You will be familiar with Suliman’s cleavage from a Marks & Spencer billboard ad campaign supposedly commissioned in response to complaints of their charging more for their bigger sized bras than their regular sized ones.
Their point appeared to be… well, outside of ‘here’s a large pair of breasts!’ I’m not quite sure what the point was actually. But if the medium is, as Marshall McLuhan contested, the message, then just imagine what the kingside and wonder-bra enhanced size is.
‘Quality worth every penny’ reads the ad’s caption, rather obnoxiously, choosing to ignore both the rather sizeable demographic of people who tend not to assess body parts on a fiscal basis and also how easy it is to access this type of thing for free on the internet nowadays for those that do.
Those familiar with the more credible conspiracy theories involving ‘New Coke’ (a short lived new recipe of the drink which briefly replaced the old one in the 1980s before mass consumer pressure meant a reversal back to ‘Original Coke’- amid various whispers that this renewal of interest in their original product had been Coca Cola’s intention all along) may find it curiously convenient that such a heavily publicised gaffe from Marks & Spencer paved the way neatly for an intensive ad campaign featuring a young woman’s cleavage plastered liberally alongside their company logo.
More Natalie Suliman images: Natalie Suliman WAG Gallery.
The one question that was poignantly avoided at Arsenal’s AGM at the end of October was that of the return of David Dein. The fact that many fans like to throw around is that we haven’t won a trophy since Dein left. But then again we haven’t won a trophy since Pascal Cygan left either; you don’t hear people clamouring for his return. However the importance of Dein is not to be underestimated. Not only a great friend of Wenger’s Dein was the man that not only pushed Wenger to sign more players but was also the man that could make that sort of thing happen.
Lyon boss and former Gunner Remi Garde was quoted in the papers recently as saying that he thought Wenger was struggling without Dein: “He kept an eye on the choice of players, the strategy of the club. He is sorely missed.”
So as we consider the possible yet unlikely return of the former maverick board member we have to ask ourselves how much we would be willing to sacrifice to see his return? The situation seems to be that too many bridges have been burned for the former chief executive to return under the current establishment. Yet with ever deepening analysis of Arsenal’s struggles as the barren years roll by Arsenal fans are more and more inclined to desire the return of the former overseer of the club.
Ivan Gazidis
One of the main problems that arises when considering his return is the obvious point that his job is already occupied by Gazidis. However there aren’t many people who would be sad to see the back of the former chief of the MLS. Ivan’s work has been adequate but there a numerous issues with his methods, particularly the sale of Fabregas. Obviously the Barcelona born midfielder was always going to be sold, and obviously the sale was a peculiar one in that there was no competition for his signature, but ultimately to sell one of the world’s greatest players for almost half of what he was worth is a sin by anyone’s standards. Particularly as his contract wasn’t due to run down for another three years.
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Peter Hill-Wood
The second thing standing in the way is our chairman. It is, to say the least, unlikely that Dein would ever return whilst Hill-Wood remains as a figurehead at the club; but frankly nobody is quite sure how much longer he will continue to a be a force at the club. Whilst Kroenke may be indebted to Hill-Wood for giving him a way in to the club the American is a businessman and it is unlikely that the bond between them is anywhere near sacred.
The problem however for Kroenke, as we all know, is Dein’s relationship with Usmanov. It seems that the two will now only come as a package. And this club isn’t big enough for two billionaires, no club is. The only realistic option it would seem at the moment were for Dein to be given a place on the board as a representative of Usmanov. Usmanov has been angling for a place on the board since he first bought in to the club but the unsavoury nature of his character and proposed strategy for the club mean that he is unlikely to get what he wants. Dein however as chairman of Usmanov’s ‘Red and White Holdings’ could be offered a place on the board. However this is still unlikely.
