The Official Manchester City thread 2007/08

[Tricky]

I have lumped on Man city to win the Premiership this season at Betfair!

Come on City!


Once I set up the Fantasy Football Mini League, you guys will be signing up won't you? This is one competition, where Mods are elgible for prize money seeing as I am running and sponsoring it!










p.s.


NO I am not mad, it is h/cap betting, got about 16's, but price is coming down all the time. The price might shorten further if you sell VaSELL!

[slick]

I said that was a good bet the other week Tricky when the antepost bets came out, we were +40 on the handicap or something daft, same as Sunderland which was a bit of a joke.

I know i'm biased but i wouldent have touched that bet with a bargepole pre Shinawatra/Erikkson but with the cash and players coming in at the moment its well worth a bet.

Good luck.

[andeeeee]

hope everything goes well for the team from the city of manchester next season , about time you had a successful team

[all_funkt_up]

Yeah I agree. Manchester's 1 and only team.

[andeeeee]

pity stephen jordan doesnt play for city now , worked with his dad for afew years, until he died a good few years before stephen made the 1st team debut.where did he end up

[all_funkt_up]

Think he's just moved to burnley mate

[slick]

Aye he's gone to Burnley and thank fcuk for that, he was a decent lad but was never going to make it in top flight football, I'll be surprised if he makes it in the Championship tell the truth as he's one of the worst players i've ever seen at City.

Pearce gave him more chances than he ever deserved mainly because we were so weak on the left both defensively and in midfield and he was tried in both positions but failed to produce, for a big lad he's a bit of a soft touch and lacks pace which is crucial for soembody in todays game if you lack natural ability.

Saying that he came through the youth system and i wish him well and hope he proves me wrong as he's still a kid but i'll be surprised if he does.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Another 2 goals for Bianchi today and hes looking like a great acquisition so far albeit he has only played a couple of friendlies.

With City going to be strenthening with more quality you could maybe find him to be top goalscorer a decent bet seeing as there arent that many good goal scorers left in the Prem just now...Not in the moulds of Henry, Van Nistelrooy, Shearer etc anyways...

[keemanan]

Fukin magic:

Manchester City have signed Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov for £4.7m from Atletico Madrid.

The 28-year-old has agreed a three-year contract and passed a medical, although the move is subject to a work permit.
Petrov was strongly linked with a move to Tottenham, but City boss Sven-Goran Eriksson has made the Bulgarian his fourth new signing.
"Having Sven as manager proved to be a major factor in the player's decision," said City chief Alistair Mackintosh. "Unsurprisingly given the calibre of the player, there were a significant number of clubs competing for Martin's signature, and I am absolutely delighted that he has come to Manchester City."

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Keem i think this is a VERY dodgysigning. Hasnt tis guy played little football in the last season and a half due to injury?

[christianu]

VfL Wolfsburg 2001-02 32 6 4
2002-03 26 2 4
2003-04 28 2 4
2004-05 30 7 3
Atletico Madrid 2005-06 36 1 8
2006-07 9 2 2


Only last year was he injured for a long time Kiko, first long term injury in his career it looks like so I dont think its dodgy, Dyer is dodgy.

The guy is very very talented though, I've seen him play a few times, very techincally gifted.

[GaNgStA kEeKs]

Yeah he is awesome. I used to watch Wolfsburg quite often as they were sweet going forward.

Him and D'allesandro were the two running the show.

If he can stay fit he will be a great signing but a bit dodgy signing him straight from long term injury.

I remember he nearly went to Celtic like 6 years ago or so when they got Petrov.

[all_funkt_up]

BBC radio 5 Live, 7pm tonight will be worth listening to.

They are doing a program called "A Fit and Proper Premiership" and its an investigation into Shiniwatra and whether or not he should be allowed to buy a fotoball club. Should make for very interesting listening, if you are not otherwise engaged.

[all_funkt_up]

Bloody hell and the first thing that appears on the BBC this morning is not exactly complimentary as far as the wrinkly arl Thai bloke is concerned:

A leading human rights group has written to the Premier League to challenge Thaksin Shinawatra's recent purchase of Manchester City.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims Thaksin is "a human rights abuser of the worst kind" and should not have passed the league's 'fit and proper person' test.

Christ on a bike & we continue

Thaksin - Thai prime minister from 2001 to 2006 - denies the allegations.

"Under any definition, I don't see how Thaksin can be fit and proper," HRW's Brad Adams told BBC Sport.

"I've written a letter to the Premier League asking what this test means."

Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol Pattama, told BBC Sport that the allegations were completely unfounded.

