A question on Georgi Kinkladze

[franksinatra]

Don't think it's controversial, they were both great in the Championship but Berkovic was brilliant in the Prem as well.
He was MOTM in both derbies, the 3-1 at Maine Road he ran the game. Shame he fell out with Keegan in the following pre-season and he was gone.

Is that what happened? I hardly remember him featuring after the OT derby. That must have been due to injury then.

Scored that wonderful solo goal v Norwich when we went down to ten men. He was part of the first wave of technically excellent central midfielders who came to the Prem and changed the landscape.

I think along with Kinkladze they both arrived on these shores a few years too early to be fully appreciated, before playing styles developed and managers trusted midfielders who didn’t have to fly into challenges and run like headless chickens to be trusted.

 

[Sky Blue Thinking]

Did Berkovic have a row with someone in the crowd at Maine Road once?

Seem to recall a throat slitting gesture to a fan?

 

[MCFC Wirral]

Seem to recall a throat slitting gesture to a fan?

Stay classy, Eyal.

 

[jamesha]

Oxford away, 4-1. “The home fans had never seen anything like it, and probably never will.” MEN report.

Took my then girlfriend to that match as her first ever football game and she found it "boring". Knew there was no future in it at that point.

 

[prestwich stu]

Is that what happened? I hardly remember him featuring after the OT derby. That must have been due to injury then.

Scored that wonderful solo goal v Norwich when we went down to ten men. He was part of the first wave of technically excellent central midfielders who came to the Prem and changed the landscape.

I think along with Kinkladze they both arrived on these shores a few years too early to be fully appreciated, before playing styles developed and managers trusted midfielders who didn’t have to fly into challenges and run like headless chickens to be trusted.

Ali B announced his retirement pre-season and Berkovic immediately went to Keegan for a pay rise. Keegan refused, leaked it to the press and the 2 of them were finished from then.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

I think a more difficult and more interesting question to ask ourselves is could kinky have achieved more if he left us earlier? I remember at the time him staying when we went down felt like the only good news all year - Newcastle dippers and Barca were sniffing around. A year after he finally went to Ajax and he wasn't at his best by that point iirc. What could he have achieved if he had gone to say Barca when we went down to the championship?

 

[uwerosler28]

I think a more difficult and more interesting question to ask ourselves is could kinky have achieved more if he left us earlier? I remember at the time him staying when we went down felt like the only good news all year - Newcastle dippers and Barca were sniffing around. A year after he finally went to Ajax and he wasn't at his best by that point iirc. What could he have achieved if he had gone to say Barca when we went down to the championship?

It wasn't his form at Ajax that was the problem, club Ledgend Jari Litmanen was supposed to be leaving but did a u turn Gio was supposed to be his replacement. In stead he spent a year playing second fiddle to someone who would never be dropped, if Jari left Kinky would have smashed the Dutch league I think

 

[Craig]

I remember growing up in the early days of the PL (and the old days of the 1st division) and City had an amazing talent in Georgi Kinkladze who was able to dribble through defences and was an exciting watch. I'm always interested to wonder how legendary players of the past stack up vs today's generation.

My question for you City fans is - do you think peak Kinkladze gets into your current starting XI?

He had the natural ability to be absolutely everything. Unfortunately talent alone only gets you so far. Unbelievable ability and today’s game would have suited him much better. Watched some highlights of him recently at Okd Trafford against a great utd team. He was class but the players around him were shite. More noticeable though was how much they targeted him with tackles you’d never get away with today. That’s not an excuse for him not having the career he should’ve had though. He enjoyed the lifestyle too much and didn’t have the desire. Fucking loved him though. His natural talent was insane.