Man City: The Future is Bright, The Future is Blue
21 Jul
Apologies to a well known mobile telephone and telecommunications company for borrowing their catchphrase as a title for this blog, but it seemed apt to consider the future of Manchester City at a time when transfer gossip and endless speculation consumes every column inch. Clearly, Sheikh Mansour is content to keep on ploughing money into the club for the foreseeable future, but it is noticeable that in this transfer window, there has been an evident shift in focus towards the age of potential signings.
In contrast to the majority of our rivals for a Champions League place, City’s squad doesn’t resemble a geriatric convention, with only Shay Given and Patrick Vieira having passed the 35 year mark. Our silent neighbours across the city are in constant mourning about the possible retirement of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and the heart-throb that is Gary Neville. That trio have, without doubt, been superb servants to United, but their powers are waning and they don’t have the same impact nowadays that they have had for a number of erstwhile years.
Chelsea have also been making a conscious effort to reduce the number of over-30′s in their squad, with Michael Ballack, Deco and Juliano Belletti all being sold or released, whilst Ricardo Carvalho is a certainty to move on. The Stamford Bridge outfit still have the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka who are getting on and one wonders whether Chelsea will be the same force in five years time.
Fortunately, City have adopted a policy of bringing in promising youngsters, and in addition to our fantastic academy system, arguably the best in the country, we have a vast number of players currently at the club who will form the core of the side in future years.
Ranging from goalkeeper Joe Hart, soon to be England’s number one at the age of 24 to a defence where youth prevails right through to midfield and attack, City are bursting with promise, energy and youth. The backline could feasibly consist of Jérôme Boateng, Vincent Kompany, Joleon Lescott and Aleksandar Kolarov, whose arrival is expected to be completed in the next couple of days. That defence would have an average age of under 25, a figure which highlights just how much faith Roberto Mancini has in youth. If that quartet were to complete the defensive berths, that would still leave the likes of Micah Richards, Nedum Onuoha and Dedryck Boyata, all academy products, on the sidelines, further emphasising our strength in depth.
In midfield, the aforementioned Vieira adds the necessary experience to what is otherwise a fairly youthful area of the side. Abdisalam Ibrahim, Adam Johnson, David Silva, Nigel de Jong, Vladi Weiss, Stephen Ireland and Michael Johnson ar all 26 or under, whilst there are still a number of academy prospects who look to have a bright future in the game.
Further up the field, the main striking options are, understandably, more established stars, although the likes of David Ball and Alex Nimely both are in and around the first team squad, with the former of those sent on loan to gain experience.
Overall, the future looks promising indeed for the Blues. The much-heralded academy will continue to churn out a vast number of promising stars, whilst this policy to sign players under the age of 24 will reap its rewards both now and hopefully in the long run.
How is plane going when it comes to new stadium? , is ther any news about this?
What a evil club, gloating over spending money no one else can match, what a victory hurray, you disgust me.
Why don’t you toddle off and talk about your rich history or something.
What a strange set of comments Steven, I have no idea what the first one means.
As to the article, it is clear how positive you are about the future of your club, and understandably so.
You comment on how Chelsea’s side will not be the same in five years’ time, but of course it won’t, there is absolutely no telling where any club will be in five months let alone five years. Who would have said at the start of 1976 that the uninsured Butler Street Stand would be blown off the Victoria Ground, prompting the sale of Jimmy Greenhoff and a subsequent 30 year slide in Stoke City fortunes?
In the far nearer future however, I feel that the best thing Mancini (about whom I still have serious doubts) could do would be to give Hart the number one spot ahead of the ageing and overrated Given.
Thanks for all the comments. Typical set though really: one I can’t understand, one bitter United fan, one sensible City fan, and you
I’m still undecided about Given or Hart. At this moment in time, when both are fit, I’d suspect Given is the better ‘keeper, but if he were to play which would mean Hart on the bench, then Joe would leave. So I’d probably go for Hart.
Hart all the way Steven – despite not being as good a shot stopper, he’s better in every other field of his game. I do agree with Alec that Given is over-rated.
As it stands, my ideal team would be >>>
GK – Hart
RB – Zabaleta
CB – Boateng
CB – Kompany
LB – Bridge (but Kolarov if he sings)
LM – Silva
CM – Toure Yaya (number 42! Hahaha Viera didnt give him the number 24 shirt which hye wanted so he switched his numbers around – clever really!)
CM – Barry/De Jong
RM – Johnson
ST – Tevez
ST – Adebayor
Subs; Given, Toure, Lescott, Barry/De Jong, Ireland, Bellamy, Santa Cruz
I support Everton actually, and its not fair that all clubs who try and get somewhere honestly have to suffer because of your egotistical ambitions to be something you’re not, trying to get something you don’t deserve by right or virtue.
Interesting. I support Stoke and it certainly does rile me at times that Manchester City suddenly have such wealth and affluence and are trying so hard to buy success. That’s why our fantastic wins over them in the last two seasons have been very sweet.
I reject the claim that clubs have a rightful place though. The aim of any football club is to advance itself as high as possible and, with very few exceptions such as Sheffield United’s relegation a few years ago, clubs get what they deserve, winning leagues and promotions because of good funding and management and suffering relegations and going into administration because of poor funding and management.
Also in the modern world of football who knows when Mansour will lose interest in Manchester City or who the next Premier League club will be to be bought out by a foreign billionaire intent on winning trophies. Perhaps it will be Everton or even Stoke. Until then we just have to suck it up and get on with supposrting our teams and enjoy wins over the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea even more.
Tremble and blister. I think you are forgetting that all clubs, if afforded he same financial position in which City now find themselves, would do exactly the same. Do you really think that Everton, if given unlimited funds, would be pursuing the likes of Yakubu? Of course not.
City had 30,000 fans going every week when we were in the third tier .We’ve suffered countless relegations and it’s often been said ‘If there’s a cup for cock-ups, then City would win it every time!’ You can’t argue that the loyal City supporters don’t deserve to be enjoying themselves now.
honestly I dont’ think you deserve a damn thing, just for being loyal. Thats your obligation if you call yourself a supporter.
what everton would do if they had that money I dont know but I wouldnt support it – I despite it. I despise it at man united, I despise it at chelsea, I despise it at man city.
I’d love everton to just win the FA cup and do as well as possible in the league, but assuming we cant win the thing I hope for an Arsenal win, since they’re the closest to sensible and honest with some damn semblence of virtue in the so called ‘top 4′
I havent said anything about the man city faithful, I’ve stated the club is now an evil entity as it no longer has any moral fiber in its halls.
Oh Noel Galagher
I dont like tremble and blister
Truth Hurts?
I’m not exactly lying am I? Do you think all the players you have were just on sale? Your going to clubs and destabilizing them, turning heads and then complaining when clubs want to get full value out of the situation.
I’m not bitter about the Lescott transfer, I think it was good for both parties, he was quite good for us, defensively and offensively but his ego was out of control and for a defender, that was a shock. But he wasnt just up for sale, Man City’s tactics made him eventually become up for sale.
All this talk about jealousy.. I’m not Jealous of Man City. Man City is jealous of Man United. And keep doing buisness this way.. and you’ll be finally ahead of Man United… as the most hated club in England.
tremble and blister makes some interesting points. It does seem to me that any romance associated with supporting Man City has been eradicated since their Arab buy-out. However, I agree with Steven that you wouldn’t stop supporting your club if they were in the same position. City fans have had to sit through years of dire football, so let them eat cake.
Steven, not wishing to be pedantic, but you averaged 26,710 for your season down in the third tier.