Posts Tagged ‘Roberto Mancini’
Spurs’ need is greater than Man City’s
Results in the Premier League last weekend whittled down the Champions League hopefuls to just two clubs and they now face each other at the City of Manchester Stadium in what is effectively Champions League play-off.
The build up to the game has seen much talk of launch pads to success, and the impact a new side finishing in the top fourth could have on the Premier League.
This has been the case with Manchester City in particular. If they secured fourth they would be able to offer the world’s best players Champions League football as well exorbitant wages.
However, the amount of cash available at City means they will eventually make the top four regardless of what happens this season. Sheikh Mansour has already shown he is prepared to continually throw money at the problem until he achieves his objective. Indeed, if Harry Redknapp is to be believed City don’t hold back when it comes to the transfer market.
So even if City fall at the final hurdle this week, and the football betting odds suggest they will, it will not be a disaster. Roberto Mancini, or whoever is in charge, will have a limitless amount of money at his disposal in order to achieve his objective next season.
Spurs, meanwhile, have a lot more to lose in my opinion. Redknapp has built at talented squad at White Hart Lane and although it was expensively assembled, he knows that every player has their price and already the vultures are circling overhead, ready to pick off the likes of Luka Modric and Gareth Bale.
The last time Spurs finished fifth they were heavily tipped to push on the following year, but made a terrible start to the following season and were bottom of the league by the time the clocks went back. They can’t afford for that to happen again. Failing to make fourth now could see the team break up. City, on the other hand, would spend big to ensure they stay in the top four, meaning the door to the will be shut again, leaving Spurs back among the likes of Aston Villa and Everton, banging their heads on that glass ceiling.
Meanwhile, the World Cup 2010 odds still make England third favourites as the big kick-off looms.
Tags: Amount Of Money, Aston Villa, Champions League Football, City Of Manchester, City Of Manchester Stadium, Everto, Football Betting Odds, Harry Redknapp, Hopefuls, Hurdle, Launch Pads, Man City, Manchester City, Mansour, Modric, Roberto Mancini, Talented Squad, Team Break, Terrible Start, Vultures, White Hart Lane
Robinho experiment set to fail, but the ManCity project lives on
“This kind of thing does happen. I know in Italy there were instances when clubs paid a lot of money for a fantastic player but afterwards he needed to play at another club.”
That’s Roberto Mancini’s polite way of explaining Robinho’s impending loan move to either Sao Paulo or Santos.
Things haven’t worked out for the former Real Madrid forward since his record breaking move in 2008, but such is City’s progress this year hardly a tear will be shed over his departure.
The enigmatic Brazilian’s exit will bring to a close a topsy turvy 18 months during which his club have undergone a dramatic and scarcely believable transformation.
Flashback to August 2008 and the new owners at Eastlands desperately needed a marquee signing to show they meant business. With less than 24 hours until the transfer window closed there were few options available. Dimitar Berbatov was looked at but he had set his heart on a move to Old Trafford. Robinho, on the other hand, was desperate to leave Real Madrid.
Chelsea were expected to snatch the forward but on one of the most exciting transfer deadline days ever £32.5 million was splashed out by the Abu Dhabi United group to bring him to City.
Mark Hughes was obviously delighted to have such a talented player in his squad, but the reality was he had no say in the deal and his side actually needed strengthening elsewhere. For starters the defence was vastly under equipped and it appeared Robinho was a luxury the team weren’t yet ready for.
Too often last season Robinho’s attitude left a lot to be desired. His flashes of brilliance were all too rare, especially away from Eastlands and Hughes’ attempts to shoehorn him into the side did more harm than good.
But following City’s transfer frenzy last summer, with the likes of Adebayor, Toure, Lescott and Tevez signing, the squad looked much better equipped to meet the owners’ high expectations.
Robinho was no longer top-dog - he was merely one of a number of stars. So when he failed to perform or he began to sulk he was out of the side, it was as simple as that.
He was meant to herald a new era at Man City, evidence they were no longer content to sit obediently in United’s looming shadow. Many would see his rapid departure a sign of the project’s failure, but instead it shows City have out grown Robinho already. They no longer have time for pre-Madonna’s and hangers on. They have football matches to win, and they won’t stop spending till they do so.
Indeed, it looks like the first stage of the plan could come to fruition this term with City closing in on the Premier League top four .
If the side are able to secure Champions League football this year, then you can bet on the Premier League title being the target next season.
Tags: 5 Million, Abu Dhabi, Brilliance, Chelsea, Flashback, Frenzy, High Expectations, Instances, Mark Hughes, Marquee, Real Madrid, Roberto Mancini, Robinho, Sao Paulo, Starters, Talented Player, Tevez, Top Dog, Transfer Deadline, United Group