bluemoon05
Well-Known Member
Good interview with him in the Guardian. Could he be a centre-back again in the future(bold bit half-way down the interview). I've never thought about him returning there because he's doing such a good job at right-back.
Two days after the Carlos Tevez scandal, Micah Richards was in Leeds moving a television for his mum. Richards uses the phrase "back then" a lot, to denote a time before Sheikh Mansour. If you seek normality in the great Manchester City money opera you might start with this 23-year-old veteran.
"I can remember under Stuart Pearce when we finished 15th, struggling every week," the City defender says at our meeting place, his mum's TV safely moved. "I remember fans saying they felt we were going down. Then we got the first takeover with Thaksin Shinawatra and then when these guys took over it turned out to be a proper thing."
These sharp memories are rare in Roberto Mancini's squad. Richards, a prodigy at 17, is already hardcore. From the nucleus of players from a much tougher era he has advanced to become one of Mancini's most trusted representatives. Sweeping change sharpens the political instincts of those closest to it. "I like Carlos Tevez. He's probably the best striker I've played with," he says, 48 hours after his team-mate's apparent wildcat strike in Munich, but his main urge is to declare gratitude to Mancini.
There was always a persistent inference about Richards. The story was that success came too fast and was distracting. Nonsense, he says. Fabio Capello's coolness towards him, meanwhile, is likely to manifest itself again in Montenegro, where Phil Jones, Phil Jagielka and Kyle Walker vie with him for the Englandright-back shirt.
Mostly quiet in his time at City, Richards now seems keen to be heard – not to agitate for an England place (he is much too sharp for that) but to assert himself as a senior figure. "When Mancini took over it was a hard place to be because with all the money the owners brought in you didn't know whether you were going to be part of his plans," he says. "He's improved my game a lot. He always tells me: 'If you're 100% you can be the best.' When a manager's telling you that, you believe him. He had all the money to spend and could have gone out and bought a right-back but he has me and Pablo Zabaleta – we share it out. He's stuck with me."
With his speed and prizefighter's physique, Richards was hailed as a prototype. He says: "When I first came in Stuart Pearce was great for me, gave me my debut at 17. Back then I wasn't really playing for much and you could just go out there and enjoy it. As I got to 19, 20, 21, it started to get serious, with England and the transformation at City. There's a lot more pressure with that. I've been watched more and talked about more.
"Mark Hughes really liked me, because he played me in a lot of games, but for some reason I just couldn't hit the form I wanted. It was nothing personal against him or the way he did things. But now Mancini has installed another belief in me and I'm repaying him by playing well."
For Richards the pre-Abu Dhabi era was a time of frequent torment: "Back then the majority of the England team was playing for top-four clubs. I was playing for Man City who were struggling in the Premier League. From 17 to 19 or 20 I was just getting praise. Then when things aren't going so well you're getting most of the stick and it's hard at such a young age. That's when your confidence goes.
"My pace and power were getting me out of trouble. Richard Dunne was a massive part of what I was trying to do. We were playing centre-half together and he used to help me in every single game. When he's 100% fit and on his game he's probably the best centre-half I've played with.
"Some of the stuff with people saying I wasn't concentrating on football – I don't think that's right. Earning a lot of money affected me a little bit, yeah, but it didn't alter my hunger for the game. It's just an easy way to say I wasn't playing well. It didn't go to my head. Ask any of my managers."
Patrick Vieira, now retired, took a special interest. There is a rumour that he told Richards he needed to be more fanatical. But the student has a gentler recollection of those exchanges. "When he first came he always said: 'You've got some amazing ability, if you can mix that with hard work and willingness to learn, you'll make a very good player of yourself.' When a legend like Vieira says that you have to take it on board. I still see him day to day and he still tells me: 'Keep working hard, you'll get to where you want to be.' "
Life can be harder now at City because the expectations are more intense, but also easier since May's Wembley victory. "Winning the FA Cup helped. People were saying you're not a good team until you've won something. We won the FA Cup and finished third in the league, which was a massive achievement, especially with new players taking time to gel.
"Some of the movement and the passing of the front four is unbelievable. I might be sat on the bench thinking: 'Wow, it's amazing how far we've come.' I always say Steven Gerrard is one of the best players I've played with but David Silva is up there as well. We've got a foundation now. People like [Sergio] Agüero and [Edin] Dzeko are still learning the Premier League. Adam Johnson and [James] Milner may not be starting every week but they know the league and they know what's needed."
In Podgorica, Richards, who expects to return to centre-back eventually – "I just don't know when" – still hopes to catch Capello's gaze: "He's the man who's going to make the decisions. I believe in my ability. The manager of Man City believes in my ability to start in the Champions League. But if he [Capello] feels there's someone stronger in that position, I just have to wait.
"I made my England debut at 18 and I think I'm twice the player I was then. There's no reason I can't get in there but it's about biding my time. Chris Smalling's come in at right-back. He doesn't like playing right-back but he's doing a good job for Man United and I'm happy for him because we're good mates. When I get my chance, I'll do the same. I do rate Glen Johnson. Kyle Walker's been doing very well. People always say there aren't many right-backs."
Richards knows most of England's best youngsters from his own under-21 days. He says: "Phil Jones is going to be England captain one day. He could play in midfield. He's got everything: pace, reads the game well, is good on the ball. He's at the right club as well because Sir Alex Ferguson promotes young players."
The cross-town enmity with United draws a smile: "I love it, yeah. Ever since I made my debut United have always been in our ears. We've always been under United. And now, on paper we're maybe not as good a team as United yet but individually we're as good as them. I still think we'll need another year or two to get the experience. They've been doing it for years."
