Gotta love Simon Hill:
These are strange times to be a Manchester City fan. As new Barclays Premier League seasons loom, we gravitate towards pessimism quicker than a hay fever sufferer develops hives. A top-10 spot, a decent FA Cup run, derby wins - they're normally the summit of our ambitions.
“The only way of challenging the top four these days is by acquiring the sort of wealth that Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have been accumulating for years - mainly from the cash cow that is the UEFA Champions League.†But this year is different. In fact, for the first time in a long time, the make-up of the top four could be different. And rather startlingly, English football's great under-achievers are expected to lead the charge in 2009-2010.
If you've ever seen the UK series Shameless (based in Manchester), you'd probably recognise the old City as being the Frank Gallagher of the football world. Slightly shabby, living in a world of dreams, and rarely with more than a pound in his pocket.
Whenever Gallagher stumbles upon good fortune, he proceeds to blow it. But for all his flaws, he remains, essentially, a loveable character.
And that's my fear for City.
It doesn't bother me that we've become rich. Why should it? Plenty of football clubs have wealthy owners - we just happen to have a guy who has more cash to spare than most. The only way of challenging the top four these days is by acquiring the sort of wealth that Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have been accumulating for years - mainly from the cash cow that is the UEFA Champions League.
It doesn't even concern me that people are thumbing their noses at our newly bulging wallet. It's no coincidence that the biggest complainers have been Liverpool (with manager Rafael Benitez claiming that Gareth Barry moved only for money), and our beloved neighbours (with Sir Alex Ferguson saying City's spending is distorting the market); they are, after all, two of the clubs with most to lose.
The top four has become a cosy cartel, perpetuated and protected by Champions League money, and - before the Euro-snobs chime in - the same thing happens in most European leagues, where the same selection of suspects win their domestic championship virtually every year.
City's bid to reach for the stars has been received in almost total silence by clubs such as Aston Villa, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Sunderland - all, like City, big clubs with rich histories, whatever modern-day ignoramuses would have you believe.
“A poster currently adorning a central part of the city, depicting freshly signed ex-United star Carlos Tevez, has the words 'Welcome to Manchester'. City fans the world over will giggle - but as official club policy, I believe it's crass and damaging.†As one City fan put it: Not much has been going on at Hadrian's Wall lately, but that doesn’t mean it lacks significance.
You sense more than a few neutrals would be happy to see English football's VIP section stormed by a club more used to fighting for air in the mid-table moshpit.
As a lifelong blue, I applaud - and am excited by - my club's efforts to take on the big guns. But I draw the line at some of the tactics being employed by the new board, and even manager Mark Hughes.
Hughes's public statement advising John Terry to switch dark blue for a lighter hue smacked of a certain arrogance not normally associated with City. Indeed, it was tantamount to publicly "tapping up" a player already under contract. Those words would have been better kept behind closed doors.
So, too, the poster that currently adorns a central part of the city, depicting freshly signed ex-United star Carlos Tevez, with the words "Welcome to Manchester". City fans the world over will giggle - but as official club policy, I believe it's crass and damaging.
City chief executive Garry Cook has also publicly proclaimed his desire to see the club become "the darling of world football". Garry, mate, let the team become the darling of its own fans first; we've seen enough false dawns. Us older supporters remember the last big spree in 1979, when Steve Daley, Michael Robinson and Bobby Shinton were going to lead us into a glorious new era … hmmmm.
City are doing some very exciting things that could deliver English football a long-awaited - and much-needed - shake-up. It's not all about big names, either. The new board has cut season ticket prices, and invested more money in a fine youth academy that has produced several internationals in recent years; players who were regularly filched by those erstwhile Champions League dandies.
City is a club that has always had a bit of class. It's fan base is not only large (averaging 28,000 in the old third division only 10 years ago), but also loyal, knowledgeable and humorous. We want success, but let's take our time, do it right - and not become hated in the process.
Let's remain at least a bit loveable - like Frank Gallagher - and, hopefully, at the end of the season, we can repeat his catch cry, and the rest of the football world will smile with us.
"Party!"
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,25813416-29437,00.html
