Is our part in the big 4 finally under threat?

[Mr Makaveli]

I can honestly say that I am now worried. Not so much of what city will do this season as they havent had time to develope but it is frightening to see them simply snatch a player like Robinho just after they take control of the club. these guys are no Learner of Villa, they are the Abromovich breed of owner (well from what ive seen so far!).... bids for berbatov and Villa going in also...

 

Also with our stadium plans practically done for, we really really do need DIC to come in and buy us up. Without the income of a larger stadium or even just any more cash injection at all, we're at least going to be pressed for that 4th spot in the near future.

[Cobs]

finally?

[Mr Makaveli]

Well ive yet to see a team actually look to perminently take that place off us yet so yes, finally.

[Hassony]

To be honest I would love more money to be given to the manager, but I wouldn't want c**** like Robinho who only 36 hours ago was pleading to Real Madrid to move to his dream team chelsea only to sign for man city 24 hours later!

[Mike]

we still wouldn't have any f***ing good wide players or full backs. don't know what you are worrying about.

[Romario]

we still wouldn't have any f***ing good wide players or full backs. don't know what you are worrying about.

Robinho as the holding midfielder. Masch to the ressies.

[pawiddop]

They wont challange this year, but next year...

[stonty]

The new City owners have certainly nailed their intent to the mast.

 

Don't know whether Father Ted has the nous to plan & manage a team to take them into the top 4 spot, trouble is when you've got real top quality players you only have to tell them to go & play, so yes I do think our niche as part of the Big 4 is under threat.

[Flanders]

Hopefully it will put more pressure on Man Utd and Chelsea than us becuase that's who they will be competing in the transfer market with. If we can continue to buy from the tier behind the established stars and build a team we'll be fine.

 

However, we look like a collection of clueless individuals at the moment, if a manager could get these players performing better than the sum of their parts we'll challenge for the title if not our top 4 spot could be under regardless of the latest Billionaires project.

[Anfield Fox]

I think they now have a squad with a shout for 4th THIS season. We're just lucky Arsenal are in a similar situation to us.

 

1 GK Joe Hart

2 DF Micah Richards (vice-captain)

3 DF Michael Ball

4 DF Nedum Onuoha

6 MF Michael Johnson

7 MF Stephen Ireland

8 MF Shaun Wright-Phillips

9 FW Valeri Bojinov

10 FW Robinho

11 MF Elano

12 FW Darius Vassell

14 FW Jô

15 DF Javier Garrido

16 GK Kasper Schmeichel

17 MF Martin Petrov

18 DF Danny Mills

19 MF Gelson Fernandes

20 FW Felipe Caicedo

21 MF Dietmar Hamann

22 DF Richard Dunne (captain)

24 FW Ched Evans

25 FW Nery Castillo (on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk)

26 DF Tal Ben Haim

27 FW Benjani Mwaruwari

28 FW Daniel Sturridge

29 MF Kelvin Etuhu

30 DF Shaleum Logan

33 DF Vincent Kompany

–– DF Gláuber

–– FDF Pablo Zabaleta

Edited September 2, 2008 by Anfield Fox

[Mikey]

The front guy from Abu Dhabi, Dr someone, has just been interviewed on the phone by SSN and was asked

 

"Will there be more players bought in the January transfer window"

 

"YES"

 

"Can you reveal any names?"

 

WE will meet with the manager Mark, find out who he wants, and secure the players"

 

Arsenal should possibly be more worried than us this season, but if they're not too far back on January 1st I wouldn't rule out a push for CL places this season!

[richwilks]

Think this season will come to soon for them to challenge but I'd expect them to be busy in January and in the summer.

 

This may even kick DIC into action with a higher bid, I'm sure they'd love the challenge.

 

I expect Arsenal to drop out of the Top 4 before we do, their squad depth is worse than last season and after Christmas it was clear they had no squad to call on.

[Duncan Disorderly]

Let's face it, we've been hanging on to fourth by the skin of our teeth over recent seasons and the sickening thing is, we shouldn't even be in the position of seeing fourth place as our zenith.

 

We need DIC, and thats FINAL!

[richwilks]

The front guy from Abu Dhabi, Dr someone, has just been interviewed on the phone by SSN and was asked

 

"Will there be more players bought in the January transfer window"

 

"YES"

 

"Can you reveal any names?"

