Richards left close to tears by City slump
Reuters - Wednesday 11 April 2012, 08:55
Manchester City defender Micah
Richards says his team's faltering form which has allowed
Manchester United to take a virtually unassailable lead in the
Premier League title race, hurts so much that he "wanted to
cry".
City, who won the last of their two English league titles in
1968, appeared on course for a long-awaited third when they led
for a majority of the season, until United surged ahead of them
a month ago.
With six matches remaining, United have moved eight points
clear of City and are in prime position to clinch the title for
the 20th time in their history with a successful defence of
their Premier League crown.
When United scored two late goals to beat Blackburn Rovers
2-0 last week, City's destiny was no longer in their hands and
the 23-year-old Richards told the Daily Mail he realised then
just what had been lost.
"At half-time and at 60 minutes, I thought: 'You never know',
but United do always look like they will score," he told the
newspaper. "So I knew it was going to come.
"But when they got it and went further clear of us, I
actually wanted to cry and I haven't done that or felt like that
in years.
"Football is full of emotions. You get angry and happy but I
have never wanted to cry before. This time I did as that's how
much it means.
"I have been grafting so hard this season, we have played
unbelievable football and to see United come like this is
horrendous. It kills me."
Although the sides are still to play each other at City on
April 30, Richards admits their chances of winning the title are
now slight.
The situation could change later on Wednesday when United
play at Wigan Athletic and City host West Bromwich Albion, but
the champions would need to suffer a major collapse to
relinquish the title.
Richards added that City's 6-1 win at Old Trafford in
October now seemed like a very long time ago but it could have
settled the title race had United been managed by anyone other
than Sir Alex Ferguson.
"Fergie has got to be one of the best managers that I've
ever come across because, if we had got beaten 6-1 that day,
United would have been 20 points clear by now," he added.
He also agrees that United are a very special club.
"They used to have [Wayne] Rooney, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, [Carlos] Tevez and [Dimitar] Berbatov," he
said, "It was terrifying.
"Now, if you are talking about really special young players,
then they only have Rooney. But as a team they are
unbelievable. They know how to win. If we can learn some of what
they have, then next season we will be twice the team we are
now.
"And then we will take some stopping."