[Miyazaki]

Robinho: Manchester City will win title in next two years - mirror.co.uk

Man City league champions in 2 years time!

[ed_mcl]

Why not? Chelsea managed it.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by ed_mcl

Why not? Chelsea managed it.

Chelsea already had some success. I believe they won the cup winners cup.

Raul, Kaka and no doubt many others don't want to play for Man City.

[ed_mcl]

Maybe they don't, but there's plenty of players like Robinho, who are excpetionally talented and will look towards whoever is offering the biggest pay packet, which Man City can.

Chelsea may have had some success in cup competitions pre-Abramovich, but they won the league by virtue of the fact that they paid well over the odds for some of the best talent around Europe. Some worked out some, some didn't. There's no reason why Man City can't follow the same model.

[loz_the_guru]

Whilst I dont think City will win the league in the next two years, IF they manage to get a champions league slot next year (which is probable) the number and quality of players that will want to come to the club will increase dramatically.

IMO though they need to sack Mark Hughes in order to attract the bigger players and achieve the success they want in the time frame they're aiming for. Dont get me wrong I think hes a decent manage, just the wrong man at the wrong club right now.

[Naaktgeboren]

I agree, City will go nowhere with Mark Hughes. No disrespect to the guy, he had a tidy little outfit in Blackburn and they over performed but he is not the guy to take them to the top.

I don't believe he will be starting next season as City manager. This could be the problem though, who could they bring in to oversee this success. Looking to the continent could be disastrous, sometimes the biggest names on paper leave a lot to be desired, look at Phil Scolari!

I think a 2 year plan is just opening himself to disappointment, if they get the manager right and bring in the right personnel and then give them time to gel, 5 years is more realistic. You only have to look at Real Madrid with the 'Galacticos' the collective of fantastic players plus manager who did not win anything to see where this could fall flat.

I think even City fans would admit, they don't just need to tidy up a few positions, they need wholesale changes.

[loz]

Originally Posted by loz_the_guru

Whilst I dont think City will win the league in the next two years, IF they manage to get a champions league slot next year (which is probable)

How on earth could you consider it "probable"?

It's possible. Anything is possible.

But probable?

[Abbeygoo]

Whatever happens, the ride will be enjoyable for me and my fellow Blues.

[reddevil63]

Its one thing saying it and its another actually doing it tho can understand his ambitions.

[Abbeygoo]

Originally Posted by reddevil63

Its one thing saying it and its another actually doing it.

Absolutely and I bet you won't find Mark Hughes saying that sort of thing.

Two ways of looking at it

1. Stupid thing to say as we have no chance and the top four will be the top four for the next two or three years at least, then we might start competing but Liverpool have been trying for 20 years!

2. Fantastic to be so positive and pushing for success so quickly, Chelsea achieved it and we can too.

Lets see what happens eh? I think we should get our feet on the ground and set about challenging higher up the league first and then worry about whether we can win anything or not. Still, rain or shine, premiership or League One, i'll be there ...

[marksovereign]

Originally Posted by loz_the_guru

Whilst I dont think City will win the league in the next two years, IF they manage to get a champions league slot next year (which is probable) the number and quality of players that will want to come to the club will increase dramatically.

IMO though they need to sack Mark Hughes in order to attract the bigger players and achieve the success they want in the time frame they're aiming for. Dont get me wrong I think hes a decent manage, just the wrong man at the wrong club right now.

How are they going to get in to the Champions League if they are currently playing for 7th spot? Champions league goes to the top 4.
They'll scrape in to the UEFA cup which is what they played in this year before being knocked out by Hamburg

[loz_the_guru]

Originally Posted by marksovereign

How are they going to get in to the Champions League if they are currently playing for 7th spot? Champions league goes to the top 4.
They'll scrape in to the UEFA cup which is what they played in this year before being knocked out by Hamburg

Sorry maybe im not being clear enough - I dont mean theyl be playing CL football next season, I mean with the amount of money I expect them to spend during the summer a top 4 finish next year would be on the cards.

[MrFurious]

blackburn spent big and managed to win it within a few years so i dont see why man city cant do it either,, it will be an interesting transfer window

[avinitski]

Blackburn may have spent big but having Dalglish as the manager was a bigger factor than spending lots of money IMO.

[Rorifett]

Turns out Robinho isn't the only one with silly comments syndrome - Rafa's a tit again, sorry, Rafa's at it again

Sky Sports | Football | Premier League | News | Rafa - Hard to say who's best

The bit that makes me grin

'Benitez does not wish to draw firm conclusions about who can be classed as the best team in England, believing the champions are merely the team who have won the most points
"It's the team that has more points, that's all," said Benitez.
"Sometimes they can be the best at the beginning, in the middle or maybe with consistency, but it just means they have more points.
"It depends on the time of the season."'

Hmm, surely the point of the league with it's many games is so that a team like Hull who were maybe the best team of the moment a fair while ago, aren't actually crowned as champions? 'mon the Rafa, can't wait for next years soundbites

[Naaktgeboren]

Doh!!

Yes Rafa, hard to say who was best this year, we have a league table which proves who is the seasons best team.

You can also judge by trophy's won, a good indicator of the better teams

[Miyazaki]

Man City are a less attractive proposition to any footballer than this time last season.

No chance now for City to qualify for Europe, at least they had that last season.

I really can't see how City will attract the top players now.

I have nothing personal against City, but Robinho's off his head.

