Manchester City's lack of fighting spirit was evident when their Champions League dream was on the line against CSKA Moscow this week.
The reigning Premier League champions slumped to a 2-1 defeat to the Russian side, a fortnight after allowing a two goal lead slip in their last meeting.
The complacency in the performance, just as it has been all campaign, was that of a team that been there and done it all before on the biggest of stages.
Complacency of that kind isn't acceptable from the best who have won everything there is to win, but from a team like City, who are really only just starting at the elite level, it is unforgivable.
Speaking in his role as a pundit for Sky Sports after the game, three-time European Cup winner Graeme Souness stated, "The mark of big players is that they want the ball all the time". Unfortunately for City fans watching on, they didn't witness anything of substance from the players in sky blue.
The Scot continued, "You saw people go absent, people who didn't want the ball. Half of that team didn't want the ball tonight. That team, in a very short space of time, have taken one almighty step backwards."
Such comment were also echoed by Jamie Redknapp, who was sat alongside Souness in the Sky studio. "At times I thought they were diabolical," he said. "They never got started or got out of the blocks, they never went to close down, and they never won a second ball. It was quite staggering to see."
Manager Manuel Pellegrini has since admitted he cannot understand why City's form in Europe has been so poor. The Chilean is a pragmatic, well organised coach who has often overachieved with modest teams in the past, suggesting the problem can only be the attitude of his current crop of players.
Of the current squad, only Yaya Toure and short term loanee Frank Lampard have won the Champions League before. Everyone else should be desperate to get their hands on a winners' medal too, working hard and fighting every inch of the way to make it happen. Toure should be desperate to experience that glory again - but most of the players look like they want success handed to them on a plate.
With the group still very tight and any one of three teams still able to qualify for the knockout rounds, City may yet get another chance. But for the way they've played up to now they certainly don't deserve it.
By Jamie Spencer
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