Whatever one thinks of his ability PR wise this is pretty fucking poor. We had a got as far as a medical and then it all falls through. We obviously wanted him. Added to the ongoing shambles that is the Sterling transfer and we are giving the media a field day.
We're not giving the media a field day. City say nothing about transfers until a deal is done.
We can only control our own message - what others choose to reveal to the media is nothing to do with us.
We are in a pretty unique position in world football (certainly in football in this country), in respect of what we are trying to achieve, and we should not expect our competitors to allow us to do whatever we want, without using their position to undermine our efforts. That's sport - that's business!
What is interesting is how outside influences may be causing our "project" to evolve.
Before FFP, the impression was that Manchester City would just spend their way to success, whilst the old guard across town were a club that nurtured youth. Now, arguably largely because of FFP, that has already evolved into us investing hundreds of millions in our youth development, whilst United seem to be going for the Real Madrid strattegy of spending on established stars.
Perhaps, amongst all the doom, people should try to look at the long term, and wonder whether this may turn into another blessing in disguise, in that it may force us to begin looking at who is good enough within our youth ranks to be given a chance at first team level. This could be the chink in the glass that was needed to start the floodgates opening. Or it may not?
The point is, we don't know what this means for our long term strategy right now, and we may look back in 10 years, and see this as an opportunity, rather than a backwards step.
Or not! But this isn't by any means the disaster that the media will portray it as, and in any case, who fucking cares what they say!
