THE 93:20 NEWSLETTER:- ISSUE 88

Author

Howard Hockin
March 06, 2026

Hello, and welcome to Issue 88 of the 93:20 Newsletter. As always, random stuff to discuss, and the lack of midweek City games has not changed that.

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The Nottingham Forest game is one of those where you feel deflated and dejected, but there are a hundred different thoughts running round your head for the next day at least, and it feels almost impossible to untangle them all. What is clear is that it is possible to hold the two following thoughts at the same time without accusations of contradiction: City did not play well enough to expect to win that game, but were also cheated once more by cowardly referees hiding behind technology. If City had gone 3-1 up, I’ve no doubt the game would have been seen out, and we’d be kinder about the same performance we are now criticising, because evaluations are swayed by results as much as performance levels.

Look, I have said repeatedly on this newsletter and on various 93:20 podcasts that I am buoyant about the future (subject to Lord Pannick doing his job), but I don’t think City are “there” yet, and winning anything this season would be a bonus. The 2nd halves have improved slightly, but they are the evidence of this still being a transition, and a young squad on a journey, with a manager trying to decipher a changing football world. But as our title rivals rugby tackle their way to success, it’s hard not to feel a tad cheated, and bitter to be honest. Arsenal no more deserved to beat Brighton, than City did v Forest, but they did. Normally that’s the stuff of champions, but it’s not with them. It’s a dollop of fortune along with a different rule book being applied. Now I sound like THEM, and to think they all claim the world is against their team every week. City probably don’t deserve to win the title, but neither do Arsenal. Not that the title race is over, but sometimes you have to shrug your shoulders and say some things are just meant to be.

Ironic considering how many rival fans have spent years calling Pep's brand of football boring that we may now truly see the most boring league winners in modern history. Arsenal fans should not care - a title win is a title win, and after 22 years, the journey seems almost irrelevant, only the destination - but should stop wasting all our time by trying to argue against an indisputable fact - but this is Arsenal fans we're talking about. That’s the curse of social media, making fans want their team to be loved, when it should be the last thing on their minds. Desperate for validation, which they won’t get much of, as their brand of football would cure the most extreme cases of insomnia, many players are dislikeable, their manager definitely is, and as for some of their online fans – well, somehow you’ve made City the good guys. What should perhaps concern Arsenal fans is whether this is sustainable, especially if guidance to match officials changes. Maybe Arteta will adapt, maybe not. But I do know I'd rather watch Burnley than Arsenal. Crazy times.

Now admittedly, this makes me sound very bitter. But City have been in many, many title races, and never before have I criticised the football of the teams we have been up against. As always, you play to your strengths, and managers can play any way they wish. But when you consider how at the start of the season the consensus was that this was Arsenal’s greatest squad for decades, with strength in depth (and it still is), then you have to wonder why we are seeing what we are. Arsenal took 30 minutes and 51 seconds to restart play against Brighton. They are the dullest of dull, pure anti-football, what you’d expect from an underdog with limited resources. They have had a free run at the league, and this is what has been served up. But again, if it’s effective, who are we to argue? And many blues have bemoaned their own side for being boring. The relentless sideways passing when a goal up against a struggling Nottingham Forest side is evidence of that. This has been a season when every side has been open to considerable criticism.

But credit to those Arsenal fans who are finally waking up and realising that the respect of fellow fans is worthless and are not seeking the aforementioned validation – or are at least pretending they don’t need it, now they realise none is forthcoming. They and other fan bases have spent a decade shrieking to City fans about how they don’t care about us and how worthless all our success was. Now they are on the verge of actually winning something, suddenly it’s all about the success, and the respect of others is irrelevant, as other fans lay into them for their manager’s dead football brand. Fancy that!

Booing at Elland Road

Hey, give Leeds United fans a break, they didn’t know what they were booing, right? They just felt a compulsion to do so, because some footballers had a drink. How very depressing, especially the desperate attempts to justify what happened afterwards, from the usual suspects. The break was less than the average time it takes Arsenal to take a corner, but of course the mere fact that football is seen to be “pandering” to non-Christian beliefs is too much for some to handle. I mean, they’re not going to have a chocolate break over Easter, are they?! Game’s gone.

Not that they can, as the Daily Mail and others have found something else to be outraged over, with tradition once cruelly trodden over, with no domestic Easter games planned next year, as it is an international break. What wasn’t readily mentioned is that the break is at the same time as every year, but what does change annually is the date of Easter. Just like in 2016, when the same thing happened. We won’t even be playing on Christmas Day anymore at this rate. Game’s gone again. What Mike Keegan also probably should have mentioned but perhaps forgot, was that this information has been readily available for some time- three years to be precise. But no doubt this just felt like the best time to claim an exclusive and pretend to be outraged.