Alisher Usmanov
So then we are left with the last remaining option somehow allowing Usmanov into our club on a more controlling scale. It is an interesting contrast in principles for Arsenal fans. For so long we have smugly declared that we are a sustainable English owned club. But we’re not even English owned any more and whilst sustainability is desirable I wonder how many people would be happy to be boasting of success instead? Ultimately if anyone is able to swing the power towards Usmanov and Dein in the power struggle for our club it is the remaining supporters who own shares. Now I know that the AST and many others are totally unwilling to sell their shares at all and I, like many, both admire and am grateful for this. There must always be an element of fan power within clubs. But not all shareholders will feel the same way. Whether because of money or other reasons it will be interesting to see whether, when the time comes to sell, people would rather sell to ‘Red & White’ or ‘KSE’.
No we don’t want Usmanov to come in to our club, riddle it with debt and destabilise the future of the club, but neither do we want to continue along the unsuccessful on field path that we currently follow. Kroenke talks about how he is here for the ‘long-term’ and how he wants to make this club successful. But then again he also considers the teams he already owns to be successful. And, let me tell you: they are not. His NFL team is currently enjoying a barren spell that stretches back to the beginning of time. His Hockey team has not won the Stanley Cup since 2001, he boasts that his basketball team reaches the playoffs every year but Arsenal reach the Champions League every year and people aren’t satisfied with that. The only team he has that has enjoyed any recent success was his MLS team that won the league. But not by coming first, they won through the playoffs.
I’m not saying that Usmanov is our best choice, far from it. I think the mistrust aimed at him is more than justifiable, but David Dein is the one man who could truly come back in to Arsenal and be the catalyst for a stagnating boardroom. It just depends how much people are willing to sacrifice to bring back Wenger’s old partner?
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Read more of Hamish Mackay’s articles at Arsenal Mania
Championship frontrunners Queens Park Rangers are set to challenge seven alleged regulation breaches set down by the Football Association.An Independent Regulatory Commission will begin hearing the charges on May 3 with a decision expected three days later.
The charges relate to the club allegedly breaching third-party ownership and agent rules in the transfer of Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.
It is alleged that as part of Faurlin’s 3.5 million pound move from Institute FC in July 2009, an unnamed third-party kept a stake in his economic rights without the FA being notified.
The charges also included allegedly making payments to an unauthorised agent and providing false information and documents to the FA.
QPR and club official Gianni Paladini have also been charged with allegedly providing false information in documents handed to the FA regarding Faurlin’s contract extension, signed in October 2010.
If QPR are found guilty, the club could suffer serious ramifications with a points deduction a possibility.
“QPR and Mr Paladini have both indicated they are denying all of the charges and shall be contesting them at the hearing,” the FA said.
“The FA, QPR and Mr Paladini shall be making no further comment until the charges are resolved.”
Neil Warnock’s team extended its lead at the top of the Championship to nine points on Monday with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United.
There probably aren’t many people around today who haven’t heard the phrase ‘everyone’s a winner’. It’s a expression that is used time and time again in life, but just recently it wouldn’t be too surprising to hear it uttered in the corridors of Villa Park or the City of Manchester Stadium.
As a public staring harsh financial times in the face, it seems we are obliged to criticise both the player and the purchasing club in any megabucks transfer. Fair enough. In the case of James Milner, a talented and likeable young English player who has, we assume, been corrupted by the club labelled ‘big, bad Manchester City’ by Randy Lerner, the feeling of anguish is particularly vehement. The protracted transfer left such a bitter taste that it helped drive Martin O’Neil to resignation, while just a few minutes of watching You’re on Sky Sports on Wednesday gave a clear indication that Britain’s football-loving community considered the transfer as a confirmation of the cruel financial dominance of Manchester City and the limitless greed and lack of loyalty present among Premiership footballers.
But why exactly are we so riled by this transfer? After all, hasn’t everyone done pretty darn well out of it?
Despite all of their high profile activity in the market this summer, it is only with the signing of Milner that City have finally landed their main target, and at a price that, if we are to believe widespread media reports, they had always been willing to pay. Roberto Mancini didn’t consider Stephen Ireland sufficiently talented or glamorous to warrant a place in his team. But for all their defensive midfield players, without Ireland City lacked a player who can score goals from the middle of the park last season. Milner is that player, and his signing could push them into the top four.
