mammutly said:
It will indeed be interesting.
What I find amazing however is the praise and optimism lauded on Hughes during the close season, when last year was such a failure. City have made some good signings, but that in itself hasn't made Hughes any better or worse in terms of managerial ability. He has simply bought the best players he can get. I strongly believe that a Mourinho or a Sven could have attracted better, but that's another story.
Regarding the players attracted this summer, yes, you're probably right that Mourinho (Sven? Nah, no chance) could have attracted better players. What baffles me is that while the footballing world at large tend to fall over themselves to praise our manager, and our owners believe in him enough even after last seasons "failure", that segments of our support are still so vitriolic in their criticisms of him...
The extent to which Hughes and Cook have lowered expectations really is a PR triumph. The point has been made before, but give our resources to Rednapp, O'Neil or Moyes and you could be sure that 'top 6 and a decent cup run' would be the least of their aspirations. Yet here we are already proclaiming the same as success!
Lowering expectations, is another way of saying "managing expectations" - which is clearly failing with you since you are positively foaming at the mouth at the prospect of City finishing anywhere but in the Top 4.
The main excuse/reason for this is to do with 'building'. The average age of Hughes' signings ( he did not sign Jo or Robinho) surely gives the lie to that. All he is doing is buying established premiership players. Solid performers to create a solid, hard to beat team. Definite top 6 contenders.
In my opinion, Hughes lacks the wit to take us any further than that. He is a limited manager with aspirations to match. My opinion is based on everything he has achieved as a manager to date. MCFC need a better leader. That's all.
Your opinion, although a valid one, is lacking in any real insight, forethought, or objectivity. It's based solely around the notion that "we're richer, therefore we deserve better". Criticism of some of the team's performances last season are not without merit. However, to suggest that there were not literally a half a dozen mitigating factors, to suggest that last season was not one of incredible upheaval, transition, and change, is....well it lacks insight, forethought, and objectivity.
I respect fully the possibility that Mark Hughes will not finish in the top 4 this season. I do not and cannot respect those so called supporters who are demanding top four, and are suggesting that by not finishing in the top 4 our season will be an abject failure. I cannot respect those posters who from day one have had anti-Hughes agendas for various reasons ranging from his Rag past, to the fact him and Cook were Dr Shinawatra's appointments.
No doubt we have a big season ahead of us, and certainly from my point of view there's a temptation to fuck this board off completely if we don't win our opening dozen games, because no doubt the agenda driven, anti-Hughes brigade, will be swinging from the rafters screaming for his head on a plate.
The poor guy is a football manager, not a messiah. And frankly, when compared with our last fifteen or so managers, he's in the top...well top 2. Perspective that is lost on too many people...
