The 90s. What could have been

Norbert D said:
Fucking suicidal, we bought Clough and someone else, then had to fire sale Quinn and Curle when we went down. Lomas and Kinky went soon after. The Lee reign was a disaster.
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The worse thing about it was we were actually starting to build something. Walsh, Quinn, Rosler, Flitcroft, Beagrie etc. Just needed to strengthen the squad and instead we self-destructed.
 
Ric said:
Weren’t both Wright and Le Tissier fairly established stars by the time we signed Phelan?
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Yes Ian Wright was already at Arsenal and a star and had just finished top scorer in the League. I think, if Terry Phelan said that, he must be confused.

We were defo linked with him the close season we bought Keith Curle.
 
Goats left knee said:
Terry Phelan speaking about how he came close to joining Barcelona before a deal was agreed with City, a record deal for a defender at the time of a cool £2.5m, he speaks of the ambition at the club at the time to sign two players starting to make headlines, Ian Wright and Matt le Tissier.
A year later Reid was sacked and we know what happened soon after
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We paid the same for Keith Curle the year before and Phelan was less in real terms.

We tried to sign Ian Wright but he went to Arsenal in 1991 and Phelan signed in 1992, so it all sounds revisionist.
 
What a fun decade that was. Indeed, from the relegation in 1983 through to us getting back up to the Premier League (and staying there, current situation notwithstanding) in 2002, that was a grim twenty years, with the VERY odd bright spot to brighten that dark era. A few promotions (cancelled out by the obvious relegations that necessitated those promotions), the 5-1, Wembley '99 etc etc. And yet, as a fanbase, we're still here!
 
There was a story in the press about us putting in an offer for Le Tissier, but that was when Ball was in charge. This would have been just before Phelan was sold.
Unlikely though. Probably just lazy journalism because of the Southampton connection.
 
Corky said:
We paid the same for Keith Curle the year before and Phelan was less in real terms.

We tried to sign Ian Wright but he went to Arsenal in 1991 and Phelan signed in 1992, so it all sounds revisionist.
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What did Sam Hamman have over Peter Swales?

I bet there was some kind of entertainment that sweetened the deal.
 
jimharri said:
What a fun decade that was. Indeed, from the relegation in 1983 through to us getting back up to the Premier League (and staying there, current situation notwithstanding) in 2002, that was a grim twenty years, with the VERY odd bright spot to brighten that dark era. A few promotions (cancelled out by the obvious relegations that necessitated those promotions), the 5-1, Wembley '99 etc etc. And yet, as a fanbase, we're still here!
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It may have bin grim Jim.
But I had the time of my life watching City home and away.
Met so many brilliant Blue mates,many still mates to this day.
So.....less of the grim Jim ; )
 
Kendall left the basis of a very good side. The expensive signings of Curle and Phealan were a mistake in hindsight - other areas of the team needed strengthening as a priority - Henry, Hughes and to a lesser extent even Redmond, Ward sales were ill-judged and signing the likes of McMahon, Holden, Vonk and Fitzroy Simpson was never going to enable us to make the leap needed. £5m on Phelan and Curle was such an indulgence.
With Coton, Henry, Quinn, White, Ward and a returning Paul Lake (if only), combined with steady if unspectacular players like Andy Hill, Pointin, Flitcroft coming through…. a couple of good midfield and striker signings would have really set us up for success.
Kendall must have regretted leaving City - honestly felt we were on the verge of something when he left.
 
It's all a long time ago and some of us are less prone to revisionism, essentially because our memories are more accurate than others

Firstly, from 1978 to 2012 the only season that City finished above United was 90-91.
Naturally it was soon remembered as the high watermark for the Peter Reid era, but whilst we all recall beating Sunderland on the last day, it's conveniently forgotten that United had fielded a virtual reserve XI at Selhurst Park in preparation for their ECWC Final in Rotterdam the following midweek

Howard Kendall had consolidated the team with some excellent signings and almost overnight we became difficult to beat.

