By Simon Bajkowski
Into the semi-finals of the Club World Cup and it is still unclear how much of a success it has been and can be. The biggest triumphs have been for the non-European teams, with Al Hilal stunning Manchester City and Fluminense making it all the way to the semi-finals where they will take on Chelsea . On the other side of the draw, European kings Real Madrid versus European champions Paris Saint-Germain is about as tasty a semi-final as FIFA could have dreamed of and ensures that one of those heavyweights will be in the showpiece event at the MetLife Stadium next week. Ticket prices have already been slashed though amid a lack of interest and several coaches have complained about the state of the pitches – and particularly the condition of the one where the final will be in New Jersey. As FIFA weigh up what has and hasn’t worked ahead of the World Cup in the same country next year, one thing they may consider keeping is each player getting their own walk-out at the start of the game. It isn’t what anyone is used to in football and speaks more to superstars than to the collective, but people have quickly gotten used to it. One thing the laboured intros have done is shown up how bad City have been to get slapped with another fine for delayed kick-offs and restarts. The Premier League announced last month that the Blues had been fined another million pounds – down from two the previous season – for being unable to start or restart matches promptly. Following FIFA’s example hardly feels like something that should be done, but if Gianni Infantino can keep such an extravagant schedule running on time, it makes it even worse that the Blues cannot help being so frequently late in the Premier League. Whatever easy money they have made in the United States this month, they have needlessly thrown some of it away again. Everyone is eagerly awaiting City’s return after the Club World Cup. There is anticipation around whether their new signings can adapt to the Premier League, whether some of their existing players can raise their games or find their previous levels, and how much magic Pep Guardiola has left in him. As City look to avoid the struggles that dragged them down last season, they should also be active in cutting out the needless fines they racked up for timekeeping. If FIFA can manage it with their new gimmick, City really should be able to achieve one of the most basic parts of a matchday. — Here at the Manchester Evening News, we鈥檙e dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester City coverage and analysis. Make sure you don鈥檛 miss out on the latest City news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day鈥檚 biggest stories. And finally, if you鈥檇 rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Talking City podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .