Taking stock

Amidst all the attention being paid to the fight for fourth place, it is easy to forget how long it is since we've been in this position. City have never qualified for Europe by right in my lifetime, our two recent sojourns coming via the Fair Play League. This season seventh place will secure a European spot, unless Fulham grab one of them through their cup exploits. That finishing seventh would widely be regarded as failure shows the level of progress, money or no money. We also reached a cup semi for the first time in 28 years. Unfortunately, that last step is also the hardest.