Europa League Special Part 3: Contenders for the trophy – Manchester City
(History, defense, midfield, attack, chances and much more)
Manchester City F.C.:
History:
Manchester City was formed as Saint Mark’s in 1880. The club has remained under the shadow of another Manchester based club, Manchester United, for much of its history now. City oscillated between the top and second division of football until Kevin Keegan
took charge and earned the club an immediate promotion to the English Premier League in 2002.
In 2003, Manchester City relocated to their current stadium called The City of Manchester Stadium. It changed many managers this decade in order to find some sort of consistency but still this frequently resulted in mid table finishes. In 2009, the club
was bought by Abu Dhabi United Group which immediately started pumping in the cash required to bring in top level players.
Since then, a plethora of new signings have taken place, worth more than 200 million Euros. City’s most recent purchases include Kolo Toure, David Silva, Mario Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov, who are expected to propel the club to the Champions league.
Last season, City was in a tight battle with Tottenham Hotspurs for a Champions league birth but eventually lost. However, hopes are high this time around after the signings of several top quality players.
Preferred Formation: 4-3-3
Defense:
Manchester City seems to have a strong defense, one of the best in the league in terms of depth. The new signing, Aleksandar Kolarov is thought to be one of the best attacking left backs in the league. He would partner the likes of Kolo Toure, Micah Richards,
Vincent Kompany and Jerome Boateng in defense. In the form of Shay Given, City has probably one of the best goalkeepers in the EPL.
Midfield:
Man City appear to have an abundance of riches in the midfield also. Before this season, their strong midfield consisted of Gareth Barry, Adam Johnson, Nigel de Jong and Shaun Wright Philips but recent acquisitions of David Silva, James Milner and Yaya Toure
will surely add quality to it. The depth in midfield will make sure that the team is able to stay competitive even in most horrible of injury crisis.
Attack:
City have an attack that can rival the best in Europe. The quality of Carlos Tevez and Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is expected to be further complimented by the arrival of the mercurial Italian forward, Mario Balotelli. The likes of Roque Santa Cruz and Jo will
add some more quality cover as both these can be relied to find the back of the net.
The one key player:
With time, Skipper Carlos Tevez has evolved in to one of the best forwards. At the ripe age of 26, the forward is nearing his peak and will hopefully be a terrifying prospect for any opposition to face.
Where his quality on the ball and explosive finishing are undoubted, it’s his supernatural work rate that has earned him many admirers. He will surely be responsible for scoring much of City’s goals this season as the young sensation, Balotelli finds his
rhythm.
Chances:
It’s a fact that Manchester City don’t have a lot of trophies to boast about. So, the squad and the fans will be hungry for glory and silverware. City has the squad to mount a serious title challenge while simultaneously competing on the European front.
Europa League victory should defiantly be on the agenda of the coach, Roberto Mancini. Man City is one of the strongest teams in the competition who can go all the way but the lack of chemistry during the finishing stages could be their downfall.
Prediction:
“Manchester City to lose out in the semifinals of the competition”.
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