Micah Richards Is Quitting Man City

[Matty]

I don't think it's a controversial statement to make when I say that right back is a problem position at the moment and is an area where we need an improvement. Obviously the ideal improvement here is for Richards to find the form he had when he first broke into the starting 11 as that means we don't have to spend money on a new player, and it means we've still got a young talented English player in the lineup. However, should Richards not feel capable of finding that form again for City (as the article suggests) or should Hughes feel Richards isn't the man to be trusted with the role then I'd have no problems with Richards leaving and a replacement coming in, especially if that replacement is Lahm who is a quality player. It's all about whats best for City and sentimentality has no place in that thought process, that's why Dunne is now wearing a Villa shirt, he spent nine years at City and was a rock at times for us so, using just your heart, you'd have wanted him in and around the side when we finally get a little success. However using your head you'd realise that Dunne is a good Premiership centre half but, ultimately, he isn't quite at the level required to make a top 4 push. Perhaps the same can be said for Richards.

 

[mr t]

I don't think it's a controversial statement to make when I say that right back is a problem position at the moment and is an area where we need an improvement. Obviously the ideal improvement here is for Richards to find the form he had when he first broke into the starting 11 as that means we don't have to spend money on a new player, and it means we've still got a young talented English player in the lineup. However, should Richards not feel capable of finding that form again for City (as the article suggests) or should Hughes feel Richards isn't the man to be trusted with the role then I'd have no problems with Richards leaving and a replacement coming in, especially if that replacement is Lahm who is a quality player. It's all about whats best for City and sentimentality has no place in that thought process, that's why Dunne is now wearing a Villa shirt, he spent nine years at City and was a rock at times for us so, using just your heart, you'd have wanted him in and around the side when we finally get a little success. However using your head you'd realise that Dunne is a good Premiership centre half but, ultimately, he isn't quite at the level required to make a top 4 push. Perhaps the same can be said for Richards.

You cannot compare Richard Dunnes situation with that of Micah Richards.

Richard Dunne is 30 and his best days are behind him. Micah is 21 and his best days are yet to come.

I've no problem with buying an established top class right back but I wouldn't want to sell Micah as he's still got a lot to offer our club.

 

[Matty]

I don't think it's a controversial statement to make when I say that right back is a problem position at the moment and is an area where we need an improvement. Obviously the ideal improvement here is for Richards to find the form he had when he first broke into the starting 11 as that means we don't have to spend money on a new player, and it means we've still got a young talented English player in the lineup. However, should Richards not feel capable of finding that form again for City (as the article suggests) or should Hughes feel Richards isn't the man to be trusted with the role then I'd have no problems with Richards leaving and a replacement coming in, especially if that replacement is Lahm who is a quality player. It's all about whats best for City and sentimentality has no place in that thought process, that's why Dunne is now wearing a Villa shirt, he spent nine years at City and was a rock at times for us so, using just your heart, you'd have wanted him in and around the side when we finally get a little success. However using your head you'd realise that Dunne is a good Premiership centre half but, ultimately, he isn't quite at the level required to make a top 4 push. Perhaps the same can be said for Richards.

You cannot compare Richard Dunnes situation with that of Micah Richards.

Richard Dunne is 30 and his best days are behind him. Micah is 21 and his best days are yet to come.

I've no problem with buying an established top class right back but I wouldn't want to sell Micah as he's still got a lot to offer our club.

That statement is basically my point encapsulated:-

1 - ARE his best days yet to come, or is he never going to return to the form he had when he first burst onto the scene?

2 - Maybe his "best days" aren't good enough for City, maybe we need someone who's "best days" are going to be World Class?

I'm not advocating the sale of Richards on a whim, I'm saying if he doesn't feel he can achieve his best at City, or if City feel we need someone who we feel will be a better player than Richards, then I wouldn't be distraught by his sale. My comparison with Dunne wasn't based on their comparable future prospects, or their differing ages, it was based on both players predating the current regime and both players being debatable in terms of their quality for the highest level. Dunne was allowed to go/shown the door as it was decided that he wasn't going to be good enough, Richards may well face a similar fate.

 

[Seosa]

the sooner he's out the club the more confident i'll be and the happier i'll be. He's our only weak link in the defence and he's a massive weak link at that. The potential he had about 3 years ago is dead imo, i cant see him improving, good luck somewhere else, he'll probably be remembered most saving our arses in the dying moments of that fa cup tie vs villa, and some early promise, but probably more likely that he had his head up own arse and, along with fergie time and bent referees, cost us one of the best derbies of all time.

 

[johnny crossan]

...and along with fergie time and bent referees, cost us one of the best derbies of all time.

You might care to add Shay Given, Kole Toure, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Nigel De Jong & Gareth Barry etc to this list of factors. Blaming Richards for his failure to mark Giggs for the last goal, fair enough, but the first three, and the loss of the match - I think not.

 

[C_T_I_D]

He's got potential but that's all he's got. He thinks he's made it already when he's achieved nothing. Whether he fulfils the potentail or not remains to be seen but if Villa get him cheaply then it might become an absolute bargain buy by MON yet again if he can regain the form he had when he burst onto the scene. Poor positional sense will cost him though.

He's got potential but end of the day we can afford the fully experienced / ready made right back we crave come January.

 

[markbmcfc]

I'd love Micah to turn out how we thought he would, but I just cant see it.

How is a player that cant be arsed to run back and block a cross, going to be arsed to resurrect his career? I just cant see it, but id love to be proved wrong.

 

[Matty]

...and along with fergie time and bent referees, cost us one of the best derbies of all time.

You might care to add Shay Given, Kole Toure, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Nigel De Jong & Gareth Barry etc to this list of factors. Blaming Richards for his failure to mark Giggs for the last goal, fair enough, but the first three, and the loss of the match - I think not.

You could apportion blame to most of those mentioned for certain incidents but I'd suggest Shay Given came out of that match unblemished, without soke of his saves we'd have been 2 or 3 behind by the time Bellamy scored his second.

 

[johnny crossan]

You might care to add Shay Given, Kole Toure, Joleon Lescott, Wayne Bridge, Nigel De Jong & Gareth Barry etc to this list of factors. Blaming Richards for his failure to mark Giggs for the last goal, fair enough, but the first three, and the loss of the match - I think not.

You could apportion blame to most of those mentioned for certain incidents but I'd suggest Shay Given came out of that match unblemished, without soke of his saves we'd have been 2 or 3 behind by the time Bellamy scored his second.

I disagree, on this occasion there were no exceptional saves in the sense that most Premier League keepers would have done what he did. However, his failure to leave his line allowed Fletcher to take his two headed goals (with assistance from Barry).

 

[stonerblue]

every paragraph of that 'story' has been written on these boards.