All or Nothing: Manchester City

Incredible club, manager, season, access, film-making...

I never write reviews, but felt compelled too after watching this show , I'm a huge Liverpool fan but so didn't know if I would like this , it just shows how hypocritical Jose Mourinho is after his comments about the show, this show is a must watch for any football fan, shows how footballers although they make a large amount of money, really it's all about winning.

This is a fascinating documentary into modern football. I remember watching a similar programme about Neil Warnock's Sheffield Utd years ago and I suppose if you put this side by side with that it would paint a glaring picture of the way the sport, its players and its managers have changed forever. It's obvious from the outset that money drips off every part of the top level of this sport but it's interesting to see how it has been used to shape footballers into almost superhuman athletes with the best marketing in the world. The reason I enjoyed this documentary so much was mainly the insight it gives into Pep Guardiola. I have obviously heard all the cliches about the man before but this was the first time I felt actually understood why he has been so successful. Yes he has great teams and yes he gets huge amounts of financial support but his passion and outstanding man management are undeniable. Every scene featuring Guardiola is hugely watchable and often gripping.

I am not a Manchester City supporter, I am however a fan of football, particularly when the game is played with style and panache. Fascinating to watch a renowned manager manage a team of very expensively assembled footballers. Is it possible to generate a team spirit within a group of highly paid sportsmen? Spending huge sums of money guarantees nothing, Hollywood big budget movies don't always hit the mark. Expensively assembled teams don't always perform as collectively as their price tag would imply. This 'fly on the wall' documentary gives outsiders the chance to see how a team is shaped. How a manager driven, almost manically, by if not perfection, at least by the desire to try to achieve perfection. The desire to win however does not come above all else. The club's understanding of David Silva's desire to take time away from the team to be with his wife and prematurely born son is handled with compassion and understanding. Of course we don't get the warts and all version, it's unreasonable to expect that, but we do get more insight into a big time football club than anyone could ever have believed possible. Truly fascinating.

I'll start off by saying I'm a Man Utd fan. However, I'm a football fan first and foremost, I appreciate the artistry of football, I love watching teams who play beautifully and attack with creativity. And I take my hat off to Pep and the Man City team, they are wonderful to watch, a special team.

And thats what makes this documentary so good - not only do we get an unprecedented look behind the scenes of a premier league football club, we also get to see the journey Pep and his players took in a record-breaking season. It's a captivating story - if you are a fan of football, watch it.