However, with Reid now in control, it was patently obvious that we were going down the John Bond route with an ageing creaking midfield and a number of youngsters who weren't quite good enough for where we wanted to be, but a damm sight better than where we ended up. Reid would never have rated Dave Bennett or Roger Palmer but he would have loved Gerry Gow.

For some reason Reid prioritised Curle (and then Phelan) over energy in midfield, but in fairness it was Swales who was responsible for the stupid fees involved

Everything spiralled out of control following our FA Cup exit in 1993 to the backdrop of the shiny new, and embarrassingly small new Umbro Stand, as Swales aimed to downsize at the precise same moment as other clubs were aiming to expand

Suddenly we had yet another new manager with no intention of picking some of his predecessor's signings and unwanted players like Alfons Groenendijk (remember him?) adding to our ever-expanding wage bill.

Not dissimilar to what's been happening at the swamp in recent years
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
It's all a long time ago and some of us are less prone to revisionism, essentially because our memories are more accurate than others

Firstly, from 1978 to 2012 the only season that City finished above United was 90-91.
Naturally it was soon remembered as the high watermark for the Peter Reid era, but whilst we all recall beating Sunderland on the last day, it's conveniently forgotten that United had fielded a virtual reserve XI at Selhurst Park in preparation for their ECWC Final in Rotterdam the following midweek

Howard Kendall had consolidated the team with some excellent signings and almost overnight we became difficult to beat.

However, with Reid now in control, it was patently obvious that we were going down the John Bond route with an ageing creaking midfield and a number of youngsters who weren't quite good enough for where we wanted to be, but a damm sight better than where we ended up. Reid would never have rated Dave Bennett or Roger Palmer but he would have loved Gerry Gow.

For some reason Reid prioritised Curle (and then Phelan) over energy in midfield, but in fairness it was Swales who was responsible for the stupid fees involved

Everything spiralled out of control following our FA Cup exit in 1993 to the backdrop of the shiny new, and embarrassingly small new Umbro Stand, as Swales aimed to downsize at the precise same moment as other clubs were aiming to expand

Suddenly we had yet another new manager with no intention of picking some of his predecessor's signings and unwanted players like Alfons Groenendijk (remember him?) adding to our ever-expanding wage bill.

Not dissimilar to what's been happening at the swamp in recent years
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I agree with most of that but have to say, although United played a weakened team at Palace, we finished 3 points ahead of them. They still had Spurs to play at Old Trafford after the ECWC final but drew 1-1, so they ended up behind us because we had a better league season. If we hadn't spent the last 10 minutes of the Maine Road derby throwing away a 3-1 lead, their result at Palace wouldn't have mattered a jot.
 
Cellarite said:
I agree with most of that but have to say, although United played a weakened team at Palace, we finished 3 points ahead of them. They still had Spurs to play at Old Trafford after the ECWC final but drew 1-1, so they ended up behind us because we had a better league season. If we hadn't spent the last 10 minutes of the Maine Road derby throwing away a 3-1 lead, their result at Palace wouldn't have mattered a jot.
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Maybe/Maybe not, but essentially a full strength United would probably have at least drawn at Palace, and then (having beaten Barcelona in Rotterdam) gone into their game in hand with the motivation of finishing above City if they beat Tottenham

Nowadays I'm not particularly bothered either way, but for a good few years,.the finish to.that season was put on a pedestal when in reality United didn't give a flying fuck.
 
Barnes, Owen, Hendry, Clive Allen, Flitcroft, Walsh, Beagrie, Moulden: if them and maybe a few others had stayed a season or 2 more, or been given a fairer crack of the whip at certain times by their managers - and if injury hadn't robbed us of Lakey maturing and going into his prime - we might have won a treble before the scum!

Still, it was never dull and it's made us what we are, so, all good in the end up :-)
 
There is a Light said:
Selling Michael Hughes for £450k and replacing him with Rick Holden who cost twice that
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Quinny851 said:
The same summer where we sold Redmond, Pointon and Brennan. Disastrous
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Michael Hughes was not "sold" he was out of contract and that was the tribunal fee and they were always below market value.

Hughes, Redmond and Pointon all asked for a pay rise, and they all left.
 
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