The Manchester City Thread

Manchester City, as any discerning Premier League historian will tell you, were established on 31st August, 2008 – the mother of all deadline days. That was the day that City were bought by ADUG – a group headed by petro-billionaire Sheikh Mansour. Robinho cried bemused, bitter tears, and several thousand fake sheikhs waved printed twenties at what was to become the Etihad.

Of course, while City’s current trajectory is inextricably tied to that seismic day, fans can point to two league titles as evidence of a rich, successful history. The naysayers will retort - in all honesty, prior to the takeover, when were City last genuine title contenders? The City fan, eyes misting over, will reply - November 2007.

Just 9 months prior to ADUG’s arrival, Stephen Ireland lashed a loose ball into the net - earning City an injury time win against Reading - and promptly dropped trou to reveal a pair of Superman pants. It was a bizarre celebration at the crest of an unfathomable run of form. City, relegation favourites for most of the summer previous, could scent the dizzying aroma of the Champions League.

At the close of that tumultuous summer, a door opened into an unassuming Eastlands suite. Sven Goran Eriksson, a man who knows a thing or two about fake sheikhs, strolled in and began City’s second era AK (After Keegan). The first, under tenor botherer Stuart Pearce, had fizzled out in perhaps unprecedented fashion - City hadn’t scored at home since New Year’s Day.

Following Eriksson’s arrival, City won their first nine at home. Reading was their 8th in a row, and took City up to 3rd. The collective and individual excellence of this frantically assembled side was as unexpected as it was fleeting. The smiling squad photo of Sven’s men now resembles a dusty yearbook found in a horror sequel. What the hell happened to these guys?

City’s pre-season was reminiscent of the current travails at QPR, with Sven, a year after the England job, rapidly warming to the task of egregiously purchasing players. So much so, that four players –Elano, Valeri Bojinov, Javier Garrido and Vedran Corluka - were signed on the same day. Eriksson even confessed to having seen some of his new charges only on video. At least, the chairman, funding Eriksson’s panic splurge, was a reliable sort. Right?

Eriksson was recruited by Thaksin Shinawatra – City’s new owner, former Thai prime minister, and poster child for critics of the Premier League ‘fit and proper person test’. The dapper human rights abuser and the womanising scudetto winner completed a duo that was unpredictable, to say the least. Armed with a team of hastily assembled journeymen and unproven youngsters, anything but success seemed possible. But then, the magic happened.

After opening wins against West Ham and Derby, the journey truly began against Man United – Brazilian playmaker Geovanni netting a fortuitous winner. That autumn saw incisive, attacking football return to Eastlands - spearheaded by fellow new arrivals Elano and Rolando Bianchi. What’s extraordinary about this new breed of City heroes was how brief their time in the spotlight was - almost to a man, Sven’s stars have since disappeared from top level football.

Elano, legitimately the Premier League’s best player for two glorious months, is back in Brazil. Martin Petrov is overhitting crosses in the Championship. Benjani, scorer of the winner at Old Trafford, remains at large. Young overseas talents Gelson Fernandes and Felipe Caicedo have travelled the continent in a vain attempt to make the grade. For City’s homegrown stars, the results have proved more varied - but no less remarkable.

Five youngsters played a significant role in City’s unlikely charge for the title - goalkeepers Joe Hart and Kasper Schmeichel, defender Micah Richards, and midfielders Stephen Ireland and Mchael Johnson. While Hart, then largely a backup to Schmeichel, and Richards, deployed by Eriksson as a centre back, have become focal to the City revolution, and Schmeichel himself has earned a berth at Championship level, the tale of Johnson and Ireland is a sorrier business altogether.

Johnson, a delicate central midfielder with a surprising propensity for Toure-esque bursts from deep, was a homegrown midfield talent not seen at City since Paul Lake. Ireland, a more mercurial presence, was largely used by Eriksson as an impact playmaker. His late winner and subsequent celebration lent him the nickname ‘Superman’ - and he earned it as City’s player of the season in Mark Hughes’ first year in charge. From there however, the trail runs cold for both.

It’s natural to assume that, with millions spent on readymade superstars, that this pair of prodigies found themselves frozen out. That’s only half the story - Johnson succumbed to a miserable run of injuries, and a subsequent taste for the amber nectar. He was last seen puffing along the halfway line at Leicester City - back with Sven for one last shot at glory. It failed - and he is now facing drink driving charges, certain to become an unwanted free agent next summer.

For Ireland, the situation is less dire, but still depressing, given how the Irishman with the undead gran fought Robinho, Elano and Geovani for a spot in the City team. Hughes, who doesn’t strike many as the fiercest of taskmasters, was practically Fabio Capello in comparison with the liberal Sven. A barmy, uncontrollable talent like Ireland’s didn’t fit in, and he soon found himself at Villa, a makeweight in a deal for James Milner. Ireland has yet to recapture that incisive magic. He was last seen smoking a shisha pipe with no shirt on - unpredictable to the last.

The downward spirals of Ireland and Johnson form the dark heart of this tale of unfulfilled promise. Whilst their personal narratives took years to unravel, City’s collective momentum didn’t even make it to Christmas. A 4-2 comeback win against Bolton, recently jailed youngster Kelvin Etuhu among the scorers, kept the home record alive, but there was a sense that the wheels were already starting to rattle.

