Right, let me make one thing clear – I’m not writing Man City off. It’s obvious that they harbor genuine title aspirations and are going about their aims in a decent enough way.
I just don’t think they’ve drastically improved their team so far this season.
I hear you scoff – “the boy thinks Mancini has wasted £75million, mug!” – but what have City got for their money?
David Silva, at £24million, is a slight improvement on Craig Bellamy. On paper, yes, he’s a better player than the Welshman, but the former West Ham frontman played brilliantly last season and Silva would do well to match those performances, let alone better them.
Yaya Toure, for me, is akin to Nigel De Jong and Gareth Barry. I don’t see him as a stand-out, must-have acquisition for a side that were already well stocked in the engine room.
What exactly justifies his £220,000 weekly wage? Everyone harks on about his time at Barca but, if he was so invaluable, why did Sergio Busquets find it so easy to displace the Ivorian?
And Aleksandar Kolarov is expected to confirm his switch to Eastlands in the coming days, but is the £17million Lazio left back actually any better than Wayne Bridge?
It seems to me that Roberto Mancini is spending money for the sake of it.
Jerome Boateng is a signing that I approve of – you’ll be surprised to hear – as their right-back and centre-back positions have been their weakest.
A move for Wolfsburg hit-man Edin Dzeko has been mooted, but would he oust Carlos Tevez or Emmanuel Adebayor? What was the point of signing Roque Santa Cruz if you had no intention of playing him?
I don’t begrudge City putting their weight about, if any club deserves this chance it’s them and their long suffering fans.
But, in the interests of the team, I don’t know if these big money buys are going to do any good. Players like Bellamy, Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards and Bridge will all be forced out of the line-up and, possibly, out of the club.
I can only see that as being detrimental.
Despite that, I see City challenging for the title, but it’s not as clear cut as is being made out.
Lee Price runs Football-Previews, the one-stop shop for all your football needs.
Why sign Santa Cruz when he was injured (just for a change) – that was a waste of money.
Yaya toure is much more than a defensive mid, which De jong is. As for barry, he has been a major disappointment. Toure bridges the gap between midfield and attack.
City lacked creativity last season, Bellamy although winning favour, went missing for a fair part of the season down to his lack of quality with the final ball. Silva adds creative flair and class to the attack to compliment tevez and co.
i really dont see how Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards and Bridge not being in the starting line up is detrimental. You clearly have watched very little of city.
At what point did Ireland cover himself in glory last season for Hughes of mancini- exactly he didn’t. Lazy, and lacking quality. Completely one dimensional player.
Wayne Bridge is a terrible left back, position wise, he let city down on several occasions last season. His crossing is embarrassing, from over 60 crosses, only one successfully met a blue shirt. How is losing him detrimental to the side. Kolarov is top young player,
RSC spent last season injured, how can he be relied upon to be a decent backup for the two strikers?
Silva or Bellamy ? 24 yr old member of the World Cup winning team or a 31 yr old who by his own admission can’t see more than two more seasons out due to extensive knee problems – something which also keeps him out one every three games or so (very good player though). Kolarov or Bridge? …come on…a wall made from pre-dunked jammy dodgers would perform better than Wayne – the weakest area on the pitch by miles. Yaya….hmmm jury is out on this one for me until i watch him play although i’d like to see Barry do more for me to believe the hype – maybe this will wake him up a bit as i’m not really convinced so far. Boatang – no problem, get in son! Three good purchases (if Kolarov comes that is) in my book – wait and see on Yaya. It was last year that the most money was wasted K.Toure, RSC, Bridge, Lescott (24mill!!)…emabarrasing at times. Forza Mancini. CTID.
Kolo – I think you allow your bias to cloud your objectivity.
When did Stephen Ireland cover himself in glory? You are aware that he as the club’s player of the season for the 2009 season..? He is far from one-dimensional, and is more creative than Yaya Toure.
Wayne Bridge is not a terrible full back, and when have you watched Kolarov on a regular basis to judge him to be a top young player?
I’m not saying they are BAD signings, I just don’t think they’re TOP signings as is being made out.
Diplacing the likes of Richards, Bridge, Bellamy, Ireland etc is detrimental because it takes away the English core that City have always had – maybe it’s you that hasn’t watched much of the Blues…
CptPattern – You hype Silva as part of the World Cup winning team, but he started just one game – Spain’s only loss – before he was dropped.
Does that not say anything?
Bellamy and Bridge need to be given more credit. I do agree that last summer saw a lot of waste – though Tevez paid dividends – but I think this season is following a similar route.
Like I said, though, I see your side as definite challengers.
It’s not hype Lee – Silva was a part of the Spanish team – i didn’t claim him to be the fulcrum of the side, which would indeed have been hype. He was there – which suggests that he has been allowed his place through past merit, which in turn, at the age of 24, suggests that there is more ‘in his locker’ for the future than in Craigs. I can’t wax lyrical about him as i haven’t seen him play in the Premiership yet so it’s all conjecture. Bellamy has had more credit lauded upon him by blues this last season and a half than any time in his career that i can remember so i really don’t think that he will be ever be perceived as underappreciated when he looks back at his time at City. And i’m sorry bud but the only credit Wayne should get is for his phone – how do you define ‘not terrible’ ?
