Thursday, Manchester City will send an honor guard to Liverpool, but ex-Anfield midfielder Danny Murphy doesn’t like the tradition.
Danny Murphy is not in agreement that Manchester City will owe its former club Liverpool the distinction of becoming Premier League champions.
After City lost 2-1 last week at Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp ‘s side was proclaimed the top team in England, resulting in an unattainable 23-point lead with seven remaining matches.
The first comes at Etihad Stadium on Thursday where City boss Pep Guardiola said his players will uphold the tradition of clapping the champions on to the pitch.
Given that the honor guard is normally a relatively uncontroversial gesture of sportsmanship and goodwill in England – its use has become much more fraught in Spain, particularly when it comes to Real Madrid and Barcelona – Murphy told talkSPORT he didn’t believe it would happen.
“It’s a feeling of gratitude, ‘the right thing to do,’ the message you’re trying to give to the world of football that you’re showing love and grace when someone wins,” said the ex-England midfielder.
“The fact that City is going to do it on Thursday is going to display modesty, say ‘well done’ to Liverpool and respect their standard. I think that’s a lot of nonsense. The fans don’t want you to do it, the players don’t want to do it too, it’s all for purpose and it doesn’t mean anything.”
Murphy also claimed that the joint gesture did not sit well with him, given the expectation of a single person, namely Kevin De Bruyne. The City midfielder has enjoyed a brilliant campaign and is squarely putting him in the end-of-season awards race for goals in double figures and assists in the Premier League.
Murphy added: “The best midfielder in the world, probably, is Kevin De Bruyne. Then he claps his hands then gives the players who can’t even tie his boots a guard of honor.”
