After reaching this season’s Champions League final Jamie Carragher has insisted that Manchester City should now be ‘looking to dominate Europe’ like Liverpool did ‘in the late 70s and early 80s’.
Pep Guardiola’s side defeated Real Madrid 4-0 at the Etihad last night to set up a clash with Serie A outfit Inter Milan in Istanbul next month.
City will of course head into the tie as huge favourites as they attempt to get their hands on their first ever European Cup and Carragher believes the Sky Blues are in a decent position to try and emulate something that Liverpool did previously by winning the competition four times in eight years.
“There is only one team, and I am not trying to bring Liverpool into this, that has dominated Europe and that’s Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s’,” Carragher told CBS Sports (via HITC).
“Manchester City are about to win their third league title, no one has ever won four (in a row). So, in terms of English football, domestically, they are up there with the absolute best. Three titles in a row. I think Manchester United did it a couple of times and so did Liverpool.
“But Manchester United never dominated Europe. They won a Champions League. Man City are yet to win a Champions League.
“But when you talk about ‘how good they can become?’ this team should look at, yes getting that first Champions League in a couple of weeks, but for the quality they have in terms of the manager, for the quality on the pitch, and also the finances, they can go and buy who they want. They have to be looking to dominate Europe.
“As I said, only one team has ever done that in English football and that’s Liverpool. That’s how high the sky is. That’s what they have to be aiming for.”
Although it’s hard to admit, Guardiola’s side look destined to win the Champions League this year.
Inter will be no pushover but the quality in the City squad should certainly be enough to get the job done.
It’s never nice to see another English side thriving on Europe’s biggest stage, especially a rival like City, but they have the money to continue to strengthen their squad season after season and there appears to be no sign at the moment of their success ending anytime soon.
Liverpool, however, will look to complete some decent business in the transfer market this summer to once again challenge with City on all four fronts next term.
Let’s hope we can sneak into the top four during the final two games of the campaign to give us a chance of adding to our six European Cups next season.