The British English word “Kidology” is “the art or practice of bluffing or deception”, the Collins English Dictionary tells us. Kiddology? That’s the art of wishful thinking from a Manchester City assistant coach.
Manchester United can win the Premier League title with three points against Aston Villa on Monday, provided second-placed City have lost to Tottenham the day before. United are thirteen points clear of City with five games to play. City have six fixtures remaining. It’s a massive gap and English soccer’s summer vacation is near at hand. And yet, and yet...
Brian Kidd thinks that losing the title to City in the dying seconds on the final day of 2011-12 will give United panic attacks as they head down the home straight.
“There will be some jittery moments,” he said, according to the BBC. “What happened last year - it was a bad experience for them. They will have been shocked by it... it’s not over until it’s mathematically finished with.
There’s no questioning Kidd’s Manchester soccer credentials - he was also an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, and even played for both clubs.
But the idea that there’s even the tiniest, most minuscule, microscopic chance that United will blow the title? Nice try, Brian, but it’s a little late for the mind games. Play them earlier next time.