built a 9-point cushion, but Richard was clear: if that advantage were squandered, then O’Neill would have no excuses.
Richard had already made up his mind—O’Neill would be dismissed.
After the Dortmund match, on March 27th, Manchester City played their 31st Premier League fixture, a ho ga against Crystal Palace at Maine Road.
Just four minutes into the match, City captain Javier Zanetti rose to et a corner kick and powered in a header, sending the crowd into an early frenzy.
In the 59th minute, Ronaldo doubled the lead with a clinical finish, putting City firmly in control. Palace managed a consolation in the 75th minute through Bruce Dyer, but it was too little, too late. With the 2–1 victory over Crystal Palace, Manchester City moved one step closer to clinching the title.
Soon after the Crystal Palace match, Manchester City imdiately shifted their attention to the League Cup semi-final, the First leg against Liverpool.
On a cool evening at Anfield, the players from both sides walked out of the tunnel, led by the referee. The Liverpool squad, in their familiar red, wore grim, determined expressions; this was their chance to deny City’s montum. The roar of the Kop added to the intensity of the occasion.
From the VIP section, Richard sat forward in his seat, his gaze fixed on the pitch. But before kickoff, he turned to Marina beside him.
"How’s Ronaldinho’s injury?" Richard asked, his tone sharp with concern.
That was what troubled him most.
Only the day before, while working late in his office, Richard had received two pieces of unexpected news. The first ca from Karren Brady, who now headed City’s newly established marketing departnt. Brady had requested permission to arrange interviews with Manchester City’s U-17 players.
Richard flatly refused.
His reasoning was firm: "Young players must stay focused on their matches, not on the dia spotlight," he told her. "Their developnt cos first."
After long negotiations, Richard finally agreed to allow one player from the youth squad to be interviewed — but only the one chosen by Walford, the U-17 manager. Richard expected the obvious nas: Terry, the composed captain, or Eto’o, the academy’s prolific top scorer.
Instead, Walford’s choice left him staring in disbelief.
"We’ve decided to choose Ronaldinho," Walford explained, "since he’s currently recovering from injury."
"..."
"Injury? From what exactly?" Richard demanded, leaning forward.
The explanation made him rub his temples. Ronaldinho, it turned out, had beco completely enchanted by Jay-Jay Okocha’s dribbling tricks. The Brazilian would follow the Nigerian maestro everywhere, desperate to learn. According to the Walford, Ronaldinho even trailed Okocha into the bathroom, where Okocha amused himself by juggling and dribbling in the tight space.
Ronaldinho had tried to imitate him. Slippery tiles, confined space, and one misplaced touch later... the golden boy of the U-17s ended up with a minor knock.
Richard stared in stunned silence.
"So you’re telling ," he said slowly, "He followed Okocha into the bathroom, tried to dribble in there... and injured himself?"
Walford shifted uncomfortably.
"You’re kidding , right? Playing football in the bathroom? What’s next, free kicks in the shower?"
From that mont on, Richard issued a new, unshakable rule: under no circumstances were players allowed to "play" outside official facilities — especially not in bathrooms, kitchens, or any other dangerous place. Okocha and Ronaldinho were specifically nad in the mo.
Marina, sitting nearby, had heard this story more than once by now. As Richard’s frustration built, she only sighed softly. He was like a man fuming over children caught misbehaving.
"Don’t worry," she said gently. "The injury isn’t serious. Dr. Schlumberger already confird he’ll be back in training within two weeks."
She quickly changed the subject, sliding a folder across the table. "And by the way, here’s the article you requested."
Richard exhaled and opened it. Inside was the feature Karren Brady had prepared — an exclusive interview with Ronaldinho, the chosen representative of Manchester City’s U-17 squad.
"Okocha was my idol. He is the only player I know who made love football more. When I arrived at City, he was like a magician with the ball. I wanted to do everything he did."
Richard exhaled heavily, rubbing his forehead. There was no point in dwelling on Ronaldinho’s antics any longer. With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to turn his attention back to the match unfolding before him.
Just a season and a half ago, newly promoted Manchester City had co to Anfield for their first encounter. Since that match, Liverpool had gone on to lose three straight gas against City, the most recent being a humiliating defeat in the FA Cup.
Despite the off-field chaos in the personal lives of so of these talented players, there was still a semblance of dignity in their performances. In the first eting of the current season, Liverpool had put on an impressive show at ho. Yet from a competitive standpoint, they still hadn’t found the key to containing Manchester City’s relentless attacking power.
