BEHIND THE LINES
After a season full of excitement and expectation, Manchester City managed to secure their first Premier League title. Just. They left it late, absolutely as late as they possibly could. Ten minutes before that moment, City fans had given up. Losing at home to QPR they had seemingly blown it. Even when Edin Dzeko equalised in the 92nd minute it still wasn’t enough, and there simply wasn’t enough time. But as stoppage time entered the 94th minute, City’s £38m striker, Sergio Agüero picked up a lose ball on the edge of the box, skipped past a tackle and slammed home the winner. What ensued was utter bedlam.
Those last few moments still take some believing. Agüero wrote his name into City folk law, less than a year after he arrived at Eastlands. He could retire now and the City fans would still adore him for that moment alone, in fact, it stretches further than City fans. In a year when one stocky, little Argentine striker managed to rile the Sky Blue supporters, another one went about adapting to Premier League life seemingly effortlessly. While Carlos Tevez still has some way to go before winning back the love of City fans, Sergio Agüero can do no wrong.
Thankfully for commentators and writers alike, Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo prefers to go by his nickname; Kun, a name derived from his grandparents who noticed a resemblance to a cartoon character of the same name. Due to the affectionate conno- tations it has stuck and Kun Agüero has now adorned the shirts of both Manchester City and Argentina, just as it did with Atletico Madrid and Independiente before that. It is name that commentators have got used to saying, as the 24-year-old scored 34 goals in all competitions last season. No player has scored more than 30 goals for the club in a season since Francis Lee in 1971/72.
Before his arrival, City had plenty of attacking options, the necessity of buying yet another striker seemed questionable, and perhaps other areas of their side could be strengthened, however, what City were buying was a step up in quality.
Agüero is right up there among the best strikers in the world at the moment. At 5ft 8in he is not particularly tall, but he is strong, extremely quick, good on the ball and possesses excellent movement. Above all else, he is unerringly cool when it comes to finishing.
Over the course of last season, City looked best when they had the diminutive quartet of Agüero, Tevez, David Silva and Sami Nasri all interchanging between four forward positions. No one really had a fixed position, and all drifted across the pitch, picking up the ball in constantly changing areas and making sharp, incisive passes along the way.
This was without the headline grabbing Mario Balotelli, or inconsistent Dzeko, and yet there was so much attacking options available among those four that City plundered goals.
Even in a side with as many options as City possess, Agüero is still a certain starter. The fact that he scored 34 goals, 23 of which were in the league, and there was still a sense that he could have had even more, only reaffirms his quality. The favourite to be top scorer this season? Kun Agüero at 8/1, although it worth pointing out this is shared with Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie.
For Manchester City’s player of the year last season, none of this success is new. When he made his league debut for Independiente in his native Argentina, atv 15 years and 35 days, he was the youngest ever to do so. Four years ago, as a twenty-year-old, he helped his country to gold at the Beijing Olympics and throughout his career he has averaged just a fraction shy of a goal every two games. Last season, was by no means, a one-off.
This all bodes well for Manchester City, as next season they attempt to retain the title it took them 44 years to win again. It is slightly more worrying for the defences that will come up against Agüero next season. The longest Agüero went without a goal last season was five games, and that was just once. When you factor in the amount of chances created by this City side, it is difficult to imagine Maradona’s son-in- law being anything other than prolific once again.
Unlike Mario Balotelli, or compatriot Carlos Tevez, there is never the niggling feeling of an impending blow-up; some self- combustion that leads to disruption in the team. Whether it be with opponents, team mates or the club’s management and hierarchy, at some point in the upcoming season it is safe to say one of, or both these players will fall out in some way. With Agüero there is none of that. Married to the youngest daughter of his, and every other Argentine’s hero, Diego Maradona,
He could retire tomorrow and he’d never have to buy a drink in Manchester again.
www.activinstinct.com 23
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