The transfer also emphasises City’s new position as a ‘big club’. If Manchester United want a player, they usually get him. City are following the same blue print, and their ability to lure Milner is a statement of intent to their rivals. Three years ago, City and Villa were at a similar level. Those days are gone. When Milner heard of City’s interest he jumped at the chance to join Mancini’s revolution. This signing, above all others, demonstrates to the whole Premier League that City really are one of the big boys.
If City are pleased to have their man, Milner will undoubtedly be ecstatic with the deal. As well as bumper wages and a sizeable signing on fee, the former Leeds midfielder has also signed up for a chance to genuinely compete for top honours. Some have questioned whether he will get into City’s starting eleven, but with all due respect to Villa, at 24 the time has come for Milner to test himself at a higher level. If he wants to become a top player, and we have to assume that he does, he needs to be training with players like David Silva and Yaya Toure every day.
There’s little doubt that this move is make or break for Milner, but if he’s good enough, he’ll develop into a fine player at Eastlands and could become a fixture in a City side that challenges for the title and Champions League. It’s an opportunity he should relish and one that probably justifies his decision to navigate a route away from Villa Park.
So if Manchester City and Milner are clearly winners in the transfer, then poor old Aston Villa must be losers? Wrong. Villa will be disappointed to have lost Milner, who was arguably their top performer last year, but in reality they have sold him for a huge sum, one which even Milner’s biggest fans would struggle to argue that he is worth. The fact that Ireland was included in the deal is a further bonus for Villa, as he will provide the attacking drive from midfield that made Milner such a valuable asset.
The exact quantity of Milner’s sale revenue that will be available for transfers is open for debate, but if they spend wisely, preferably on a striker who can guarantee them 15 goals a season and take some pressure off Gabby Agbonlahor, then there is no reason why Villa can’t improve as a team and push on from last season’s sixth place finish. Yes, they have lost Martin O’Neil, but the storm clouds have been present for some time. The Irishman had grown disillusioned at Villa Park, and his departure has long been a formality. The king’s ransom gained from the Milner sale and the new signings that should follow will soften the blow that has already been aided by Kevin MacDonald’s impressive start in the Villa hotseat.
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So Man City have their man. Milner has his move, and will surely develop into a top player for England as a result. Villa have a replacement and a hefty load of Arab gold to boot. What exactly is all the fuss about? Yes, there’s silly money involved, and yes, it could be spent on other things, but that’s not what the transfer market is about. It’s about paying millions of pounds for someone whose only talent is kicking a plastic sphere around. Football transfers are rarely morally sound, but they are exciting. With eleven days of the transfer window left, I’m hooked, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
There’s rarely a dull moment down at the Bridge but you bet that all concerned with Chelsea could do with getting back to a bit of normality.
Three defeats from five, two consecutive home losses and only two wins from seven is causing much delight around the rest of the country but within the corridors of power at Cobham, there will be some serious head scratching about just what is going on with one of the teams who have dominated English football in the 21st century.
Crisis may be an over used adjective monopolised by the tabloids, but even if things aren’t that bad their current form will be much cause for concern.
Twelve points adrift of Manchester City at the summit of the Premier League and with participation in the Champions League in the balance is not where last seasons league runners-up envisaged themselves being at this stage in proceedings.
But all is not lost, indeed all can be salvaged, but Andre Villas-Boas certainly needs to right some wrongs fairly sharpish if they are to compete for the honours they would have expected at the beginning of the campaign
A brittle backline, a midfield that lacks class and authority and a set of forwards who are reticent to make places their own are all jeopardising another season after the 2010 league and cup double winners finished potless last season.
There is something about the autumn months which causes the Blues to shed points like the trees shed their leaves. At the same juncture last year the wheels had fell off under Carlo Ancelotti and although they recovered to chase Manchester United down to the bitter end, the damage had already been done.
