Do Manchester City fans know what their team will look like after January?
The sky blues declared themselves European contenders in the summer after their Abu Dhabi takeover, most notably by the huge last-minute signing of Robinho. However, their potential hasn’t been completely evident so far and they sit fifteenth in the Premier League, the owners aren’t happy. They have compiled good and poor results in a topsy-turvy season. They sit second on the goal scoring table with twenty nine, second only to Chelsea with thirty three respectively.
So the talent is there but it is not shining and the Abu Dhabi owners would rather use big money transfers as solutions. Many names have been mentioned with recent speculation regarding Real Madrid shot-stopper, Iker Casillas. The club apparently offered a mammoth £129 million to Madrid for their keeper, but Casillas is said to have knocked back the deal. Kaka has also been mentioned, with reports suggesting that the 2007 European Player of the Year has been talking to countrymen Robinho and Elano about City. The brilliant Brazilian has made it clear he wants to play in the Premier League, and with City stating he is on their radar, he might get his wish sooner rather than later.
But it seems they are not lacking up front but at the back. They have been scoring but not defending, so it would seem they would be better of bringing in a solid defender. Considering they are heavily cashed up, it seems they could tempt nearly any player in the world to join them but with the club at fifteenth and struggling in Europe, big name players may refuse to join. I think that if they could capture Kaka, it would be another great signing but I believe they need a defender.
They have been talking about a swoop for Kolo Toure from Arsenal and it wouldn’t be a bad signing at all. The Ivorian has lost his starting place in the first eleven at the north London club and may want a move. He would add experience and at his best, can be very solid. Don’t forget that stinging right foot he has either.
My Transfer: Kolo Toure (Arsenal FC)
With arguably the biggest shopping list worldwide, the fringe players at City might find it very hard to stay at the club. Players like Ben Haim, Hamann, Ball, Petrov and even Jo apparently on notice.
With more huge signings expected in January these players could be booking flights out of Eastlands. Jo appears to be safe, for now, as manager Mark Hughes stated that he believes Jo will find his touch again very soon, but at the moment Mark Hughes isn’t even guaranteed his place.
This soon may turn into a club like Madrid, a long term injury might seal a transfer to another club, the owners want success and they want it now. This is the case with Petrov, but I think Ben Haim has been poor this season, so I think he will be transferred by City if they are looking into defensive players like Kolo Toure.
My Most Likely To Leave: Tal Ben Haim
Manchester City fans – who will be coming and leaving this January?
Topics: English Premier League, Football Transfers, Manchester City
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They’ll be wearing blue shirts. Except when they wear orange ones, or black and red vertical stripes
December 12th, 2008 @ 12:37Petrov a fringe player? Are you having a laugh?
I agree on the rest though. By the way, it was said this is a 10 year project… noone said we are title contenders apart from the press. Other than that, this article was not too bad considering it was written by a rag…
December 12th, 2008 @ 13:13Sounds like someone who hasn’t got a clue about football.
I think basically we need to strengthen all round the pitch to become title contenders. At the moment we have some players that are capable of competing with the best and some others can capable of developing into that role.
First and foremost we need a strong midfield to balance the front with the back and to offer protection to the back and some ball gathering ability to bolster the front line balnace.
I think if we are going to pay big big money at the moment then in the middle of the park is where we have to do it.
In january hopefully we can do that, and it would be a bonus to land Cruz and the likes of Upson, Glenn Johnson and Wayne Bridge (Or Toure)
I expect we might even try and land a keeper only to provide us with some depth because Hart is a quality keeper and you can see him coming along nicely week by week, he will be Enlgands #1.
Come the summer I think realistically if we can move up to about 6 or 7th then we may well be in for a spending spree to eclipse all other spending sprees. Undoutably some top players will be jumping on board the MCFC freight train before it departs fromt he platform.
But at the end of the day Hughes is no muppet and his staff are well versed in transfer procedures and they have an eye for quaility and how to make that quality work. The team needs to be built steadily becuae only when new players come in will the balance and quality shift to another part of the field.
I think realistially if we are going to get into the Champs league it could take us another 2 years to qualify for that.
Possibly we wil be playing in it on the 2010/2011 season.
Keep Hughes, keep all of the team until the summer then start severing those that are not up to scratch.
MCFC till I die!
December 12th, 2008 @ 14:49City need to add Frings or Diarra and quickly. Santa Cruz, Bridge would be good additions even if they become squad players next year. Hughes needs confidence and confidence of his owners and I think he can achieve it with these purchases. He will however face the same dilemma he faces now – trying to keep more players convinced they have a future role. At best sixth and a quaterfinal berth in the EUFA cup.
Villa, Schweinsteigerm, Clichy, Canavaro and Buffon in the summer.
December 12th, 2008 @ 15:15Matthew Upson, Lassanna Diarra, Cambiasso, Bridge, Santa Cruz and Villa need to be brought in my the end of the season. We need another centre back to add to Richards, Ben Haim and dunne. In my opinion Dunne and Ben Haim have been poor. A left back is needed Garrido and Ball simply are not good enough. And we need another defensive midfielder to sit in my Kompany so you can allow Robinho, Ireland and Wright Phillips to be free. Upfront needs to be strengthened as we simply don’t have one top class striker who currently has the ability to score 20 goals a season apart from Robinho.
Who agrees???
Who does not agree??
December 12th, 2008 @ 15:59STRUGGLING IN EUROPE??
December 12th, 2008 @ 23:34Are we thinking of the same competition?