The last 12-months has proved that Manchester City is one of the most unpredictable Premiership teams in its history.
The takeover of Man City led by Thaksin Shinawatra, ignited an optimism around supporter’s that City where heading in the right direction. Hiring Sven-Göran Eriksson, and purchasing such high quality players as Elano, Corluka and Petrov, only added fuel to the sense of optimism.
The season of 2007/08 provided distinctive similarities to the rollercoaster ride stealth. Man City began the first half of the season sky-rocketing up the table, and by December, they were solidly in the top four. City purchased such players as Caicedo, and Benjani in January in order to sustain their joy near the top. However with all rollercoaster rides, what comes up must come down.
The win over Man United gave City fans a brief glimmer of hope, but it was not to be, as by the end of the season City had slipped from UEFA cup contenders to middle table mediocrity. The season finished in a style only City fans can endure. An 8-1 drubbing at the hands of Middlesbrough, was the final straw as Sven was sacked even though he achieved the target of UEFA cup football, through the fair play league. Man City was back to the instability that had seen nine managers shown the door within the past 12 years.
A new season, but the same old City arrived. Thaksin Shinawatra promised funds, and with the impending arrival of Mark Hughes, City where optimistic again. This was short-lived as the optimism was thrown into doubt when Shinawatra effectively put the club up for sale due to his lack of funds.
City did manage to scrape the money bank for the acquisitions of Brazilian Jo, and Israeli Tal Ben-Haim. Time past and Manchester City stood still in a pool of uncertainty, until Vincent Kompany and the prodigal son Shaun Wright-Phillips, sealed deals to come to Eastlands, along with Zapaleta of Espanyol.
Manchester City fans could feel something big brewing after all, our messiah had returned when all indications pointed to a fire sale being triggered! The first game in the City blue for Wright-Phillips couldn’t have been any better if he tried; he bagged a brace in an emphatic 3-0 win over Sunderland, which initiated a feel good factor which was flowing through the City of Manchester.
Then came 1st September 2008. What a day to be a City fan. The stories which broke that day, stunned and amazed me to the point I was pinching myself to make sure it was not a dream. The Abu Dhabi Group worth a staggering 550 billion pounds, had taken over Manchester City, and by midnight we had signed Robinho for a British record deal, simply mind-blowing!
Today (11th September), City have recorded six points out of a possible nine, and has made it through to the first stage of the UEFA Cup. Can City break the stealth effect now they have a financial power of 10 times Abramovich?
Anything, as we know with City is possible.
Share this article