There is another disadvantage to being in the sky blue half of town, which the Tevez furore has exacerbated. "Nowadays, with what's happened at City, you can't breathe, you can't do anything wrong." He's doing plenty right.
Two days after the Carlos Tevez scandal, Micah Richards was in Leeds moving a television for his mum. Richards uses the phrase "back then" a lot, to denote a time before Sheikh Mansour. If you seek normality in the great Manchester City money opera you might start with this 23-year-old veteran.
"I can remember under Stuart Pearce when we finished 15th, struggling every week," the City defender says at our meeting place, his mum's TV safely moved. "I remember fans saying they felt we were going down. Then we got the first takeover with Thaksin Shinawatra and then when these guys took over it turned out to be a proper thing."
These sharp memories are rare in Roberto Mancini's squad. Richards, a prodigy at 17, is already hardcore. From the nucleus of players from a much tougher era he has advanced to become one of Mancini's most trusted representatives. Sweeping change sharpens the political instincts of those closest to it. "I like Carlos Tevez. He's probably the best striker I've played with," he says, 48 hours after his team-mate's apparent wildcat strike in Munich, but his main urge is to declare gratitude to Mancini.
There was always a persistent inference about Richards. The story was that success came too fast and was distracting. Nonsense, he says. Fabio Capello's coolness towards him, meanwhile, is likely to manifest itself again in Montenegro, where Phil Jones, Phil Jagielka and Kyle Walker vie with him for the Englandright-back shirt.
Mostly quiet in his time at City, Richards now seems keen to be heard – not to agitate for an England place (he is much too sharp for that) but to assert himself as a senior figure. "When Mancini took over it was a hard place to be because with all the money the owners brought in you didn't know whether you were going to be part of his plans," he says. "He's improved my game a lot. He always tells me: 'If you're 100% you can be the best.' When a manager's telling you that, you believe him. He had all the money to spend and could have gone out and bought a right-back but he has me and Pablo Zabaleta – we share it out. He's stuck with me."
With his speed and prizefighter's physique, Richards was hailed as a prototype. He says: "When I first came in Stuart Pearce was great for me, gave me my debut at 17. Back then I wasn't really playing for much and you could just go out there and enjoy it. As I got to 19, 20, 21, it started to get serious, with England and the transformation at City. There's a lot more pressure with that. I've been watched more and talked about more.
"Mark Hughes really liked me, because he played me in a lot of games, but for some reason I just couldn't hit the form I wanted. It was nothing personal against him or the way he did things. But now Mancini has installed another belief in me and I'm repaying him by playing well."
For Richards the pre-Abu Dhabi era was a time of frequent torment: "Back then the majority of the England team was playing for top-four clubs. I was playing for Man City who were struggling in the Premier League. From 17 to 19 or 20 I was just getting praise. Then when things aren't going so well you're getting most of the stick and it's hard at such a young age. That's when your confidence goes.
"My pace and power were getting me out of trouble. Richard Dunne was a massive part of what I was trying to do. We were playing centre-half together and he used to help me in every single game. When he's 100% fit and on his game he's probably the best centre-half I've played with.
"Some of the stuff with people saying I wasn't concentrating on football – I don't think that's right. Earning a lot of money affected me a little bit, yeah, but it didn't alter my hunger for the game. It's just an easy way to say I wasn't playing well. It didn't go to my head. Ask any of my managers."
Patrick Vieira, now retired, took a special interest. There is a rumour that he told Richards he needed to be more fanatical. But the student has a gentler recollection of those exchanges. "When he first came he always said: 'You've got some amazing ability, if you can mix that with hard work and willingness to learn, you'll make a very good player of yourself.' When a legend like Vieira says that you have to take it on board. I still see him day to day and he still tells me: 'Keep working hard, you'll get to where you want to be.' "
Life can be harder now at City because the expectations are more intense, but also easier since May's Wembley victory. "Winning the FA Cup helped. People were saying you're not a good team until you've won something. We won the FA Cup and finished third in the league, which was a massive achievement, especially with new players taking time to gel.
"Some of the movement and the passing of the front four is unbelievable. I might be sat on the bench thinking: 'Wow, it's amazing how far we've come.' I always say Steven Gerrard is one of the best players I've played with but David Silva is up there as well. We've got a foundation now. People like [Sergio] Agüero and [Edin] Dzeko are still learning the Premier League. Adam Johnson and [James] Milner may not be starting every week but they know the league and they know what's needed."
In Podgorica, Richards, who expects to return to centre-back eventually – "I just don't know when" – still hopes to catch Capello's gaze: "He's the man who's going to make the decisions. I believe in my ability. The manager of Man City believes in my ability to start in the Champions League. But if he [Capello] feels there's someone stronger in that position, I just have to wait.
"I made my England debut at 18 and I think I'm twice the player I was then. There's no reason I can't get in there but it's about biding my time. Chris Smalling's come in at right-back. He doesn't like playing right-back but he's doing a good job for Man United and I'm happy for him because we're good mates. When I get my chance, I'll do the same. I do rate Glen Johnson. Kyle Walker's been doing very well. People always say there aren't many right-backs."
Richards knows most of England's best youngsters from his own under-21 days. He says: "Phil Jones is going to be England captain one day. He could play in midfield. He's got everything: pace, reads the game well, is good on the ball. He's at the right club as well because Sir Alex Ferguson promotes young players."
The cross-town enmity with United draws a smile: "I love it, yeah. Ever since I made my debut United have always been in our ears. We've always been under United. And now, on paper we're maybe not as good a team as United yet but individually we're as good as them. I still think we'll need another year or two to get the experience. They've been doing it for years."
There is another disadvantage to being in the sky blue half of town, which the Tevez furore has exacerbated. "Nowadays, with what's happened at City, you can't breathe, you can't do anything wrong." He's doing plenty right.