To be honest, D.D., I thought City lacked balance more than anything last year. Robinho isn't a 4-4-2 player, he's probably best used in a 4-3-3. IMO, Hughes needs to utilize Ireland, and I think with the signings so far, he's going to do just that. I think Ireland is at his best when he's allowed to break forward and support the forward, when he gets in the box and links play with 1-2's and so on, I felt at times City were playing with Ireland high up the field, and then Kompany really deep in the midfield, but there was nothing inbetween, this is where Barry fits perfectly. He'll get on the ball in the middle of the field and keep things ticking, he can control things pretty well and he has great all round ability. I can see Ireland in the coming years moving into a role similar to that of Gerrard's with us, he just looks so good and dangerous when he's in the final third, you have to utilize him there as much as possible.

If Hughes was to use a formation similar to ours, a formation that is pretty standard around the premier league now, you could say de Jong is your Masch, Barry your Alonso and Ireland your Gerrard. Obviously it isn't as strong, but in terms of balance and ability, it's fantastic and shouldn't be bullied by the stronger sides.

Even then, City still have plenty of options, they could easily switch it to more of a 4-4-2 with a Tevez/RSC partnership, or a Tevez/Adebayor partnership, or move Robinho into the middle behind a big target man like Adebayor.

City look a top side already but even I have to question their defence, it's not just the centre back, I'm not that sure on Zabaleta, he's impressed at times but he's never assured me that he can cut it at the very top. Bridge is solid, but Garrido, even as back up? I'm not that sure on him, either.

City obviously have more work to do in the transfer market, but if Sparky can get a formation settled and hit the ground running, I feel they could overtake Arsenal with surprising ease.

Keep dreaming



Would you not be disappointed with 5th? Seeing as we've reached 5th the last two seasons, 6th the season before, and 4th seasons earlier without spending much.

I know it takes time to gel and all that just makes you wonder why buy all these players now for a high price because the majority of them will leave in 12 months for half the price, no doubt.

That is until his team start getting to the latter stages of competitions and/or possibly CL football. Then he'll be whinging other teams have stronger/bigger squads

City have to make the Champions League or it'll be a complete and utter disaster for them.

The suggestion that they know what they are doing is bizarre. They are just slapping bids in left right and centre without thinking. Their approach in going for proven CL players is wrong IMO. Instead of signing a 29/30 year old Terry for £45m why not sign the next John Terry at 22/23 for £15m so they'll enjoy 10 years of quality rather than maybe two or three.

They approach squad building like a lot of us did in Football Manager on the PC when we got bored and cheated by giving our teams unlimited money.

The bitterness/jealousy is hilarious. Have you make similar posts about Real Madrid by chance? Because I'd be prepared to suggest that we've probably actually got the cash to spend and aren't having to borrow any of it – we certainly paid off the Barry transfer in one go; no installments.

£5 million for Zamora bwahahahahahahahahahahaha fergie was right when he said prices are inflated

That, IMO, is nonsense.

They were a mile off the pace last season. Yes they have strengthened, at great expense, but that doesn't mean they'll automatically be able to compete with very strong sides who have masses of experience of CL qualification.

They have a slight bonus for this season in that they aren't in Europe so they don't have that distraction, but IMO they'd probably still be better off by having a good year in the Europa League rather than getting straight to the CL and going out in qualification or the group stages.



Jesus ****ing Christ. That's so simple. Why hasn't anyone thought of doing that?

I'll tell you why. It's because no one knows who the next John Terry will be. They could spend 15m on the next JT and he could fall flat on his face and end up being the next Robert Fleck (I know Fleck was a striker, but I really can't be ar5ed thinking of defensive failures).



So what? They have a huge financial advantage at the moment and they are using. Just like anyone else would. That financial advantage doesn't mean they will automatically be successful though. And if they are a expensive failure, the majority of people will take a delight in that.

Is it just me thats happy to see city splashing the cash? Since the Premier League started all Utd have done is bought success according to city fans. If city don't win anything this year with a possible £200m outlay then their claims over the last 20 years are going to look rather silly.

No, it's not just you. I'm happy because it is a new and interesting story in the Premier League. And I'm also happy because if/when they fail it will prove that our success was about more than just money.

I agree that full back, especially left back, will probably be our weakest area. I dont claim to be as familiar with overseas players as some on here but it doesnt seem to me that there are that many top class fullbacks around who can defend and attack. I would have been reasonably happy if we'd signed Johnson but even then I dont think he would have improved us defensively.

As for Garrido, I think he will be a back up back up until another left back can be signed. I doubt if he'll get a place on the bench and we'll probably use Barry or Lescott (if Everton sell) as cover for Bridge.

Does anyone else agree that signing Adebayor could be the worst bit of business City could do?

In Bellamy, RSC, Robinho and Tevez they have a god mix up front. Not sure that EA has the right attitude to be part of squad rotation, he has only delivered in one season for Arsenal and if he does not get his way he could end up upsetting moral.

