Richards: We are confident
Manchester City defender Micah Richards says the club is confident of success this season despite the high number of players coming and going.
Manchester City has been put in a gifted position by owner Sheikh Mansour who has put a high amount of investment into the football club. This has allowed the club to sign and release a high numbers of important players.
Richards says the club has always been confident and the high profile players arriving, such as Yaya Toure from Barcelona, will only be beneficial to the playing team.
There are many dangers when financial investment allows a football club to sign and release players at will. However, Manchester City has a better chance than ever before to break the top four and win something this season.
Many dangers
Player friction is arguably the biggest danger that the club faces. This is because the roles of players at Manchester City can change in very little time. A player may have one season to prove himself at the club before being replaced by the latest multi-million pound signing.
This will create a lot of bad feeling between players, coaches and fans, which can only be negative for the football club. The majority of Premier League players have lots of connections and it could eventually put other players off from joining the club.
Money always creates the chance that a player could sign for Manchester City when he does not necessarily want to be at the club. This is a dangerous point that Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Avram Grant and others have all said they've experienced during the time they have been managers in the Premier League.
Richards said: "I made my debut at 17 and I've seen 40, 50, maybe 60 players go in that time. It is ridiculous, but it's only good for the club. We have had a lot of money to spend and we have spent right. Some players who are not starting every week are going to be disappointed."
A good chance of success
Manchester City has a better chance than ever before to be successful. This could well be the season that the club wins a first trophy under Roberto Mancini because the quality of the playing squad is very high.
There is cover in every single position, which means that injuries and suspensions should not be a problem over the course of a long year. There is also more pressure than ever before on the manager to win a trophy.
Richards added: "This season we can definitely do something and the Champions League is on our minds. It's all happened so fast, but Manchester United have always had the victories. I think we have the players, even as good a squad as theirs now and it's not going to gel overnight, but if we keep this team for two or three years, who knows?"
Betting advice
Don't be afraid to have a punt on Manchester City in any form of the game this season. The club now has an entrenched quality that will stay in place regardless of the problems that can be linked to the club's football philosophy.
The club has a better chance than ever before to secure a Champions League spot ahead of next season. The start of the season has left the club in ninth place in the Premier League but there is plenty of time to climb into the top four.
A solid bet could be for the club to win either the FA Cup or the League Cup. You will get longer odds on the club winning in other competitions and Manchester City's chances of a domestic cup win are better.
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