The solution under Ancelotti was to launch cash at it during the January transfer window and the least said about that the better, so without going down the same route again once auld lang syne’s died down, just what can AVB do to steady the good ship Chelsea?
He could start by heeding these five pieces of wisdom.
1) Get Alex in.
Not many of the Chelsea brethren can work out why the big Brazilian has been so sparingly used by AVB. He dropped a clanger early on against West Brom but for the large part the former PSV stopper has been effectively solid at the heart of the back four.
Despite his offensive abilities from deep, David Luiz’s wing and a prayer defending is not what Chelsea need at the moment, especially next to Skipper John Terry who seems particularly vulnerable next to the eccentric Sideshow Bob look-a-like. Alex may lack a bit of mobility but he rarely gets caught out, and if Chelsea are thinking of going back to basics, an Ivanovic-Alex-Terry-Cole back four would be as good as any place to start.
2) Ditch the high line
Since AVB came in he’s tried to adopt the tactics which brought him so much success at Porto. The concept is fairly straightforward and indeed it’s similar to that which Barcelona so brilliantly execute. It involves pressing high up the pitch, and engaging the opposition in their own half – well away from goal.
The policy of pressing this high in theory means there’s no easy way out to gradually play the ball into your half, and by doing so, if you win the ball back by rights they’ve got less distance to travel to the business end. The idea makes sense but in order for this to be effective, the right players with the right attributes are needed, and Chelsea haven’t got those types of players to make this system work.
For a start, their midfield no longer contains the power, pace and tenacity of the likes of Essien, Makalele, Lampard and Ballack to enforce this high-tempo strategy, meaning the hassling and haranguing is too easy to play around and as such brutally exposes a weak defence.
The midfield is also struggling to control games and play at their pace. Barcelona pull this off because they have innate ball-playing midfielders who can constantly move the ball onto options scattered around and peg the other team back. Chelsea don’t have the type of players to dictate the flow of games in this way, and their constant surrendering of the ball leaves them susceptible to the counter, with vast swathes of grass left behind this high defence.
3) Easy on the entertainment.
When Mourinho’s production were sweeping all before them, they were doing it with the grace and posterity of a wrecking ball smashing a shed. Despite the lavish outlay on some of Europe’s top players they were mechanically effective rather than mesmerically excellent and their abrasive nature endeared them to few.
Abramovich wanted more, he perhaps never even muttered the term ‘blue Barcelona’ but you caught his drift. He wanted a team that won with a style and grace you’d expect for a billion large, yet the more he’s strove for this utopian blue dream, the worse they’ve become.
AVB was the latest in a long line of managers charged with combining style and substance but perhaps he’s taken the remit too far. Slapstick defending and a cavalier attitude means Chelsea games are packed with goals and gaffe’s but to the detriment of results.
There is no doubt that Chelsea have tried to be more expansive this season, but expansive means open and open means vulnerable. Their full-backs are constantly on the charge, their midfield trio lacks a definitive anchor man and the wide forwards see tracking back as an optional extra.
With the ball they are too eager to spring forward and once again this is exposing what started off as a back four, but soon becomes a back John Terry with David Luiz somewhere in the vicinity.
The best teams have control and poise, a methodical swinging pendulum of balance which comes from keeping the ball, moving it about in areas which aren’t necessarily a threat, manipulating play here and there, back and forth in and out before seizing the moment and striking.
Manchester City have rammed home masses of goals so far this season, but by no means would you describe their manner as overly attacking. Much of their game is still largely built around the foundations of 18 months of Mancini pragmatism, so they have a base from which to build, allowing a forward trio or quartet to interlink and drift with a positionless conivance knowing they are still reinforced defensively. Chelsea simply do not have this balance.
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4) Switch to 4-4-2
There must be a constitutional statute at Chelsea which insists the side must be decked out in some permutation of a 4-3-3. Ever since Mourinho implemented it some seven years ago now, no manager has ever strayed from the tried and trusted set-up for any sustained period and the fact that everybody knows the shape they will adopt must surely limit its effectiveness.
