by Emily Ashall
Directed by John De Caux and airing in 2024, Together: Treble Winners follows Manchester City in their historic 2022/23 season as Pep Guardiola’s side defended their Premier League title and rose to the peak of English football by winning the Treble – something only done in England by their biggest rivals and Manchester counterparts, Manchester United. It gives insight to the team through their Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League campaigns and gives us the biggest behind-the-scenes insight into what it took to dominate English football.
This journalistic approach was similar to things we have seen with other sporting documentaries like “Formula One’s Drive to Survive” or the “All or Nothing” series seen covering different teams, yet its content gives it its own individuality. It was all recorded and documented internally by the team so shows in depth moments, both good and bad, and gives a view we wouldn’t have seen in any other way.
It showed everything from training sessions to major turning points in City’s season whilst also interviewing players directly post season and got their view of how they thought the season went and how much it meant to them. The players reflect on past losses including the 2021 UCL final and what went wrong and how the team grew and developed to become that treble winning team. It also includes a lot of footage from the crowds and how much it meant to the fans who are at the centre of the club.
The last episode focused on the 2023 final in Istanbul, showing that victorious moment when Rodri scored to secure the treble and the club’s first Champions League before taking a monologue approach from key players on the team like Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Jack Grealish on an emotional win and how special it was.
Embed from Getty ImagesIt then reflected on what the team went to do in the months after and how their success continued to grow. It taught me that to tell a story properly, you have to be at the heart of what you are reporting on and speaking to everyone from the players, to the manager, backroom staff, family and fans to get a whole idea of everything going on whether you are reporting on the good or the bad.
You have to make sure you have everything in line and it follows a chronological approach and tells a clear story. It has to appeal to both die hard fans and people who may just be getting into the sport as the Together documentary stands as something that can be adored by City fans, loved or envied by other football fans and bring intrigue to those who may just be getting into the sport.