Ali B....How good was he ?

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

Great player for City. Brilliant entertainment in that Championship season.

Only got one real class season from him so he isn't an integral part of the history. But a real class act, even though his legs had gone.

Older fans will rate the like of Bell, Lee and Summerbee above him and new fans rate the likes of Tevez, Silva and Garry Cook above him

 

[ali benarbia's studs]

i was talking him up with schoolmates, who used to joke about him. it drove me insane! then it showed citeh fans on MOTD showing him "the love" & repect he deseves...... it was then i knew i loved citeh.... love benarbia!!!! had the heart of the club!

 

[Tameside Tom]

i was talking him up with schoolmates, who used to joke about him. it drove me insane! then it showed citeh fans on MOTD showing him "the love" & repect he deseves...... it was then i knew i loved citeh.... love benarbia!!!! had the heart of the club!

Citeh ???

 

[missing person]

He drove a 306 remember him pulling up to us at the platt lane stand. oh yeah and he was good for us........

 

[johnmc]

Dont get me wrong I loved watching him and Eyal as well - he was the best player in the Championship. However he didnt make the step up - too slow/old for the premier league.

Same story with a lot of players - Scott Sinclair for example this year.

comparing ali to scott sinclair.

wow.

just wow.

Not a direct comparison at all. But just saying Scott Sinclair stood out last year in the championship. No way will he do the same in the prem.

Just like we had Ali when he was amazing in the champ he was too old to do it in the prem.

Ali too old. Sinclair never good enough.

 

[bainy]

Dont get me wrong I loved watching him and Eyal as well - he was the best player in the Championship. However he didnt make the step up - too slow/old for the premier league.

Same story with a lot of players - Scott Sinclair for example this year.

Agree pace was a problem however Keegan didnt play him much in the prem - when he did play he was brill. Very underused IMO.
All time city legend!!!

 

[modgeblue]

I think he came to England to find a club and Sunderland(?) said they would give him a trial!!!!
Had the same agent as a City player and Keegan snapped him up. He was absolute class and his debut for us was one of the best I have ever seen.

against birmingham , id never heard of him but loved him and still do to this day, silva is so like him !

 

[Citizen52]

I think he came to England to find a club and Sunderland(?) said they would give him a trial!!!!
Had the same agent as a City player and Keegan snapped him up. He was absolute class and his debut for us was one of the best I have ever seen.

I think that's true remember reading that years back, if only his recommendation Belmadi had been as good lol.

 

[JohnMaddocksAxe]

I quite liked Belmadi when he first played. Had a decent debut against Southampton (I think).

Mind you, I liked Kenny Carr too. Their other mate. More for his the bloke at Rochdale who announced is name though

 

[Citizen52]

I quite liked Belmadi when he first played. Had a decent debut against Southampton (I think).

Mind you, I liked Kenny Carr too. Their other mate. More for his the bloke at Rochdale who announced is name though

Haha.

I always thought his debut was against Fulham when we won 4-1 cause I thought he came in January (then again I thought he scored in that and just checked the stats and he didn't so what do I know!?).

To be fair we did have a lot of creative players at the time and having perhaps 3 in midfield would have been adventurous even by Keegan's standards so maybe he never got enough of a chance to show what he could do.