At present, there are a couple of things wrong with this formation, for this team, with this set of players. The primary problem is that all of Chelsea’s midfield stocks do a similar job, with little variation or positional difference. Bar the ineffective John Obi Mikel they’re short of the Makalele type fulcrum to protect the back four and after years of trying to acquire some sort of fantasical creative force, they’re still too one paced and predictable.
All of Frank Lampard, Raul Meireles and Ramires perform similar functions but being so similar, and without a genuine holding or floating figure, Villas-Boas essentially has three men doing the job of two which removes bodies from other areas of the pitch.
Given that the 4-3-3 isn’t working seamlessly, AVB could easily shuffle to a 4-4-2 using virtually the same players. Ramires and Mata could operate the flanks with Lampard and Meireles manning the centre in a tactical switch which would arguably provide the Blues with more natural width and two genuine central midfielders instead of three.
The other aspect of this is it would finally allow the Chelsea to pair a strike duo up top with support for one another. Torres, Drogba, Sturridge, Kalou and Anelka are all naturally central strikers yet three fifth’s of that forward line have been made to operate as quasi wingers throughout much of their Stamford Bridge stint.
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The 4-4-2 has evolved from the rigidity of the English model from the 80’s and intuitive use of the ball still allows players to roam and venture away from their pre-defined stations. For example, David Silva at Manchester City is often lined up initially at left-midfield but that doesn’t stop the fleet-footed Spaniard from venturing into areas of influence. Should Juan Mata perform a similar function, Ashley Cole would provide the width vacated by Mata’s marauding’s whilst on the other side Ramires has more than enough pace and incision to flank that side. It’s only a slight variation from where they are now, but small measures can make a big difference.
5) Pair up Torres and Sturridge
The other bonus of the 4-4-2 would be that Chelsea could finally put together a decent strike partnership. The inquests into Fernando Torres’s failings have run long and deep yet he has always largely been asked to play the target-man role as a central striker spearheading a three man attack. With the width coming from either side, Torres has little licence to run the channels and neglect his central standing.
Utilising him as one of two would allow Torres and his partner to wonder where necessary knowing there’s someone else to fill the central void. Granting strikers the autonomy to go where they want can make them difficult to pick up, and more of Torres game could be spent facing goal rather than with his back to the action.
If Chelsea do pursue this option, Daniel Sturridge would be an ideal forward to try to restore El Nino to former glories. Since flourishing on loan at Bolton, Sturridge has been Chelsea’s in-form striker and most dangerous striker, and his pace and movement could dovetail ideally if Torres embraced similar traits.
What Torres needs is to find a niche within this team, and playing with his back to goal with two centre-halves for close comfort is not his natural game. A lot of Chelsea’s problems would be eradicated, or at the very least masked, if Torres could start firing again and gaining points from losing and drawing positions.
However, these partnerships aren’t borne over night, and with Anelka and Kalou n the periphery of things and Drogba getting no younger, these two need to be given an opportunity to forge and understanding to shoot Chelsea back to the top.
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez says Saturday’s opponents Tottenham will not be distracted by their upcoming Champions League quarter final.Tottenham will play a massive game against Spanish giants Real Madrid on Tuesday but Martinez knows the north Londoners will be fully focussed on the Premier League this weekend.
Martinez said: “Regardless of their Champions League involvement next week this will be a very difficult game.”
“Sometimes having fixtures like that on the horizon can work as an advantage and teams may look at the games beforehand as the ideal chance to gear themselves up and tune their performance.”
“But from now until the end of the season it is all about us, our performances on the pitch and being to take every game as a unique opportunity to collect points.”
“We’re facing one of the best teams in Europe because Tottenham have been the surprise package in this season’s Champions League.”
Wigan sit last on the Premier League table but just five points separate them and Fulham in 12th place.
Martinez knows now is the time to turn good performances into points and ensure top flight survival.