Barring the stupendous away win against a United side shell shocked by the Munich anniversary, the denouement of 07/08 was an unmitigated disaster. City slumped from 3rd to 9th in five months. They lost a 2-0 lead at home to Fulham, giving the Cottagers a reprieve from relegation. On the final day, in one of the top flight’s great horror stories, City lost 8-1. To Middlesbrough. It was to be Sven’s last game in charge.

Most City fans greeted the news of Sven’s firing with howls of derision. Despite the collapse, City had been more enterprising and enthralling than at any time since their Premier League return. Sven appeared the perfect leader for this motley crew with big talent, and bigger egos. With his departure, it seemed that we had all gotten what we wished for - new and forceful investment, with the inevitable caveat of knee jerk hiring and firing. Hell, maybe like so many before and since, we had just fallen hard for the ice cool Swede - but Sven just seemed like our man. The kind of boss who’d give you the afternoon off with a shrug of his well tailored shoulders, it still tantalises to imagine the unholy galactic empire Sven could have assembled with the impending influx of petrodollars. It was not to be.

Sven Goran Eriksson officially left Manchester City on May 31st, 2008. Two days later, Mark Hughes was confirmed as his replacement. It signalled a pragmatic new approach from Shinawatra - understandable, given that his monetary assets had been frozen and he had become an international disgrace. ‘Frank’, as he was affectionately known, is now an exiled former dictator - about as low as you can get - yet is still held in unethically high regard by City fans. Sven has gone where the money has been good - from Notts County to Mexico City. Their revival of a sunken giant is now little more than a historical footnote, for a club with no history.

In City’s brave new world, Sven and Shinawatra have been forgotten, along with their troupe of aging galacticos, pouty playmakers and bright eyed wastrels. A team of considerable abilities, they shone briefly but brightly - a team of potential title challengers who have achieved next to nothing in the intervening years.

Sven’s City could have been contenders. They could have been somebodies. Instead of bums. Which, sadly, is largely what they are.

Already read that. Not a bad piece, though.

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Anyway, apparently John Guidetti's signed/about to sign a new 4-year contract.

In all seriousness, does he have any chance of ever making a serious impact in the first-team? Does he have any real chance of getting a shot ahead of Aguero, Tevez, Balotelli and Dzeko, or any other £30m striker you'll inevitably buy in the coming seasons?

I agree that it is more difficult the second year but we will win, we will win the title

Manchester City's goalkeeping legend Bert Trautmann sounds a salute to heroic Joe Hart

City legend Bert Trautmann insists there’s more to come from Joe Hart after the City goalkeeper produced a match-saving performance against Borussia Dortmund.

Hart’s display was the main plus on a night when City were outplayed and outclassed by the German champions at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.

Had it not been for Hart, City could well have been five or six down before Mario Balotelli rescued a point with a last-minute penalty.

The 25-year-old made save after save from Mario Gotze, Ilkay Gundogan, Marco Reus and Robert Lewandowski to provide the platform for City’s late leveller and keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Trautmann hailed Hart’s performance as ‘absolutely magnificent’ but revealed he expected England’s No.1 to get even better.

“Joe still has to learn,” said Trautmann, a Blues legend thanks to his heroics in the 1950s.

“He will make mistakes as we all did as goalkeepers. But he will grow in stature with it. His performance against Dortmund was absolutely magnificent. I sat with my wife and I said ‘look at this fellow, he’s really playing well’.”

However, Trautmann still believes Hart has a long way to go before he can be considered the best in the world. He pointed to Iker Casillas and Gianluigi Buffon, both in their 30s, as examples of goalkeepers who have been at the top of the game throughout their careers.

And the former City keeper, who will turn 89 later this month, challenged Hart to follow their lead.

“You can’t say who is the best goalkeeper in the world right now,” Trautmann insisted.

“The Germans say Neuer is the best. To be considered the best you have to do it over a period of time. Only then can you say he’s the best goalkeeper in the world. Joe is still a young man but he can become the best in the world, yes.”

While Trautmann spoke in glowing terms about Hart’s individual performance, he was less than complimentary about the keeper’s team-mates.

He insisted City were lucky to escape from the game with a point after a second half which was dominated by Dortmund’s pace and precision.

Trautmann was at the Etihad Stadium on the final day of last season to see City crowned champions of England. But he’s adamant they won’t repeat the feat if they can’t solve their sluggish start to the new season.

He even went as far as to suggest that the players responsible for City’s lacklustre performance against Dortmund should be shamed into giving their weeks’ wages to charity.

“City, as a team, were non-existent,” said Trautmann, who is still revered in this country for playing on during the FA Cup final victory over Birmingham in 1956 despite sustaining a broken neck during the game.

“In the second half there was nothing to be seen of City.

“We’re talking about millionaires. There was no passion – I sat at home watching on TV and I was damn disappointed.

“City were very lucky to have Joe Hart in goal. They should have lost four, five or six goals. I wish they had so they’d wake up.

“They should have been beaten and I wish they would have done because then questions would have been asked.

“There is no variety there. They play to a pattern that reminds me of politicians going to Parliament, opening their mouths, and going home again. It looks like they couldn’t care less if they win, lose or draw.

“What about passion? What about fighting? What about spirit? I didn’t see any of it.

“They won the league last year and scored a lot of goals but they’re going to have problems this year.

“After the performance in the second half against Dortmund, all the players should have given their week’s wages to charity. They should have been ashamed of themselves. That’s my honest opinion.”

Super Vinnie