Typical City we cant even kill football in a timely manner![/quote]
I wouldn't mind 3/4 of our players cant trap a ball let alone kill football.
Funny because no-one cared when various of our players careers were killed abroad going for big ludicrous big money moves in other Leagues, and various World cup and Euro Champs campaigns and hopes went up in smoke with it.
SGE for example destroying Des Walker as a full back.
Barcelona using Lineker as a winger.
Blisset mis-hitting at Milan.
Hateley used as a reserve at Milan.
Hoddle forgotten at Monaco (by management here)
Waddle forgotten at Marseilles (Ditto)
Macmanaman played out of position at Madrid
Beckham dropped by Capello
Ince at Inter
The fact is they (whoever fault it was is immaterial) were all coveted and paid immense amounts of money to ply their trade abroad.
But no-one ever mentioned how those various moves and others were killing our football at the time.
Similarly the Ajax team (Champs League winners) of 95 for example, was decimated by Italian (and English teams) in a matter of months, no-one moaned then as the majority did not come directly to England.
Van der Sar Juve
Reizeger Milan
Rijkaard (before at Inter)
De Boer Barca
Seedorf Sampdoria
Davids Milan
George Real Betis
Ronald De Boer Barca
Litmanen Barca
Overmars Arsenal
Subs
Bogarde Milan
Kanu Inter
Kluivert Milan
13 PLAYERSOUT OF THAT FANTASTIC SQUAD moved to Spain Italy ohhhh one went directly to England, not a murmer about how Ajax never recovered from that rape of a carefully built squad,
Nigeria and Finland were not exactly the most obvious places to find talent at that time, in fact the likes of Man Utd and Arsenal couldn't even attract any of those players.
Van der sar, Bogarde, Kluivert, Kanu, George, Davids, Litmanen came here relatively late in their careers,only Overmars made the journey directly.
All the italian clubs, and Real and Barca from Spain, ( Betis for ex paid 21m for Denilson years ago which is the equivalent now of what we allegedly offered for Kaka ) have lived above their means for years and have been in debt since time immemorial FFS.
This is about the so called glamour names, jealousy has festered for years, when Liverpool dominated European competition, we had our football decimated for years, (and i am not saying that Heysel was not a Tragedy but the juve fans who were killed and the choice of Venue were more culpable, lets face it those lads went for the ruck, without and additionally the rest of Europe not seeing the possible consequences) Hooliganism? Boys will be Boys, they are only harming themselves afterall. Oh f888 how many dead? Those english should be punished for knocking down those walls., Why the hell weren't UEFA held culpable for their part in allowing the game to take place there in the 1st place?
No, Ajax,Bayern, Marseilles, Valencia, Parma (bought Maradona) Torino even, were all expected to return.
The problem now is that, not this season, but certainly in the next 4,the so called big four about to become the big eight, maybe 10?
Man Utd Chelsea Liverpool Arsenal, will be joined by the other two of the so called "big six" at the inception of the Premier League, Who? Tottenham and Everton. Additionally Man City and Aston Villa.
F*** me a competitive League, truth is thats how it used to be, we forgot thats all, Man Utd, tottenham , Everton and Villa and Man City at various times fell from grace at various times (or permanently in our case) through mismanagement or /and lack of finance.
So who is responsible for this monster?
UEFA of course.
Lets face it the big clubs of the so called European giants voted for the Champions League. The so called big six voted for the Premiership.
The whingers now blame the future new order, ourselves and and as much as I despise them, Chelsea, West Ham past european champions in the ECWC and providers of three of the team who won the world cup and additionally a smart manager who took us unbeaten through the 82 WORLD CUP CAMPAIGN ,can never be entertained at the top table.
No the monster was created by the formation of the Champions League, not the Premiership.
Would Villa,Tottenham and AC MILAN have given up so half heartedly in the EUFA? If 2nd, 3rd or 4th meant you had no hope of reaching the Champions League, do you honestly think these clubs
would not chase the Glory of winning a tournament, I used to watch avidly?
The bottom line is City are not to blame,neither are Chelsea, it is the lame W888888 who run our European game who are to blame.
They destroyed our domestic cups, they devalued the UEFA, they annexed the European Cup Winners Cup,and they rewarded losers with money.
Hip Hip Horray, we finished fourth, we meet a team from Malta in the prelim round of the Champions League, this was worthwhile giving up an FA CUP winners medal for. Not!
We finished 10th when we won the "Double" in 1970, we finished 9th when we won the FA CUP.
I read Evertons top 50 today, Dave Watson (not ours) went to a World Cup, won a Championship medal in 85 and an FA cup winners medal in 95. The two medals were described as the book ends of his career.
Any Everton player now, would swap a Champions League place for that now and so would any of ours.
David James for example, who won nothing in his heyday would not swap all his achievements, for his FA CUP WINNERS medal he won with Portsmouth. He achieved nothing before.
