With all their millions of pounds and wealth beyond imagination Manchester City are effectively trying to buy their way to the Premier League title.
But don’t start condemning them for it, this is not something new to the premiership is it. Blackburn and Chelsea have done it so why be so upset with City? Did we as Liverpool fans condemn Dalglish’s Blackburn on the last day of the season when they pipped United to the title? No we didn’t, and when Chelsea stopped United winning the title did we despise the Russian owner for spending all that money? No we didn’t.
If City beat United to the title will you be upset or will you say “better them than United” I think the latter, it’s just the same as when it was Blackburn & Chelsea.
That aside what makes Man City different from Blackburn & Chelsea is the way they go about their recruitment of players and how they manage their public image. When City’s owners want a player they use every trick in the book to land them. It seems that no methods are exempt from the pursuit of getting what they want. But one must also question the calibre and character of player which they go for.
Wage hunters and disloyal mercenaries normally fit the bill for City but still players of fantastic quality, there are some exemptions to the above criteria but not many.
Some fans mistake a clubs fortunate financial standing with jealously, simply because we cannot be on par with them to afford the best players in world football. But just absorb this thought, you can buy many great players but you cannot buy a functional and coherent team, that is something only the character of the players and a sense of togetherness can bring you, and that is city’s Achilles heal.
Mancini has tried to manage a squad of egos the size of the universe, and its clear to everyone that certain players either don’t respect him or want out.
But is it all the players fault? I don’t think so, Mancini cannot manage the players under his control and neither can the players handle Mancini.
Not only do City seem to buy players for fun but they hamper players development as well, why? because they sit for months on the bench waiting for a chance to show, look at Adam Johnson what a waste of talent, City only seem to buy assets and not long-term squad solutions due to the financial wealth they have.
But in Munich Manchester City had a complete wake up call on every front. Firstly Mancini realised that his team were not in the same league as Bayern, and neither was Mancini or his tactics, it’s a realisation that the owners of the Eastland’s club will simply have to accept and address with Mancini.
But if the match was cause for concern then the ill discipline within the team must make the board consider suicide.
Carlos Tevez refused to even warm up in front of millions of viewers and more importantly Mancini did nothing, What does that say about both involved?.
The fact that a player who earns more a week than most supporters do in 10 years can feel justified in refusing to play simply demonstrates the obvious disrespect for both manager and club, and total disregard for the travelling fans who paid money to watch the embarrassing show.
But it’s not the first time this has happened to City and you just know it wont be the last. Just look at the pre season trip to the USA when everyone’s favourite moron Mario Balotelli decided to kick off after he got substituted, all because of a trick that went incredibly wrong.
The fact is City have only themselves to blame due to the type of player the club wants to attract, if they want real passion and pride then you simply don’t buy Tevez or Balotelli, you go and get Van Persie, Raul, Hyypia or Fowler, people with pride and honour not wage hunters who don’t give a flying hoot about the badge or fans.
You have more chance seeing Robert Mugabe & Margaret Thatcher together on X Factor singing Ebony & Ivory than you do of City looking for passionate players.
This is what makes Liverpool different, we have owners who are wealthy but are not stupid or overeager to spend on every player that their fantasy football team sheet recommends.
Only time will tell if City and all their money will meet what the owners expect the investment should return, but one thing is for certain is that am glad we are not City.