Lee Dixon: Players will come anyway; money first, CL second

[samharris]

I completely agree with lee dixon and have thought so all season. Last year after we finshed a miserable 10th, we still managed to attract the likes of adebayor, tevez and barry, so if we finish 5th, just a few points away from the champions league spots, we will have no problems at all attracting the worlds best.

And that was with Mark Hughes as manager....Im sure the Mancini factor will help us too..

Anyway we're gonna get 4th so lets not fret eh.:)

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

It is pure journalistic and media romanticism that players choose the rigours and fairy-tale chivalry of the CL. I suspect that there are few players who would forgo tens of thousands of pounds per week for the possibility of CL success. Well done to Lee Dixon for nailing this piece of hackery. A player comes to Spuds or MCFC for CL footy, and we get knocked out in the qualifiers and end up in the Europa! Tragedy? My arse. You might get two games in the CL but yer get yer £25k-75k extra for playing for MCFC, week in, week out, for the rest of the season, and for the next three to five years!

If the prospect of playing for a top team and being paid very handsomely for it, is put on the table most players would have gnashers like a bear trap.

 

[jellert]

You should not buy Balotelli. That guy is crazy

 

[hgblue]

I may be wrong, but I don't think money is the main factor for the top players. I believe they want to play somewhere exciting. Somewhere where they think they can win things. It's clear that when we've gone for the top players in the past they haven't been convinced that we were the real deal. We've been able to present a decent project, but this required a leap of faith and a little imagination on the player's behalf. To be fair to them, when presented with the opportunity to join Real Madrid or Barcelona or Chelsea or City, to join City would represent too much of a gamble to risk signing a four/five year contract. Slowly but surely the penny is dropping with the rest of the football world that our owner means business. He's here to stay, at least for the duration of the contract that they would be signing. I believe it's this realization that will be key to bringing the big names here. This process would be accelerated by Champions League qualification or the appointment of a Mourinho, but we are building a momentum and everyone can now see the direction of travel. In short I agree with Dixon that this summer could see some big arrivals here, irrespective of CL football, but I disagree that it will be all about money.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

but I disagree that it will be all about money.

It's not all about money, but I would suggest that money comes number one in the list for a lot of players.

Love yer cycle tracks, hg, that ride over the dunes at Scheveningen is a cracker!

 

[Greenjob]

Mark Hughes was forever going on about 'balance' within the team. I don't think we have that yet. Until we find the right calibre of players then we will always be vulnerable in certain areas. E.g: Kolo Toure / Gareth Barry / RSC / Lescott(??). Mancini seems more focussed and as this ideal type of player in mind so hopefully we will be a more streamlined outfit next season.

I like that Boateng fella, looks a good prospect - if we get him. Ozil / Ollic / Ballotelli these are realistic targets and would improve the team tenfold. Makes sense trying to offload/swap players like: Robinho / Jo / RSC / Garrido / Petrov to get the right ones in.

Offload Robinho & bring in Balotelli? The words 'frying pan' & 'fire' spring to mind.

Granted the guy is a tilt switch but he seems to have an affinity with Roberto Mancini. We thought the same about Bellamy when Hughesie brought him in!!

 

[ono]

Agree with the above post, we allready have some top quality players and a couple of new additions will make an allready very good squad even better.

If we do go for a couple of big names I think we will use players like Robihno and Garrido in player + cash deals. Should be an interesting summer. Here is my summer hit list, obvious as fook but here it is anyways :)

Any 2 or 3 signings from this list and it will be enough to catapult us right into a bona vida title race next season. I also think we will be offering champions league football

Ribery
Swiensteger
Diego
Arteta
Mattie Talor (seriously)
Bepe Reina
Torres
Maxwell
Nilmar
Villa
Balotelli
Ever Banega
Mesut Ozil

We could sign the majority of those even without the CL. Villa, Reina, Torres and probably the two Bayern players aside

 

[Petetheblu]

Agree with the above post, we allready have some top quality players and a couple of new additions will make an allready very good squad even better.

If we do go for a couple of big names I think we will use players like Robihno and Garrido in player + cash deals. Should be an interesting summer. Here is my summer hit list, obvious as fook but here it is anyways :)

Any 2 or 3 signings from this list and it will be enough to catapult us right into a bona vida title race next season. I also think we will be offering champions league football

Ribery
Swiensteger
Diego
Arteta
Mattie Talor (seriously)
Bepe Reina
Torres
Maxwell
Nilmar
Villa
Balotelli
Ever Banega
Mesut Ozil

We could sign the majority of those even without the CL. Villa, Reina, Torres and probably the two Bayern players aside

Stop it will you.......How am I expected to get any work done with you blowing my football mind with crazy thoughts like that, you should be ashamed of yourself!!!!! ;)