Laws are Laws

Considering what I have already said in this newsletter, it will surprise no one to learn that I understand why referees get regularly criticised, they often deserve it, even if it is not particularly productive, and sometimes undeserved. VAR on the other hand deserves all it gets, as big a villain in City’s non-penalty as the referee. But to demonstrate how often referees cannot win, take the 2nd yellow card for Neto v Arsenal. The Arsenal players were apoplectic immediately when play was halted, which is a natural impulse reaction I guess, and a letter to Football365 the following day was just one of many missives criticising the referee. Except, he did nothing wrong. Play has to be stopped when a 2nd yellow card offence is committed, unless a goal is imminent. So the referee did his job.

Now, I don’t expect football and to have known that. I didn’t. But if you frequent social media too much, as I do, it is staggering how many basic laws fans are uneducated about, even basic offside stuff. And that ignorance is used to berate match officials for doing their job.

This leads on to an additional point about managers being outright wrong in post-match press conferences and on the touchline so they can claim an injustice against the team. As I have already said, I would not expect fans to have an encyclopaedic knowledge of the laws of the game and their interpretation. But shouldn’t those that work in the sport, and are paid millions to do so, not be expected to have a grasp of at least the basics? You wonder how much they truly know, and how much ignorance is feigned to fight their corner and spread the perception that their team was cheated.

For the 3rd Time – Game’s Gone

More depressing news this week, to me anyway, with the news that Arsene Wenger’s offside proposals, ones he has been pushing for over five years, are one step closer to fruition in the games you watch. Namely, the ridiculous idea that any part of a player being level with an opposing player would make them onside.

For me, this partly ties into the obsession with entertainment, when most fans aren’t desperate for more. Long-term football fans at least, those that acknowledge the sport for what it is, a lived experience, something that is best experienced live, something that, like any sport, provides no guarantees, may elate, disappoint, or bore. Real fans don’t demand more entertainment, just more fairness. The boredom comes from set pieces right now, and that has nothing to do with Arsene Wenger’s long-held proposals. Proposals with an aim to bring the sport ever closer to a TV show, perfect for that Saturday 8pm slot that City are having to get used to.

But will it make the game more entertaining anyway? Probably not. What is just as likely is the era of the low block, as defences abandon playing offside traps and retreat to their box, knowing a coordinated offside trap is now too difficult to be worthwhile. A line will still have to be drawn. Toenails will still come into play. Arguments will still rage. Arsenal fans will still think the world is against them.

What is wrong with moving the tolerance forward 5cms or so? It would constitute “clear daylight” of sorts, another law fans are wilfully ignorant of – it has never been a thing in English football previously. Move the tolerance slightly forward, and all offsides would also be visible to the naked eye, and as fans is that not all we want? Offsides for instances we can see ourselves, rather than five minutes spent measuring armpits? After all, what is the point of offside in the first place? To stop attackers gaining an advantage – an errant armpit ahead of a defender does not provide any. Maybe we should follow the example of hockey and scrap offside altogether, but I am not sure fandom is ready for that. Wenger’s proposals provide attackers with a clear advantage, and some think that is a good thing, as it will add goals, and thus entertainment. For me, that just misses the point spectacularly. I hope it fails miserably.

Being A Fan

Joyous scenes at Molineux this week, as wolves grabbed a late winner at home to Liverpool. I had no horse in the race, but it’s always nice to see Liverpool fail of course. But more importantly, how nice it was to see a fanbase that has had nothing but doom and gloom all season have that one moment that epitomises everything about why we are football fans, why we do what we do. For moments like that. Moments when whatever else is going on, the world feels alright. City might not win the title, but I wanted to beat Leeds last week because I just wanted that feeling. I just wanted to be happy that night. Forget beyond. Serenity, and to wake up the next morning feeling the same

Ah well, I need to cheer up about the football anyway. It seems the world is about to end, so I shouldn’t get caught up in too much football discourse, and the world will probably end before we get a 115 judgment.

As one of the last survivors crawls out of their bunker, clothes singed, they whisper quietly before passing out, “what about City??”.

And Finally – You Couldn’t Make It Up…

GLAZIERS IN!

Following United’s subsequent defeat against 10-man Newcastle United, maybe Sesko should have considered TRIPLE glazing his windows. Or not living under a flight path.

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS WEEK

THE 93:20 REVIEW:- BELIEF

Ahsan is joined by Bailey as they discuss the win over Leeds, the title race, playing without Erling and loads more in another bumper review!

THE CATCH UP:- EPISODE 4

Ste caught up with Cole Pettem and Charlie Carmichael to talk about where Aston Villa are at and the many struggles of Leicester City.

THE 93:20 REVIEW:- SIDEWAYS

Ahsan is joined by Dom and Adam as they dig into the draw with Forest, penalty decisions, and what’s eating Phil Foden.

OPPOSITION FAN:- NEWCASTLE UNITED

Howard caught up with Harry De Cosemo to talk all things Newcastle United. A team treading water, the future, cup prospects and more.

THE WEEKEND SHOW:- CUP FEVER

Howard, Ben and George look back on a mixed week, where City are at, match officials, preview a huge cup game and more!

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