Manchester City, Premier League
Season Preview - Man City: A season of progress should beckon
Tim Wigmore analyses what Man City fans can hope for under Mark Hughes, Jo - and Thaksin Shinawatra.
2007/8 In A Nutshell Sven Goran Eriksson’s arrival initially brought a fantastic spell of results, and superlative home form. Amongst a plethora of new signings, Martin Petrov and especially Elano dazzled at first, although this became less frequent as the season progressed. Ultimately the lack of a potent striker proved costly, and Man City’s form gradually deteriorated - not helped by the constant speculation surrounding Eriksson’s future. Ultimately ninth place, including a double over Man Utd, represented an improvement on most pre-season predictions, leaving a sound base for Mark Hughes to inherit.
Summer Activity The most important activity concerned the managerial change. Eriksson’s sacking was fundamentally unjust, for he did as well as could have been reasonably expected. Many would have feared a puppet in his place; instead City fans could celebrate the appointment of Mark Hughes, who did a terrific job at Blackburn and is not the kind of man who would let the owner do his job for him. The signing of Jo had Thaksin’s hallmarks, admittedly - but the forward is a high-class player who most managers would relish signing. He is joined by Tal Ben Haim, so impressive for Bolton if not Chelsea, whilst a series of high wage-earners and low-quality performers, including Georgios Samaras, departed.
Key Men City’s strength lies in their defence; in inspirational club skipper Richard Dunne, the commanding Micah Richards and highly promising goalkeeper Joe Hart, they have the best back three outside the big four. However, the real problems lie further up the pitch: relegated Birmingham City mustered more goals last season. Hence much will rely upon Jo, who arrives for £18million. Can he live up to the price-tag and hype? His excellence for CSKA Moscow, including two Champions League goals against Inter Milan, suggests yes. Realistically, however, at 21 he will surely take a while to show his best form, especially as he will miss the start of the season due to Olympics commitments.
Rising Star Joe Hart began last season out of the side, but made such an impression that he ended it making his England debut. A superb shot-stopper and supremely athletic, Hart has all the attributes to be England’s number one for a decade. Then again, he will have to cope with increased expectations this campaign, something which recent English goalkeeping prodigies - Paul Robinson, Scott Carson and Chris Kirkland amongst them - have struggled with. Do not be surprised to find Man City’s fantastic youth structure unearth another gem too.
Coach Mark Hughes has proved he has the attributes to succeed with four years of sterling Premier League work with Blackburn. Unobtrusively, he is a man who commands instant respect. His Blackburn side was tenacious, certainly, but also surprisingly attractive, helped by Hughes’ dab hand in the transfer market. In short, Manchester City could not have hoped to recruit a man more suitable to the job. The only real doubts concern his ability to handle big-name players and a weight of expectations greater than that encountered at Ewood Park, regardless of what recent performances might suggest.
Prospects For 2008/9 The club have retained the key players from last campaign. Aided by the two new signings - effectively three, if 22-year-old poacher Valeri Bojinov is free of the injuries which decimated his ‘07/08 - and with several young players gaining in experience and confidence, all signs point to an improvement on last season. City’s depth of squad should be adequate to survive a Uefa Cup campaign, too; and, injuries permitting, they have the calibre of players to go far in the competition. Fundamentally City fans have much to be hopeful of, even though concerns over Thaksin ‘doing a Romanov’ will serve to check their optimism.
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Here we go again!!!!
Still, I prefer a good promotion race.
Hughes is my hero!!!!
Totally agree, god to hear Blues sat that. Can I have your number?
What? Who writes this garbage? City are imploding. Thaksin’s refusing to answer charges in Thailand, and will therefore be found guilty of corruption by deafault. City’s wage bill is now more than their income, in effect they are therefore insolvent. They are finished, probably wont be able to finish the season. And this clown predicts a 6th place finish? Who wrote this, an intern?
I’m a die hard fan but I have to agree with Mr Wallace. City have some (more) dark times ahead of them. the New Manager and not least New Chairman, must be looking hard into the mirror at night wondering why they took on this assignemnt. The Chairman was a top exec at Nike going places and Hughes was and is a top class manager with tonnes of potential. I don’t cry for their careers as they will undoubtably repair themselves…cream always floats to the top, I cry for the City fans because yet again we see another Blue Moon sinking before it rose.
CORRECTION on previous Post;
..I was in agreement with “Paul” not Mr Wallace.
Andrew Higginbotham The fact that you don’t even appear to know who you agree with says much about your arguments. Paul is clearly a rag and a particularly dim witted one at that. The article is well written and devoid of the usual clap trap one reads in these things. Given that Cook and Hughes are top class managers says it all.If a club depends on a benevolent millionaire to take it forwards its hardly the foundation for sustained success. Even Abramovich has his limits. City will have another good season. Have some belief. These are very early days yet.
I reaaly really wish all these doom and gloom city fans would fuck off and support another club. Being a city fan is difficult enough but i still remember being relegated with stoke ten years ago. If it all goes wrong, then it all goes wrong. My kids dont suffer. Its just a game for fucks sake. Lets see what hughes can do, if hes not good then we can let one of the clever armchair smartarse doom and gloomers have a crack with their experience.
I find all this somewhere between negative and just uneducated.
City have a sound base to build on, good manager and some good talent to work with. I dont expect too much this season but Hughes, if given time, will make city a force again.
As for city going insolvent, you dont know much about business. There is always money availiable IF you are prepared to put the club into debt (i.e Man U -800 million). I dont think city will need to go down that road. Thaskin seems as corrupt as they come, if the pressure gets too much and he gets extradited id expect to see him hand/sell/give the club to a relative or partner. These people dont get where they are by being naive or honest.
Things could be a lot worse !!!