He said: “The differences between all the clubs at the bottom of the table are so small and we’re prepared for the fight going right down to the final game of the season.”
“From our point-of-view we’ve been very consistent over the last few weeks, played to a high standard and now is the time to collect the points we’ve been missing. ” Martinez has a fully-fit squad to choose from.
Jimmy Bullard's proposed move to Celtic has collapsed over the Hull City midfielder's personal demands.
Hull's head of football operations, Adam Pearson, has revealed that Bullard's wage demands are to blame for the proposed season-long loan switch to the Scottish Premier League side hitting the buffers.
Bullard had been involved in lengthy negotiations with the Bhoys with Hull keen to reduce their wage bill following their relegation from the Premier League last season.
"The deal is off as far as we are concerned because of absolutely ridiculous financial demands being made by the player," Pearson told the Daily Mail.
"We have bent over backwards to try to make this happen and four weeks ago there was an agreement with Celtic in place over a one-year loan.
"But now it seems Jimmy wants extra cash on top as well and he has jeopardised the chance to play for a great club.
"Who would not want to play at Celtic, with a chance of European football and silverware?
"Hull City were prepared to subsidise a year in Glasgow for Bullard. Let's just say we would have made a significant contribution to the overall wage package.
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"But unless he has a dramatic change of heart overnight, we expect him back here rather than being in the United States with Celtic.
"He has had four weeks to make up his mind and has strung people along, frankly."Subscribe to Football FanCast News Headlines by Email
Arsene Wenger looks set to face a battle to keep hold of Alex Song, following news that Inter Milan have joined Barcelona in expressing an interest in the 24 year old midfielder. (talkSport)
Song moved to Arsenal in 2006 and has developed into an established member of the current Arsenal side.
However, with Barcelona and Inter Milan currently considering January moves Song may be tempted to leave the North London club in search of trophies, which have thus far eluded him in his time at Arsenal.
Inter Milan have struggled this season in Serie A, currently sitting in 17th after 9 games. However, Massimo Moratti is already looking to next season and is set to give boss Claudio Ranieri at transfer package looking at the next 18 months.
Song, at 24, would fit the bill perfectly and would add some much needed steel and energy to the Inter Milan midfield. An offer of over £20 million may be enough to tempt Arsene Wenger to part with one of his longest serving players.
Ranieri is also looking to target controversial Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli. The striker previously enjoyed a tumultuous spell in Italy at Inter, although a return is now a serious possibility following Ranieri’s interest.
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The other day I was looking back at photos of a night out I had at University. Struggling to recall the night I tried to pull of a flowery Hawaiian shirt and a John Hartson beard, I was forced to remember the sporting event of the day and how I watched it. That night, four years ago, was one of those meaningless friendlies between Spain and England that provided the bread for Steve McClaren’s disastrous qualifying campaign for Euro 2008.
Although we could have not appreciated it at the time, the game was actually quite a significant one for several of England’s squad players. The defeat at Old Trafford turned out to be Gary Neville’s final appearance in international colours, the controversial Joey Barton made his England debut and a certain Kieron Dyer impressed as part of the England midfield.
Dyer, then a Newcastle United player, was the perennial nearly man for England for the best part of a decade. A youth team prospect at Ipswich, a 1999 move to St James Park was seen as the start of a glittering Premier League career for the flying winger.
Yet, this week Dyer, at the age of 32, returned to Portman Road having been unable to fulfil his talents and potential at the top level of domestic and international football. Incapable of featuring regularly for Premier League strugglers West Ham, Dyer has dropped a division to ensure his former employers do not drop into the relegation quagmire.
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The winger was a young prospect for such a long time that you had to check that he wasn’t a character from ‘Captain Scarlet’ – sadly for Dyer he was anything but invincible. With a succession of hamstring and knee injuries blighting his attempts to push on, the midfielder spent vast chunks of his prime years on the sidelines. From young gun to vulnerable old-timer in a matter of seasons, the fall from grace has been dramatic.