It will be interesting to see if Hughes can handle the pressure this season and if he is able to manage bigger players and a bigger squad.

A 28-year-old centre back should be good for more than 3 years comfortably. Barring the unpredictable, 5 years minimum.

The ideal is to buy 1 of each, and then if Onuoha emerges as some seem to think he'll learn from the experienced man coming in and then take over.

Why am I bitter? I support Everton, we've been unable to win anything in years because of the financial system in football, so one more team spending £x00m more than us isn't going to make much difference to me.

What I've been saying if you actually read any of it rather than just coming back with the jealousy angle is that a) English football suffers from things like this (Why bring kids through when you can spend £50m on a superstar?) And that b) City aren't making good decisions when it comes to signings. Why sign Terry for £45m? At 29 is that a good deal? Is Adebayor at £25m a good idea? No they're not but City fans seem to think it'll go on forever and that the mistakes they make won't matter as they'll just buy again. It makes no sense.

I would hate to suggest United as a counter arguement but you have to look at their transfer policy and their continued success and wonder if City are doing the right thing. Sure they can afford it, but is it right?

Football at the top level is f*cked, but it's not just because city are splashing the cash. It started when Sky and the Premier League breakaway kept the cash up at the top level. Jack Walker throwing his fortune at Blackburn's success; United whoring themselves out to the entire world to pull in cash and then allowing an American family to plunge them in hundreds of millions of pounds worth of debt in what was nothing more than a money-making exercise; Chelsea being bought by a Russian Billionaire and throwing money around left, right and centre; Liverpool selling out to Americans in the hope it would end their trophy drought, only to get lumbered with a crippling debt; Real Madrid being allowed to spend much money than they actually have...

I could go on. It's utterly ludicrous. That's nothing to do with bitterness, either, more a heavy heart seeing the way the game has gone. And it's not something you can lay firmly at city's feet, either. They're only doing what most other clubs would do if given the chance. That's the sad thing about it - everyone's willing to bend over and become some rich man's plaything in order to chase success. It's happening even down at North West Counties level and puts many clubs in danger. If any of these people get bored and f*ck off, it could push many of them over the edge.

Just my opinion, like. In the meantime, I'll look forward to city's trophy quest going belly-up spectacularly.

If Adebayor doesn't work at citeh and the balance between the other attackers is good then he'll not be in the side. If he is a failure at citeh then there's a good chance of recouping much of their outlay by shipping him off to Milan or Barca.

They'll also be weakening Arsenal a little and Arsenal will have to take a punt on someone new.

It's a risk, but a small one IMO.

You're making yourself look a bit silly aren't you?

No-one has set ourselves a target of the Champions League this season, not the owner, the chairman, the manager or the fans. The brief was simple, first year top ten, second year Europe, third year Champions League, fourth year, Championship challenge. No-one is stupid enough to believe that our squad is good enough for the top four at this moment, let alone it being a disaster if we don't get there.

So what you are saying is that the club doesn't know what it's doing, the manager doesn't but you know better. I remain to be convinced by this.

All this talk about us not going for young players too is strange. It's quite clear that we have a very large number of young players in the squad (including many recently bought) and we need a few proven, quality older players to get that right blend.

Can you tell me what the average age of a big core of our squad, Ireland, Johnson, Onuoha, Richards, De Jong, Kompany and Zabaleta is please?

You see, in that lot you've got your players for the future and I dare say if we spot a next John Terry we can look at him too. However, we have the money to get the current one and the new one if need be. We are not in an 'either or' situation.

I must admit, I'm loving all this bitterness and jealousy heading our way at the moment and, at the moment, 99% of it is heading from the blue half of Liverpool.

I know, the way that Portsmouth spend a billion quid to win the FA Cup made me puke. The way that Millwall spent so much money just to get to the FA Cup final - disgusting.



Wasn't that superstar a kid once, who a club brought through? Didn't that 50m fee go to the selling club? There's a massive incentive to bring kids through when quality kids can bring in so much money.



What if your crystal ball is faulty and Terry and Adebayor help citeh to a top 2 finish?



Man United have had decades of advantages that no one else has had, You cannot take their transfer policy and implement it at a club that has had a massively different recent history.

I doubt he can. I'm not even convinced that he is making the decisions now.

[url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sunderland/8151876.stm£12m for Crouch?[/url



Sunderland or Fulham. Outrageous.

Imagine the giddy-o-meter if we have a bad season and Tevez does "the Law".

Yes, because Manchester United buying Rio Ferdinand really affected Jonny Evans' progress and development.

Not happening

No, but the £250,000,000 has done it for you. Realistically you've got to finish 4th out of 5 teams. Fail and a lot of the players will start to think twice about being there, the only comfort being the money.

Lee Cattermole?!