 

WE will meet with the manager Mark, find out who he wants, and secure the players"

 

Arsenal should possibly be more worried than us this season, but if they're not too far back on January 1st I wouldn't rule out a push for CL places this season!

 

Apparently they have said that they will be putting out a statement this morning at some point where they will highlight the 3 players that they will be putting all their efforts into.

 

The three players mentioed will be Christiano Ronaldo, Fernando Torres and Cesc Fabregas. The 3 players that they believe are currently the best in the world.

 

This is very much a publicity stunt much like Abramovic pulled when he took over Chelsea though. Put in a ton of bids just to show they mean business even though they realise they've no chance of getting the players.

[Mikey]

Think this season will come to soon for them to challenge but I'd expect them to be busy in January and in the summer.

 

This may even kick DIC into action with a higher bid, I'm sure they'd love the challenge.

 

I expect Arsenal to drop out of the Top 4 before we do, their squad depth is worse than last season and after Christmas it was clear they had no squad to call on.

City can put put a side now thats not far away from a European challenge as it is, they've bought Kompany to go with Richards, Dunne and Onuoha(sp?) in defence, SWP, Hamann, Petrov, Johnson in Midfield, Robinho, Jo up front.

[muleskinner]

Our owners would snap City's hand off if they bid £120million for Torres.

[Guest Ant]

Our owners would snap City's hand off if they bid £120million for Torres.

 

Agreed.

 

120 Million for Torres and their Business plan is well....back in business

[Flanders]

Our owners would snap City's hand off if they bid £120million for Torres.

They'd be stupid not to.

[alias75]

I think the key point is it doesn't really matter what happens at Man City, if the ownership at our club doesn't change we will struggle to get CL football in the future because there are 3 or 4 clubs that seem to be better funded than us at the moment that are currently below us.

 

With whats happening at City it now means without a new owner prepared to invest in the team and a new stadium we'll be pretty much fighting for 4th place at best.

 

We need the ownership to change whatever happens with other clubs otherwise we will become also rans pretty quickly.

 

One scary point that could become reality if Dubai do buy us, that would leave 3 very rich owners in the PL all trying to outdo each other, in 3-4 years even a team like Man Utd could struggle to compete with 3 multi billionaires, the Glaziers are rich but their not on that level and they also have a lot of debt to manage. Imagine a league where Man Utd are struggling for 4th place at the start of each season!

[Romario]

Footballs amazing really. Less than a month ago it looked like Hughes would walk having just got there and Man City fans were going bananas.

 

One good thing is that they could seriously take 6 points of ManU this season.

[fred milne]

City can put put a side now thats not far away from a European challenge as it is, they've bought Kompany to go with Richards, Dunne and Onuoha(sp?) in defence, SWP, Hamann, Petrov, Johnson in Midfield, Robinho, Jo up front.

Elano too. The keeper looks promising based on the limited amounts I've seen.

 

Not sure how much depth there is in the squad but the 1st team looks decent IF the Brazilians live up to their billing.

[Hassony]

Not sure Hughes is good enough to take them to the next level, I can see a new manager coming in in the summer (probably Mourinho after he gets the sack from Inter)

[Guest Ant]

Not sure Hughes is good enough to take them to the next level, I can see a new manager coming in in the summer (probably Mourinho after he gets the sack from Inter)

 

It will be the Chelsea Esque scenario.

 

Ala 'My Nan could manage that team and win the league'

[Woodsyla]

I reckon City will finish top 4 this season. They showed promise last season and with the players they have got they look stronger than Arsenal to me. The only problem for them will be if they start buying superstars in January and the side doesn't gel. The side higlighted earlier in the thread looks good enough to challenge the top 4 to me.

 

As for the question in this thread title, yes, seriously, and not just for a season, one of ourselves and Arsenal is now likely to miss out on CL on a regular basis. If we continue with the current owners we will be competing with the likes of Spurs and Villa for a UEFA Cup place each season. The bar has just been raised even higher.

 

I heard a rumour that Citeh offered £85m for Gerrard yesterday, the board approached the player and said if he wanted to go he could, Gerrard said feck off. I thought it was b****x but now I'm not so sure.

[Hassony]

It will be the Chelsea Esque scenario.

 

Ala 'My Nan could manage that team and win the league'

 

So you finally saw the light with regards to Mourinho