I don’t think Bridge is terrible. Ashley Cole aside, he is the best English left back around. Kolarov, really, is an unknown quantity. I agree Bridge had a below-par campaign last year, but terrible is a bit harsh.
Back to the overall topic, you make very valid points about Silva, and he’s a player I rate – as are each of the players you’ve signed – but are they truly enough to catapult you into title contenders?
I think the squad you had was already strong, but a centre back and attacking midfielder shoud’ve been the priorities. I don’t think you’ve done that yet.
For me, as a neutral, it makes the league more entertaining though – so really I’m wishing for more for your boys!
Let the city spend money as much as they want. Afterall many teams have some benchwarmers or problematic players to sell. Adebayor,Lescott,Tevez and Barry ,all have been problematic for their old teams. Well, Yaya toure has been bench warming for long, now he can enjoy the riches. It is sooner or later they will face a time like that of Leeds United or New castle united, having lot of big time players but no good performances. For a team to succeed there is need for loyal players,not greedy ones. Thanks to City many teams can reduce their debts and buy multiple players with the amount of money they get.
Ireland is one dimensional Hughes dropped him deeper in the midfield, moved him wide, he couldnt compete in these roles as he has a limited physical element to his game. Mancini Played him behind the striker last season and he still failed to deliver both with form and effort. He doesn’t deserve a starting place. As for Silva, was he not used the same as Fabregas, regarded as one of the best midfielder in the world.
Wayne Bridge had a very bad season, hasn’t impressed since he arrived at the club. The stat about his crossing isn’t a joke. He could pass to a city shirt all season. He was also responsible for several goals, being caught out of position. Kolorov is an attacking player, much like bale is for tottenham. Mancini likes the backs to push forward and contribute to the attack.
Yaya toure is more in line with Vieira, he is more than capable of getting forward with the ball at his feet and also winning ball in the middle. Barry hasnt shown those capabilities, slow and ponderous for most of the season. De jong is very much a defensive player, good for ball retention but his close distribution means we lack a link in the midfield. Ireland doesnt have the physical game to provide this role. Silva is a creative player with decent pedigree a well capped Spanish international and champions league regular.
I dont know what type of players you were expecting us to sign, I think the process has been better than going out and trying to sign kaka,s and robinho’s. Instead we have top international players, that will add something to our already strong squad.
Ireland can not live off a player of the season award, he failed to produce for the second half of that season. Reverting to what is now his normal form. Richards has had two poor seasons. He needs to competition to encourage his development on and off the pitch. I am personally more excitied about seeing the return of Lescott who began to look good last season, Adam Johnson and of course Michael Johnson. Along side some of our graduate who featured last season. Wiess, boyata and co.
I go to all the games at City and away, I struggle to how richards, bridge and ireland formed a backbone to the side. All were marginalised last season through poor form.
Bellamy perhaps, because of his workrate warrants credit, but city can not rely on a player who struggles to play 2 games in a row fitness wise. Isnt the best with the final ball or a great dribbler. Every team needs a work horse, we have a fair few including SWP.
Lee – an attacking midfieder and an excellent center back were definate priorities – can’t argue at all with you there, but the most cosistently weak area was left back throughout the whole of last season – when Bridge came in Hughes said he had a great engine, could run all day and had a tremendous left foot – apart from Chelsea away last season i’m seriously struggling to think of a match he made any real positive impact on and he’s so one footed it’s laughable at times! if you stand to his left he has to run in a complete circle to get rid of the ball again! he ends up down near the corner flag or giving away a corner because he cant toe it 10 yards with his right. No……..he’s terrible! Ending up like Leeds or the Toon……….we wrote the book! haha we’ve all been down there already for so long we only do optimism nowadays – at least grant us a bit of that. I’m afraid having big time players is a prerequisite if you want to challenge for anything these days – will they give good performances?…..well thats the risk isn’t it. Have a good weekend chaps – it’s been lovely.
ps – i don’t see a title challenge this season – top 3? eeek!
“Diplacing the likes of Richards, Bridge, Bellamy, Ireland etc is detrimental because it takes away the English core that City have always had – maybe it’s you that hasn’t watched much of the Blues…”
That’s a strange English core, given it’s got a Welshman and an Irishman in it.
DangerHere should really stick to documenting the guff. These attempts at serious columns are almost always rubbish.
So, let me get this straight. This article is saying that City haven’t improved a squad that finished 5th last year, but will challenge for the title this season? Sounds like guff to me!
Jack – clearly I meant British, apologies for the typo there.
Eoin – I don’t think City have improved their squad much, but I do think they’ll still challenge. The reason? Because the four teams above them (less so Spurs) have moved BACKWARDS.
This article was intended to instigate debate and it has certainly done that.