Transition plays a very important role in shaping the future of an individual or anything that can change for the better.
The transition or exciting transformation we are going to speak about today is about Manchester City FC with a BIG ‘M’
(Not Money but Mighty, Magnificent, Majestic,Marvellous and all the words associated with top class quality ).
A successful Football Club isn’t restricted to just the players on the pitch. It’s the structure. The one to get the ball rolling was Former Thai Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in July 2007 when he bought over Manchester City FC and appointed Sven Goran Eriksson as coach. Though this revolution was shortlived and lasted only for one season, it paved the way for Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan who bought over the club in Sept 2008. Mark Hughes was the coach at that time and after half a season of poor performances, he was finally axed and replaced by Roberto Mancini who has steadied the ship over the past 1 and a half years.
So the Hierarchy as of now, is as follows.
1. Financial Support – Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan
2. Chairman - Khaldoon Al- Mubarak
3. Coach – Roberto Mancini
4. Assistant Coach – Brian Kidd
5. Backroom Staff/ Physio/ Trainers/ Groundsmen
6. And most importantly , ‘YOU’ , the die- hard hardcore, wacky, zany Man City-iacs who stick with the lads and the team through good and bad times.
All these translates to a major part of what the club has achieved till today and everything else that we are going to achieve over the coming years. The end product is of course results and we are gonna put in a few stunners come next season. What say you about US beating the daylights out of Manchester United to the tune of a 5-0 or 5-1 scoreline at Eastlands with Carlos Tevez on the end of a hattrick ? Refreshingly cool like a cold icy pint of beer isn’t it?
Now lets not take anything away from the great history of this wonderful club. We have come a long way from the heydays where we thrilled our fans with the likes of some really magnificent players like Mike Summerbee, Paul Lake, Frank Swift, Denis Law, Trevor Francis, Niall Quinn, Colin Bell, Francis Lee, Shaun Goater, Paul Dickov, Marc Vivien Foe(RIP) and even a Chinese player, Sun Jihai.
Fast forward to present day (2011) and we have todays modern superstars in our ranks. A good blend of all nations. Like a fusion of the best and most exotic spices in the world. Just to name a few, We have Joe Hart (England), Gareth Barry (England), Micah Richards (England), James Milner (England), Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast), Yaya Toure (Ivory Coast), Adam Johnson (England), Joleon Lescott (England), Jerome Boateng (Germany), Nigel De Jong (Holland), Vincent Kompany (Belgium), David Silva (Spain), Edin Dzeko (Bosnia), Mario Balotelli (Italy), Carlos Tevez (Argentina). These outstanding individuals are a testament to the term ‘money isn’t everything in this world’ , as they have proven wrong, the critics who said that Man City were just a flash in the pan , by finishing third in the 2010/2011 BPL Season that just ended, thus qualifying for the much coveted Uefa Champions League 2011/2012 where only the best clubs in the world compete for glory. Add this remarkable achievement to another Awesome one in the name of the FA Cup 2010/2011.Hmmm…is the sky the limit? I don’t think so.
The transitional phase at Eastlands has very much taken shape by now but for those of you who think that this is it? Guess what?
Hold your horses I would say, as I foresee loads of exhilarating and unbelievable moments in the near future.
Lets start with some transfer gossip. Our birdies are chirping that, in a bid to fund a move for Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez, Barcelona are willing to sell David Villa (27 Million) and Lionel Messi (150 Million). And guess who is gonna buy? Here is another. Wesley Sneijder has apparently been brainwashed by Dutch teammate and pal, Nigel De Jong to sign on the dotted lines and to join the revolution at Eastlands. Many more interesting and mindblowing players are the mix at the moment. They range from Cristiano Ronaldo to Andres Iniesta to Edinson Cavani to Marek Hamsik to Juan Mata to Gianluigi Buffon to Dani Alves. Shocked? I don’t think so. These players would be insane to turn down an offer to play for the biggest , brightest and boldest club in world football but for now, your guess is as good as mine.
One thing is for sure though, nothing is impossible at Manchester City FC and tomorrow will always be a brighter day.
Suresh Menon ( S.M )
Singapore
Well written and another interesting one. Hope to see one about my favorite Manchester United soon. Good job.
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