The clubs PR/Media team

[bobbyowenquiff]

I think the club has played this saga well so far. There are times when silence speaks volumes. We have effectively left Ya Ya's crazy agent hanging out to dry. To respond publically would give him credibility and give the story more life. Ya Ya is 31 and fancies a last pay-day. He may stay or he may leave but either way will be on our terms. The reality is we do need a long-term replacement for him in any event and that will present a big challenge because there are few players of his style around.

 

[tangaroa]

On the plus side, I'm sure this cake story has potential for a new chant for next season.

Only Theess

 

[without a dream]

After yesterdays debacle, I woke up this morning dreading confronting the papers, radio and SSN, thinking it would be full of ridicule for City, an ideal opportunity for them to take the gloss off our season.

Bloody hell how wrong was I!! No-one is taking the piss out of City - without exception the ridicule is heaped on Yaya and his sidekick, just as it should be.

The City PR team dont have to do anything, City will be dealing with this internally, as they should be, leaving Yaya, quite frankly looking like a spoilt pampered dick.

Which is a shame really, as he is and always will be a City legend.

That's the irony of this daft thread.

The club's long term media strategy is clearly starting to pay significant dividends. We got a lot of support over FFP, our title win was surrounded by coverage of the infrastructure and the youth, we don't get leaks and no one calls us the club of mercenaries any more. If the club had behaved in the way that the clueless fans had wanted "Ban him/ban them/issue a statement/tell them to fuck off" then this would not be happening.

We have played the long game and our media strategy has been very good and clearly reflective of the way Abu Dhabi want the club to behave and be perceived.

The FFP coverage was a clear break in our normal strategy I think Dave, we blatantly briefed half of Fleet Street. The usual silence is the best policy on transfer speculation though, everyone is taking the piss out of Yaya, not the club.

 

[Shirley]

City haven't done anything wrong.

The only two who look bad are Yaya and his agent - they look like absolute idiots.

Yaya is a 31 year old man moaning about not getting a birthday card from his employer.

Spot on mate - they have been made to look like a couple of complete buffoons!

And he will carry the ridicule into the world cup to a worldwide audience especially if he doesn't perform well.
He is foolish if he doesn't nip it in the bud now, today.

 

[aguero93:20]

City haven't done anything wrong.

The only two who look bad are Yaya and his agent - they look like absolute idiots.

Yaya is a 31 year old man moaning about not getting a birthday card from his employer.

Spot on mate - they have been made to look like a couple of complete buffoons!

And he will carry the ridicule into the world cup to a worldwide audience especially if he doesn't perform well.
He is foolish if he doesn't nip it in the bud now, today.

You think about the poverty in Brazil at the moment and the upheaval and strife there, he could end up getting an absolutely horrible reception from the home supporters over this, especially since City are quite popular there due to Fernandinho, Geovanni, Elano, Sylvinho, Robinho, Maicon etc.

 

[GazM]

Totally disagree. Our deafening silence is being interpreted as confusion ,and lack of direction. We are being laughed at universally and being ridiculed by the lunatic actions of one of our 'employees'.. We are hoping the fire will just burn itself out rather than dealing with it at the outset. Others thinking of joining this great club could only be underwhelmed.

Oh behave. What you want them to do ? Release a statements saying "oops we forgot his birthday - he;'s behaving like a 5 year old so he's sacked - there !". Grow a pair.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

Please hand in your resignations. A group of fucking chimps could do a better job with the clubs image than these lot have. This has been going on for years and it's the same old story time after time with the club just having the piss taken by all and sundry and them not doing a single thing about it. This Yaya agent situation is the straw that has broken the camels back. Have a mad agent chatting shit about the club and not a single thing being done. Obviously went for a fucking liquid lunch.

You really do love to see City as victims, don't you.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

To posters like RandomJ and nellyonthewing, how do you think it works with the media? Do you think that someone like Neil Custis decides to write something negative and rings up the club to see if they mind? Obviously they don't, so the first we and they see it is when it appears in the media. Also, we don't know what the exact context is to this story. It could well be we've already been asked about a new contract and said no, or been non-committal. So this is Seluk's Plan B. Or it could be that this is the first we've heard if it.

Then you've got a number of choices.

1) You can respond to every story. But, as every club PR person will tell you, if you do that then you'll never be off the phone or get anything else done. Plus if you don't respond then it'll be taken as confirmation, so you've made a rod for your own back. And if you do make a comment it can easily get twisted and can make you look worse.
2) You can ignore it or refuse to comment publicly, knowing it will go away in a day or two when the next big story comes along.
3) You can do (2) but also quietly brief some reliable contacts off the record, who will put out the line you want without quoting you. That's probably what we did yesterday. There were a few comments in the media suggesting Yaya had a contract to 2017 and was going nowhere, plus the video and text were highlighted as well.
4) If the story is perceived to be so damaging to the club or an individual's reputation then you can get heavy and go, or threaten to go, down the legal route. Usually the source will back down and the matter settled quietly, with a donation to charity or something.

If this was Seluk's Plan B, after getting rebuffed, then they'll have been expecting it and (2) is probably the best option as you don't necessarily want to inflame the situation or play it out in the media and you know what the guy is like anyway. He made himself look a complete and utter cock yesterday so it's far better to let him be the story and stay out of it.

If this came out of the blue however (although as I said we know his track-record) then I'd expect someone senior at the club, possibly KAM himself, to get on the phone and say "What's all this bullshit about? How about showing me and Sheikh Mansour some respect, not to mention the club, the fans, our commercial partners and your team-mates. We hold your contract until 2017 and you will be made to honour that. So if Mr Seluk is really acting on your behalf then you need to have a word, sharpish. Understood?"

 

[Sir peace frog]

city are just raising their eyebrows and staring at the naughty toddler,the toddler will come round in the end.

surely the cake and card plan looks fucking stupid to the people who are with yaya now,surely his ivory coast team mates are giving it to him big style,i am still amazed that a so called professional agent and player thought this would be a great excuse to get a move,its fucking childish and he looks a complete twat

 

[citytill1die84]

Only people who look twats are Yaya and his **** of an agent.