Manchester City, Premier League
Eriksson gambles with unproven talent to elevate Manchester City into Europe
Sven-Göran Eriksson has excited some and inspired fear in others with a spending spree that has brought in numerous exotic yet mostly unknown names. The Swede’s outlay will total more than £40m by the end of the month but with elevated expectations, Eriksson has little scope for failure next season. A new owner, a high-profile, expensive [...]
Sven-Göran Eriksson has excited some and inspired fear in others with a spending spree that has brought in numerous exotic yet mostly unknown names. The Swede’s outlay will total more than £40m by the end of the month but with elevated expectations, Eriksson has little scope for failure next season.
A new owner, a high-profile, expensive manager and exceptional expenditure has galvanised Manchester’s secondary club into believing a return to Europe is imminent. While mediocrity under Kevin Keegan and Stuart Pearce resulted in restlessness, Eriksson is expected to transform City into regular top six finishers. Success is preferential to exciting football, but in the mania surrounding the changes at the club, City fans are craving both.
So can Eriksson’s mysterious imports satisfy the supporters’ thirst?
The former England coach has moved to cover all outfield positions with the introduction of defenders – Javi Garrido and Vedran Ćorluka; midfielders – Geovanni, Martin Petrov and Elano; and strikers – Rolando Bianchi and Valeri Bojinov. The cost will be £38m, making City the third highest spenders during the summer, and with the majority of the players arriving on the back of Eriksson’s knowledge and advice, the pressure on his shoulders for a successful opening campaign is huge.
Heavy investment mostly in young players with little international repute suggests an immediate revolution is unlikely
Eriksson’s strategy is the antithesis of Lawrie Sanchez’s at Fulham. The Londoners, who only narrowly avoided relegation last season, have spent more than £20m on players plying their trade in England and six of the seven signings are British. Sanchez says he does not wish to fritter away time on foreigners who cannot speak English and need time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League. Eriksson, conversely, has built a cosmopolitan squad, which perhaps is more talented but transferring the players’ potential into dazzling performances will inevitably take time and each foreigner comes with his own hazards.
An individual’s flair is, however, electrifying for supporters and splurging £8.8m on a single player is a signal of intent. That’s why Fulham are tipped for another flirt with relegation and Manchester City to be the surprise achievers.
Critics of Eriksson have begun to compile another dossier on why further failure awaits on British shores and heavy investment mostly in young players with little international repute suggests an immediate revolution is unlikely. The two best known of City’s summer dealings are Petrov, formerly of Atlético Madrid, who has consistently shone for Bulgaria and Elano, the Brazilian attacking midfielder who national coach Dunga has labelled as the country’s future. The 26-year-old rose to prominence a year ago, scoring twice against Argentina at the Emirates Stadium and like many Brazilians, is supremely technically gifted. The other five signings all have much to prove though, and unless they can excel – and quickly – Manchester City’s ambitions could be hindered.
Will Eriksson’s gamble provide Manchester City with a sensational season or spectacularly waste millions of pounds and complete their recent fall from grace?
Can Eriksson bring European football to Eastlands in 2008? Share your views by leaving a comment below.
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Interesting how when Liverpool sign Ryan Babel,Yossi Benayoun,Lucas Leiva,Nikolay Mihaylov, Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin and Manchester United pays many many millions for Anderson,Tomasz Kuszczak and Nani we do not hear the Doom Mongerers claiming ther are no British players or what a gamble Benetiz and Ferguson are taking. Yet when Sven, hated figure of the press does somthing not unsimilar to Wenger in the past,along with Ferguson and Benetiz the cry of gambler goes out from all corners. City fans are realistic and do not expect miracles in one season. What we are guaranteed is however improved entertainment and excitement with some decent results after a torid and extremely boring couple of years. All City fans knew where the weaknesses were and there were many. It would seem that it didn’t take Sven long to work it out either! Ideally the few strong players young lads will remain and the elderly and infirm can move on. Hopefully we can get into Europe at the end of this coming season. It would be for the betterment of the game in general if we can eventually mount a challange on the “Big Four.”
Manchester City
Rolando Bianchi (£8.8million)
Vedran Corluka (undisc.)
Elano (£8million)
Gelson Fernandes (undisc.)
Javi Garrido (£1.5million)
Geovanni (free)
Martin Petrov (£4.7million)*
Manchester United
Anderson (£18million)
Owen Hargreaves (undisc.)
Tomasz Kuszczak (undisc.)
Nani (undisc.)
Thus article says more about the lack of knowledge by Matthew Day of any footballers outside the Premiership than it does about the way SGE is rebuilding his side. Still if an elongated cliche is what you are looking for then Day is your man.
I must agree with the author of the previous posting. As an avid Blue, I have been watching with a mixture of excitement and trepidation as Sven moves in a raft of largely unknown players. However, he has bought experience in Petrov and Elano, and does have Dunne and Richards from City’s old squad to supplement the new signings. The club’s Academy has provided some pretty decent players in recent years - Wright-Phillips, Barton for example - and in Johnson, Ireland, Onouha and Sturridge
City have plenty of young talent to call on. I don’t expect us to be challenging for a top four place for at least two to three years and will be quite happy if we can get to between eighth and tenth with attacking, entertaining football. What Sven is doing for Manchester City is raising the club’s profile from rock bottom. We do not want to be a joke club any more but neither do supporters have expectations that cannot be realised.
To VancouverIslandBlue - Could not have put it any better myself. It’s journalistic hypocrisy of the highest order - sadly something I’ve grown used to in the 20+ years I’ve supported City for. I, like every other Blue I’ve spoken to recently am looking forward to the new season but more in anticipation rather than expectation because let’s face it, this new team just has to be more entertaining than the one we watched last season.
It will be a lot better than watching the touch line Jester trying to motivate the team to score one home league goal since New Years Day, and lowest total of goals scored by any team in the history of the English top flight. We City fans know it will take time for the team to gel, but that does not stop my excitement at the prospect of watching Elano, Giovanni, or Petrov. Oh and Pearce did pay £6m for that uncut diamond Samaras I seem to recall, £4.7m for Petrov is a steal. Sven ignore the press and keep on spending, your a legend already up here!!