Simon Jordan Explains Why He’s ‘Quite Pleased’ with Manchester City’s Struggles This Season
The talkSPORT pundit explains why Manchester City's dominance ending could be good for the Premier League.
Manchester City’s slow start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign has caught the attention of football pundits and fans alike. Simon Jordan, the outspoken former Crystal Palace chairman and regular on talkSPORT, recently shared his thoughts on the reigning champions’ dip in form. Unlike many who are surprised or concerned about City’s struggles, Jordan revealed that he’s actually pleased with the situation.
Under Pep Guardiola, Manchester City has dominated English football like no other team in recent years. Winning six Premier League titles in eight seasons, they’ve set the bar incredibly high. However, this season has been different. The team is far from its usual best, giving hope to other contenders like Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea.
Simon Jordan believes this shift is a positive development for the league. On talkSPORT, he explained:
“I’m not for or against Man City, despite what people might think. But I am against the dominance of a league by one team. So, I’m quite pleased that Man City aren’t sitting on top of the league, running away with it.”
Jordan pointed out that Manchester City’s near-total dominance in recent years has made the Premier League less exciting. He compared it to leagues like France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga, where clubs like PSG and Bayern Munich have turned the competition into one-horse races.
“Monopolies in football leagues, whether it’s the French league, the German league, or the Premier League, are not a good thing. They take away the excitement and unpredictability that make football so great,” he said.
City’s dominance, especially their unprecedented treble-winning campaign last season, left little room for other teams to challenge. Jordan believes their current struggles bring much-needed balance to the league.
Many experts view Manchester City’s struggles as part of a transitional season. With several key players departing and injuries affecting others, Pep Guardiola’s team hasn’t been able to maintain its usual standards. This is reminiscent of Liverpool’s challenging 2020/21 and 2022/23 campaigns under Jurgen Klopp, where they finished third and fifth, respectively, without any silverware.
Reports suggest City is planning a major squad rebuild next summer, which could see them return to their dominant form. P
