The 90s. What could have been

[Goats left knee]

Terry Phelan speaking about how he came close to joining Barcelona before a deal was agreed with City, a record deal for a defender at the time of a cool £2.5m, he speaks of the ambition at the club at the time to sign two players starting to make headlines, Ian Wright and Matt le Tissier.
A year later Reid was sacked and we know what happened soon after

 

[Ric]

Weren’t both Wright and Le Tissier fairly established stars by the time we signed Phelan?

 

[nmc]

Weren’t both Wright and Le Tissier fairly established stars by the time we signed Phelan?

Wright was at Palace and apparently we got close to signing him before he went to Arsenal. Not heard anything about us being after Le Tissier.

 

[franksinatra]

We were always linked with Ian Wright, Andy Townsend but bizarrely Peter Reid seemed obsessed with resigning Paul
Stewart whose career was flatlining at the time.

As good as Curle was the money on him and Phelan were wasted as there were more pressing positions to fill. Such as adding a bit of creativity in the midfield and on the flanks.

 

[franksinatra]

Wright was at Palace and apparently we got close to signing him before he went to Arsenal. Not heard anything about us being after Le Tissier.

Not a chance Peter Reid was interested in Le Tissier or Le Tissier was interested in us.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

Selling Flitcroft when we did was fucking lunacy on the grandest scale by the club. Absolute madness.

 

[Bantamgaz]

Wright was already at Arsenal and i doubt Le Tiss would have gone anywhere seemed more than happy at the saints.
Didnt Chelsea offer big money for Le Tiss during the 90s ????

 

[Norbert D]

Weren’t both Wright and Le Tissier fairly established stars by the time we signed Phelan?

Wright, **** that he is, signed for Arse in 91. LeToss had numerous offers to leave Southampton but turned them down. The chance of him pitching up at City was as likely as us signing Messi when in League Two.

 

[Bantamgaz]

To me them signings to me was a attempt by Swales to try and boost City to the top a bit like the rags now.

 

[Norbert D]

Selling Flitcroft when we did was fucking lunacy on the grandest scale by the club. Absolute madness.

Always thought that, we went down on GD that season, no way he wouldn’t have made a point difference.

 

[franksinatra]

Selling Flitcroft when we did was fucking lunacy on the grandest scale by the club. Absolute madness.

The club must have been in absolute dire straits financially to sell when were in the middle of a relegation battle.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Le.Tissier turned down far more attractive offers than City in the early 90s and Ian Wright had joined Arsenal (the League Champions) the previous September.

Other than that, Terry Phelan has a good memory

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

Weren’t both Wright and Le Tissier fairly established stars by the time we signed Phelan?

Wright had already been at Arsenal (the reigning league champions when he signed) for a full year before Phelan signed for City

 

[Norbert D]

The club must have been in absolute dire straits financially to sell when were in the middle of a relegation battle.

Fucking suicidal, we bought Clough and someone else, then had to fire sale Quinn and Curle when we went down. Lomas and Kinky went soon after. The Lee reign was a disaster.

 

[HelloCity]

We were always linked with Ian Wright, Andy Townsend but bizarrely Peter Reid seemed obsessed with resigning Paul
Stewart whose career was flatlining at the time.

As good as Curle was the money on him and Phelan were wasted as there were more pressing positions to fill. Such as adding a bit of creativity in the midfield and on the flanks.

I dunno, Curle and Phelan were our only 2 decent defenders for several years. If anything they needed further quality alongside them. We always seemed to do alright going forward.

 

[Harrilew]

Curle was decent.
However I would probably have rather we kept Colin Hendry and spent elsewhere.....

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

The club must have been in absolute dire straits financially to sell when were in the middle of a relegation battle.

We made same some dreadful decisions from selling Barnes and Owen onwards. It shaped our next 20 years.

 

[franksinatra]

I dunno, Curle and Phelan were our only 2 decent defenders for several years. If anything they needed further quality alongside them. We always seemed to do alright going forward.

Not sure I agree but it’s a long time ago now. We went from a 5th place finish, signed Phelan
and then finished 9th & 16th the following seasons. At the time he was the worlds most expensive fullback but let’s be honest he was not a world beater and played on a position where his influence was limited.

If say we had spent the money on Ian Wright the impact would have been completely different.

 

[franksinatra]

We made same some dreadful decisions from selling Barnes and Owen onwards. It shaped our next 20 years.

I was a bit of a statto as a kid and from memory, bar the sale of academy players, I’m pretty sure we never sold a player for profit between the period of selling Paul Stewart to Kinkladze. When you think 100s of players came through the door during that period it was pretty astounding.

 

[franksinatra]

Curle was decent.
However I would probably have rather we kept Colin Hendry and spent elsewhere.....

Completely agree. It was not buying Curle which was the issue it was the money was so needed elsewhere.