It is a wonder that he managed 33 games for England – places in squads for the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004 were secured through promising runs of form when at Newcastle, but a lack of first team action since 2004 has limited Dyer to two caps in seven years.
Dyer’s move to West Ham in 2007 actually appeared a positive career move. Having finished the 2006-07 season strongly at Newcastle, he remained hot property and his joining Freddie Ljungberg in the capital excited fans looking to build on the Hammers team that had miraculously escaped relegation the previous year. Both men were quickly injured – Dyer’s broken leg at the hands of Joe Jacobson of Bristol Rovers, kept him out of the game for over 18 months and in truth marked the terminal decline in trajectory of his career.
In recent months, Dyer’s time at West Ham has become a case study of the crazy money thrown around at the club before the global economic downturn. Last summer it was reported in The Daily Telegraph that the winger was being paid a staggering £83,000 per week, alongside loyalty bonuses and image rights exceeding an extra £500,000 a year. All of this for a player never to have completed 90 minutes for his club nor to have scored a single goal, indicates just how expensive the Dyer gamble has been for the London club.
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As he completes his month long loan spell in the Championship with his boyhood club, Dyer himself might still harbour hopes of returning to play a role in West Ham’s struggle for Premier League survival before the end of the season. However, with his contract up at the end of the campaign, the overwhelming likelihood remains that he will never return to the top level and that Portman Road will be the last stop on the Kieron Dyer career train.
Remember the last time Kieron Dyer played 90 minutes for club or country? Find me on Twitter for the answer to this and why I spent 94 minutes watching ‘John Tucker Must Die’ last night instead of Sevilla – Barcelona.
Roberto Mancini seems to be the busiest Premier League manager so far as the Italian has already managed to acquire the services of midfielder Yaya Toure, Patrick Viera, Jerome Boateng and just recently Spanish star David Silva, even before the window has officially opened.
So, with all these players making their way to Eastlands this season, and considering the current size of the City squad, does Mancini’s transfer policy continue to confuse?
Manchester City have a massive squad which consists of (including the recent acquisitions) three goalkeepers, twelve recognized defenders, eleven midfielders, and seven strikers…a total of 32 players (an equivalent to just under three teams), which makes City undoubtedly one of (if not) the biggest squads within the Premier League.
Mancini has sufficient funds available to him this summer and it looks as if the scarf wearing manager is scouring for even more players to add to his already enormous squad. Many neutral fans and maybe some City ones will question the Italians transfer policy this summer which seems to be focusing mainly on midfielders and defenders, which he doesn’t really require.
It’s rather confusing to see the City boss purchase players in this area as the club already have several options in both departments. There will no doubt be a number of departures for with the new faces coming in, so the signings he has made are good ones up until now. However, why did Mancini sign Patrick Vieira for another season and is reportedly looking to get rid of fan favourite Nigel De Jong? De Jong is clearly one of city’s best performers, and to see him leave the club this summer would be a big disappointment for a lot of the fans.
It’s quite a task just to figure out what the City team will actually look like for the upcoming season. A few names such as, Yaya Toure, David Silva and Carlos Tevez are surely going to be starting, but as for the other places in the team, they look to be up for grabs. Jerome Boateng would likely feature in the starting eleven, but who’s position will he be taking is another mystery due to the defender’s versatility. Mancini has way too much midfielders, (who are all capped at international level by the way) and reports suggest that he is looking to bring yet another midfielder in the form of James Milner…its almost becoming an obsession for the Italian.
Mancini maybe accused of splashing the cash just for the sake of it by many fans, which in all fairness appears to be what he’s doing. However, you have to take into consideration and understand that this will be Mancini’s first full season in charge, and as such, will want to bring in and rebuild a team suited to his style. Yet, as an outsider looking in, you can’t help but be baffled at the players he is bringing in, as it seems he already has good options in these positions. It’s going to be very interesting to see who else Mancini targets this summer, because it doesn’t look like the City boss will stop now that he is rolling. Only time will tell.
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