The New Manchester City: Is Money Really Enough?

Woooh, hold on a minute. Put the brakes on Manchester City fans.

First of all, well done with the capture of Robinho. It was a great coup, but I think a little perspective might be needed right now.

This talk of winning the Premier League next year and the Champions League the year after that is very naïve, and so is claiming ADUG will try and sign Ronaldo, Henry and anyone else whose name has ever been remotely near the words ‘world class’ in the same sentence.

Lets face facts for a moment. Manchester City has an average squad, with one, maybe two potential diamonds in Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robinho. They’re going to need more than that to break into the top four this season, and if Champions League football isn’t secured, why would any of the world’s biggest players go to Eastlands?

The Robinho signing was a one-off, he was desperate to leave and given Real refused to sell him to Chelsea he had to settle for City.

If Mark Hughes can get his side into the top four maybe the players will come, but not otherwise.

When Abramovich took over Chelsea in 2003 the London club had just qualified for the Champions League, and had challenged for the title that season. Manchester City has neither of these things. Also, ADUG’s claims that money is no object might sound menacing to every other club in the world, but take this from a Chelsea fan; money doesn’t buy anything.

As fellow writer John Robertson pointed out, more money means more problems. Robinho will be a hero will he runs out for his city debut, and will get plenty of pats on the back from his team-mates, but how will the atmosphere in the dressing room really be when one player is making more than three times what everybody else is?

On top of this, more big names means more egos. Imagine Henry, Kaka, Ronaldo, Essien etc all in the same team. It works great on Pro Evolution Soccer, but it wouldn’t work in reality.

Look at Real Madrid. When the ‘galacticos’ were in full swing there were terrible divides in the dressing room and players moaning about who was earning what. It wasn’t until that team was disbanded that they actually won anything again.

Personally, I would love to see another team join the top table in the Premier League, this takeover has already done wonders for the fixture list, with Chelsea visiting City next week, the eyes of the world will be on the City of Manchester stadium as the battle of the oil-rich takes place.

One thing I will give ADUG is they have just set this season alight. The (sky) blue touch paper has been lit; all we are required to do is watch.