Premier League preview: Manchester City
Think of Manchester City these days and what instantly springs to mind? If your answer was ‘money’ you certainly wouldn’t be in the minority.
In this pre-season alone, City have splashed out over £80million on new acquisitions, in a bid to help the club crack the Premier League’s top four. That’s the short-term aim; the long-term vision is to transform the Citizens into the most revered club in the country.
In Roberto Mancini, they have a successful manager with the confidence to take City to the next level. After joining the club last December, the 2010/11 campaign will be the Italian’s first full season in charge, and he’ll be under pressure to deliver.
Most managers will look on with envy at Mancini’s star-studded squad and the limitless funds at his disposal, but the Man City job is arguably the most insecure in world football. The club’s billionaire owners have provided an astronomical amount of money over recent seasons and are now demanding silverware.
Fierce rivals Manchester United have an antagonistic banner up at Old Trafford, reminding their neighbours of the last time they landed their hands on a trophy. At present, it reads 34 years, but City’s current squad could force the United fans to remove it from the Stretford End come the end of this season.
With the club in the Europa League this year, as well as all the usual domestic competitions, City will be targeting at least one trophy as well as a place inside the top four. Winning the Premier League title may not be achievable just yet - it takes time for a new squad of players to gel – but a place inside the Champions League spots most certainly is.
They came agonisingly close last season to that elusive place inside the top four, but were pipped to the post by Tottenham after losing to them at the City of Manchester Stadium in May.
City will be out for revenge this season and have the firepower to inflict it. Star striker Carlos Tévez is still at the club despite concerns over his motivation, David Silva and Yaya Toure have both arrived in multi-million deals from Spain, and Robinho is also still technically a Man City player.
And before the transfer window shuts, the club are poised to further bolster the squad with the addition of highly-rated Italian striker Mario Balotelli and England midfielder James Milner.
However, with so many players at the club and so many personalities, disharmony in the camp was always going to be a potential problem. And before the new campaign even kicked off, Craig Bellamy – perhaps the most volatile of them all – gave a frank interview stating that he may quit the sport altogether if he fails to make Mancini’s 25-man squad.
Keeping the peace will just be another issue for the Italian boss to contend with. It’s little surprise that the markets pinpoint him as among the favourites to lose his job once the new season gets underway.
They may have an element of fantasy football about them, but Manchester City are a club on the rise, and in a big way. They’ve been brash in their approach, and have no qualms over paying players £200,000 per week. But there’s an inevitability around the club: Man City are edging ever closer towards success.
Whether that will come over the next nine months remains to be seen, but it promises to be another rollercoaster ride at Eastlands this season.
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