The final day of the 2007-08 season had brought both delight and despair for Manchester City captain Richard Dunne.
After being announced as City’s Player of the Season for a record fourth consecutive season, the powerful Irish centre back unfortunately received a straight red card for a professional foul on Afonso Alves in City’s game against Middlesbrough at the Riverside. It was believed that this could jeopardise City’s chances of playing in the Uefa Cup next season via qualification through the Fair Play League (in the end it didn’t).
Furthermore, City lost the game 8-1, in what was Sven-Goran Eriksson’s final game in charge.
A rollercoaster summer ensued, as it always seems to at City. With the club in turmoil after Eriksson’s departure and owner Thaskin Shinawatra’s billions frozen by Thai authorities, rumours circulated that the entire playing staff were up for sale, including Dunne.
Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp has never hidden his admiration for Dunne, and reportedly lodged a £5 million bid, which was later matched by the defensively needy Tottenham Hotspur.
Newly installed City manager Mark Hughes made securing Dunne’s future, who only had 12 months remaining on his contract, his top priority. The Welshman succeeded, with Dunne signing a new four-year contract. The City fans were understandably thrilled with the news, after all Dunne had been the mainstay of the club for eight years since his move from Everton for £3 million.
However, now, after the groundbreaking takeover of the club by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and his subsequent purchase of Robinho for a British record £32.5 million, expectations at the City of Manchester Stadium have been sent through the roof.
Rumours were rife on transfer deadline day of bids for David Villa, Mario Gomez, and Dimitar Berbatov, and future bids for world stars such as Cesc Fabregas, Fernando Torres, and Cristiano Ronaldo. It seems as though no player at City is now safe.
Which brings me to Dunne, a player who epitomises everything about Manchester City. A never-say-die-attitude combined with a huge amount of talent, Dunne is possibly the most underrated central defender in the Premiership.
Don’t forget, he was the only man who could come of a pitch last season and honestly claim he got the better of Fernando Torres for the full 90 minutes during the game between City and Liverpool at the City of Manchester Stadium in December.
Furthermore, after being unable to leave his bed the day before the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Dunne miraculously recovered to lead his side to City’s first "Derby Double" for almost 40 years.
So with City entering this new, exciting era, with a seemingly limitless transfer budget a
2 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Wigan Blue 9 months ago
All Dunney needs to do is learn to pass to someone in a sky-blue shirt. How hard is that? But the hoofs up the field with no direction go to opposition players 9 times out of 10. And most of the time, that means an oncoming striker.
Don't get me wrong - I love the guy to bits. But in the new environment he needs to raise his game, just as the other guys are having to. Maybe it's time for Dunney to learn a lesson from Stevie Ireland?
Edit Comment Cancel
Alex Stamp 9 months ago
A good article, it illustrates the problems which can be created by foreign investment. While people tend to focus on the numerous positives that such investment brings, Dunne's case highlights a problem. Dunne, is an unfashionable player, but an undoubtedly effective one. He has been a standout player for City through years of struggle, yet now times have changed and with them viewpoints and opinions. City's rise has perhaps caused people to change their views on him, criticising him for his deficiencies as a player because now other options which previously were beyond City are now available. It's a shame, people seem to have short memories, this is a player who defensively is as sound as they come, he is City's version of Vidic and he was also linked with Arsenal as recently as this summer, so he can't be that bad! Personally I hope he stays, and I think he has the support of Sparky and hopefully people will remember what he has done for City in the past and what he can give in the future. A very good piece, highlighting a problem which I fear could become more frequent as more and more investors move in.
Edit Comment Cancel
Leave a Comment
You must register to post a comment.