THE 93:20 NEWSLETTER:- ISSUE 55

Author

Howard Hockin
August 29, 2025

Hello, and welcome to issue 55 of the 93:20 Newsletter, with City once more a club in crisis after losing a game. Still, could be much, much worse, as we will explore together in this latest episode. Plenty to talk about, as always. Afterall, City will be playing Real Madrid in the Champions League again. Be still, my beating heart.

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On with the show!

Savinho v Rodrygo

So, it seems this non-saga has reached a conclusion. No one is moving, and this has caused some more ire amongst the fanbase. I said last week that I did not know what outcome I wanted from this, as there was no clear preference. Firstly, I believe young players should be given a chance. Savinho frustrated us at times last season, no denying it, but it would still be a sale that could bite us in the backside in a few years. Secondly, Rodrygo is an upgrade for the here-and-now, and we as fans demand instant success and improvement, but I feel some have overplayed just how much. And this is real life, not Football Manager. If he was clearly the be-all-and-end-all type of footballer, I’d be up for the sale and reinvestment. But I am not sure he is. I am not sure he was convinced at the prospect of leaving Real Madrid anyway, and we have little evidence City would have gone straight back into the market, nor that he would have settled in Manchester (lazy stereotyping?). The whole affair has left a member of City’s squad playing catch-up, so was extremely inconvenient, but for me was the best outcome. Savinho deserves a 2nd season to prove he can shoot. Still, expect that niggling injury Pep said he had to miraculously heal itself now.

It’s indisputable that City’s wide players have to start delivering goals if we want to be the best again. It’s a big season for our wide players. Some blues cannot stand Savinho, which is telling of the climate we live in. He’s have been better served debuting in a successful season, not one where many struggled and the trophies dried up. Everyone pines back to Sterling and Sane, but even they would have been frustrated by low blocks in the modern game. That is not to excuse the current crop – it’s time to deliver, or City need to go back into the market. And they should have tried everything possible to get Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – he was my dream signing. Sane was wildly inconsistent and Sterling had obvious flaws, and was hated by a minority of his fans whilst at the club (true, amazingly), but they delivered numbers. And ultimately, whilst football is about much more than statistics, that is ultimately how the current crop will be judged, and is partly why Jack Grealish finds himself at Everton.

7pm, Monday. The chance to exhale, and relax. Have you ever wanted a transfer window to close more than the current one? It’s not that it has been bad, but by the end it sure has been tiresome. I imagine the feeling is similar to that felt by United fans when Ruben Amorim sends on Harry Maguire to try and snatch a late equaliser – frustration, boredom, a shallow feeling, of being debased. The transfer window has turned shills for clubs and agents into media giants, and it all stinks to be honest. We are all being played. Regarding City, it started off as very exciting, in a summer in which we knew a rebuild of sorts was required, but by now I am exhausted and don’t care what pans out. Can we just get back to talking football, please?

To my true obsession. I mean, how can I not mention Manchester United after what happened on Wednesday evening? Monks fifteen years into a vow of silence are thought to have bitten their lips to the point of heavy bleeding as the game unfolded.

United are at a point where there is simply no answer as to whether managers should be retained or sacked. There is no coherent or clear argument for any decision, as there are no obvious solutions. It feels perverse to say it, but United’s mismanagement is greater than anything that has ever occurred under City, and City set that particular bar very, very low, limboing from one world record to another. They have only avoided City’s slide down the divisions because of their enormous wealth, and the wealth of the Premier League that has widened the gap to the rest of the football pyramid. Most teams would be in administration by now, and desperately crowing about how they took 6000 fans to Wycombe Wanderers. It’s rather bemusing that a select few in the media have parroted the idea that City can just go and rectify transfer mistakes by spending £60m on a replacement under their chequebook manager, when they have had fewer mistakes than any other big teams over the past decade, and the policy they allege is literally United’s method of choice since Alex Ferguson saw sense and departed stage left 12 years ago.

It was Sesko that took the 10th penalty. There was a predictable outcry as a result. Should there be, though? He is new at the club, hasn’t played much, and not all strikers are penalty takers, in fact some shy away from the task. I think it was an overreaction, but when the first five have taken penalties, a forward has to display the mentality to volunteer before the 10th penalty. Not a good sign, when the club needs “mentality monsters”.

Still, that defeat should free up United’s hectic schedule. It’s still August, and they only have two trophies to compete for this season – one, if we’re being realistic.

So I ask again, until I am blue in the face, why managers and players keep going there, to have their reputations trashed? For the players, it can only be money, or a childhood allegiance. For managers, perhaps the allure becomes greater the worse the team performs. The chance to be the one that turned things around, and safe in the knowledge a war chest will be provided to assist. Fail, as is likely, and the consolation is a big, fat pay off, and the chance to walk into another job.

I almost feel sorry for Onana. Clips of Mark Goldbridge crossed my social media timelines as they always do after an inept United performance- so most weeks, basically. He essentially called Onana a clown repeatedly, and worse. I wonder if I am too sensitive – jeez, I almost felt sorry for Amorim after the Grimsby match. Almost. As a fan with a public presence, what do you consider acceptable criticism of a player who is just not good enough? Ridicule, or is stating that they need to go not sufficient? It’s not as if Onana is deliberately throwing games. Goldbridge has an audience of millions, and has influence. But then he knows that such content is what got him where he is today – so the ridicule must continue. Goldbridge is now the face of Bundesliga coverage in the UK – where did it all go wrong for us as fans, eh? As I tweeted at the time the news broke, it’s a disgrace – everyone knows he used to be a La Liga fan.

Anyway, let’s finish the regular United mockery section with a couple of social media highlights post-Grimsby battering.

Apropos of nothing, this week another manager who we were told would “tactically best” Pep, Jose Mourinho, managed his team out of the Champions League, and Ole the saviour was sacked. And as I type, so has Mourinho.

Gareth Southgate, it is time. United need you. The decline of United has ensured that the appointment of Southgate, the idea of which would have been rightly ridiculed two years ago, is now seen logically as a sensible appointment.

COMPETITION TIME

It may be too late by now, but here is an offer you can’t refuse, via Miguel Delaney’s newsletter.

I know what you’re thinking.

Is Manchester City?!

The correct answer? None of the above #130

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS WEEK

THE REVIEW:- HISTORY REPEATS

Howard, Lloyd and Ahsan pick the bones out of the weekend defeat, why and how it happened, and what it may signify, and much more besides.

SELECT XI

Howard, Joe and Ste pick their Best XI. But there is a catch – they can only choose one player signed by each of City’s last 11 managers.

THE MARKET:- EPISODE 44

Ahsan is joined by Lloyd to discuss everything from Savio to Ederson to a potential late move for a right back, plus loads more on both incomings and outgoings!

THE WEEKEND SHOW

The usual packed show. Tom, George and Ben look back at the week that was, talk transfers, laugh at United, preview the Brighton game and more!

OPPOSITION FAN:- BRIGHTON

A couple of weeks ago, Howard chatted to Kieran Maguire about all things finance and Brighton. As the two teams meet this weekend, the show has been put on Soundcloud, free for all.

If you are not a subscriber to our player shows, then enjoy some free samples of what we are about. Every show we do will have a 15 minutes sample on Soundcloud, along with a full, free weekly Friday show, jam- packed with content. Give it a try!