"The civil and human rights charges against him have never been proven," said Noppadol.

"My client deserves to be treated as an innocent man, until proven guilty.

"So far there hasn't been any solid evidence against him."

Amnesty International shares many of HRW's concerns and their spokesperson told BBC Sport: "Thaksin did preside over some very serious human rights violations.

"If the Premier League wants to take any of that into account when making their decisions, we're happy to make our documents available to them."

The allegations against Thaksin are that, during his time as Thai Prime Minister, he:


Presided over extrajudicial killings during the notorious "war on drugs". HRW says 2,500 people were killed during one three-month period at the start of 2003.

Told the Thai military to employ any means to suppress an insurgency in the south of Thailand.

Suppressed the Thai media.
Thaksin's lawyer, Noppadol, countered: "As far as I am concerned, he (Thaksin) has never instructed any public officer to execute a drug dealer.

We will be able to prove his innocence after the general election when we are sure our client will get a fair trial

Noppadol Pattama
Thaksin's lawyer

"We just tried to solve the drug problem in Thailand by getting tough with criminals. But he has never issued any instructions for shoot-to-kill policies.

"I hope Manchester City fans and British people are fair-minded. They should suspend their judgement before deciding Thaksin is not fit. He is a fit and proper man to run the club."

Prospective owners must pass a "fit and proper person test" before buying a Premier League football club.

Thaksin passed this before completing his buy-out of City last month.

The former Thai Prime Minister faces charges of conflict of interest and dereliction of duty following a land deal conducted by his wife, Pojamarn, in 2003.

If convicted, the Thai government could request his extradition from Britain.

Thai court to hear Thaksin case

However, this would almost certainly not be granted, because the request would almost certainly be seen as being politically motivated.

Thailand is ruled by a military-installed government that assumed power by overthrowing Thaksin in a coup in 2006.

Yet the situation could change if a democratically-elected government made the request - and elections are scheduled for December this year in Thailand.

Noppadol said he was sure his client would be acquitted if a democratic government assumed power in Thailand.

"We will be able to prove his innocence after the general election when we are sure our client will get a fair trial," he told BBC Sport.

[all_funkt_up]

Bloody Hell. Uncle Sven and Dr Strangelove are in a rather frivolous mood as far as spending this summer goes arent they!

£25m or thereabouts in one afternoon, not even a well trained, numero uno, Premier League uber-WAG could blow that much cash in such a short space of time...

Manchester City have signed Brazil midfielder Elano from Shakhtar Donetsk for £8m to complete a hat-trick of deals within 24 hours.

Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson also picked up Javier Garrido from Real Sociedad for £1.5m and Vedran Corluka from Dinamo Zagreb for an undisclosed fee.

Elano, 26, and left-back Garrido, 22, have secured a four-year contracts.

Croatia defender Corluka, 21, who can play at either right-back or central defence, has signed a five-year deal.


606: DEBATE
When is the spending going to stop?

Saj C

Elano scored twice in the 3-0 win over Argentina at the Emirates Stadium last year and has been a regular in the Brazil squad since 2004, helping the national side to triumph in the recent Copa America.

Garrido made his debut for Sociedad during the 2004/2005 season, making 86 appearances in total.

Corluka arrives from Dinamo Zagreb for an undisclosed fee - reported to be around £7m.

He has been capped nine times for his country and his versatility is something that attracted Eriksson.

"He's a good defender, another good player first of all and that's the most important thing," said the former England boss.


Vedran Corluka
Every boy in Croatia dreams of playing in the Premier League

New Man City defender Vedran Corluka

"He's young and the good thing with him is that he can play in different roles - centre half or right-back. He's a tall, big guy and we look forward to him starting here, it's one more and I hope he will do very well for us."

Corluka insisted he had no regrets about leaving a Champions League club to join City.

"I was preparing to play for Dinamo in the Champions League, but since then things have happened very fast and I'm very happy to be here," he told the City website.

"Every boy in Croatia dreams of playing in the Premier League and my dream has come true.

"I think the Premier League is in some ways better than the Champions League at times."

Eriksson has now made seven new signings since he took the City helm, with Rolando Bianchi, Martin Petrov, Gelson Fernandes and Geovanni all moving to the club.

City chief executive Alistair Mackintosh said: "Today has proved to be an immensely productive one, the outcome of which is the acquisition of three top quality players for Manchester City.

"This has been achieved as a result of some tremendous teamwork and I would like to praise everyone involved for their efforts.

"I would particularly like to thank owner Dr Thaksin, without whom the signings would not have been possible."