Thursday, June 19, 2008

The off-season: Manchester City

Probably the most important signing for City has already been made. Recruiting Mark Hughes from nearby Blackburn Rovers was a coup for the team from the Eastlands. Now they have other signings waiting to rival the other team in Manchester.

GK: Joe Hart, Andreas Isaksson, Kasper Schmeichel

Even though Hart finished the season as the top goalkeeper, nobody's place is secure with a new manager. If Hughes keeps everything like Eriksson did, Hart will continue as No. 1 whilst Isaksson and Schmeichel will leave. This will leave space for a back-up goalkeeper.

RB: Vedran Corluka, Sun Jihai, Danny Mills

With Corluka cementing the right-back role, Sun and Mills will look elsewhere for playing time. However with Mills injured until October he will most likely be backing up Corluka until at least the New Year.

LB: Michael Ball, Javier Garrido

No immediate problems with this position but if City are to challenge for Champions' League places they will need a better left back as Ball and Garrido are not Big Four material.

CB: Micah Richards, Richard Dunne, Nedum Onuoha

With the confirmation of Hughes as manager, that news will hopefully be enough for Dunne to stay with rumours of him going to Tottenham. Yet they will still need back-up. They struggled last season with injuries having to use Ball and Corluka in this position.

WG: Stephen Ireland, Martin Petrov

Another area where reinforcements will be required, with Ronaldinho being heavily touted. Ireland is not a out-and-out winger whilst Darius Vassell has been used as a right-winger. It has been left to Petrov at times, who's form dipped during the middle of the season.

CM: Michael Johnson, Dietmar Hamann, Gelson Fernandes, Elano, Geovanni

Geovanni is most likely to go whilst everybody else is likely to stay. Reinforcements are less likely in this department

FW: Emile Mpenza, Rolando Bianchi, Darius Vassell, Paul Dickov, Felipe Caiceido, Benjani Mwaruwari, Valeri Bojinov, Nery Castillo, Georgios Samaras, Bernardo Corradi

The term 'clear-out' is what one thinks when looking at Manchester City's forward line-up. Basically they should blow it all up and start all over again.

Summary

In: Goalkeeper x 1, Centre-back x 1, Wingers x 2, Forward x 1
Out: Isaksson, Schmeichel, Sun, Geovanni, Mpenza, Bianchi, Vassell, Dickov, Samaras, Corradi

No comments: