Are people underestimating Man City?

JPA

Boggles wrote: »

Whats your point? City just as much scraped 10th this year with a half season of the Arabs money. So by your logic they will get 8th???

I suppose my point is that when Chelsea got romans money they got 22 more points, and finished with 85. If City do the same they would finish on 72, the same as Arsenal last year.
Of course I'm not trying to break it down to numbers like that but all I'm saying is that city will likely improve massively.

rossie1977

JPA wrote: »

I suppose my point is that when Chelsea got romans money they got 22 more points, and finished with 85. If City do the same they would finish on 72, the same as Arsenal last year.
Of course I'm not trying to break it down to numbers like that but all I'm saying is that city will likely improve massively.

when chelsea got romans money they went from 67 to 85, thats 18 points more, chelsea bought players for every outfield position that summer (2003)

Glen Johnson, Geremi, Bridge, Duff, Joe Cole, Veron, Adrian Mutu, Alexei Smertin, Crespo, Claude Makelele, Scott Parker

Bubs101

rossie1977 wrote: »

when chelsea got romans money they went from 67 to 85, thats 18 points more, chelsea bought players for every outfield position that summer (2003)

Glen Johnson, Geremi, Bridge, Duff, Joe Cole, Veron, Adrian Mutu, Alexei Smertin, Crespo, Claude Makelele, Scott Parker

More importantly, we were a top 4 team anyway

JPA

Bubs101 wrote: »

More importantly, we were a top 4 team anyway

Yes, you had some good players like Lampard, Cudicini, Terry and Gallas.
But city are adding to a good team as well.
They're got players like Given and Ireland to add to this seasnno.
surely a Chelsea fan would the first to admit that City can be a threat given that they are doing the exact thing Chelsea did?
In fact they are probably going about it a little bit better by buying players from the league.

Bubs101

JPA wrote: »

Yes, you had some good players like Lampard, Cudicini, Terry and Gallas.
But city are adding to a good team as well.
They're got players like Given and Ireland to add to this seasnno.
surely a Chelsea fan would the first to admit that City can be a threat given that they are doing the exact thing Chelsea did?
In fact they are probably going about it a little bit better by buying players from the league.

No, I meant we were in the Champion's league when we were bought.

They can be a threat but they're going about it worse then we were. They're buying phenomenal forwards but not so great players to back them up. We built our team around Makalele and in Ranieri we had a better coach and we had a young defensive stallwart/captain in Terry who you can't buy. If Richards or Onouhua were Terry I'd believe Man City were a greater threat but they have so much further to go then we did. The last thing they won was a league one playoff cup or something (could be wrong)

flahavaj

JPA wrote: »

Yes, you had some good players like Lampard, Cudicini, Terry and Gallas.
But city are adding to a good team as well.
They're got players like Given and Ireland to add to this seasnno.
surely a Chelsea fan would the first to admit that City can be a threat given that they are doing the exact thing Chelsea did?
In fact they are probably going about it a little bit better by buying players from the league.

Its TOTALLY different. Chelsea were already an established title contender. They had won a few FA cups, League Cups even had European success and had performed well in the CL, by the time they were bought out. City are light years away from that.

Challenging at the top of the table is a mentality thats not develped overnight, it takes time to develop that alone. Winning the league, or even challenging for it requires a totally different attitude to the attitude of accepting second best that has pervaded City for decades. That can't be bought.

Xavi6

I'm hearing now that Lescott is a done deal. That would made a serious improvement to our back line.

JPA

Xavi6 wrote: »

I'm hearing now that Lescott is a done deal. That would made a serious improvement to our back line.

I think city in the knows should hold off, they've been burnt too many times.

Xavi6

JPA wrote: »

I think city in the knows should hold off, they've been burnt too many times.

Normally I would agree but this particular ITK is always spot on. He goes to training every day and is on first name basis with Hughes, Bowen and the rest of the backroom staff. He was right about all the deals done so far, and never bullshitted about the Terry stories etc.

Basically if I believe anyone it's him.

blue-army

I expect City and Arsenal to battle it out for 4th place this season. I'd say it'll go right til the last day of the season... Only if Arsenal replace Toure and Adebayor though.

Liam O

To answer the original question, I think City have bought very well so far, Mark Hughes deserves the credit for going for good players proven in the league rather than what I believe a foreign manager would do and chase all the oversea stars and get burned time after time. Although, I don't think there are any truly dependable goalscorers in the strikers that they've bought. While Santa Cruz could be that player if he remains fit, he has been very inconsistent recently. Adebayor usually scores plenty of goals in a few games and then goes on a barren period. Tevez doesn't score regularly and Robinho is very inconsistent. I can see City being frustrated a fair bit this season.

Also a midfield of SWP-Ireland-Barry-Robinho is very suspect defensively. City fans should have plenty of exciting games this season.

Xavi6

Liam O wrote: »

Also a midfield of SWP-Ireland-Barry-Robinho is very suspect defensively.

Which is why we would never, ever line up with that as a flat midfield formation.

Liam O

Xavi6 wrote: »

Which is why we would never, ever line up with that as a flat midfield formation.

But then how is it going to work? I thought about it and that is what I could come up with. If you play 3 up front and 3 mids you have to leave at least 2 out of Robinho (wont be happy), Tevez (definitely wont be happy), Santa Cruz (what did he cost, £18m?) SWP and Adebayor. I know that you will say squad depth and stuff, but I can't see any of these being happy to sit on the bench every week. Tevez didn't like the rotation at United and he played 51 times last season ffs.

Seaneh

Given

Zab - Dunne - Kolo - Bridge

Barry - De Jong

Ireland - Tevez - Robinho

Adebayor/RSC

That's what the first team will look like IMHO.

Boggles

2-3 more million and they will nab Lescott!

Dunne will go to Spurs.

JPA

Boggles wrote: »

2-3 more million and they will nab Lescott!

Dunne will go to Spurs.

I'm fairly sure Dunne has no intention of going anywhere.

SlickRic

Seaneh wrote: »

Given

Zab - Dunne - Kolo - Bridge

Barry - De Jong

Ireland - Tevez - Robinho

Adebayor/RSC

That's what the first team will look like IMHO.

swap dunne with lescott (i honestly believe they'll eventually get him), and you have it i reckon.

they would still have kompany, SWP and onouha (whose going to be awesome eventually) and richards in the wings.

an answer to the OP; i think generally they are being underestimated. but now the defense is being sorted, i don't think that will continue. the reason they are thus far, and rightfully so, is that you have to prove it on the pitch first. the reason the top 4 is the top 4 is because they've done it year on year for ages.

you have to do it on the pitch to get the respect of the fans, irrespective of the money spent. there will be question marks until at least Feb/March about them, even if they hold down a very high spot in the league all the way until then. that's my honest opinion.

flahavaj

Say what ye like lads about City and their chances, it would have been an unbeliavably dull Summer without them. :eek: