It would not be long before the city of Manchester has a second Premier League champion after Manchester United in the near future given the financial rise of Manchester City under Middle Eastern ownership.
The blue half of Manchester has always been under the shadow of bitter cross city rivals United and the latter’s rich history is a sure testament to that. Yet petro-dollars from the desert is enriching Eastlands year by year and it could be a matter of time that City tastes success both on the domestic front and on the continental front. Emulating Manchester United’s record over the past decade would be difficult for the club from the City of Manchester stadium but hopes are high this season as Roberto Mancini is getting a free hand to sign best players from around the world to match the English Premier League’s elite.
Just a day to go before the big kick-off that reignites the world’s interest of club football after a month long international football extravaganza in South Africa, we look at Manchester City’s chances to win any silverware come May next year. Mind you folks, City have a difficult opening fixture against Tottenham Hotspur that kick starts things for the 2010-2011 season at White Hart Lane. This game would give us an idea of the team from Manchester as Harry Redknapp’s Spurs would provide a stern test given that the North London side are one of the contenders alongside City.
The summer has been really busy for the cash rich club as speculation rises about more high profile signings in the next few days. It can’t be denied that City have created a buzz across the UK and Europe as a whole. People might say that the club is wasting too much money on too less important players but if one looks at the depth of this squad, there is no dearth of talent and world beaters likewise. If Roberto Mancini can make his players believe that glory means more than hefty pay-cheques, the world must watch out for Manchester City for the upcoming season.
It’s almost embarrassing to read reports of the calibre of players that are getting lured at City which would have been unthinkable of about four or five years back. Think of the talent pool at the club where players like Stephen Ireland and Craig Bellamy are getting left out of the 25-man roster for the upcoming season!
Both players are on the verge of leaving Eastlands with the likes of Aston Villa’s James Milner and Inter Milan’s teenage sensation Mario Balotelli set to replace them.
Check out the full team and judge the talent reserve:
- Goalkeepers
- Defenders
- Midfielders
- Strikers
- David Gonzales (COL)
- Shay Given (IRL)
- Joe Hart (ENG)
- Gunnar Nielsen (FAR)
- Stuart Taylor (ENG)
- Aleksandar Kolarov (SERB)
- Dedryck Boyata (BEL)
- Greg Cunningham (IRE)
- Javan Vidal (ENG)
- Jerome Boateng (GER)
- Joleon Lescott (ENG)
- Wayne Bridge (ENG)
- Shaleum Logan (ENG)
- Nedum Onuoha (ENG)
- Micah Richards (ENG)
- Kolo Toure (CIV)
- Pablo Zabaleta (ARG)
- Abdisalam Ibrahim (NOR)
- Adam Johnson (ENG)
- David Silva (ESP)
- Gareth Barry (ENG)
- Patrick Vieira (FRA)
- Yaya Toure (CIV)
- Nigel de Jong (NED)
- Kelvin Etuhu (NGR)
- Stephen Ireland (IRL) *
- Michael Johnson (ENG)
- Vincent Kompany (BEL)
- Vladimir Weiss (SVK)
- Shaun Wright-Phillips (ENG)
- Emmanuel Adebayor (TGO)
- Craig Bellamy (WAL) *
- Felipe Caicedo (ECU)
- Jô (BRA)
- Alex Tchuimeni-Nimely (ENG)
- Robinho (BRA)
- Roque Santa Cruz (PRY)
- Carlos Tevez (ARG)
* These players are on their way out and set to be replaced by James Milner and Mario Balotelli.
Roberto Mancini’s main task would be to put together a team that would have a common cause to win silverwares. The road is set to be bumpy yet write off the ‘Sleeping Giant of Manchester’ at your own peril.
If a club has two goalkeepers in the form of the Republic of Ireland’s Shay Given and England’s Joe Hart, it is just embarrassing to believe that one of these top keepers would warm the bench for the forthcoming season. The future of Brazilian skill master Robinho is still in doubt at the club although Mancini has named him in his 25-man squad and is hopeful that the 32.5 million pound signing from Real Madrid two years back would make his mind up to stay at Eastlands rather than return to Santos, where he had been on loan.
Yet the presence of players such as Yaya Toure, David Silva, the experienced Patrick Viera, Emmanuel Adebayor, Alexander Kolarov and Carlos Tevez (to name just a few) would just make the Premier League a bit more interesting. City are on the verge of naming a ‘World XI’ tomorrow lunch time but the question is can this ambitious club match the traditions of Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool or Arsenal !
Time will provide us with the answer.
For now just sit back and enjoy the first weekend of the 2010-2011 Barclays English Premier League.