Chelsea, La Liga, Manchester City, Premier League, South America
Robinho: The most remarkable signing
Man City’s new, multi-billionaire owners from Abu Dhabi are certainly not lacking in ambition. Their three-year plan – top four; Premier League champions; then Champions League winners – is easy to mock. The signing of Robinho, however, is rather harder to.
In its almost incongruous nature, it immediately evokes West Ham’s twin signings of Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez two summers ago. The difference is there is much less ambiguity over the nature of the deal. Robinho is a Manchester City player, with no contractual ambiguities. City are in debt to no one, save their Arabic owners.
And it is astonishing.
Earlier in the summer, Man City were strongly linked with Ronaldinho. That, of course, would have been something extraordinary: the man who performed such astonishing deeds at Barcelona, and was World Footballer of the Year in 2004 and 2005.
But the signing of Robinho should excite Man City fans considerably more. Ronaldinho was the best player in the world. Yet, for two years, his output has palpably diminished. It has been a painful sight: a superstar suffering from problems of weight and seemingly motivation, reduced to an outcast at a club he took to such brilliant heights. Hence, there would have been serious worries had Ronaldinho joined Man City, a fear he was using the club as an extended retirement home.
Robinho is something else altogether. At 24, no one need worry that he is in terminal decline or merely money-grabbing. He was wanted at Real Madrid; but he has become unhappy – he was mooted as a makeweight in a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, and was barred from playing in the Olymipics. Subsequently, he was desperate to leave – even to a club whose presence in the Uefa Cup first round owes to remarkable good fortune.
Simply put, he is a brilliant player. He possesses pace, finishing ability and audacious skill sufficient to become a regular in the Brazil side. A fee of £32.5million sounds extortionate and is certainly steep, but, in light of the fee for Dimitar Berbatov, seems almost reasonable.
As ever with such a high-profile transfer, questions remain. Will Robinho improve on his disappointing Real Madrid strike-rate, which amounted to only a goal every four games? Where, exactly, will he play? Will he be happy at a club for whom fourth would represent nirvana? And will he feel motivated when Chelsea was the club in his sights?
Reality has a habit of biting hard. It is a sobering thought that, when there was last a similarly extraordinary, bolt-from-the-blue transfer involving an exotic South American, Tevez took until February to score his first goal for his new club. Robinho is not the best player in the world; he will not win games off his own boot from the start. But he is nonetheless a superb player and, perhaps most importantly, emphatically has his best years ahead.
In Mark Hughes, he has a strong-willed manager who should refrain from over-indulging him, and will not accept anything less than complete respect for his methods. Providing he can coax something close to Robinho’s best then, with a host of proven high-quality Premier League performers alongside him, then Man City, in stark contrast to their doom-leaden pre-season, really could have a chance of a Champions League spot.
Whatever happens, Robinho’s acquisition is stunning testament to the aspirations of Man City’s new owners. His signing complete let City’s Championship Manager evoking shortlist for the next transfer window commence.
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11 comments for “Robinho: The most remarkable signing”
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KENYON OUT. Enough said. My season ticket will pick up dust until we rid our club of the most vile man in football.
This is a human story, not a football one. After what Robinho has been saying publically, he just had to leave Madrid who would not sell him to Chelsea. So he leaves Real Madrid for a team that hasn’t won anything for 32 years and isn’t playing in the Champions League. So deep down he still isn’t where he wants to be. Poor lad.
“Kenyon out”? You’re an idiot.
But I second Ray’s comment. Real Madrid refuse to sell to Chelsea. Robinho has burned his bridges. And here he is, at City, with a manager who knew nothing about his arrival and a season scrapping for a UEFA Cup spot. Good luck to him. Hope he’s a fighter.
Mr Ray Knight,
just remind yourself of how long it was Chelsea had won the league before your money came.
A very small mind and memory.
Poor Lad.
How galling for Chelski fans who find themselves unable to compete with greater financial muscle. How deliciously ironic, get used to it lads. What’s it like to be outcashed?
As another Chelsea season ticket holder, I agree, Kenyon has to go.
Robinho said his head was at Chelsea just 2 days ago. It seemed like we were the club on his mind for quite some time. Can you change your mind so quickly?
Will he make his debut against the club he really wanted to join?
Ray knight, let’s look to the future shall we, not the gloomy past !! The future is light blue..bring it on !!!
I love it!!! I’m a chelsea season ticket holder and good luck to Man City. The simple fact is that as soon as City had an offer accepted then all we had to do was offer the equivalant. Then Madrid would have had to accept or release the fact they just didnt want him to send him to us!! Anyway we didnt offer so we cant of wanted him that much, So why chase him all summer!!
I already hated Kenyon before this, but cant blame him. Anyways City should have offered for Owen as he is someone whos club can have heads turned by money. And who does robinho replace city boys.. petrov, SWP?? Ps Man U should be punished for ‘Berbagate’, we were for a cabby saying we had a meeting with no proof… fergie had photos taken!!!
xsx
I am sure Chelsea would have paid the transfer fee were it not for the fact that RM did not want to sell to a Champions League rival plus without having landed any ’stars’ in return.
That said, it should have been wrapped up much sooner which has to go down to Kenyons handling (and the last bit of posturing was not helped by the online shirt issue). Perhaps behind it all was the still fresh lesson of another 30million wasted on Shevchenko - however Robinho is by far a more attractive proposition - 24, best years before him and fixed part of the Brazil national team where his nickname is ‘Prince’ to Pele’s ‘King’…..
Malouda must be happier this morning
Hey Richard if you,re not using your season ticket I,ll have it, kenyon is a cant though
jack mill…just shut ur mouth….y cant we compete…world class player managed by an average coach.duno wot robinho was finking but see him going down d ladder…fink he went 4 d money..man city..(no CL)does he ave self pride at all…it obvious he doesnt…good luck 2 him n hope he wld be on the losing side come sept 13th…like SWP….close 2 ma heart..gl 2 ya