[MrFurious]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Man City are a less
I really can't see how City will attract the top players now.

i can.....cash,,,, and tons of it

[thfccambs]

Well Citeh are probably the worse team I've seen at WHL this season, They have a lot to do if they seriously think there be challenging anything next few seasons. Quite funny as some citeh supporters on this forum where telling me they had brought in the best full backs and midfielders in Europe. Citeh where shocking today, only thing stopping them being 4 down at half time was spurs **** finishing.

Wish we could play them every week.

[sdb123]

Originally Posted by thfccambs

Well Citeh are probably the worse team I've seen at WHL this season, They have a lot to do if they seriously think there be challenging anything next few seasons. Quite funny as some citeh supporters on this forum where telling me they had brought in the best full backs and midfielders in Europe. Citeh where shocking today, only thing stopping them being 4 down at half time was spurs **** finishing.

Wish we could play them every week.

I read that Bojinov's strike was decent....what did you think?

[thfccambs]

Originally Posted by sdb123

I read that Bojinov's strike was decent....what did you think?

Good finish. Done well to control the finish
That's about there only highlight though. Very poor especially 1st half. Well shocking if truth be told.

Steve, not as good as Defoe's cheeky finish though.

[ed_mcl]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Man City are a less attractive proposition to any footballer than this time last season.

No chance now for City to qualify for Europe, at least they had that last season.

I really can't see how City will attract the top players now.

I have nothing personal against City, but Robinho's off his head.

As MrFurious said; money and lots of it. I bet there's more players interested in +£100,000 p.w. in wages than playing in the Europa League.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by ed_mcl

As MrFurious said; money and lots of it. I bet there's more players interested in +£100,000 p.w. in wages than playing in the Europa League.

They had that to offer + European football in Jan though, but they can't attract them even with all the money in the world.

Thank god not all footballers are mercenary.

Even those mercenaries that do/will/would go care not one jot about the team or the fans they are playing for.

[Scholes18]

Originally Posted by ed_mcl

As MrFurious said; money and lots of it. I bet there's more players interested in +£100,000 p.w. in wages than playing in the Europa League.

Maybe so , one of them wasnt ricardo kaka


*chortle*

[ed_mcl]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

They had that to offer + European football in Jan though, but they can't attract them even with all the money in the world.

Thank god not all footballers are mercenary.

Even those mercenaries that do/will/would go care not one jot about the team or the fans they are playing for.

And how many clubs are prepared to allow their players to leave in January, mid-season?

You obviously feel threatened that Man City have far more potential than Villa.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by ed_mcl

And how many clubs are prepared to allow their players to leave in January, mid-season?

You obviously feel threatened that Man City have far more potential than Villa.

Can't see the wood for the trees!

[Rorifett]

Originally Posted by ed_mcl

And how many clubs are prepared to allow their players to leave in January, mid-season?

You obviously feel threatened that Man City have far more potential than Villa.

It's about fulfilling potential though, I mean, they have the potential to accrue big debts, not win anything for a long time, have the owners leave the club riddled and in a bad way. Hope that doesn't happen for any club, without success (top 4) in England and in Europe (CL) I don't think many clubs could spend loads and expect the owners to not ditch some of that debt on the club itself, even the richest football club owners in the world.

[Miyazaki]

Originally Posted by Rorifett

It's about fulfilling potential though, I mean, they have the potential to accrue big debts, not win anything for a long time, have the owners leave the club riddled and in a bad way. Hope that doesn't happen for any club, without success (top 4) in England and in Europe (CL) I don't think many clubs could spend loads and expect the owners to not ditch some of that debt on the club itself, even the richest football club owners in the world.

Exactly. If Ed believes money talks as much as he says it does it wouldn't matter one jot if the transfer window is in January or not. Clubs would happily sell their players for £100m any day of the week. The fact is most players don't want to come a play for a mediocre mid-table team.

How soon before the end of the summer transfer window did the Saudis take over? Wasn't it a matter of days? In that time they managed to sign Robinho.

Surely if they can sign someone of his stature in such a small frame of time, then it would be easy to sign others given the entire month of January?

Thankfully for the game of football the likes of Kaka and Raul aren't mercenaries and take the game seriously.

Hopefully City won't be able to sign anyone big and the current owners will give up and sell the club.

[ed_mcl]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Can't see the wood for the trees!

It's funny reading the snidey comments from the Villa and Spurs fans who clearly see their position in the league to be threatened by Man City, so feel the need to get on their little digs and pops at the club whilst they still can.

[ed_mcl]

Originally Posted by Miyazaki

Exactly. If Ed believes money talks as much as he says it does it wouldn't matter one jot if the transfer window is in January or not. Clubs would happily sell their players for £100m any day of the week. The fact is most players don't want to come a play for a mediocre mid-table team.

How soon before the end of the summer transfer window did the Saudis take over? Wasn't it a matter of days? In that time they managed to sign Robinho.

Surely if they can sign someone of his stature in such a small frame of time, then it would be easy to sign others given the entire month of January?

Thankfully for the game of football the likes of Kaka and Raul aren't mercenaries and take the game seriously. .

Of course it would.

The problem with the January transfer window is that given it's half-way through the season clubs and their managers are reluctant to release players, plus you have the issue of being cup-tied in the European competitions. You don't seem to realise this for some reason.

They approached Blackburn for RSC and were knocked back despite offering far more than they paid for him. God knows how many other like situations occurred in January.

Man City will show their financial power in the summer.

Hopefully City won't be able to sign anyone big and the current owners will give up and sell the club.

Yeah, because it'll knock down Villa a peg or two if they do.