For City, the usual starters remained in the lineup, while Robert Pirès was left out due to discomfort picked up in training. Andriy Shevchenko was brought in on the right wing, with Henrik Larsson pushed forward to partner as a striker in a 4-4-2 formation.
Before the 38th minute, Cannavaro intercepted a through ball from Barnes intended for Collymore and calmly played it out to the left, where Capdevilla was ready to receive.
The Spanish full-back found himself face-to-face with Jason McAteer, who was marking him tightly. With a deft touch, Capdevilla shifted the ball and burst past McAteer. The Irishman’s desperate attempt to block him ca too late, and Capdevilla accelerated down the flank.
Charging along the touchline, the left-back used a clever feint — aided by Ronaldo’s off-the-ball movent dragging Jones away — before racing toward the byline.
Having beaten two defenders, Capdevilla sent the crowd into a roar of excitent. But the mont quickly faded as his cross drifted over everyone and out of play beyond the far touchline.
Larsson, who had made a late run into the box, lowered his head in frustration as he jogged back. On the far side, Shevchenko could only turn and retreat as well, though he raised a hand with a thumbs-up to encourage his teammate.
From his seat, Richard leaned forward, then settled back with a faint look of disappointnt on his face.
Capdevilla — another player giving him headaches.
Fast and skilled at breaking through, his main shortcomings lay in delivery and finishing. Of the two, his crossing ability was the weaker.
Historical data from the last two seasons showed that Capdevilla averaged the highest number of successful dribbles, relying heavily on explosive acceleration and sharp changes of direction. Having a signature move isn’t necessarily a bad thing; after all, there’s little difference between beating a defender with one move or three — except in how stylish it looks. However, despite his impressive dribbling numbers, his crossing success rate was woeful.
The dia often joked: "Joan Capdevilla is Manchester City’s master dribbler — and that’s it."
Of course, as Director of High Performance, Richard needed to assess whether Capdevilla’s strengths — his dribbling and ability to break through defensive lines — actually translated into end product: goals, assists, or at the very least, dangerous chances. Dribbling alone was never enough. If the final ball was consistently wasted, then all that flair amounted to little more than entertainnt.
Unlike a manager or a coach, Richard’s role wasn’t tied to the touchline or the imdiate result of a match. His job required a broader lens, to consider how each individual fit into the club’s long-term tactical structure. Capdevilla’s relentless running and direct dribbles certainly had value, but his poor delivery threatened to unbalance the attack.
Normally, balance ca from the other flank. Ronaldo, when deployed wide, often stretched defenses and provided both pace and power. But in City’s current 4-4-2 setup, Ronaldo was used as a striker. That responsibility of maintaining width and penetration on the wing often fell to Okocha instead — a brilliant technician, but one who approached the role differently, with creativity rather than raw speed.
This shift created a subtle imbalance: Capdevilla could beat his man, but his end product lacked reliability, while Okocha’s flair often ant drifting inside, leaving the wing exposed. It wasn’t a crisis, but it was the kind of structural weakness that could be punished against elite opposition.
Then there was the ntal side. Richard knew all too well how fragile confidence could be, especially in younger or less established players. If left unchecked, those narratives could damage not only Capdevilla’s confidence but also his market value and standing within the squad.
PHWEEEEE~
Liverpool 2 – 1 Manchester City
⚽ Robbie Fowler 11’, Jamie Redknapp 77’
⚽ Ronaldo 88’ (pen)
Jamie Redknapp — the man who had just scored the decisive goal — raised his arm high, not toward the crowd, but deliberately in front of Martin O’Neill. The gesture was subtle yet sharp enough to sting, a provocation born of long-simring tension.
Everyone in the stadium knew there was history there. When O’Neill first arrived at City, he had tried to unsettle Redknapp by bringing in his father, Harry Redknapp. Now, with victory secured, Jamie’s celebration felt less like joy and more like payback.
Paul Ince, always quick to read situations before they escalated, imdiately noticed the danger. The Liverpool captain strode across the pitch toward Redknapp.
"Enough," Ince muttered under his breath, pulling him away from O’Neill’s line of sight. Then, in a rare mont of diplomacy, he turned toward the City manager, raised a hand in apology, and gave a curt nod.
O’Neill, expressionless, t his gaze and returned a stiff nod of acknowledgnt.
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