Manchester City: A Good Start?

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

I've been a Man City fan now for 14 years and we've come a long way since our relegation into the old Nationwide Division 1 in 1996. Having seen us drop into the old Division Two (which is now League One) and get promoted in dramatic circumstances things are looking very exciting at the City of Manchester Stadium these days.

But what will the fans be expecting this season?

I, as well as thousands of dedicated City fans, are especially looking forward to the 2009-10 season and so glad that it is underway. After a long and busy summer which saw the arrivals of top international players Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gareth Barry, and Kolo Toure as well as ever present back up keeper Stuart Taylor we will be expecting at least a top six finish.

Is a top six finish possible?

Firstly many sceptics are questioning whether Mark Hughes is the right man to lead City to glory? Many of the bookies have Hughes down as favourite to get the sack first which I would say is harsh. He's had the time to build a squad that should be capable of glory, especially spending £95m so far this summer. No major trophy in 30 years is something that the new owners will want to change quickly; can he cope with that pressure?

I think the main concern with the fans will be can all these new arrivals fit into the squad and gel with last season’s players? Having bought three strikers and already having Robinho and Bellamy, can all the players stay happy at the club? Gareth Barry will add defensive qualities to a strong midfield which boasts last season’s player of the season Stephen Ireland, international players Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nigel De Jong, Vincent Kompany, and Martin Petrov.

Kolo Toure will add stability to a defence that was a bit shaky last season having conceded 50 goals.

A big disappointment last season was our away form, only two away wins at Sunderland and Everton was abysmal. Losing at 10-man Stoke and poor performances at West Brom, Bolton, Hull, Fulham, Newcastle and Portsmouth will need to be quickly rectified if we are to be a force in the Premier League.

Already we have an away win under our belts, a fine performance at Blackburn on Saturday with a debut goal from Adebayor and a cool finish in stoppage time from Ireland. That is just the start we needed, especially keeping a clean sheet. But we need to build on that performance with solid wins in our next couple of games, Wolves at home and Portsmouth away.

Then come two big tests, Arsenal and Man United in September.

All the foundations are falling into place for exciting times at Manchester City, the future's bright, the future's blue.

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